Nigel: This world has changed a great deal over the past year - I believe that we can all say that none of our lives are the same as they were before September 11th of last year. Thos of us who once felt safe, now feel vulnerable and exposed. Many of us have changed our attitudes to life, friends or family. I have heard of magicians who have felt unable to continue with their interests after this dreadful event and others who have spoken about their changing expectations of life since then. If you are able to answer this very difficult question, could you explain how your thoughts and aspirations as a magician have altered since this appalling event?

Tora: Dear Nigel, I do not know how to handle this. There are magicians who suffered from that dreadful event yes...but the event is itself a disaster...I can not mention my feelings without being political so I must decline for a full answer sorry. The only thing I can say that : I can never see any terrorism as right !!! Terror can not solve any problems and it has never been. In these very instances that I wish I were a real magician to stop all wars on the earth.

Huw: Welcome Tora! Please sit down and enjoy a good reviving cup of British tea.  I see that you've taught magic at university! That sounds a wonderful idea. I'll bet a lot of the people on Magic Bunny would love to be able to study magic instead of English, Maths, History and so on. Since most of us have to learn magic (and mentalism) alone, I wonder if you can give us the benefit of your advice. What are the most important things that we should do when learning magic? Should we spend time mastering lots of different branches of magic - cards, coins, illusions, ropes, mentalism and so on - or is it better to decide early on that you want to devote yourself to a particular branch of magic and concentrate on that alone? Maybe you can give us a bit of information on your own career? How did you go about learning magic?

Damien: Magic at University.  Woooooooooooow. Think how great that would be. I wish we had them school things that they have in America. Anyway yeah I would like to hear the answers to Huw's questions.  So what’s our tea like Tora?   Best wishes, look forward to your posts.

Tora: I think I have already relied this in Damien post. So I do not want to repeat myself. Nevertheless, I wish I could have a university which has a department of Magic. However last year I have been demanded to teach magic in a university again at the department of Animation and Entertainment" . The course would be 4 hours a week and 15 weeks a semester. That was they expected me to teach magic only, in 60 hours.  I thought I could give the basics and people may follow the same way we do to reach the knowledge. The university was far away-85 km away form where I live. Maybe later, we may try again. May be you can do it. I hope and pray for it. Imagine everybody does it besides his lessons but you do it in lessons. How nice. I can not imagine anything better. One day, in a university and some magician...... If only, I hope....

Rich: Hello Tora, I have heard a lot about you appearing frequently on Turkish television. How often is this, and how do you think it has affected your performance style and quality? What advice would you give to a young magician who aspires to appear on television one day?

Tora: Dear Rich,  believe or not this is the seventh time I am writing this message. There is an evil eye on this I guess-LOL.  For the Television, I promise if anybody comes to the Festival next year I will try to contact some TV companies for them may be they may perform-hopefully. It is not something big, it is different . First of all it enables you to perform small scale tricks as well which you can not do on stage. It is easy because: - If the program is not "alive" you can re-record the parts you want to change, you can stop the camera anytime you like, you can have a break when you need. - you can reach to the people even to those whom you can not imagine, that is good publicity. It is hard because: -when you make a mistake a large crowd ( millions of people) DO see it. No return. You have to adjust your angles. When you say or do something not suitable there is always somebody having the recorded proof. OK, Ok. I will not go into detail. I do not want to scare you. Let me only give you some basic tips. - DO ask in advance to the TV people if they can supply you a place to set up your props or not. Take the necessary precautions. -DO bring everything you need. NEVER expect to find something there. "I can find a glass of water there" is a wrong attitude. You may not.. -DO bring your music and its back up as well. If you destroy one you can not be able find the same music or even maybe no music. -NEVER do something you have not practiced enough. -NEVER try to be too smart against people. Try to be moderate but elegant. - DO pay your costumes and props LOTS of attention. They should be neat and showy, moreover suitable. Do not perform with your street clothes. These are just a few tips I can remember. If I happened to see any of you I may tell more, in person I guess. Thanks for your interest.

Damien:  So you taught magic at University..great!! What do you think about there not being any type of schools, lessons, or any of that stuff over here? Or is there?? Do you think magic is quiet over here? Do you think we need magic schools and so on...? I look forward to your replies to all these topics.  Best wishes, Damien

Tora: Is your die on your avatar one of mine from my site? -LOL. An interesting question without any doubt. Any for of art should be taught on a planned and disciplined process. School is the common name we use today and they are official I guess. At the university, I have instructed magic (Middle East Technical university) but it was in form of a Cultural Club. No grades or exams. Just Lots of practice and practice and practice...13 young people had gone on the stage after 5 months and they could even supply their school expenses. (This was not the thing you ask I know). During the medieval age there were no medical schools so all the doctors were not from the faculties but from master and apprentice relationships. I wish I could have a department of magic in a faculty of performing arts. Where you can learn Stage attitude, manipulation, speaking, dancing, mime and alike from the masters of it, not from a single person. In this way we may have very accomplished Magicians. You are not schools are not the only way or the must....Nevertheless, like Ballet, opera or theater etc. a huge innovation may be achieved provided that there is a very serious and preferredly an official education about it. Believe me the ones you seem to be outstanding performers are those who could accomplish this with their own efforts by individually.

Huw: I know you do (or have done) all kinds of magic, Tora. Why have you now decided to add mentalism to your repertoire? Do you find that mentalism appeals to the same audiences who enjoy your magic shows? Or does it attract a different audience?

Mike: I'd like to expand a bit on Huw's question, but first I'd like to thank you for taking your time and doing this question and answer session, Tora. I appreciate this greatly, thank you, sir. I see that you've been given the title, "The First Mentalist of Turkey." Could you explain what that is and why you were given the title? Also, in many of the South American countries they have what's called "psychic surgery." Does this happen in Turkey and if so, do you do anything to expose these practices? Again, thank you for taking your valuable time with us here at Magic Bunny and if I can ever be of any service to you, please feel free to let me know.

Tora: Dear friends, First of all I am a first class Cabaret worker. My main motto is "packs small and plays big". Simply because I live in small places. And probably the best fitting type is the "mantalism" . Could it be smaller than thought? I did not decide to add mentalism to my repertoire but I had already them . But I have just decided to make a mentalism program without any fancy moves and cumbersome apparatus. My becoming mentalist is a funny story. In the year 2000 we were going to Balkanian Convention Contest. I had injured my hand so I would not be participating to the contest. However I had some mental routines of my own. As I got on the car, people try to influence me to participate in the mental category. I objected them very strictly. I said I am a Cabaret worker and I do not want to enter to such a contest. But they had insisted on that there are really good manipulators, magicians and illusionists but not even a single mentalist for the international arena. for four days they wanted me to enter the contest and 13 people including me ,had finally convinced me to participate just for the sake of some adrenalin. I did not have anything to perform. I had a black suit for the receptions, two packs of cards and that was all. At the last hour we managed to find two pieces of card boards from a ceramics box's flaps, I borrowed two small trays and two felt tipped pens. I was ready to perform. I got on the stage and performed my routine as the second man at the beginning. The crowd had gone crazy. They have all stood up and applauded, whistled. The magical society there from Turkey said "we welcome the first international mentalist of Turkey". Nevertheless, there were only three contestants in my category so the category canceled-I was disqualified. It was the fault of nobody but it happened. They said They could give me a special prize if I want. No I could not want it. I want a prize which I can win, not a present. Now I am planning to enter FISM 20003 in Den Haag, Holland. This was the long story made short. About the "psychic surgery" it is only in Philippines I think. We do not have such things, nobody believes in them. This was the shortest form I could write about the story.

Huw: For those of you who have not seen Tora, let me tell you that he looks tremendous (just like a real magician should!). Look at Toras's Web site for pictures of Tora and some of his performances: http://www.tora.com.tr.tc/ Tora, have you always looked like this or did you experiment with your 'image'? Was there anyone who influenced your image? On a more general note, how important do you think a striking image is to a professional magic performer?

Tora: Huw, Thanks a lot for your compliment: I did not do my image on purpose -to be honest. At the beginning I was wearing a safari type costume in sand colour, then I had changed my mind to wear a smoking but it should be different. So I have had my dad made a green smoking. Afterwards I have made my black costume and re-doing the same type more than 14 years. At the beginning I was using the name as "Ozlen the manipulator" between 1982 to 1984 then During 1983 I have met my only mentor Dr Morgan and left the stage thinking that I was not adequate. He was a world famous Indian Fakir and a illusionist. He thought me at the beginning only one think: I did not anything about magic. After learning the truth and after a really hard work off the stage I got ob the stage for the second time in 1986 with the name TORA: The Prince of Magic. In fact the name of my black costume is the same, The prince of Magic. Now I do not use the title "The prince of Magic" for there are many "Kings of Magicians" around. Oh By the way my green smoking is still in use after 20 years. My student Alakazam uses it. He believes in the luck of the costume. Yes it brought me some fame as well as success. So to speak I did not shape up a style by myself. Since I am an industrial designer and both of my parents were tailors costume was a small problem for me. Nevertheless I have let the spectators shape me up. I have gone on the way which they liked best and wanted me to be. I think I had the chance to get the frequency with them. By the way the English version of my site will be ready during this month as well as a thorough update. Thanks once more for the compliment. yours, TORA

Huw: Tora, when I first saw your photograph on the pages of The Magic Cafe I thought that you looked "every inch a true professional" The jet-black hair, neatly trimmed beard added so much to your image - but what I noticed most of all was the confidence that you portrayed in the photograph. Were these photographs taken for a specific event or did you commission these for your own publicity?

Tora: To be honest my hairs are not jet black, it is dark hazel. The photographs were taken during an occasion and I had also some other photos taken but not passport size. I like that photo anyway