Reignited love (and hope) for Lego

Having a child of your own will open up new life changing experiences and might also rekindle some of your childhood interest. Now, having 4 boys will put this so called experience into overdrive. One thing that got reignited (extremely) for me was my love for Lego.

Very brief personal history; My brother and I had a decent amount of Lego when we were kids. Mostly the normal Lego bricks. I can still recall most models when visiting the Brickset website. The grandest thing I had was a Lego space solar transporter (6952), which dad bought when I was 9. And also one (yes, one) Technic set, a roadster (8832). Then, I grew up and all was gone; literally. Gone because dad decided throw (mom said he gave it) away my old toys as it was taking up space and I wasn't living there since I was 13. I'm not angry at all at my dad, though I wish he had done otherwise. But it IS his house and it was his money that bought all those Lego. And just like that, Lego was nothing more that a childhood memory.

Fast forward to the future.

On my eldest son's first birthday back in 2005, his grandmother (my mom), bought him a box of Duplo. He immediately loved it. From then on, his (or should I say, our) Lego collection grew and grew. From Duplo to Lego bricks to Lego theme sets. As my children's interest grew, so did mine. Add to that the easy and friendly Lego website plus fan sites such as Brickset and YouTube videos that gave access to more information and introduce other Lego fans. And now, in less than a month, Legoland Malaysia will open its doors and it's only about 20 minutes away from our house!

All these have put my love and interest back in Lego.

As a toy, Lego is a toy that can give you other toys. Want a robot? A car? Voltron? A dagger? Your own town? You can just make one for yourself, by yourself.

But Lego is also more than a toy. It's a tool for learning. A tool for turning imagination into reality. It can be art. And yes, you can even collect the rare ones for trading if you like.

And this is something I wish and hope that more of my fellow Malaysians will see, realize and embrace. With the opening of Legoland Malaysia, I hope the younger people will be encouraged to delve into the world of Lego and allow their creative mind to grow and develop further. Even though Lego are relatively expansive, you do get high quality products and an extremely cohesive eco-system, which means you can re-use your Lego from the past and into the future. Consider it an investment.

From the simple toddler friendly Duplo to Lego bricks to the more sophisticated engineering-ish Technic, Lego offers a lot in developing creative mind.

Here's my wish list for Lego in Malaysia:

1) To have local Lego workshops and exhibitions

2) A more active and involve local Lego fan club

3) Get schools to have Lego competitions, activities or even some sort of Lego Day

These can be done and I hope I can be part of it.