All things LEGO: Madness, Mayhem, Movies... and Minifigures

It was the morning of the 14th of February, and all around the world romance blossomed, couples shared romantic dinners, many proposals were made and children flocked to the cinemas to watch a plastic toy come to life in it's first block-buster adventure. Extremely goofy puns aside, it's just another ordinary Valentine's Day isn't it?

Of course it isn't...

I've never really liked the concept of Valentine's Day, but this Valentine's Day was special, because it was when I fell in love with the children's toy, LEGO.

Well... not really.

My LEGO obsessions started way back in 2000 when I spent pocket money on a little helicopter made of blocks that could be put together.  Speed forward 14 years and 190 LEGO sets later, and you get to my latest acquisitions, which were bought at the LEGO store which recently opened not far from where I am currently living out the rest of my abnormally long childhood.

The latest LEGO sets I bought all had one thing in common: The LEGO Movie.

The LEGO Movie was released nationwide (and possibly worldwide) properly on Friday 14th February 2014, the day after I turned 19.  Everything that happened on that day now came under the category of "Awesome!" as exclaimed by Emmet, an ordinary minifigure who's life changes forever when he finds the legendary Piece of Resistance. Accompanied by an all star cast of minifigures including Batman and Liam Neeson (well, Good Cop, Bad Cop) and an Anime style kitten with a Unicorn's horn, Emmet must find a way to stop the megalomaniac Lord Business from ending the world on Taco Tuesday. Needless to say I loved this movie and I suggest you go and see it. It really is the Pièce de résistance...

Groans aside, On Friday 21st February 2014, a week since the LEGO Movie was released, I embarked on a journey to the LEGO Store in the Metrocentre to use my LEGO giftcard (which I was given on my birthday, the day before the movie came out) to buy some minifigures and sets that featured in the LEGO Movie.

I purchased Cloud Cuckoo Palace for £18, which got me a Unikitty (the hybrid I mentioned previously) and 3 minifigures for £2.49 each. Because I surpassed £25, I got given an exclusive LEGO Store T-Shirt, which the other employees in store were wearing branded with "LEGO Store Metrocentre", complete with a minifigure of the Angel of the North, which I thought was a nice touch. That beats an exclusive polybag I was meant to get with my purchase anyway!

My better half also bought me a further 4th minifigure to compliment the others.  With her help, I managed to squidge out Emmet, Abraham Lincoln, Velma Staplebot (Lord Business's Secretary) and Marsha, Queen of the Mermaids.

Below are some pictures of my purchases.  I enjoyed building the set as it's very colourful! LEGO have done a fantastic job capturing the scene. I may have to pick up some more of the sets in the future to go with my almost complete minifigure series. Will I do it?

Only time will tell...

   

The Student Birthday

Okay, I admit it.

I'm a big kid when it comes to birthdays.

 Today I entered into my nineteenth year. My final year as a teenager. Am I scared?

Of course I am.

Should I be scared?

Definitely.

However, I'm not here to ramble on about the nail-biting concept of surviving in the adult world. I am here, though, to share the antics of my first birthday in a different country, away from home and away from my family.

All night I tossed (which healthy teen doesn't?) and turned, unable to sleep. Perhaps this was the excitement for presents - I know, I know! - or maybe it was partly due to the nerves of not really knowing how I'd react to being away from home comforts on a day I'd always spent with my close family. I had no idea how things were going to turn out.

The day was pretty much just like any other birthday: I opened presents; I ate cake; I even ran knee first into a fellow student during an exercise at university. But still it felt like something was missing.

But then something magical happened, something so very spectacular that it's almost too good to be true:

SKYPE.

Thanks to modern-day technology, we don't really ever need to be too far from our loved ones. Sure, a phone call is nice, but nothing beats seeing your family face to face on your special day. And that is my top tip for students: before you leave home to go to university, or if you've already left and are visiting home soon, try and set your parents up with Skype if they've not already got an account. It's free and easy, and really helps to ease the pains of being away from home (and no matter how macho you think you are, you will fall victim to homesickness eventually!).

To conclude my birthday as night draws in, I've included below a small selection of photos from today. Let's all show our love for Lego Lone Ranger...