The other day I thought I finally figured out what this “Minecraft” game was all about.
As far as I could tell, based on watching my kids, it’s just like Lego—building stuff, buildings, villages, territories, etc., using virtual blocks.
Unfortunately I still have not been able to convince my kids to put down their iPads and try building something for real, for a change.
Ever since I got my first play set as a child years ago, Lego has served as both a recreational and educational toy. I have tried to explain to my kids the countless possibilities Lego offers, with only their imagination as the boundary. That’s the beauty of Lego.
Also it is one of the few toys out there that crosses generations—parents and kids can both enjoy.
However, my kids, especially my daughter, would have none of that. (While they all like Lego, there is something about that digital “Steve” guy they can’t do without.) The minute I say Lego is this and that, we get into a long debate, the usual father-daughter argument.
To cut a long story short, the encounter usually ends with her rolling her eyes and giving a sigh of resignation, as if to make me feel that I did not know my left foot from my right.
But call it fate or the Lego gods intervening—I learned of the ongoing Lego exhibit on the ground floor of Newport Mall at Resorts World Manila (RWM), Pasay City.
Dubbed Brickxhibit 2015, it is the largest public Lego display in the Philippines to date.
So, to kill two birds with one stone, we decided to have lunch at RWM last Sunday and catch the exhibit at the same time.
The minute we entered those revolving doors, the sight of a big “I Love Lego” sculpture greeted us. Made of Lego, it seemed to be telling my kids that nothing beats the original.
Awesome
Initially my kids seemed unimpressed. But that soon changed as soon as they saw the awesome tabletop displays running the length of the corridor of Newport Mall.
The first was a typical big city display followed by the “Star Wars” play sets. On the other side were knights and dragons.
There were also Formula 1, outer space and military play sets, movie-theme play sets such as the “Hobbit” and “Guardians of the Galaxy.”
I was happy to see my kids Josh and Justine joining other children running in and out of the gallery displays, gawking at every single play set, yelling out in excitement at every single character and scene they could identify, of course, with daddy in tow.
Everyone had his or her favorites. Josh was glued to the characters of the “Lego Movie” while Justine was enjoying the “Avengers” display.\
For me, one of the eye-catchers was a display depicting a local street scene in the Philippines, complete with local brand names such as Cebuana Lhuillier and Andok’s, pedestrians crossing the street, and jeepneys.
Then, I saw it standing, like icing on the cake, with little figures of Steve, Mark, Big Bert, Little John and Jaime surrounding it. Proudly, I called my kids over to show off, hoping to prove my point that, finally, there were no limits to what you could do with Lego, and how it could bridge generations. Here was a character from my youth, built of colored bricks familiar to them.
“Well? What do you think? Isn’t it amazing?” I said with gusto. “It’s Voltes V!!!”
Justine replied with a resounding “So? Who is that?”
Well, so much for bridging the generation gap. At least I got them to put down those iPads, even for just a couple of hours.
The Brickxhibit 2015 runs until May 3. A special Lego convention will be held 1-7 p.m. April 25 at the Piazza on the 2/F of Newport Mall, Resorts World Manila.