Meet a member: ChicoCheco
Posted by Huw,
Meet Jindrich aka ChicoCheco) (which means The Czech Guy in Spanish) who's in Oslo, Norway:
What do you do for a living?
I am a Scientist, currently working with chemical engineering. I am happy to be a part of a global company that is contributing to fight against Covid-19 these days. There is a special material we are developed which is an essential part of the test kit for Corona Virus. Many of my colleagues are now working around the clock to secure the production, so all the hospitals can get these test kits as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, me, and my team are working on improvements of the whole process, in order to increase the availability even more in a future. These challenging times gave my job a huge importance. It makes me proud to work on such a project.
What is your first LEGO memory?
Lucky enough I found it on a photograph! It was my 3rd birthday. My dad was on a trip to Prague and brought a really good toy he heard about from someone at work. It was 6652 Construction Truck. I guess I was too young to build it myself, so my mum built it instead. Do you see how much I was looking forward to play with that truck? I still have it to this day.
Did you have a dark age and if so what caused you to emerge from it?
I did not have any dark age. I almost lost my interest in Lego in later 90`s, when TLC started to juniorise sets overall and classical themes started to decline. Luckily Adventurers came in 1998. And when Star Wars came one year later, it really got me for a while.
However there is a fun fact I would like to share. A couple of years ago, there was a small Lego-event in Oslo where Lord of the Rings sets were officially released. I asked my friend if he would like to join this event with me. So, we went together. When he saw Gandalf himself and those cute Hobbit minifigures, he simply had to have them. He bought 9470 Shelob Attacks set that day, and it took straight up from there. So, I think I coincidently took him out of his dark age. Shortly after he got a X-wing and Back to the Future Ideas set. He even managed to find his old Mega Core Magnetizer.
Which set or theme has been most influential upon you, as a LEGO fan?
Definitely 6073 Knight's Castle. This set is connected with my best childhood memories. We were three, me, my older brother and my cousin. Imagine, three boys, but there were only two knights in this set! As the youngest I had no chance to get those knights, so I always had to play an archer. But as far as I remember, when our castle was under attack, my precise arrows saved the day, while both knights were lost on their horses on a battle field.
What are you building right now?
Recently I used an IR controlled chassis from 8183 Track Turbo RC and parts from 31024 Roaring Power to build a nice roadster for Sandy Seagull and Clive Crocodile to drive around.
How do you store your LEGO?
This is quite a problem. Twelve years ago, we moved from Czech Republic to Norway. It was very difficult to take my Lego with me then. It took me several years with a little help from my friends to get my whole collection to Oslo. But now a lot of stuff is still in banana boxes it was moved in, waiting for sorting, washing and so on. But I am working on it!
Do you build MOCs? If, so what?
Much less than I would like to. Now I am mostly building out of Duplo with my boys to get them into it. It is quite a fun to overcome the limitation of the classic brick and build something that is recognizable or even functional. My recent success was a Duplo garage with opening door.
What is your favourite part?
Absolutely 2432 Tile Special 1 x 2 with Handle. I got my first one in 6893: Orion II Hyperspace. With this thing, any bunch of bricks could be converted into a tool, or device. It is also handy for making a detail of an engine or a space ship cockpit or hatch.
I often used these on spaceships so minifigs have something to hold on to during hyperspace flight.
What set/theme/part (take your pick) would you like LEGO to produce?
I am a big fan of a classical themes Town, Castle, Pirates and Space in this particular order. And since we have City nowadays, I would appreciate a new castle theme. I am also quite excited about the new Ideas set Pirates from the Barracuda Bay.
Do you have a presence on Instagram, YouTube or elsewhere?
Not, at this moment. I used to have my own Lego pages where I shared LDraw models, MOCs and even short animated movies I made with Lego Movie Maker set. However, it was not possible to keep it up. Now I realised it was actually almost 12 years ago!
Do you have any interests or hobbies other than LEGO?
Here in Norway, everything is about outdoor activities. When we are not out skiing, biking hiking or camping it is usually music we are occupied with. I play clarinet and saxophones. Funny enough, I met my wife in orchestra. She is actually a multi-instrumentalist. In our living room you can either step on a forgotten Lego brick or trip over a percussion set.
How long have you been visiting Brickset?
I've been a member since 2007 and visiting ever since on daily basis.
What's your favourite/most used feature of the site?
I am really enjoying how systematic Brickset is. I was searching for a way to find out some information about “that Lego I always wanted to have as a kid.” So, it is just to hit that browse button and get all the information you need.
A huge part of my hobby is to visit some local flea markets to buy a shoebox full of used bricks. Then I'll use Brickset to analyse what is in that box based on a set inventory. It is quite nice feeling when you manage to restore some set to its original glory. Fixing the world brick by brick.
Have you been to a LEGO event?
I am organising a little event myself. I am working for our little Norwegian-Czech community. Every spring we will announce a topic for a building competition on our facebook. Kids will then send us a photo of their creations which will then be printed in our magazine. It is not a competition as such. We are trying to reward all the kids that will join. Prizes could be anything from a collectable minifigs or polybags to some smaller Creator sets. Otherwise a local technical museum in Oslo is organising a building event every year which we usually join as well.
Thank you for a chance to present myself to the Brickset community. Also, I would like to thank to my parents. From all the toys that were out there, you chose that small construction truck that started it all. I had a happy childhood and a happy childhood usually leads to happy life.
Thanks Jindrich!
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8 comments on this article
Very nice story. I love the picture of your mum building the set while you gaze with glee at her progress. Most of all, thanks for your efforts in the fight against COVID-19. That is something all of us across the globe can appreciate.
We need more ChicosChecos!
So proud to be part of this community!
I loved the picture of the roadster, you built, for your Fabuland characters. That's great!
Those "behind the scenes", I mean "behind the users profiles" interviews are so good. So good to meet, discover all of you who share our common passion for Lego, which is otherwise quite difficult or rare to express and let flow, with the sensation that your interlocutor is truly understanding what you are talking about, and what you are feeling like. I mean I live things, I have sensations while building a set, while sorting, while watching reviews or pictures of sets I would like to get, that are quite exclusive to this hobby. I can only live similar things when I play music with my friends, my second favorite hobby - so important for my own balance. Then feeling this passion truly shared with Brickset members is so special. I don't remember who had the idea of this new fonction/rubrique, but I want to thank her or him here and now. And of course and once again Huw and BS team for making this possible. I am going to prepare my own interview. I don't know when, but I will. Great story and words ChicoCheco. Pleased to meet you :)
^ Thank you, I look forward to publishing it!
Very cool interview!
Nice to meet you ChicoCheco. Oh, how I wish to have them couple of Fabuland sets today... I passed on them back in the day, being ashamed to get them because of my age. Today I wouldn't give it a second thought at 45 years old :)).
So lovely the babies!