Monday 7 January 2008

2007 - a retrospect

I thought about what would be a good way to liven up things here a bit and since I haven't posted much during the past few months I figured I might just look back at what happened and sum it all up.
And actually there have been quite a lot of things happening that are worth to be mentioned here. When we go back to early 2007, like January, that’s where the serious work on my first droid was just underway. I think I finished him around March, and boy was I proud!







The building of droid no1 was also my serious “comeback” to the Star Wars fandom.
And what a comeback it was! After about 6 or 7 years as a “casual fan” I really got back into all things Star Wars, started reading lots of stuff related to the galaxy far, far away - and it felt like coming home!
I was back on track regarding the ways of the Force. And it would be the very Force guiding me deeper and deeper into the fandom madness…

I remember that one day at the local cinema, on which I went to see Pirates of the Caribbean with my band mates. In the entrance area there was a bunch of people wearing shirts that surely had no great impact on the weak-minded, but as a Force sensitive little fellow I instantly took notice of them. The back of the shirt read “Union of the Force”, with a website address.

After the movie it didn’t take me long to check out that address and I found out that it is a union of three fan dinners in my area. Well, guess what, I joined that forum, went to my first dinner in Bochum and met Arnd (Riedel), so we talked about R2 all night and had great fun. I knew instantly I found the right bunch of weirdos, and I am now regularly attending the local dinners, talking about the latest SW gossip as well as making new friends!



I met lots of members from the local 501st squad at the fan dinner as well, who helped me to get my stormie armour which I bought ages ago finally assembled, and from there it didn’t take long ‘til I could proudly announce that I’m now serving the Empire as TK 8527.

I also had my first event with those guys last October at a local shopping centre, which was just brilliant fun. The kids loved it, I was sweating like crazy, had all sorts of problems with armour parts falling off, but it was still lots of fun really! I’m definitely looking forward to more events to come :)




Lots of people from the local dinner also made the trip to FACTS Con in Belgium two weeks later, and as they offered me a seat in one of the cars I just joined them – After all the R2 builders had a stand there, so it couldn’t go wrong. And it surely didn’t! I finally managed to put faces to names, got to drive around with some droids and simply had a great time.
If you care to see, then here is a gallery of pictures I took at the con – lots of SW related pics here, but I’m biased, the con had a lot more to offer ;)

And now I’m working on a second droid, made lots of new friends through my rediscovered Star Wars madness and I have the feeling the rollercoaster ride has actually just begun, with more events coming up this year, the first one actually coming up very soon: JEDI CON, here I come!!!
… with the new droid, if I get it finished in time… better stop writing and start building ;)