梅原裕一郎

Lego Block (November/December 2020 issue)

When I can remember, I had Lego at home. I used to play with it all the time when I was little. In a dark corner of the room, and alone (laughs). I remembered all the parts I had back then. When I had an idea of what I wanted to make, such as a spaceship or an airplane, I could imagine it in my head, “I will use that in this way,” and I had memorized the entire process of making it. Even if it broke a little, I was able to rebuild it exactly the same. When I think about it, I realize that I was more focused in the past than I am now (laughs).

This is the first time I’ve touched Lego in a long time, but I’ve never done it before, and it was fun to create something in such an irregular shape. It was my first time to touch a large Lego. When I was looking at Lego pamphlets and stuff like that, I used to make fun of myself as a child (laughs). “I’m not going to play with such a childish toy,” I said. Somehow my pride wouldn’t allow it, even though I was a child too (laughs). But I tried it this time, and it was fun because it’s not easy to get inside Lego. There was also a feeling of building blocks rather than Lego.

I personally like Lego, so it was fun. Just the other day, I bought a Minecraft Lego for my relative’s child as a birthday present. Come to think of it, at the time, I was making gold bars because I thought it was the “thing I wanted most,” but now the value of gold has fallen considerably (laughs).

Balloon art (January/February 2020 issue)

Balloon art is not suitable (laughs). Because of my lack of planning, I started making things without thinking about the future, and ended up with inconsistent things. I don’t want to do that for the rest of my life (laughs). Speaking of balloons, I remember crying a lot when I let go of the helium-filled balloon that my sister had bought for me when I was little, and it flew away. “IT” by Stephen King. I watched the drama version when I was in elementary school, and I remember thinking, “What is that punchline?” even though it was really scary (laughs). But the old footage is scary and interesting, so please watch the drama version.

I once tried making a whole roasted chicken by myself for Christmas. I bought a whole chicken and one chicken, prepared the day before, and grilled it for about three hours on the day of the event. It went well and was delicious, but it was beyond my imagination. 2020 has been a lot of things in the world, but it was quite fulfilling for me it was another year. When work is stopped due to self-restraint, I can take a walk around the house, go to the park, and relax. Now I feel that it is good to be able to work at my own pace in a relaxed manner.

This was a mess, wasn’t it? It seems that I’m not good at making amezaiku or something in the shape of a good animal… does it mean I don’t have love for it? It was the first time for me to experienced full-fledged tree decorations.

Guitar (March/April 2020 issue)

I think the first song I copied on the guitar was “Wheeler Song”, which was included in the score of Bump of Chicken’s “Yggdrasil” album, which I bought when I was in my third year of middle school. At the time, my friends and I were both living in apartments, so we would get together in the park and play. It was youth (laughs).

I haven’t touched the guitar in about six months. I thought that I had to do it, but I skipped it. I often watch videos on YouTube of a guitar instructor named Ko-Jun. When I actually play it, I can’t play it that well, so I’m disappointed (laughs). I learned a lot as I assembled the instrument while he explained everything from the beginning to the details, such as adjusting the string heights. I let him play the finished guitar, and the frets were polished, so it was smooth and easy to play. My criterion for choosing a guitar is, after all, the appearance. Also, I have small hands, so I tend to choose a Telecaster type that has a narrow neck and is easy to play. As for sound, I like crisp high notes, so I like Strats and Telecasters for that reason.

I have an adjustment kit, but I didn’t really understand how to use it, so I’m glad you taught me here. I thought I should adjust the guitar at home regularly. I haven’t connected it to an amp yet, so I’m looking forward to it.