Earthquake destroy's Jango's Slave 1....
Hi guys.. After having the earthquake here in Fukuoka on Sunday, my wife and I were a little worried as to what we would find when we got home.. (we were out shopping when it hit)..
All the way home, my wife was joking that my Gundam collection had finally bitten the bullet, and was taking great delight in giving me grief about the subject.. As every home in Japan, we have your usual entry where by everone has to take their shoes off.. It is in this entry that we have a large cabinet for placing shoes.. Its on top of this cabinet that I keep my large Gundam collection... As I opened the door ever so slightly, I was happy to find that my boys had made it through, and that not one had even moved..
Happy at this discovery, I preceded to take my shoes off and head inside, only to hear my wife yell "Uh-Oh".. I then ran into our lounge room to find all of our picture frames smashed on the wooden floor, our tv and dvd system hanging awfully close to the edge.. My yet to be complete 1/72 scale Australian Helicopter collection, just needing a reason to fall, and on further inspection. Only one Slave 1 sitting on a space where two had recently occupied!
Now normally I would say oh well, atleast we are all ok, and that no real damage was done.. But after spending months tracking down not one, but two AMT Slave 1's to build as both Jango, and Bobba's versions.. ANd then the marticulous effort that I put into them to build, that my dissapoinment was realised!.. My Jango Slave 1 had broken cleanly into every single original piece!.. It looks as though the day it was bought!.. Not only will I need to rebuild it from scratch.. But the once in a lifetime paint job that I vowed that I could never be able to replicate again. Will now have to be redone after reforming, puttying and sanding!.. I really have lost the love for this hobby now, as I sit and contemplate the effort needed to get it back to its former glory!
On a brighter note.. We were very lucky in the fact that we only suffered minimal damage from the quake, and that we still have our health, and home!
ps.. Here is a picture of it, while it was still under construction late last year..
Chris in Japan