Page 22 - KC Cunningham Issue

Living Her dream, One Block at a Time.

By Judith A. Habert
Photos Courtesy of Mariann Asanuma

As far back as elementary school there were those who LEGOLAND allowed her to personally work on the models
doubted what Mariann Asanuma knew in her heart. At the she had gazed at in the pages of these books.
age of ten she had decided that her life would take a some- LEGOS have been around in their current state since 1958.
what unconventional path. With all the excitement of a child, Their origin is based in Denmark, and the concept appears
she confessed her dreams to her elementary school teacher to have gone back to as early as 1934 when the name
that she would one day be a LEGO Master Builder, the “LEGO” was coined. Ole Kirk Christiansen, a carpenter from
teacher took her hand and gently patted it informing her that Billund, Denmark took up toy making when his furniture busi-
although ness was wither-
that was ing. The word
a fun “LEGO” is an ab-
thought, breviation for two
she would Danish words,
one day leg and godt,
have to get meaning “play
a “real” job. well.” It was later
Even her found out that
own Dad this expression
questioned could be loosely
her oc- translated as “I
cupational put together” or
path asking “I assemble,” in
“Why do Latin.
you keep Most of us think
playing with of LEGO as a
22 children’s toy that is played
toys… with primarily by
You’ve boys at a young
gotta grow age. What most
up” Mari- people don’t real-
ann knew ize is how many
better, and things you can
has proven do with LEGO. It
them all wrong. Today she is one of only 50 or so LEGO has taken Master Builders like Mariann to bring LEGOS to
Master Builders in the world, and one of only a handful of life.
women who can claim this title. As a Master Builder at LEGOLAND Mariann was respon-
Her love of LEGOS started when she was 6 and her family sible for a good portion of the structures found in Mini land.
brought her home a bag of LEGOS from a local thrift store. Her attention to detail was appreciated and she soon found
She was engrossed in what she could create and quickly herself promoted to Master Designer, a designation for those
found herself figuring out ways to take her hobby to the next who conceive of the projects and create the blueprint for the
level. project’s completion.
As a small child Mariann always liked miniatures, but they LEGO building has become a huge hobby with people from
could not be played with, as they were too delicate to survive all over the world involved in fan clubs and attending yearly
the hands of a child. As Mariann explains, “LEGOS were conventions such as BrickCon in Seattle or Brickworld in
not only fun to build, but could be played with for hours with- Chicago. These conventions, generally run for 4-days, and
out being destroyed, and when you became bored you could they allow Adult Fans of LEGO (AFoLs) OR Adult LEGO
tear them apart and build something brand new. “Mariann Hobbyists (ALH) to congregate and display their creations.
continued on her quest to become the best, landing a job as Mariann has attended several of these conventions and has
a LEGO master builder at LEGOLAND in Carlsbad, Califor- made friends from all over the world who have similar inter-
nia. For years Mariann had studied books put out by DK ests and talents.
publishing entitled the “Ultimate LEGOS.” Getting this job at
March/April 2010