Gadgadsbogen: Interview with Llugh at Mystery Island

     It’s the Month of Running and Gadgadsbogen is here once again! Gadgadsbogen is an annual festival when all the residents of Mystery Island come together to celebrate all the new Tropical Food that sprout to replace the newly retired foods of yesteryear. The name itself means ‘good good day’ in native Mystery Islandian and every day is certainly a good good day when you get to feast on sweet, delicious fruits for over four weeks! The month-long affair involves a flurry of produce-themed parades and street performances as well as a giant tiki-style party held by the island leaders.

     It all started when a red Mynci by the name of Llugh accepted a challenge from his Aisha friend that he could run faster than the sun. Along the way, he ate the fruits he brought to keep his energy up but quickly he ran out of supplies. What did he do next?!

      We are here today by The Beach on Mystery Island to catch up with the extremely bubbly Llugh to talk about his beginnings with Gadgadsbogen, learn a bit about the event, and what we’re expecting to come this year!

     P: Hi Llugh, how are you today?

     L: Hello, hello! I’m doing fantastic, thanks. Just finished a game of Beach Volleyball so I’m buzzing!

      P: Amazing, well, let’s get straight into it. Tell us the story of how Gadgadsbogen began.

     L: My buddy Mizuko doubted me when I said I was faster than the sun. I’m not someone to stand down from a challenge, you know, so I decided to show her by beating the sun in a race across the island! Unfortunately for me, I didn’t realize there was a hole in my bag and pretty much all of the fruits I brought along fell out!

     P: Oh no, what did you do then?

     L: Well, at that stage I had just three Juppies left when a stranger shivering under a cloak approached me asking for food. I couldn’t say no, you know. That’s just not me. Turns out, it was Tyleine (an Earth Faerie)! She was testing me; can you believe it?! Anyway, she did her magic and gave me the energy to complete my challenge and then handed me back the Yellow Juppie. She told me to spread the seeds along the road and I’ve been doing it ever since. Same time, every year!

     P: Every year?

     L: I really enjoy seeing all the new fruits that grow so I never miss a year.

     P: Why is it important for you to do it at this time of the year?

     L: If we plant the seeds now, they will sprout mid-year for us to enjoy in the peak of summer. It’s quite time-sensitive, actually. Plus, it’s more or less tradition now and a good excuse for everyone to get together and celebrate.

     P: What’s been your favorite fruit to date?

     L: Ooh, that’s a hard one. Hot Skrazzles pack a punch, Turihar Berries are super delicious, Chokatos are always a classic, Banangos make a great smoothie. Depends on my mood, I think? Right now I LOVE Eitchtwoo Melons since the weather has been uncharacteristically hot and they’re refreshing.

     P: You mentioned making smoothies. What are some other uses of the fruit?

     L: Oh, plenty! We make juices, stews, soups, we also use the leaves of certain fruits to wrap and preserve or present other foods. Some are even used for medicine and healing. Nothing goes to waste. Vik is probably the best on the island at whipping up something yummy for you if you’re keen to try. Otherwise, you can bring your own ingredients and go to Jhuidah at the local Cooking Pot and see if you can come up with something good.

     P: Does Mystery Island consume all of the crops that are produced each year?

     L: I would say about 70% of it is consumed by the locals, but we export to places like Lost Dessert and Maraqua that are a bit remote or otherwise don’t have the conditions to grow fruits like ours. It’s pretty good for the economy.

     P: What are the tiki-style parties like?

     L: They’re so much fun! Everyone comes together to sing and dance. We really party ‘til the sun rises. We play Limbo and I’m always a finalist. I guess being athletic and short is an advantage there, hah! There may be a fruit fight or two with fruits that are about to expire. The Grand Bogen always makes sure that it doesn’t get too out of hand though.

     P: What is the role of a Grand Bogen at the festivities?

     L: The Grand Bogen is more or less the festival’s official host – they wear a specially made lei and do stuff like greet guests. My buddy Rufus has had the gig since Y5. He’s a natural, he’s really good with people and he’s actually doing it again this year.

     P: What’s your favourite year of Gadgadsbogen?

     L: Probably when we did the Gadgadsbogen Puzzle in Y5. We had a whole plot going on and everything!

     P: Do you have to be a native of Mystery Island to participate?

     L: Of course not, everyone is welcome to join. We love sharing what we’re all about with anyone who is interested to learn. There are tourists who come and visit Mystery Island this time of the year just for this event! We’ve got people flying in from Faerieland, Meridell, Shenkuu… even Terror Mountain!

     P: Any predictions of the sort of fruit you’re expecting this year?

     L: Honestly, it’s a surprise every time. I would love something sweet, sweet and even sweeter though! I’ve got a massive sweet tooth but I don’t like to eat processed foods so sweet fruits is where it’s at!

     P: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our questions today. Good luck with the festival and may this year be bountiful as always!

     L: Thanks, man! You and anyone reading this should definitely come along. We’ve got plenty of fruit to go around. The more the merrier.

     The annual Gadgadsbogen festival runs all month aside from March the 3rd since it is a day where everything in Neopia is Cancelled, due to lack of interest. Be sure to mark your diaries and buy a plane/boat/submarine ticket because you definitely don’t want to miss this year of fun, festivities, and fruit!!