Tangor’s Tinkering Treasures

     “For as long as I can remember, I have always believed in being as zero waste as possible,” Tangor said with a twinkle in his eye. “There is just something so special about taking what others might view as garbage and completely transforming it into something else. It is almost magical!” he excitedly explained.

     Tangor paused, smiling as a small chuckle escaped him. “As a young Mynci, I grew up in a family that did not have much, but my parents never let that limit my imagination. I have fond memories of looking all over our house and neighbourhood for anything I could turn into toys. I took great pride in showing my creations to my parents, who instilled in me a lifelong passion for resourcefulness and creativity.” Brushing dust off his desk, he added, “They were always incredibly encouraging of my ideas and often asked when the next show and tell would be.”

     No matter where you look around his workshop, you can see little glimpses of ongoing projects, each with their own charm. Every nook and cranny seem to tell a story. Shelves brimming with all sorts of materials – from shiny obsidian to scrap metal and stone – line the walls, and tall stacks of crates overflowing with potential fill the room. Tools of various sizes are scattered all throughout the workshop, each ready to play a part in Tangor’s next imaginative adventure.

     Walking over to a crate filled to the top with miscellaneous gears, Tangor picked one up and remarked, “I can’t believe these get thrown out!” Running over to his desk, he picked up a small yellow rectangular machine, held it up with pride, and exclaimed, “This is an Oop, one of the many Moltaran petpets I create. I made this using these miscellaneous gears! A lot of my regular customers like Gruntharxx Knarvatron and P. Berigan Buzzby make orders for these little guys all the time.”

     I asked if he makes each order by hand or if he has a machine to mass produce the little Petpets. Tangor held up his unfinished Oop, gave a great big smile and explained, “I make each Petpet myself. I feel like each Petpet has their own story. They are all made up of various parts that come from all over Neopia. I like to think I am helping each Petpet continue in their journey. Plus, everyone deserves a second chance, you know? Their journey should not end with me.”

     It is evident that Tangor is a master of his craft with his roster of regular customers including the likes of Sir Migwot Blumpington, Countess Emerald Mayfeather Treepippit,, and Iggsah van Uggamuggah. Curious, I asked him what he is usually requested to make.

     “I make all sorts of Petpets! Come over here!” Gesturing to another corner of his workshop, he points out a shelf where a variety of Petpets sat. “These are the very first set of Petpets I created!” I could see the immense sense of pride gleaming from his eyes. He went on, “These little guys all have their own stories that I will save for another time, but from left to right, I have a Dal, Oop, Daloop, Ada, Gio, Adagio, Val, Teek, Valteek, Rav, Erge, Raverge, Goy, Albot, Nik, Goyalbotnik, and the Vaggendotra.”

     Giving a small laugh, he looked at me and said, “Yes, I know. My skill is clearly in tinkering and not naming objects. I have always joked that the T in Tangor stands for tinkering.” He continued, “I like to think that they are all cheering me on when I am working here in the workshop. We have been through a lot together.”

     Looking around his workshop in awe at all his ongoing projects, I asked, “Is there anything you are currently working on that you’re particularly excited about?”

     Putting the Oop down, he enthusiastically walked over to a table to pick up what appeared to be a robotic bear playing the piano. “This here is called an Adagio!” Holding it out for me to inspect, he continued, “I had a recent job for Roukoichi Roukoru where he asked me to make him a Gio – that’s the bear part – for a young Ruki’s birthday. He brought it back just a few days later because he accidentally dropped it, and it unfortunately broke.”

     Running over to another crate, he picked up a familiar looking creature and said, “Now this here is an Ada. This is what makes up the piano part for the Adagio! Mr. Roukoru thought I would have to turn his broken Gio into scraps for another project.”

     Giving a small chuckle, he continued, “I reminded him that the word ‘broken' does not exist in my vocabulary. I told him to come back in a few days to see what I have transformed his Gio into.” Taking back the Adagio, he gently placed it down on the table and pressed a button. To my delight, it started moving around and playing music.

     Admiring his work, Tangor explained, “I get a lot of customers who bring back my creations after they break, thinking that is the end of their story. It brings me great joy to give all of them another chance and seeing the delight my work brings my customers. This is the most rewarding part of my job and why I have done it for so many years.”

     As we started to wrap up our interview, Tangor picked up a half-finished Dal, held onto the little arm, and they both gave me a little wave. It is clear just how much joy Tangor finds in his work.

     In a world where we are surrounded by an overwhelming abundance of items, Tangor’s Workshop is a refreshing and poignant reminder of the importance of resourcefulness and appreciation of every item that crosses our path, no matter how insignificant it may initially appear. Tucked away in his little workshop in Moltara City, Tangor masterfully transforms what most may consider to be mere scraps into captivating creations. His work teaches us that you can make just about any mundane and ordinary item into an extraordinary one with just a little bit of imagination, patience, and love. Through his dedicated craftsmanship, Tangor truly inspires us to see the hidden potential and beauty in everything and everyone around us.