Though it is a few days too late I'd like to celebrate this with a small series of vigs, done in the somewhat minimalistic zerostuds style that used to be my trademark when I was more active here. They are ten in all to represent my ten years, although they do not each represent one year since my joining. Rather they represent the many faces of myself since 2005, since I have come to realize I possess a perhaps unlikely combination of personality traits. So, without further ado, here they are, The Many Faces of Maedhros:
![Image](http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Maedhros/Vigs/Maedhros/thumb/emptiness.jpg_thumb.jpg)
1. Emptiness
As you can see Maedhros has already fled the scene, since this particular scene is one that he does not enjoy at all. I suppose the picture speaks for itself, and reflects the state I was in when I joined this site.
![Image](http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Maedhros/Vigs/Maedhros/thumb/darkside.jpg_thumb.jpg)
2. The Dark Side
I very much enjoyed live-action roleplaying games in my late teens, and occasionally do even today. My favorite roles were always the really evil ones, perhaps as a way of letting that darker side of myself come to the fore, since I'm always so kind otherwise
![Wink ;)](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
![Image](http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Maedhros/Vigs/Maedhros/thumb/ninja.jpg_thumb.jpg)
3. The Ninja
Sorry, had to use that title. Anyhow, something else I did to relieve myself of my troubles in my teens was to practice ninjutsu. My favorite parts were when we got to use those big and somewhat unwieldy weapons like the naginata or bisento.
![Image](http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Maedhros/Vigs/Maedhros/thumb/ski.jpg_thumb.jpg)
4. Up the Hill
While we're at this thing with exercise I thought I'd throw in a reference to my unconditional love of crosscountry skiing. There's little that can beat climbing up some really steep hills with your lungs burning.
![Image](http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Maedhros/Vigs/Maedhros/thumb/shelter.jpg_thumb.jpg)
5. The Shelter
These last years have been quite full of work and studies at the university, but time permitting I also do some work as a volunteer at a homeless shelter.
![Image](http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Maedhros/Vigs/Maedhros/thumb/preacher.jpg_thumb.jpg)
6. The Preacher
This is a side of me that very few suspect, but I actually do work as a lay preacher a few times a year at a church in Stockholm, leading morning prayers.
![Image](http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Maedhros/Vigs/Maedhros/thumb/teacher.jpg_thumb.jpg)
7. The Teacher
I've also done quite a lot of work teaching Latin (and occasionally Greek) to beginners, here making sure they know how to conjugate "lego" (yes, that is an actual Latin word).
![Image](http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Maedhros/Vigs/Maedhros/thumb/venice.jpg_thumb.jpg)
8. The Venetian
My studies have taken me to Venice quite a few times (and actually I'm going again in about a week). It has become one of my favorite spots of this world.
![Image](http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Maedhros/Vigs/Maedhros/thumb/concert.jpg_thumb.jpg)
9. The Glam Rocker
I do still enjoy going to concerts, especially to see somewhat flamboyant bands of the Glam or Visual Kei scenes.
![Image](http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Maedhros/Vigs/Maedhros/thumb/scholar.jpg_thumb.jpg)
10. The Scholar
Finally, here is the one that I would have been if I had lived in the Middle Ages, roaming remote catacombs for dusty old tomes and scrolls of ancient lore. Actually this is pretty much what I do for a living today, though I don't do so much of the actual roaming.