Report ShadowMonkey's Profile Retired Moderator

Hi!
I'm Tin, a 23-year-old preschool teacher and anti-fascist activist from Croatia with a passion for art and storytelling (mostly of Eastern origin, as you may have noticed).

You probably know me either as a former community/forum mod the one that probably went way too easy on you OR the dude with an ungodly long profile detailing every nook and cranny of his life, interests, and thought processes, in which case you're probably wondering what happened to it. WELL, seeing as how I didn't really update that profile in any meaningful way in 5-7 years, there was a LOT of stuff on there that just isn't true anymore, mainly relating to my worldview and politics, as back then I had sort of (unintentionally) "centrist" views on things without much regard for intersectionality, due mostly to being a sheltered kid in a pretty bad education system, which I've fixed over the years through reading and participating in more diverse communities. So I'll sort of have to build my profile again from the ground up (I have a record of the old one though teehee)

About me? Let's see...believe it or not, I'm not that great at talking about myself, haha.
But yeah, I'm an educator, a preschool teacher dedicated to raising children and providing them with knowledge and skills that will help them navigate our less-than-ideal world. I also dedicate a lot of time and energy to raising awareness about world issues, from climate change and the detrimental effects of capitalism to advocating for victims of war and genocide and addressing world hunger. The stories I engage with (my favorite ones, at least) tend to reflect those two things, as I believe raising and educating future generations and advocating for human rights/fighting for liberation are not only the cornerstones of my own personality, but something we should all focus on/strive for if we want to create a better world and adapt lifestyles that are more sustainable.
When it comes to art, I obviously really enjoy animation, comics, and video games, specifically those from Japan, mostly because I tend to resonate the most with Eastern philosophies/religions/ways of life so that surely manifests as me gravitating towards their art as well, at the end of the day.
I enjoy mostly everything. I tend to prefer highly philosophical and/or abstract stories and art, but can find equal amounts of joy and meaning in just about anything, from a silly old video game or animation to a heavy 500-page book.
My favorite anime are FLCL, Macross, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Kaiba, and Eureka Seven, my favorite manga One Piece, Beck, Hoshi no Samidare, Dorohedoro, and Beastars, and my favorite video games anything made by Yoko Taro (NieR, Drakengard, Voice of Cards, you name it), the Sonic series (along with other SEGA franchises), most Zelda games, and so on. I'm a bit more picky with video games compared to other forms of art when it comes to genre, but I mostly enjoy puzzle/action platformers, JRPGs (both action and turn-based), adventure games, and fighting games.
When it comes to music, I'm a dedicated punk and goth and tend to enjoy punk music (along with all of its sub-genres), ska, reggae, post-punk, and rock music in general (mostly classic and alternative/progressive rock these days).
Top 5 bands: 1. Streetlight Manifesto 2. the pillows 3. The Cure 4. Pixies 5. Sisters of Mercy
(honorable mentions: Sonic Youth, Muse, AJJ, Dire Straits, ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, Oasis, PUP, anything made by Pat the Bunny, Paul McCartney, and Damon Albarn, as well as any ska-punk band you can think of)
If I had to describe my "aesthetic", I'd go with Jet Set Radio, Soul Eater, FLCL, Eureka Seven, and Sonic Riders during warm months, and then more of a goth/noir look when it starts to get colder. I'm a very gender-non-conforming, even genderfluid person, so it's not uncommon to see me with painted nails, accessories, and the like. Also, my hair goes down to my ass, haha. I find it very liberating, and fighting against gender norms is always welcome in my book.
Aside from engaging with all forms of art and storytelling, I enjoy thinking of story ideas, writing, translating, going on long walks, getting to know people of all backgrounds, going to concerts and plays, participating in the work of local NGOs and helping with organizing and participating in local protests, actions, and public talks.
But most of all, as I've already mentioned, my biggest passion is raising children and I find my job to be the most beautiful thing in the world, and knowing that my influence can impact the adults they'll become one day fills me with a neverending sense of responsibility and determination. This all sounds super fancy, but most of the time I'm making fart jokes with a bunch of 6-year-olds and making sure they don't fall and crack their skulls open while playing lolol. I TEACH THEM STUFF, TOO, THOUGH, DAMMIT!

Uhh, other than that, idk what else to really tell you. As I said, I'll try and rebuild my profile to the point where it can acheive even a fraction of its former "glory" with time, but uhh I'm pretty busy these days so I can't really promise anything.

SO UNTIL THEN, smell ya later, and feel free to talk to me about anything and everything.
Also, have this Eizouken gif which perfectly describes how my brain works 24/7:


Profile views as of 18 Sep 2016: