It’s always funny when people call me Vale when we meet. For the reason, this name started as my online alias. Not as if i minded being called Vale, i made this name, so i like it. It’s just… strange, when i think about it.

Especially when people ask me how it’s supposed to be pronounced, and i have to admit that i don’t know. “Vale” if looked on as an english word is the same as “vale”, synonymous to valley, and from that point of view should be pronounced as such. But on the other hand, if looking at the evolution of this name, it comes from the tolkienianish “valerauko”, and should be pronounced as such.

Actually, originally it wasn’t meant to be pronounced at all. I used it online, and online means typing for most of the time. But of course i was in contact with real life friends online too, so it wasn’t long before some started calling me Vale offline as well. Some said it this way, some said it the other way. The funniest was my short-time university roommate who pronounced it as Wall-E.

Say it however you want, probably i’ll get it.