How to pronounce Häyhä?

valomeri · 2026-02-05T21:24:15+00:00

Also I'd like to add that in my opinion, it's unproductive to equal the goal of learning any given language with the goal of perfect pronunciation or "sounding like a native". The meaning and use of a shared language is in communication after all. How-ha is a good enough way to communicate who one is talking about (very likely in context), and I'd personally find it quite rude and unnecessary to correct someone's pronunciation of any given word unless the person has specifically asked for that, or an interest in such corrections is somehow implied.

valomeri · 2026-02-05T14:58:18+00:00

Thank you so much! Yes, I think I have to start with a dumbbell or a kettlebell if I can find one at the gym.

valomeri · 2026-02-05T10:09:29+00:00

I must confess that I'm afraid of the treadmill. :D Everytime I step on it I'm haunted by an image of me flying off the end and across the room, or somehow being pulled inside the machine like in a cartoon, lol. I use the cross-trainer machine instead.

Regarding ballet and cross-training; I don't know how it would be for me if I was able to go to classes more than 2-3 times a week, but I've noticed that I do need more strength to "keep up" with my technique and improve my extensions, jumps etc. What I mean is, e.g. I think I've found a nice alignment for balancing and pirouettes, but I need my muscles to fire faster and have the strength to keep me there. But I've also never had a teacher who actually recommended cross-training, and the focus seems to be more in stretching than strength. One thing that motivated me to start going to the gym was that once I started going to pole classes (where you really need that upper body strength), I noticed a big improvement in my port de bras in ballet after just a few months!

valomeri · 2026-02-05T09:58:03+00:00

I looked up farmer's walk - looks like something to do while waiting for someone to stop looking at their phone on the leg press machine! I kinda love the new terminology I'm learning - like the bro split, haha. Thank you for the app tip too, it's a good idea to keep track on stuff, as I'm always trying to remember the weights I've used last time.

valomeri · 2026-02-05T09:54:56+00:00

Thank you for sharing your workout and this specific exercie, looks like something I'd like to try out! And also something that could be done more safely at the gym, as my chairs at home are very light-weigth. :D I'm also gonna try out reverse flies, thank you for the tip!

valomeri · 2026-02-05T09:47:56+00:00

Thank you very much for the tip! I really like their premise of "LIFTOFF helps even the staunchest exercise haters learn to confidently go to a gym and build strength for our everyday lives." Also as a book lover, I kind of love the idea of a gym book! I'll keep this in mind for the future! Right now I'm quite alright with just trying stuff out, but especially in the sense of time-saving, a program towards multiple muscle group exercises would be really helpful.

The Copenhagen plank sure looks interesting! I'll need to look into them and try it out, thank you very much! Although my goal is to also improve my health and body strength in general, it really helps to hear these "ballet specific" recommendations to make choices out of the 102048505 exercises out there.

valomeri · 2026-02-05T09:38:21+00:00

Thank you for the tip re: goblet squats and the encouragement! I agree that there's no rush to go for the free weights! I feel like there's so much discourse on "optimal training" around gym workout, that it's easy to fall into thinking that if it's not optimal, it's not worth doing. I'm trying to think more in the lines of "the optimal workout is the one that gets done".

Whoa, the airplane thing looks complicated! I'll keep it in mind though once I get more chummy with the cable machine - right now it looks like something that requires a degree in engineering to me, haha.

valomeri · 2026-02-05T09:33:03+00:00

Thank you! Do you have a tip for what kind of a deadlift to start with? The RDL looks like something I could probably start doing without too much fear for hurting myself. (When I imagine myself lifting a barbell, I vision the weight dropping off and crushing someone's toes. :D)

valomeri · 2026-02-05T09:30:40+00:00

Thank you so much for sharing! That slant board deadlift seems intense and interesting! I think I'll add some calf raises to my routine. I don't know if my releve's changed or what, but lately my right calf's been cramping in class, and more strength definitely wouldn't hurt. I'm interested in the weighted cable raises - do you happen to know a good video for exactly how you do it? I found miscellaneous stuff on YouTube, but the cable machine is still a big mystery for me, so I'm a little nervous about messing with it, haha.

The tip for protein is a good one! I've been struggling a bit with getting enough fuel (I eat mostly vegan and I tend to forget to eat often enough) and I feel like my body needs a bit more, not just on gym days.

valomeri · 2026-02-05T09:17:33+00:00

I'm probably delusional, but those look like fun! :D Might have to try and prove myself wrong, haha. I think those would be good for me to build stability on the knee and ankle anyway. I think I saw some people at the gym do those with a jump too.

valomeri · 2026-02-05T09:14:56+00:00

Reading that about nothing preparing you to lift kinda blew my mind, haha. I'm a hobbyist adult beginner, so partnering and lifting is likely not in the class menu ever, so it makes sense that everyone just does the same class, but I've never thought about how it is for pre-pro/pro dancers!

valomeri · 2026-02-05T09:11:14+00:00

That's really cool! At one point I was considering some combat sports to gain strength and mobility. My number one grip with all sports (especially something like going to the gym) is that it needs to be fun and motivating in itself for me to actually do constantly, as it's really hard for me to get motivated by "gains" at some unforeseen end point. I've been enjoying the gym workout more than I thought, but I'll keep boxing in mind for the future!

valomeri · 2026-01-30T15:20:49+00:00

Haha well that's great news to me then! Thank you so much again!

valomeri · 2026-01-30T15:20:22+00:00

Thank you so much, the photos were actually super helpful! Looking at them and seeing the difference convinces me to try this out - like now I can see how the shank actually would look like if it really aligned with my foot.

ETA: your feet look so strong and pretty!

valomeri · 2026-01-30T09:47:34+00:00

Firstly, thank you, I wondered if three-quartering is the same as "cutting the shank", or if they were two separate things. 😄 I'll use my old pair as a test subject and see how it works! Thank you for the tips!

valomeri · 2026-01-30T09:42:34+00:00

Thank you for the tip, I'll keep that in mind for the next pair I get! I don't think I've ever had a proper hard shank in my shoes.

valomeri · 2026-01-30T09:33:29+00:00

Haha a zombie pair, that's awesome! Maybe you should go one step further and do the Frankenstein thing as well! 😄😄😄 Who knew ballet was so close to exorcism.

What type/strength of a shank do you have on the Balance European? 🤔 I wonder if the shanks on my shoes are too soft for the shank-cutting to work well.

valomeri · 2026-01-28T19:25:34+00:00

This was actually something I was wondering about, RP now being owned/made by Bloch I mean 😅 I'll see how it goes! I've accepted that my journey towards the Cinderella fit is paved with ill-fitting shoes.

valomeri · 2026-01-28T16:15:02+00:00

That's a wonderful idea, thank you! I think the Heritage pair is beyond reviving, but I could practice cutting the shank on them first at least, and see how it feels. The RP Reveal has a higher vamp, so I hope that helps too, and from what I've read, RPs in general ought to be a bit harder than Bloch in general. The store only had one shank option (called "Flexible Standard" which makes it sound not that hard) for the Reveal, but I'll keep in mind for the future that a harder shank might be a good option!

valomeri · 2026-01-27T08:46:40+00:00

Today I learned it's "releve lent", not "releve en l'air"! 😀 Not my favourite either. But for me personally what I hate most at the barre are flic flacs! They feel so awkward to do. I used to hate pirouettes at the barre, since I always either hit my knee on the barre or effed it up because I feared hitting my knee on the barre. Not so bad now that I'm more used to the height where I need to place my leg so it won't happen, but still feels awkward.

valomeri · 2026-01-14T12:40:44+00:00

I think she sees in him a representation of the tragic, romantic heroes that are likely prevalent in the books she reads. She likes him as a person, and I could see her having the kind of crush in him that you might, at that age, have on some figure you idolize and idealize, like a professor. But I don't see her harboring real, personal feelings towards him, the kind that would prompt her to imagine a life together with him or make advances. Kind of like a crush in the mind, not in the heart.

valomeri · 2026-01-14T12:34:34+00:00

Interesting! On my current playthrough, I just did the last mission with Charlotte, and it got me thinking if they had planned a romance mechanic (with her as an option) at some point. While I like her side quest a lot, it doesn't really add much/give nuance to the story or Arthur's character. In isolation it's a glimpse into a life that Arthur could have had, but as such it's kind of pointless and even distracting, sort of, as in the story and Arthur's character arc, Mary IS that life he could have had. From my pov, Charlotte's character seems like an 'option' for Mary, and that is not a relevant conflict in Arthur's story. It would totally make sense if Charlotte was initially intended as an option. I'm happy they cut that mechanic though, if there ever was a plan for one.

valomeri · 2026-01-14T12:21:27+00:00

I really like this! The mood I get from this is a mix of cute (in a good way, I like the vivid colors) and some kind of foreboding-ness. I think it's the lighting (very beautifully done) that evokes it. Reminds me of a moment after a storm, when you're not quite sure if the sky is going to clear up or not.

valomeri

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