May 2020 Favorites

Life is slowly coming back to a "new normal" at my end of the world. We're still quite cautious with hygiene and social distancing but luckily the pandemic is not the only thing on my mind anymore and I've had enough other things to keep me occupied, as you'll see from my list below. My sleep is still far from perfect, though, and I'll have to make it a priority in June.

Typing practice

Typing is not essential for my job as I work mostly with numbers. My speed of merely 20-30 words per minute was just fine for the short emails I've been writing on the regular. Then one day I watched a video on YouTube by Ali Abdaal where he mentioned that he had increased his typing speed up to about 150 words per minute. This really impressed me so I decided to work on increasing my speed too. I started with keybr.com but now mostly use 10fastfingers.com. I also found a keyboarding chart (which finger goes where), that made sense for me as a former piano student. I find the practice rather relaxing, and usually do it while “watching” something on YouTube or listening to music.

Blue Yeti USB-Microphone

I've actually had this microphone for several years but never really used it or learned how it works. But working from home and having more video conferences than usual reminded me about my microphone so I finally took it out. This time I even looked up how to use it properly. Turns out it's actually very simple and the quality of sound it delivers is amazing. I'm really a fan. I've never enjoyed listening to my own voice but I don't mind at all when I'm using this microphone, it's just so fun. It also works perfectly for voice typing (I’ve tested it with Google docs).

Sony Alpha 6400 camera

I wasn’t on the market to buy a new camera but the many reviews on YouTube convinced me I absolutely need one. 🙂 The amazing autofocus, especially when shooting videos, is what won me over. I found a deal for the camera with the kit lens, an SD-card, and the Sony Shooting grip. I also bought a few lenses and the Rode VideoMicro for great sound. I was a Nikon girl before, so it’s quite a steep learning curve, but that’s what makes it all so interesting, right?

Jabra Elite 65t

I got these headphones at the end of 2019, right after the new 75t came out. I really needed wireless ones for my iPad (because it has no headphone jack) after my cheap Chinese no-name brand broke. I was torn between Jabra and Jaybird but got a great deal for the 65t, and the 75t were not available for several weeks, so I went with them. Sound is good enough for me, they stay in my ears (I always had problems with other headphones falling out), and I love the freedom of not having a cable in the way. I use my Aftershokz for when I got out for a run, but prefer the Jabra in all other cases. I often use just 1 bud as to still hear what my daughter is doing when I’m home. 🙂 Perfect for skyping too!

Leuchtturm Pocketbook A6 (lined)

I’ve used Moleskine notebooks before but then bought this one in 2016 and think I’ll stick with it. They offer a variety of colors, sizes, and page styles. I love how small the A6 version is - it’s just perfect for my short daily journal writing. If I’m in a hurry or don’t have much to write about I just fill 1 page, otherwise 2 or more. I like the paper as well. Writing with my favorite fountain pens (Lamy and Pilot Prera) is fine, without much bleeding at all.