Handheld gaming

Perhaps a bit late to the party but this month I found a way to play AAA games (and not only) without having to find room and money to build a gaming setup for myself – and that’s Steam Deck. I’m currently in Act Two of Baldur’s Gate III and gotta say it was nothing but joy playing it on a handheld. It’s smooth, fast enough, and, well, portable. However, it has a compatibility rating for games and isn’t all perfect for some genres such as shooters, for instance; it’s also a bit pricey, especially at tech stores. Here, I’d recommend checking Avito for offers if you feel comfortable doing that. Another thing that might be of help if you have the same problem is cloud gaming services: there are plenty of them out there, including Russian ones. – Marina

Overnight oats

What shall I have for breakfast? This was my dilemma this July. For the rest of the year, I’m perfectly fine with my tried and tested options, from sandwiches to porridges. But I can't stand eating anything hot when it’s already hot outside! Honestly, I could live on iced coffee, but relying on caffeine as the only source of energy sounds ineffective. So what saved me this July is overnight oats, a recipe borrowed from my friend. Just take a bowl of oats, pour in some milk, add a pinch of cinnamon and sugar, and let it sit covered in the fridge overnight. In addition, it’s refreshing and healthy; you also don’t have to cook and wash a lot of dishes.  – Elizaveta

Reflections and civilizations

I’ve recently read A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, which, apart from being a thrilling whodunnit, has introduced me to “production logs”: the main character would neatly put her ideas in a file after each suspect interview or new development in her case. Although I am not a detective, I am the next best thing: a scientist; now, after every article reading session or any kind of research work, I write down my progress as bullet points and set objectives for the next session. So far, it’s added accountability, cohesion, and just that little bit of a thrill to my work – so, I highly recommend you try it if you struggle with motivating yourself.

Another discovery is Fall of Civilizations, a podcast that “explores the collapse of different societies through history.” Each lengthy episode contains the results of the author’s own research into some of the world’s most exciting and often misinterpreted civilizations, including the Khmers, the Aztecs, and the community of Easter Island. It’s been an absolute pleasure to listen to each episode and imagine these people, so wise and so human. – Catherine

Singing

I've never considered myself to be even a bit musically talented. I dropped out of a music school as a kid, and it's hard for me to even tap to a simple rhythm. Still, I've always wanted to do at least something musical: I tried learning to play simple instruments as an adult (a total failure), and I really enjoy singing, or rather mumbling, along at parties.

The thought of learning to sing properly crossed my mind more than a few times, but I guess I've always been too embarrassed to try. Luckily, I got a new unexpected motivation: I needed to voice something for a project, and faced the common issue of hating the sound of my recorded voice. A friend of mine told me that learning to sing should help, and that kind of solved the embarrassment thing: it was no longer about learning something musical, but rather pursuing a practical purpose. Now, I am really enjoying myself: even though I'm not sure whether I'll stop hating the sound of my recorded voice, I have all the reasons to practice something I've always liked! – Vasilii