Sometime this month I found yet another article about imposter’s syndrome. And whenever I find such a thing, even if I forgot that imposter syndrome existed at all, I remember it, and just as when you google your symptoms and the condition is unavoidably lethal, I succumb to it as well. Luckily, there is an antidote, it’s here, and, well, it’s pure genius.

It feels like a lifetime ago, but yes, last March I briefly disinfected doorknobs, parcels and freshly bought groceries- the ones in cans and boxes, mind you, though I did hear two ladies talking about disinfecting cucumbers and oh Lord I hope they’re still alive. Getting over initial panic, I started to figure that a disease that would consistently spread through surfaces should probably be far more and randomly contagious than one that does require some form of sustained personal contact. Science did eventually prove me right and insert here the sound of my genius.

Each month do something that scares you. Like explore this map of the most listened to songs in different parts of the world- it’s updated in fits and starts, which is a small mercy, to be honest, but it’s a hell of a ride.

I don’t always read trilogies, but when I do, it’s in the wrong order. In September I bought the last volume of the three which cover Patrick Leigh Fermor’s 1933-34 trip from London to Constantinople. It was the only one available in Hydra’s tiny newsagent/bookshop, probably as it comes with a long description of his visit to Athos. I then ordered the first, which takes him from London to just north of Budapest. Which meant I was to read the middle, but to me most interesting section, last. He makes it to Budapest, then crosses Hungary and Romania, including some time spent in Arad, and finally ends up close to the Bulgarian border, where he can still witness life on the fabulous Ada Kaleh, the small Danubian island which was completely submerged in 1970 during the building of the Iron Gates hydroelectric plant.

How could I resist a film with such a lovely pun in the title? More seriously, though, Sisters with Transistors explores the life an art of some of electronic music’s iconic pioneers, who happened to be women, and as such often happened to be brushed aside when official histories were written.

The winners of this year’s World Press Photo contest have been announced- I still hope to be able to see the exhibition in a physical form later this year (dreaming about those post pandemic firsts: first concert, first film at the cinema, first visit to a museum), but until then, we’ll have to make do with the digital version.

So much has happened in the world of football in the past month or so that it’s basically short circuited my brain so the one thing I feel I must share is the sad demise of Hennes VIII. Hennes was, and forever will be, 1. FC Köln’s mascot, as given away by his name, coming from a long line of Henneses that have supported the squad through thick and thin. Here’s a bit of the backstory and a video of Hennes at his frolicking best. In case you wonder, Hennes was and forever will be a billy goat. Also, 1. FC Köln managed to secure their presence in the first division with a 5-1 win in the second leg of the relegation play off. Finally, if you wonder why on earth are they called 1.FC Köln, it’s natürlich German precision: teams which were the first of their kind to be founded in a city like to plonk the 1 in front of their names. For the sake of clarity and accuracy, as it should be.

If you feel it’s a bit strange to follow up Hennes with the godfather of gloom, the poet laureate of misery, the prophet of despair, the don of depression (which is what I will do, please enjoy some Leonard Cohen from the archives of Norwegian television), here he is (Leonard, not Hennes) with the backside of a donkey.

A while back I accidentally found a playlist of Japanese city pop. I don’t recall the context, but I decided that is the perfect soundtrack to working/writing- I cannot listen to music with words in languages I understand when I am doing tasks I need to concentrate on, I always find myself listening to the lyrics instead. So sunny elevator music with lyrics in Japanese seemed a great alternative to the ambient albums (read, Tycho’s discography, which I still do love ) I kept listening on repeat. Little did I know that I had simply been sucked in by an algorithm that created a new fad on social media. No regrets.

I felt just a little bad about not having had a procrastinator’s log for April, then basically recycled some stuff for May, but the thing is, I should (and we should all) really just take it easy, nothing matters in the end. It’s Captain Kirk who says it, so trust him, he saved the Enterprise a million times.

Last but not least, the playlist (April also had one, in case you wonder) and the random shots of an exciting if rainy month. (And now, June, it’s really high time for summer.)