Good advice, thanks!

Thanks for the insight!

Glad my post is helpful :)

Yeah right?! They even offer different materials (PET, cotton, flax).

Glad my post was helpful to ohters :)

Yeah, Duolingo felt more like a game than a real way to learn a language.

As for TV and movies, I actually already watch most of what I watch in original language, whether English or now Spanish. Usually without subtitles, unless the accent or dialect is really tricky, then I turn them on. But I’ve been doing this for years, and I don’t really have any issues understanding. I don’t translate in my head, I think and understand directly in English.

The thing I’m really missing is the active speaking part. Traveling isn’t really feasible right now, and while I play games, that doesn’t really help much. Most of the time it’s just short call-outs or quick chat with opponents, which isn’t enough to really improve consistently.

I might give Babbel a try… I used Duolingo some time ago and wasn’t really happy with the way it tries to teach languages.
Right now my main focus is improving my English: my reading and listening are already around C2, but when it comes to speaking or writing, I often struggle to find the right words or get the grammar spot on.

I’m also dabbling a bit in Spanish for fun, but for now I’d rather put most of my effort into really getting my English solid.

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Haha, yeah, I can’t really argue with that 😅. The lack of solid EU streaming alternatives makes it tempting to… you know, set the sails.
I’m still trying to stick with legal European options where I can, but sometimes it’s just… frustratingly limited.

After going through all the suggestions in this thread, I think I’ll just order one and give it a try. I still want to do a bit more digging first… check out the company, see how they operate, that kind of thing. But I’m curious to see how it actually feels and holds up, so this seems like the easiest way to find out.

Indeed, I’m happy with Qobuz so far!
Only downside is the lack of custom playlist covers :(

Yeah, as far as I know, there isn’t really an Amazon-style alternative. I’m taking a slightly different approach, though.

I’m trying to buy locally whenever possible, then expand to regional and national options. On top of that, I’m gradually building a pool of reliable online shops that I can draw from when I need something. Basically, whenever I have to order something, I try out a shop, see how it goes, and if I’m happy with it, I’ll order there again in the future. If not, I move on and find a different one. Over time, this gives me a solid set of shops I can trust.

Above all, I try to buy directly from the brand whenever possible - for example, new cables or power supplies from recable, or clothes straight from the brand’s own online shop. This way I avoid middlemen whenever I can.

Mainly because the combination of TutaMail and Filen was cheaper than Proton Unlimited — which I only used for Mail, Drive, and occasionally VPN.

Secondly, because I have a bad feeling about their rather rapid expansion into new services.

Thanks, I’ll compare it to the other alternatives ppl named here :)

Didn’t know there’s an arte app. I’ll check that out later. Thanks!

Thanks, I’ll check it out!