THE MUSTS

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now we’re talking…

 ‘Don't want to pay tax? Then have children.’

 Like the idea? Well, that's what's about to happen in Poland. The president of the European country recently signed a law that eliminates personal income tax for parents with two or more children.

The benefit should apply to biological parents, adoptive parents and legal guardians. In practice, an average family should gain — or rather, save — around 1,000 zloty (€235) more per month with this measure.

The change is being seen by many as one of the most significant tax reforms in recent years, combining social discourse with market principles. At the same time, others point out that lower-income families, who already pay little or no tax, will feel little practical effect, while wealthier households will be the main beneficiaries.

PS: The measure follows a new policy adopted this month by Hungary, where mothers of three children will be exempt from income tax.

Personal Opinion: I thought it would be interesting to bring this up, since in the last edition I wrote about the decline in sexual activity among young people. I think this is the first law that I believe could become a model to be followed in order to encourage people to have more children (specially in Europe), where the main reason for not doing so would be the high costs involved.

What else in on

• UK: More than 255,000 people have left the United Kingdom in the last 12 months, with two-thirds of them being young people between the ages of 16 and 35. This movement comes amid youth unemployment of around 15% and tax increases. (Read)

• Australia: The country has enacted a world-first ban on social media for users aged under 16, causing millions of children and teenagers to lose access to their accounts. Will other countries follow? (Read)

• French: The country of strikes and baguettes has decided to revive its military service. The idea is that men and women aged 18 to 25 will volunteer for 10 months of paid military training. (Read)

• Italy: The country with the oldest population in Europe, creates new visas for Brazilians due to labour shortage. (Read)

• Mexico: Mexican government raises minimum wage and will reduce weekly workload from 48 hours to 40 hours. (Read)

• Eurovision: Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, and Slovenia pulled out of next year’s Eurovision song contest because Israel was allowed to participate. (Read)

   

  Discover: The world's most desirable countries to visit, according to more than 200,000 travellers.
  

 The Banshees of Inisherin by Martin McDonagh: Here’s a movie that sat on my list for ages… and I finally used my 15-hour flight to watch it. The Banshees of Inisherin is one of those rare films that feels both tiny and enormous at the same time — a flawless tragicomedy about male friendship gone sour, swinging between the hilarious, the horrifying, and the quietly heartbreaking.

People often read the film as an allegory for the Irish Civil War: one neighbour wanting to leave, the other clinging out of habit, affection, or fear, and violence spiraling from resentment rather than reason. It’s not wrong — just predictable. The metaphor is there, yes, but it’s not what lingers.

What stayed with me was the way McDonagh explores how conflict reshapes a person. How hurt curdles into anger. How loneliness sharpens into cruelty. How someone who always believed himself to be kind can suddenly find himself acting really mean. Just as war can turn boys into monsters, this small and almost ridiculous feud eats away at both men’s better nature.

• And beneath it all, the cherry on top for me is the tension between community and individuality. Island life offers warmth, routine, belonging — but it can also feel suffocating. Colm’s desire for solitude is, at heart, a desire to matter. Pádraic’s desire for connection is, at heart, a fear of disappearing. McDonagh lets these two impulses crash against each other until the line between “needing people” and “losing yourself” becomes painfully thin. And honestly, this has always been a topic in therapy for me.

The Banshees of Inisherin won three Golden Globes and received nine Oscar nominations. And honestly? It deserves all of it. If you haven’t watched it, save it for a quiet night — the kind of night when the world feels small, and your thoughts feel loud. It’s the perfect setting for this film. (Rating: 9.5/10)

Hi tanamesars,

This is almost the last edition of the year, and as every December winter, I find myself getting reflective. There’s so much I could talk about, but one word keeps echoing through everything: friendship.

With the Brazilian tan still fresh, I feel genuinely proud — and a little amazed — that I still have so many friends back home. It isn’t easy for anyone involved. But the more time passes, the more I’m sure that the people who stay, stay for real.

For me, keeping a friendship alive is an active effort in small, imperfect ways: replying when you’re tired, picking up the phone when you’d rather finish a movie, showing up to the dinner you almost cancelled, choosing their needs over your comfort once in a while. It’s not glamorous — but it’s love.

• And friendship isn’t only about those catch-up dinners every few months. Yes, they matter. But staying close also means making new memories. Laughing. Traveling. Getting lost together.

Paraty was exactly that. I was there with two of my oldest friends, and we hadn’t spent real, unhurried time together since we were kids — and suddenly there we were, singing loudly in the car (I was the loudest, obviously), buying useless things (also me), and timing showers (guess who took the longest…). It felt magical to meet their adult selves, beyond the rushed dinners. What a privilege to witness who they’re becoming — and to feel them witnessing me too.

And then there are the friendships that let you into their most sacred moments. Being a best man on this trip was beyond anything I could have asked for. My friend was the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen, and standing beside her felt like holding a piece of her story, her trust, her heart. Being a best man isn’t just about one day — it’s a lifelong promise, almost like choosing a tattoo you’re proud to carry forever. The joy of watching someone you love marry their person is something I’ll never forget.

So yes — I’ve been reflective lately. Friends… what a privilege. What a high. Life is good by their side.

With love,
Micael.

ps: Rafa, te amo muito e desejo pra você e pro Juan uma vida inteira de erros e acertos lado a lado. Que, nessa vida e nas outras, vocês sempre consigam se reencontrar, mesmo nos dias difíceis, e lembrar do compromisso que fizeram. E você sabe — se precisar, eu tô aqui.

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