THE MUSTS

World

last edition was Europe, now it’s China’s time

 China opens its pockets and launches a package to cure its economy

They've put their cards on the table. In an attempt to combat the slowing economy, China's Central Bank launched a stimulus package to inject more money into the country.

• The measure was even broader than expected and is the most aggressive way to “save” the Chinese economy since the pandemic. The aim is to guarantee a growth target of at least 5% per year.

What is the plan? The Central Bank has cut the country's interest rates and reduced the amount of money banks need to keep, which should free up US$140 billion to be used for loans and investments.

One of the main points is to help the real estate sector - which is in its worst crisis in decades. With this, the government will make mortgage rates plummet for loans and lower the down payment on real estate.

It doesn't stop there: For the stock market, the Central Bank has confirmed support of ~US$113 billion to allow funds, insurance companies and brokerage firms easier access of financing to buy shares.

What happens there is reflected around the world

We're talking about the 2nd largest global power, with more than 10% of the world's GDP. If China's economy gets back on track, countries with relations with the country will definitively benefit - whether in exports, trade or the financial market.

No wonder... Stock markets around the world reacted well to the package. Our Ibovespa rose by 1.22%, the American indices reached historic highs and the European stock markets also closed with an upward arrow.

What else in on

• Indonesia: The megacity of Jakarta is sinking to alarming levels and could disappear in 30 years. (Read)

• Argentina: Boosted by Milei's austerity measures, shares in Argentine banks have soared in the year to date, outperforming even big techs like Nvidia. (Read)

• UK: Thousands of billionaires living in the UK could leave the country in the coming months if a proposed tax increase advocated by the government is approved. (Read)

• United States: Hurricane Helene has already claimed more than 120 victims and left around 600 Americans missing with its 225 km/h winds that hit the southeast coast of the country. Helene has now joined the list of the deadliest hurricanes to hit the US in the last 50 years. (Read)

• Russia: Spreading false information and even using soccer, Russia is holding several events in Africa to attract journalists, influencers and students. The idea is to increase Vladimir Putin's popularity and advertise Russian culture on the African continent. (Read)

• Brazil: Lula gave one of his harshest speeches against the UN. He claimed that much is said but little is done, and that the Security Council is increasingly losing its legitimacy by failing to resolve the wars that are taking place. (Read)
  

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The Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector: This book was a gift from a dear friend. I picked up after hearing him talk about it for years, and since I wanted a quick read for my holidays, I decided to dive in.

The most interesting part of the book, however, is that through Rodrigo - the novel’s narrator and Lispector’s alter ego - we see a reflection on the act of writing itself, as well as the author’s own confrontation with mortality. 

• The duality of the novel—Macabéa’s sterile existence and the writer's existential musings—creates a layered narrative that is as much about the author as it is about the character.

The hour of the start is not just a story about Macabéa’s life, or lack thereof — it’s a meditation on human invisibility, poverty, and the inevitability of fate. Filled with quiet reflections on existence, societal expectations, and the complexities of identity, you'll love this book if you are interested in exploring the human condition, not in a romanticized way, but in a raw and deeply introspective one. (Rating: 8/10)

ps: This is Lispector’s final novel before her death in 1977, it’s no wonder “A Hora da Estrela” remains one of her most popular works to this day. 

Hello friends, family, and fans,

A lot of you requested more information about my trip, so I've decided to use this space to become your travel guide for the week and share a bit about Sicily and what made us choose it as our destination.

Sicily is a big island with smaller islands around it, and usually when I told people I was going there for the summer, they would ask me: "Where in Sicily?". It's not a place that you normally explore in one trip. So I answered: "Everywhere." Because obviously we decided to explore everything in one trip.

Did I know some of that before? Yes. Was it the reason why we chose it? Not entirely. My friends were coming from rainy São Paulo and wanted the European summer as well. Also, as an island, Sicily not only offers amazing beaches, but it is also home to several active volcanoes, including one of the most active and tallest volcanoes in Europe.

So, Sicily is one of the few places where you can find paradisiacal beaches, incredible cultural heritage sites, big cities to explore, and some adventure tours like hiking volcanoes and parasailing. We wanted a one-size-fits-all kind of place, and Sicily gave us that. 

One nice thing about this trip is that it was the first one where I organized the whole itinerary by myself. With the help of some Sicilian friends, a lot of reading, and some use of AI, we had several itinerary options to choose from—and I don't know what my friends would say, but in my humble opinion, I did a really good job. As I said in the last edition, the trip was everything. And more than that, the perfect place for a long-awaited reunion with three of my best friends.

• Highlights: Favignana (a small island close to Sicily); Vulcano (a small island part of the Aeolian Islands); Palermo and its amazing nightlife; some of the best sunsets of my life; and Taormina (the place where they filmed White Lotus season two).

• Lowlights: Make sure to check if the Greek temples are not closed for private events when you're planning to go there. Also, if you're on a boat day, it's raining, and you see everyone else coming back to shore—probably you should as well.

Planning is never enough. But my two cents on it are:

1. Plan knowing that something will go wrong. In a trip with thousands of Airbnbs, different highways, and so many little things that cannot go wrong—probably one of them will. And that's okay—it's all part of the game. It's important to plan but not take the plan too seriously—I guess that works for major life advice too.

2. Go with the right group of people. Trips are stressful. You are all out of your comfort zone. You are all sleeping less than you should, partying more than you could, and small things can throw someone off. Being with the right group of people, who can make lemonade out of all the lemons that might happen (whether losing a key, a rainy day, a train you missed, a fine ticket...) is super important. At the end of the day, the quality of the people you're around will count way more than the quality of the place itself— I guess that also works for life advice as well.

There you have it, next’s years trip and two awesome life advices - and I promise to charge only for one of those.

From your favorite travel agent,

With love,

Micael.

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