Five Things — December 2020
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Dear friends,
I hope this letter finds you well and safe. I want to take this moment to wish you and your family a happy new year.
If you enjoy reading this newsletter, please recommend it to a friend who might also like it. Just send her/him this website www.alexnewsletter.com
Thank you for your time,
Alex
#1 How does the Pfizer vaccine work?
The German company BioNTech partnered with Pfizer to develop and test the first available coronavirus vaccine. This vaccine is the first one using the mRNA method and it has the shortest development time in history (under 1 year). How was this possible and what are the major risks?
This video from The Guardian is the best unbiased (and short) explanation I found. It explains how the vaccine works, the risks involved, and why it is essential to have other vaccines, which might have better results in different age groups and ethnicities.
Video (YouTube, 5 min)
#2 A Corte de Luanda: the best Portuguese podcast of 2020
2020 was a great year for Portuguese podcasting and other digital long formats. From the experimental “Como é Que o Bicho Mexe?” from Bruno Nogueira to existing shows as “Maluco Beleza” from Rui Unas, or business podcasts as Pedro Hipólito Podcast.
In this media, Observador has been continuously putting out great content and reached almost 2 million downloads in December.
This week, it launched the new podcast “A Corte de Luanda”, which tells the story of José Eduardo do Santos who served as President of Angola from 1979 to 2017. This podcast sets a new standard for investigative journalism — almost 100 people were interviewed and hours of audio/film were reviewed. And we get this for free with no ads! (consider subscribing to Premium Observador)
Podcast (Apple Podcast, 5 episodes)
#3 Listen: the best Portuguese drama film?
From an acting and storytelling perspective, Listen might be the best Portuguese film I have ever watched. Specifically, Lúcia Moniz does an incredible role, as a Portuguese housekeeper working in London, who has her three children taken away by the British social services.
It was selected as the Portuguese entry for the Best International Film at The Oscars 2021. Unfortunately, the film was disqualified, as more than half of its dialogue is in English — a rule which has been argued for the last years.
It is still in theatres in Portugal — make some time and watch it!
Listen Showtimes (IMdb)
#4 Best weekend getaway in Portugal: Casa de São Lourenço
In 2020, I stayed in Casa de São Lourenço on two different occasions, and we are already planning a new visit in 2021 to see it covered in snow.
Casa de São Lourenço is the only 5-star hotel in Serra da Estrela and probably the coziest one in Portugal. It was built around one of the first Portuguese Inns (from the 1940s) and it has a beautiful panoramic view over the Glacier Valley and Manteigas.
If you want to do some hiking in the area, I recommend Nuno Adriano, a guide born in Serra de Estrela and passionate about it.
Casa de São Lourenço (website)
#5 If you practice sports on regular basis, you need this
Have you ever heard about a massage gun? It is probably the best fitness tool right now for recovery and injury prevention.
I have been playing padel for the last few months around 2–3 times per week. It is not a very explosive sport but it lacks a good routine for a complete warm-up. I have been using the massage gun on shoulders and calves before and after practice, and the soreness disappears much quicker. I am open to the idea that my body might be adapting to the sport but the results are very significant and more studies are showing similar results.
The top massage guns might cost around 500€ but if you want to do a test-drive, I recommend the one I bought: ABOX Massage Gun, #1 best-selling massage gun on Amazon.
Best Massage Gun (CNET)
ABOX Massage Gun (Amazon.es, 109,99€)
If you enjoyed reading this newsletter, please recommend it to a friend who might also like it. Just send her/him this website www.alexnewsletter.com
