YOUR FIVE-MINUTE UPGRADE | NO. 018 | NOVEMBER 2, 2026
Most of us spend a lot of time trying to come up with the right answers.
We research, compare, ask for advice and occasionally turn to Google or ChatGPT to settle an argument.
But what if the more useful skill is knowing which questions to ask in the first place?
A slightly different question can change the direction of a conversation, uncover something you've overlooked or help you see a familiar situation differently.
This issue is about the surprisingly useful skill of asking better questions, and why curiosity is often more valuable than having an immediate answer.
THE BIG THREE
Three stories worth understanding. The context, minus the endless scrolling.
SHOPPING
1. Europe's new online shopping fee could make cheap purchases more expensive
The gist: That inexpensive online order shipped from overseas may be about to cost a little more in Europe.
As of November 1, the European Union has introduced a €2 handling fee per line item in packages shipped from outside the EU.
Here's the catch: it's not necessarily €2 per package.
The fee is calculated based on the number of distinct types of goods in an order. For example, two identical shirts and a hat would count as two line items, resulting in a €4 handling fee.
And this isn't the first new charge.
In July, the EU introduced a separate €3 customs duty per line item on qualifying parcels valued at €150 or less.
That means a qualifying low-value order could now face a combined €5 in charges per line item.
Unlike the temporary €3 duty, which is scheduled to run until July 2028, the new €2 handling fee is permanent. It also applies regardless of the order's value.
The fee is paid initially by the customs declarant, which may be a seller, delivery company or customs representative. But businesses could pass some of those costs along to shoppers.
Why it matters: Cheap international shipping has made it easier than ever to order inexpensive products from almost anywhere.
But governments are increasingly questioning who should pay for the customs processing and oversight associated with those purchases.
The scale is enormous. Danish customs alone recorded approximately 68 million line items in parcels valued under €150 in 2025.
For international shopping platforms, the additional charges could make small, low-cost orders less attractive.
And with holiday shopping season approaching, it's another reminder that the price displayed online isn't always the full cost of getting something to your door.
That €5 impulse purchase might not stay a €5 purchase forever.
CULTURE
2. Mexico's Day of the Dead is attracting the world. But there's a catch.
The gist: Across Mexico, streets are filled with orange marigolds, candlelit altars and colourful celebrations for Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead.
Observed around November 1 and 2, the tradition honours deceased loved ones through food, flowers, photographs and gatherings.
Families create ofrendas, or offerings, with items that held meaning for the people they're remembering.
Marigolds, known as cempasúchil, are especially important. Their colour and fragrance are traditionally believed to help guide spirits home.
The celebration has become increasingly popular with international visitors, bringing attention and tourism revenue to communities across Mexico.
But this year, one of the country's most famous Day of the Dead destinations is limiting access.
On Janitzio, an island in the state of Michoacán known for its traditional celebrations, the cemetery is closed to tourists for the first time.
Only local families and friends of those buried there are permitted inside.
According to the Associated Press, the island's community council blamed large crowds for damage to tombs, crosses and part of the cemetery wall.
State tourism officials, however, say the closure is part of rehabilitation work on the site.
Visitors can still observe the ceremonies from a panoramic walkway without entering the cemetery itself.
Why it matters: Cultural tourism can support local economies and introduce visitors to traditions they might otherwise never experience.
But when a deeply personal or spiritual occasion becomes a major tourist attraction, communities face difficult questions about access, preservation and respect.
Day of the Dead isn't simply Mexico's version of Halloween. It's a tradition centred on remembering and maintaining connections with loved ones who have died.
And while the exact cause of Janitzio's cemetery damage is disputed, the situation raises an important question about how to welcome visitors while protecting meaningful cultural spaces.
Some traditions are beautiful to witness. That doesn't mean every part of them needs an audience.
WORLD
3. Bhutan raised 108 sacred monuments in a single day
The gist: Imagine coordinating tens of thousands of volunteers to raise 108 religious monuments, all on the same day.
That's what happened Sunday in Bhutan.
Around 40,000 volunteers helped erect the external structures of 108 Buddhist stupas in Gelephu, a town near the country's border with India.
A stupa is a sacred Buddhist monument, often associated with spiritual teachings, prayer and remembrance.
Each of the new structures stands approximately 15 metres tall, with the monuments spaced along an 11.7-kilometre stretch of the Mau River.
The number 108 holds special significance in Buddhism, appearing in prayer beads and various religious traditions.
Preparations had been underway for months, but volunteers completed the external structures in roughly nine hours.
An estimated 200,000 people gathered to witness the event, including Buddhist religious leaders.
The project was conceived by Bhutan's king as part of Gelephu Mindfulness City, an ambitious development intended to combine economic opportunities with environmental sustainability and Bhutanese cultural values.
Why it matters: Bhutan has long attracted international attention for its emphasis on Gross National Happiness, an approach to development that considers well-being alongside economic growth.
Gelephu Mindfulness City is an attempt to put some of those ideas into practice on a much larger scale.
The country hopes the development will create opportunities for young people and help address challenges such as unemployment and outward migration.
The monuments are just one part of that broader vision, but their construction is a striking example of collective participation.
Forty thousand people, 108 monuments and one day. Some things really do take a village.
WORD ON THE STREET
Incisive in-SY-siv | adjective
Definition: Clear, direct and sharply analytical, especially when identifying the most important part of a problem.
In a sentence: Her incisive questions revealed the biggest weakness in the proposal within minutes.
Why it's worth knowing: Incisive describes someone who gets to the heart of an issue without wasting time on unnecessary details. It's a useful compliment for a thoughtful question, observation or analysis.
THE BOOKSHELF
A More Beautiful Question by Warren Berger
The power of inquiry to spark breakthrough ideas.
The big idea: We tend to associate intelligence with knowing the answers, but Warren Berger argues that asking better questions can be just as important.
Through examples from business, education and innovation, he explores how curiosity helps people challenge assumptions and discover possibilities they might otherwise overlook.
What to take away: A good question doesn't always need an immediate answer. Sometimes its value is that it changes how you think about the problem.
Try it: Take something you've been trying to improve and ask three questions: Why does it work this way? What if it worked differently? How could I test that?
THE POWER MOVE
Ask what happens when things go wrong
Before choosing a service, hiring someone or making an important commitment, ask:
“What usually goes wrong, and how do you handle it?”
It's a surprisingly revealing question.
Anyone can explain how something works when everything goes according to plan.
But the response to a problem tells you more about someone's experience, honesty and preparation.
A good answer should include a realistic example, what was done to fix it and what changed afterward.
You can use this when interviewing a contractor, evaluating a software provider, choosing a travel company or even considering a new job.
The best time to learn how someone handles a problem is before you have one.
THE PROMPT EDIT
Learn how to talk about something you know nothing about
Ever found yourself in a conversation about a topic everyone else seems to understand?
Instead of memorizing random facts, use AI to learn the basics and ask genuinely interesting questions.
COPY AND PASTE:
I'm going to be in a conversation about [TOPIC], and I know very little about it.
Help me become informed enough to participate naturally without pretending to be an expert.
Give me:
1. A simple explanation of the topic in no more than 150 words.
2. Five essential things someone should understand about it.
3. Three interesting or surprising facts that could make good conversation starters.
4. Five thoughtful questions I could ask someone who knows more about the subject.
5. Three common misconceptions or mistakes to avoid.
Keep the language conversational, avoid unnecessary jargon and distinguish established facts from opinions or uncertain claims.
Try it with: A friend's industry, a sport you've never followed, an unfamiliar wine region, an upcoming cultural event or a topic likely to come up at a dinner party.
THE RABBIT HOLE
One thing you didn’t know you wanted to know.
Why a question can make you notice something everywhere
Have you ever learned a new word and suddenly started seeing it everywhere?
Or considered buying a particular car and then noticed the same model on every street?
It's often called the frequency illusion, sometimes referred to as the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon.
Once something becomes relevant to us, we're more likely to notice it. And when we notice it repeatedly, we may start believing it's suddenly become more common.
The effect is associated with selective attention and the way we interpret repeated encounters.
The interesting part is how questions can direct our attention.
Ask yourself what makes a café feel welcoming, and you might suddenly notice lighting, seating arrangements and background music everywhere you go.
The world hasn't necessarily changed. What you're paying attention to has.
Sometimes the quickest way to see something new is to start looking for something different.
NEW AROUND HERE?
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CIK.
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