Today I went for a coffee with a person.
AN ACTUAL PERSON, and it was just so incredibly normal!
Now, just to be clear, normal is not a slight on the person I was with. The fact I had company for the coffee was what made it so very ordinary.
Normal is AMAZING. Normal is new.
The weather was lacklustre, the coffee was astounding. It didn't feel like the new normal - I don't even see the masks anymore - it just felt normal.
It felt regular, ordinary, mundane, common, average and every other word I could include to beef up my word count.
I don't care what you call it, I love it.
Been for a coffee yet? How Normal was it? Let @johnstonjules know.
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1. Step 2 of Belgium’s summer plan: what changes this weekend?
This weekend, a number of coronavirus measures will be relaxed as the second phase of Belgium’s “summer plan” will come into force a few days early, the Consultative Committee decided last week. Read more.
2. Summertime, and the going is anything but easy
The switch from wintertime to summertime in Europe was supposed to come to an end this year, but the European Commission has now decided it will not take place either this year, or in “the coming years”. Read more.
3. Jürgen Conings memorial march in Dilserbos can’t go ahead
As traditional banks move away from brick and mortar stores, a new solution is looking to ensure that customers can still do their banking needs in newsagents across Belgium. Read more.
4. Major fraud case ends as accused pay €50 million settlement
One of Belgium’s longest-running fraud cases has come to an end as those accused have agreed to pay a total of €50 million as a settlement. Read more.
5. Couleur Café launches replacement festival for August
The Brussels-based festival Couleur Café has announced it will be organising an alternative event to replace its 2021 edition, which was cancelled due to the restrictions imposed to fight the coronavirus. Read more.
6. 100 portraits of women during the pandemic on display in Brussels
A new exhibition set to open in Brussels this Friday is looking to highlight the contribution made by women during the pandemic through a collection of portraits of 100 Brussels women active during the crisis. Read more.
7. New coronavirus infections in Belgium drop below 400
The average number of people testing positive for the coronavirus in Belgium has dropped below 400, according to the latest figures from the Sciensano Public Health Institute published on Friday morning. Read more.
