Was is the lengthy summer break back home in the north, the African week we had in the Parliament, or the sound of Islamic religious singing that woke me up? This morning, my head was filled with thoughts on our multicultural Brussels and Europe.

While preparing for breakfast, I was thinking what a challenge it is for us to try to pass a message that reaches our readers of different nationalities, cultures, ethnic origins and religions – when our starting points, expectations and interpretations vary so much. Jokes don’t always translate well, and even the use of adjectives can be tricky…

By the time I was brushing my teeth, it was clear I was again more “southern” than “northern” in my time perception – and would be a “little” late (defined by colleagues as something between 5 to 30 minutes during Monday’s training exercises on cultural differences…) for work.