Celebrating Christmas with the people I work with usually takes place in two events in the first half of December. First, we have a reception organized by our Head of Department. That day begins with the Head of Department’s speech in one of the large lecture halls of our department. In his speech, the Head of Department highlighted people who, for various reasons, were awarded or promoted during the previous year, but he also touched on those who left us permanently. Thus, in one presentation, sad and happy news can be found in one place, but it is just like life itself, there is sad, there is happy, and there is something in between.
After the Head of Department’s speech, we all leave the lecture hall and gather in our canteen where the reception takes place.
Food and drinks are served at the banquet, mainly sandwiches and cakes, beer and wine as well as non-alcoholic juices. The reception lasts several hours, and there we have the opportunity to talk with people who are already retired, and with whom we used to work. Among other things, for me it is an opportunity to see and hear how my ex-co-worker Paul is doing and what has been happening with him in the past year.
The second Christmas celebration is much less formal and very cheerful. It's bowling organized by Emma. Bowling is preceded by lunch, now traditionally at an Indian restaurant in Cambridge chosen by Andrew. Every year I respond to Emma's call, and this year new members joined us, namely Mira, Agata and young Emma. It's a multi-national get-together, because in addition to the English and Croats, there were also Finns, Poles and Norwegians this year. The Finn Mira and the Englishman Nigel were the most successful at bowling, while I miraculously did not turn out to be the worst. Despite the different achievements in bowling, we all had a good time, and this gathering in a way nicely rounds off the whole past year.
I wish all my friends and colleagues from the Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2025.
Kristina
Monday, December 16th, 2024
Božićno kuglanje sa društvom
Proslava Božića sa ljudima uz koje radim se obično odvija u dva događanja u prvoj polovici prosinca. Najprije imamo domjenak koji organizira naš dekan ili kako to ovdje zovu šef odsjeka. Taj dan započne govorom dekana u jednoj od velikih predavaonica našeg odsjeka. Dekan u svom govoru istakne ljude koji su iz raznoraznih razloga nagrađivani ili promovirani tokom prethodne godine, ali se isto tako dotakne i onih koji su nas trajno napustili. Tako se u jednom izlaganju nađu tužne i vesele vijesti na jednom mjestu, ali to je baš kao i sam život, ima tužnog, ima veselog i ima između. Nakon govora dekana svi napustimo predavaonicu i okupimo se u našoj kantini u kojoj se odvija domjenak.
Na domjenku se poslužuju hrana i piće, uglavnom sendviči i kolači, pivo i vino kao i bezalkoholni sokovi. Domjenak traje nekoliko sati i tu imamo priliku popričati sa ljudima koji su već umirovljeni, a nekada smo sa njima radili. Između ostalog za mene je to prilika da vidim i čujem kako je moj bivši suradnik Paul i što se sa njim događalo u protekloj godini.
Drugi događaj kojim slavimo Božić je znatno manje formalan i vrlo je veseo. To je kuglanje koje organizira Emma. Kuglanju prethodi ručak, sad već tradicionalno u indijskom restoranu u Cambridgeu koji bira Andrew. Ja se svake godine odazovam Emminom pozivu, a ove godine su nam se pridružile i nove članice, a to su Mira, Agata i mlada Emma. To je mnogonacionalno druženje jer su osim Engleza i Hrvata ove godine tu bili Finci, Poljaci i Norvežani. Finkinja Mira i Englez Nigel su bili madju najuspješnijima u kuglanju dok ja nekim čudom nisam ispala najgora. Usprkos različitim dostignućima u kuglanju baš svi smo se dobro zabavili i to druženje na neki način lijepo zaokružuje čitavu proteklu godinu.
Svim mojim prijateljima i kolegama sa Odsjeka za kemiju, Sveučilišta u Cambridgeu i ovom prilikom želim veseo Božić i sretnu Novu 2025 godinu.
Kristina
Ponedeljak, 16. prosinca 2024.