It’s been more than a year since working from home became the new norm. That means one year without hearing “Ieșim la o țigară?” a few times a day, without going to the kitchen for one coffee cup (we didn’t even have time to get used to the transparent cups!) and coming back with coffee for the whole team, or without our dearest Happy Fridays. And without many other things that we used to do together. That’s a lot, guys. Going from “the meeting will be in Vivaldi or Bubbles, depending on which room is available” to “we’ll discuss this during our Skype call tomorrow” happened in the blink of an eye.
Even if the transition happened fast, we coped with the situation and managed to adapt to WFH. Kudos to all of us! But, we have to admit we got a bit nostalgic during the past couple of weeks. And we thought we should be more vocal in our appreciation for everyone that’s been part of our journey so far. We say cheesy things in private, indeed. But it’s time to say them out loud too. We miss you!
That’s why we thought the following lines should be about the good old times when we used to hang out in our Batcave together. So, we’re going down memory lane and we’re bringing back some random evomemories we shared before 2020. One quick warning before proceeding: this blog post might cause nostalgia.
Let’s start by circling back to 2011. It’s around 5 pm on a Friday and you’re getting ready for another Happy Friday. Tanti Maria is about to charm us with her fine sandwich-making skills and her amazing knowledge of everyone’s preferences. She knows our likes and dislikes, such as who wants more cucumbers or who’d rather stay away from the olives. And, she keeps track of our meetings to make sure the ones who are still busy at 5 pm have their sandwiches prepared too. Today we would’ve been curiously waiting for the HR team to see what activities they have in plan for us this evening. A fun energizer? A trivia game? Something else? But it’s 2011. We’re enjoying our homemade, personalized sandwiches while chilling together. And life is good.
Play this song while reading the following lines, as it will help you get a grasp on the incoming memory. We’re now teleporting (insert T ristmas Party. We’re about to see Șuie live! You count the days until the Christmas Party with your teammates. Only 10 days to go! Then, you go back to coding while Nu Te Mai Saturi De Noi is blasting in your headphones. The due day is here and we’re ready to dance on Moartea Boxelor like there’s no tomorrow. Unlike in 2020 when every event hall has heaters for their outdoor terraces, in 2014 we’re feeling a bit cold at SunGarden. But, thanks to Bean, Michi, and Mihai Dobre, we’re too busy dancing and singing to feel the chilly breeze.
Fast forward to the end of summer 2017, it’s time for one of our rooftop parties! We’ve got wine, beer, snacks, chill music, an amazing view of Cluj-Napoca, good vibes, and the sun shining above us. The elevator is inaccessible for the next couple of hours while everything is being taken to the rooftop. That means 2-3 hours of climbing up and down the stairs, also known as the symphony of grumbling. I dare you to come up with a better way to mark the end of summer at the office. To better visualize this memory, come with me here. So, can we make a petition to relive that day, please?
You reached your final stop on the memory lane. It was hard to pick one, as we’ve shared many amazing moments on our journey. But, we’re now going to February 2020, when we had one of our last events before the pandemic started. It’s Cryptoparty time! Are you ready to learn from the wisdom of our Security Gurus? Because they’re waiting for us in the cafeteria and rumor has it there are some more surprises too. The party will be split into 3 groups, each with a different topic: social engineering, password managers, and “your private data is public”. You keep on working while wondering which group to join during the party. You’re not sure which group you’ll join yet, but you’re sure you’ll have a great time. Sharing beers and snacks with your teammates while learning about exciting topics can never go bad.
Time to get back to April 2021! Most of us are working from home and haven’t seen some of our colleagues for more than a year. It’s been a while since we had our last event, drank our morning coffee together in the kitchen, or enjoyed a break on the rooftop. That’s why I thought it would be nice to have a quick walk down memory lane. And I hope you enjoyed it!
While writing this piece, I went through the posts, pictures, and videos from our Facebook page. It wasn’t easy to pick the moments, as there are lots worth mentioning. I would’ve also liked to talk more about that time when the Java department got flooded or when the press was all over us when a fire started in the building next to us. Or when we moved to a new home while having the “Evomutantii” T-Shirts on. Or when we didn’t put the right amount of chlorine in the pool and added a bit too much (Oopsie!). And about many other moments too.
But there will come a time when we’ll have the chance to make new memories similar to the ones mentioned above. Even if having fun at the office has been postponed for a while now, it doesn’t mean it will always be like this. Maybe working from home is the norm now, just like being at the office was the norm back in the pre2020 era. This might change in the future or it might not. If we managed to adapt to 2020, we can adapt to any future challenges, changes, or opportunities that might arise. Bottom line is that we miss you. Or, as we mentioned here and here, ni-i dor de voi!
