By the end of the lecture period, our institute celebrated a summer party. It was a sunny Friday Barbecue, where various vegan and vegetarian foods were consumed. The atmosphere was joyful and relaxed.
It all started with cold drinks on a warm sunny afternoon. Our great barbecue chefs, Philipp, Bodo, and Milan took over the fire making. The guests joined this pleasing evening event as the salad, snack and dessert filled up. Small talk and chitchat arose between professors, eager student assistants and young researchers. Recent professorship lectures were celebrated, so some sparkling drinks were shared.
While the grilled food was ready to serve, the large crew extended to the table tennis arena. There were first just a few couples playing. Then more and more colleagues joined, and what started as a friendly evening game turned into a fearless competitive 10-people game. There was no excuse to stay watching as an outsider. Rackets, hands and phones were utilized as sports gear. Cheering troops of spectators crowded up to see the spectacle.
Then the air cooled down, as the energy evaporated from our stellar players. Little by little people went for dessert and sat down on the benches as they needed to catch some breath. And as the light faded away, so did people return to their homes. Still, around 10 colleagues stayed and eagerly kept on chatting for longer.
It was an exciting evening. Getting to know new faces, new research groups, and new topics!
