The Long Table

Awkward, strange, but somehow, when we feel comfortable with the people, it feels good. That’s I guess the strange feeling about office dinner. You’re used to being in the same routine as them – five days a week. On weekends, you try not to be in touch with them because you know, you’ll see them again on Monday. Your life is basically scrubbing over your co-workers life.

These meetings with them at work are intense but that doesn’t mean that you have strong engagement with your coworkers, boss, and everybody you meet at work.

You type documents together, archive fabrics together, doing meetings three times a week, and making coffee or tea in between together. But, are you actually together?

There are times that we question this whole idea and our bond with each other.
So, once in a while, we take a break from work.
We try not to talk about work.
We try to make time not after work and not on weekends.
We try to be just together – just humans enjoying each other’s presence.

Regularly, we make time to do makan-makan. Usually it’s a special extravagant lunch for all of us at Pithecanthropus. We set long tables at one of our wooden houses and prepare plates and bowls of food! Some would bring foods that they cook, some would bring food that they order – Mrs. Erni, our Head of Accountant has important phone contacts of delicious caterers in Bali, Kue, Pepes or Tum, you name it, she knows it and some would bring themselves! Why not? Not everybody has the energy to cook or to place and order.

But everybody makes space for the energy for that day – celebrating our time, good food, and catching up with each other’s life.
We believe with what we have from this shop we could build (or in our case, set) a long table for most people in our company to join. Invite all of them. Sit together with them side by side. Listen to each other’s story.

We’ll talk about anything while munching our food – our previous holiday, our grandchildren, our mothers, our hobbies (taking a surfing class or yoga) – or like what the girls in our office do; sharing their latest obsession on Korean drama.

The food is not the main thing to have. What’s essential is the feeling that we are all humans that have life outside this table and this office. We’re celebrating each other’s personal achievement; their birthdays, their newly born babies and grandchildren, their hobbies, and themselves. Through makan – makan, through food, we’re sharing this with each other here.

As we’re passing each plate, we’re passing and putting love to each other.
As a company and a brand, it would be naive to say that we are a family. We’re not a family.
We’re humans that happen to work together and cross paths, and we’re cheering for that!

For our togetherness.
For this moment that we enjoy.
For the health and happiness we share with each other!

We hope this week, you’re having a great time over delicious food on a long table with friends, family, neighbours, and everyone you care about!

Rahayu,
Pithecanthropus