The Outdoor AND Culture Club

Greetings friends! I'm planning on a Christmas dinner this year for all of us to get together and share the holiday season in each other's company. Meetup serves as an opportunity for all of us who are initially strangers to come together and make friends. We all come from different backgrounds, different age groups, different ethnicities, different sexual orientations/gender identifications and different beliefs. As the year comes to a close, this is our chance to come together, as different as we are, with the same idea of sharing an evening with the wonderful people we call our friends.

For those who have wondered where I have been, I have been travelling around for some time both for work and for exploration. I had some unforeseen problems that required my attention, that took me away from hosting events. After solving those problems I was able to take some time to travel around Europe. Since my return I have been busy working on projects, but I realized how much I miss meeting new people and hosting events so I committed myself to continuing to host events on Meetup. I do not have any plans on selling my Meetup group or closing it down. As time consuming and expensive as it is I have met some truly wonderful people who have become friends through this platform. I plan to continue to grow The Outdoor and Culture Club for years to come.

I want to celebrate this festive season with a group of friends whom I have created lasting memories with. While I keep my events open for everyone, for this event I will be selecting individuals whom I have connected with on previous events that I have hosted.

Our Christmas celebration will be held at Western Lake Chinese Seafood Restaurant. This highly rated restaurant has been serving Vancouver for well over a decade, and the executive chef has been serving delicious dishes for well over 30 years.

Here is a link to the restaurant:
https://westernlake.ca/english/

Here is a link to the menu:
https://westernlake.ca/english/menu

* READ THOROUGHLY *

Greetings adventurers! It is time yet again to enjoy the thrill of whitewater rafting! I have hosted whitewater rafting excursions on my Meetup group several times in the past and we have always had an incredible adventure! Our journey will take us down the Nicola River, enjoying the warm desert-like climate with rushing waters to keep our adrenaline flowing! This particular route will be new for me as I am very familiar with the Thompson River, but I have never been on the Nicola River before. As a day-trip, we'll be sharing a great new experience amongst awesome new friends!

Here is a link to Kumsheen Rafting Resort and their Nicola River Run:
https://kumsheen.com/nicola-river-run/#intro

Disclaimer: To participate in any adventure attendees must accept that the owner and organizer of The Outdoor AND Culture Club accepts no responsibility for personal injury or damage to personal property. I have taken significant time and effort to host a safe, enjoyable adventure however I can not predict and prevent any mishaps from occuring. Each attendee must accept full responsibility for their ultimate outcome. Any attendee deemed a hazard to themselves or to the group will be dismissed, banned from any future events and their actions publically forwarded to the Meetup Organizers Network.

Activity: Whitewater Rafting
Region: Fraser Canyon
Difficulty: Intermediate
Time: 6+ Hours

Requirements (Absolutely No Exceptions):
- Very Good Physical Condition
- Intermediate Kayaking/Canoeing/Rafting Experience

Please keep in mind that all of my outdoor events require attendees to be in very good physical condition and well seasoned in outdoor activities. These excursions are not for beginners! Attendees requiring transportation please leave a request in the comments section. Drivers please insure that your vehicle is in safe operating condition and pre-trip inspections have been completed. Drivers are to be reimbursed a pre-determined amount for fuel and convenience.

In the past number of years, the local Meetup community has been plagued with ill equipped, inexperienced and unfit people who sign up for adventures that lead to them endangering themselves or others. These same people go on to falsely report Meetup groups and their respective organizers on social media as being irresponsible. Due to the lack of gratitude, honesty and integrity of these same people I will no longer accept new members on my outdoor adventures.

Greetings culinary adventurers! This Saturday we'll be experiencing an exciting restaurant with middle eastern flair at Zarak by Afghan Kitchen! It has been quite some time since I hosted an Afghan dinner on my Meetup group so I thought it would be time for us to reconnect with one of the most storied countries in the world through cuisine! While alcoholic beverages are served at Zarak, the menu items are all Halal. One of the things that most people are unaware of is that while Afghanistan is a country, it is made up for many different regions and within those regions are numerous different ethnic groups. This makes for an incredibly diverse cuisine across the entire country, and dishes such as palaw may be commonplace in most kitchens while there are delicacies such as ghorbandi which are more regional. I myself have dined here previously with another Meetup friend so I can attest to it's flavourful cuisine. Since I was stranded in Victoria and unable to host a Christmas dinner for 2024, I would like to invite everyone out to enjoy this evening. Unfortunately, I have to make the reservation with my credit card so I will be selecting those who have a history of attending my events. Not to worry though, I plan on hosting regularly now that I have returned to Vancouver!

Here is a link to the restaurant:
https://www.zarakvancouver.com/

Here is a link to the menu:
https://www.zarakvancouver.com/menu

Greetings culinary adventurers! This Saturday we'll be experiencing the bold flavours and unique dishes from the Jalisco region of Mexico at Taqueria Jalisco Restaurant! Mexico has many regions with their own history, culture and food. Forget the fake Mexican food you had in the past that left you on the toilet cursing in Spanish. Taqueria Jalisco Restaurant has been serving delicious dishes for many years and this is our chance to experience it ourselves! While common items on the menu include molcajetes and tacos, for those who are are looking for more adventurous dishes can order rellenos and encebollado! From savoury to spicy, the Jalisco region of Mexico has plenty to offer! Bring your sombreros, your papi chulo or mami chula outfit as well as your appetite! We'll be enjoying another incredible culinary journey into the Jalisco region of Mexico at Taqueria Jalisco Restaurant!

* Their website is currently down so the links below are third party websites.

Here is a link to the restaurant:
https://www.facebook.com/taqueria21jalisco/

Here is a link to the menu:
https://www.skipthedishes.com/taqueria-jalisco-restaurant