Queer Books

We are writers of all levels – beginners to published. And we meet at STARBUCK at IFC (P2 Shop2097-2098, International Finance Centre), Central for fun writing and sharing sessions! We all write a one-sentence prompt, then each select one at random. We write something based on the prompt for 45 minutes, after which, we share our work with each other and discuss as desired. Of course, sharing is optional but encouraged. (Feedback is always polite and respectful.) Alternatively, you can bring your own project(s) to work on in the company of fellow writers (published and yet-to-be published). You can share your project(s), too, if you want. It's all about creativity and productivity in a supportive environment! Any questions, just reach out to our organizers through Meetup.

$20 for 2 hours

Talk 1: **Typesetting PDFs with Web Standards** Speaker: Daniel Cheung Generating PDFs is a task every developer eventually faces, yet what looks easy often becomes deceptively challenging. Even something as simple as adding a footnote can be outright impossible or is painfully manual in many libraries. This session explores common challenges, unpacks the underlying graphic design principles that shapes corporate branding, and introduces Vivliostyle, a Web-Standards based library that enables developers to use HTML and CSS to create polished PDFs with professional design precision. Talk 2: **Instead of Another CRUD App, I Let AI Run My Homelab** Speaker: Evan Chan Description: In a 10+ node homelab of sub-$50 boards, overnight autonomous agents tackle increasingly wild problems — recovering corrupted Windows via a $11 DIY IP KVM, reverse-engineering IR protocols, generating bilingual subtitles, installing Linux entirely over SSH, and more, underpinned by a philosophy that trusts AI with real SSH access, and governed by rules and damage control, not restrictions. This talk walks through what happens when you stop asking AI to write boring boilerplate and start giving it interesting problems at the boundary of what's possible. Along the way, I'll introduce a second kind of agent that produces no code at all, which might just matter more. Venue Sponsor: **TEKsystems** is a global business and technology services company, partnering with market‑leading enterprises to achieve their business transformation and customer experience goals. With over 40 years of operating history, we leverage our global scale, combined with deep local delivery expertise, to solve complex business challenges, strengthen operational resilience, and bring our customers’ strategic vision full circle. TEKsystems operates across 100+ locations in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific, deploying 80,000+ consultants annually at 6,000+ customers, including 80% of the Fortune 500.

🔔 準時開局. 唔會有凖時到場嘅人無了期等遲到嘅人嘅情況出現. 🔔 預準人數. 唔會有太多人/唔夠人/或需要輪流玩情況出現. 🔔 專人控場. 粗暴發言、鬧人、貼面、9玩者會被放進黑名單. 🔔 分開配置玩. 設有Level 1新手局、Level 2中手局. 🚫作弊（浪費大家時間） 🚫鬧人（冇人想放工特登走去俾人鬧） 我地響觀塘駿業里及成業街設有兩個狼人殺場地, 有興趣book埸玩狼請WhatsApp 6794 1166 / 6223 2379 🔔 費用: [$85 / Girls $65] Meetup 報名價:[$80/Girls $60] Pay at entrance. 包飲品一盒, extra飲品每盒$5. 🔔 場地沒有食物提供, 但歡迎帶外賣上來食. 🔔 宣傳其他場地/放飛機/遊戲過程中態度惡劣者會被放進黑名單. 🔔 入埸請除鞋. 埸內拖鞋祗供店內用, 請勿著出店外. 🔔 報名參加Meetup活動, 當系統問你"Are you bringing anyone"時, 如果你祗是一個人來, 毋須㩒+1 (+1代表會帶朋友來的意思). 🔔 我哋嘅活動主持人有時會因為工作或者學業關係臨時嚟唔到，Meeple Tree 保留臨時更換主持嘅可能性。🙏 🔔 本會因放飛機(活動開始前24小時內退出者)被移除人數: 102 🔔 Meeple Tree保留參加者名單最後決定權. 🔔 Follow我哋IG: mtboardgame / boardgame_hk

我地唔打錢, 打名次開心玩! 活動會track winning % (Win定義: 正數得分) 及第一名總次數. ⚠️⚠️⚠️ Hi 想提提大家只要響Meetup報咗名，我哋就當你會準備出席。如果嚟唔到麻煩廿四小時之前撳返not going. 大家都知道麻雀三缺一係玩唔到，如果任何人放飛機，另外嗰三個出席嘅朋友等同白行一趟, 所以我哋係一定會踢。用嚟保障返出席嘅朋友。 遲到⏰少少ok, 但半個鐘以上亦會被放進黑名單. 將心比己，大家都唔想去到發覺唔夠腳 / 大家都唔想準時到但係要坐響度等人半粒鐘 🙏 埸費: $100 (a free drink is included)[第一名回贈$20, 第二名$10. 比賽成績會計落我哋嘅小聯賽. 年終會有兩個冠軍🏆奬: (1)勝率冠軍 (2)第一名次數冠軍. 獎品會於我地Whatsapp 群內公布. (1)勝率: 勝率=勝出次數/參賽次數。（勝利定義: 得分係正數） 一年嘅賽季會分成四個quarter, 一月到三月為之1st quarter. 四月到六月為2nd quarter 如此類推。每個quarter會逐次加一埸參賽場次作為計名次門檻。例子：四月份開始，勝率計算只會計參賽咗兩場或以上嘅玩家。七月份只會計參賽咗三場。十月份計參賽咗四場。所以年終總排名每個玩家需要最少參賽左四場才符合計算資格。 (2) 第一名冠軍: 簡單計每局第一名次數最多者. 🔔 報名參加Meetup活動, 當系統問你"Are you bringing anyone"時, 如果你祗是一個人來, 毋須㩒+1 (+1代表會帶朋友來的意思). 🔔我哋嘅活動主持人有時會因為工作或者學業關係臨時嚟唔到，Meeple Tree 保留臨時更換主持嘅可能性。🙏 🔔本會因放飛機(活動開始前24小時內退出者)被移除人數: 102 🔔Follow我哋IG: mtboardgame / boardgame_hk

This is a fun quiz with varied topics, but it normally does not have many sports questions. Team can have up to six. I need to book tables ahead so please RSVP early if possible.

🚀 Your Gateway to Opportunity in Hong Kong’s Top Business Networking Event! We will co-host with Web 3.0 Labs on 11th Feb Event 🌟21 APR Theme: Hong Kong Web3 Festival 2026🌟 Date: 21st Feb 2026 (Tue) Time: 19:00 (Doors open at 18:45) Venue: BOOMERANG & GRAM the Gourmet, LG/F, LKF Tower, 55 D’Aguilar Street, Central, HK **RSVP Now & Secure Your Spot:** Luma page: https://lu.ma/HKGHH BusinessStream: [https://hkghhdeal.eventbrite.hk](https://hkghhdeal.eventbrite.hk) Tech Stream: [https://hongkongexperthappyhour.eventbrite.hk](https://hongkongexperthappyhour.eventbrite.hk) 📍Google Maps: [https://maps.app.goo.gl/GFFycvLmwAELZLSv7](https://maps.app.goo.gl/GFFycvLmwAELZLSv7) ✨ Refer your friends for additional drink discounts! 💃🏻Super Special Discounts for Lady Guests! **🎯 Why Attend?** 🤝 Meet Experts – Network with top professionals, entrepreneurs, and investors across industries from Finance, Tech, PE, Fund, Blockchain, Bio-medical, AI and more! 💡 Unlock Opportunities – Whether you're hiring, job hunting, freelancing, or looking for collaborations, this is the place to be! 🍷 Exclusive Perks – Special drink discounts for all attendees **🍹 Event Format** ⭐️ One Drink Minimum – Your purchase helps secure the venue and keeps these amazing networking nights going! 💼 Bring Business Cards – You never know who you'll meet! ✨ Smart Casual Dress Code – Look sharp but keep it cool (no gym shorts or slippers). **📢 Stay Updated!** Join our LinkedIn Group for guest lists & event updates: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/10490780/ **🏆 Event Partners & Industry Leaders** Connect with representatives from: ▶️ Ultima Markets ▶️ Syndicate Capital Group ▶️ Web3.0 Labs ▶️ Libra Advertising Group Worldwide **🥂 See You @ BOOMERANG!** Let’s raise a glass to new connections, new projects, and new opportunities. Cheers!

For our fourth book, we have the acclaimed bestseller which explores why the curable disease of tuberculosis is still endemic in much of the world. 'AN ACCLAIMED BEST BOOK OF 2025: NPR, Scientific American, Science News. Goodreads Readers’ Choice Nonfiction Winner. Tuberculosis has been entwined with hu­manity for millennia. Once romanticized as a malady of poets, today tuberculosis is seen as a disease of poverty that walks the trails of injustice and inequity we blazed for it. In 2019, author John Green met Henry Reider, a young tuberculosis patient at Lakka Government Hospital in Sierra Leone. John be­came fast friends with Henry, a boy with spindly legs and a big, goofy smile. In the years since that first visit to Lakka, Green has become a vocal advocate for increased access to treatment and wider awareness of the healthcare inequi­ties that allow this curable, preventable infec­tious disease to also be the deadliest, killing over a million people every year. In Everything Is Tuberculosis, John tells Henry’s story, woven through with the scientific and social histories of how tuberculosis has shaped our world—and how our choices will shape the future of tuberculosis.' This book is available on Kindle. For international delivery you can find it from Blackwells and it may also be available at the library or an English language book store. We are a "real" book club, which means we do read the book before the meet-up and discuss it. New members are always welcome. We need to notify the venue about how many will attend, so please make sure your RSVP status is accurate. Hope to see you there!

A chilled-out Saturday afternoon playing Scrabble and/or Upwords. **The Plan** * 1400 Arrive at Eaton Hotel - go to the food court on Lower Ground floor & look for a table with a Scrabble box. * Stay and play as long as you want to! **What To Do** 1. RSVP here 2. Please ensure the organiser knows your Meetup username & the name/pronouns you usually use. If you’re new and/or don’t yet know the organiser, please DM the organiser with this information via Meetup, or join the Scrabble WhatsApp chat within the Tandem community. **Please note:** 1. Tandem is a community of volunteers; everything you see is created by our members giving up their time and labour. None of our organisers profit from events; any charges listed are those from other parties and we never add a mark-up. In this context, we need attendees to do their best to reduce the workload of our volunteer team by reading the event description and these notes carefully; and follow the instructions in order to register a place on the event. Please be considerate and helpful with our team – we are all volunteers. 2. We run all our event communication through WhatsApp. Please keep track of event related messages in the Whatsapp event group and respond to requests and instructions from organisers within 24hrs. Please don’t put the chat on mute. If our team don’t receive your response within 24hrs, we will move you to “Not Going”. 3. If you require special accessibility accommodations for the event (i.e., accessible venue, accessible restrooms, noise levels, lighting conditions, etc) and are unsure whether they can be met, please reach out to the organiser/host. 4. We encourage language inclusivity at all our events. If you aren't confident in English, please let our team know. We will try to provide bilingual support where possible and/or will try and introduce you to other language speakers you're more comfortable with. Please be mindful that we might not be able to accommodate all languages at all events, but we will do our best to make everyone feel welcome and heard. 5. If you sign up, but can no longer make it, please update your RSVP as soon as possible and tell the organiser. Updating your RSVP well ahead of the event allows us to manage the waitlist; allow other people to attend; know who to look out for at the start of the event; and manage any relevant bookings, such as table reservations. 6. If you don’t have a clear face pic on your profile and/or your username doesn’t match the name you normally use, we can’t identify your payments nor match your RSVP with who you are in real life. If this is you, please ensure the organiser knows who you are. If we can’t work out who you are within 24hrs of your RSVP, we will move you to “Not Going”. 7. Only group members and their guests with an RSVP may attend events; people who aren’t signed up will be refused entry to events. 8. If you don’t follow the conditions above, we will move you to “Not Going” for future events until you message us to confirm you will follow these conditions.

Join us for short sets of stand-up comedy at our April FinS gathering! As always, socialize with old friends and make new connections. 🍷 Discounted Happy Hour drinks ⏱️Wednesday, 22 April, 7-10pm 📍Lower G/F, Sunny Bldg, 57-59 Wyndham St., Central. Look for a single door then staircase down to enter (bar not at street level). You do not have to be in a "suit", casual amd comfortable clothing are great. FinS has been connecting members of the LGBT+ community since 2004.

Reading is important because it develops your mind and gives you excessive knowledge and lessons of life. 開卷有益！大家最近有冇讀到一啲好書呢？不如出黎分享下讀書心得呀？參加呢個讀書活動，分享好書，分享喜悅。😊 有興趣參加可以WhatsApp我：95182994

星期五 血染鐘樓夜唔夜 地點：荔枝角 A Joy 7pm-0am $120 per head Lv 0.5 說書人: Zen 血染鐘樓Blood on the clocktower 是一款關於推理和欺騙，謊言與邏輯，謀殺與謎團的社交遊戲, 比《狼人殺》更進階。 由於有人數需求，如不夠人數，會改為桌遊聚（超過500款輕中重策遊戲）。 專業導師指導，唔識玩到識。 請先WhatsApp 6704 2789 Zen 了解詳情。

*"You are under no obligation to be the same person you were five minutes ago." — Alan Watts* **What is one phase, hobby, or label you used to fit into, but have happily outgrown?** During a busy daily routine, it is easy to feel swept up in the current. The world around us naturally uses labels to help organize everyday life, and it can be genuinely comforting to find our "group" or define exactly who we are. But human beings are wonderfully complex, contradictory, and constantly evolving. This Curious Souls Cafe gathering is an invitation to explore the beauty of fluidity. We are turning our focus inward to discover a quiet sense of spaciousness within ourselves. We will discuss the quiet art of wearing a label to function in our daily lives, without letting it define our core identity. Let's share how we navigate changing our minds, outgrowing old versions of ourselves, and allowing ourselves to be a gentle "work in progress." Bring your thoughts and an open mind. Let's discover the joy of living without boxes, together. **Inviting all who are...** 🌊 Reflecting on how everyday life naturally uses categories, and seeking a quiet space to just "be" 🧠 Eager to cultivate a cozy internal space for evolving, growing, and changing their minds ⚖️ Navigating how to stay engaged in our communities while holding our personal identities lightly 📵 Interested in stepping back from digital echo chambers to savor authentic, unstructured human connection 🤝 Believing that we grow best in community, sharing insights and inspiration ​📅 Agenda / What You'll Experience ​💬 Prompted Conversations We will use virtual question cards designed to help people playfully explore their personal habits and internal operating systems. Here are some sample questions: * Have you ever naturally outgrown a phase, hobby, or label that used to feel like a perfect fit, and what did that shift feel like? * What is an everyday interest, taste, or opinion you used to have that has gently shifted over time? * How can we use labels as helpful tools to navigate our daily routines, without secretly letting them trap or define us? * If you didn't have to define your identity to anyone, what beautifully messy, contradictory mix of hobbies or traits would you embrace? From there, we’ll embark on a respectful, engaging, and meaningful conversation, celebrating the diversity of perspectives and ideas within the group. Note: This session may involve virtual question cards accessed via a link or QR code. If you do not have a device (phone/tablet) to access these, please ask a facilitator for assistance; we have spare units available. The exact format of the event may change depending on turnout according to [https://curioussouls.cafe/#how-to](https://curioussouls.cafe/#how-to) and other factors. 💬 Final Thoughts and Feedback Where time allows, in the final 10 minutes of the event, we’ll take a moment to reflect on the key insights, memorable moments, and takeaways from our discussions. This is a chance to distill the shared wisdom and leave with a deeper understanding of the topics we’ve explored together. After the event officially concludes, the group may choose to extend the session, depending on the group’s interest. Of course, you’re welcome to leave at any time that feels right for you. An anonymized summary will be shared for sessions where key insights are identified. After the meeting, our facilitators and participants may reflect on the discussion and contribute to a summary or collaborative workbook based on their notes and observations. Additionally, questions may be revisited in future sessions in an anonymized manner. To explore what our events are like, check out our official website at [https://curioussouls.cafe](https://curioussouls.cafe) 📍 Location City: Hong Kong Address: Empire Centre, 68 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East Inside the shopping mall of Empire Centre, there is a large open area dedicated to a café. We will sit at a round table or sofa inside (near a Hang Seng ATM or 7-Eleven store). Please look for the big words "Curious Souls Café" on our table. If you take the MTR, the nearest station and exit will be East Tsim Sha Tsui Station (Exit P1). From there, you can walk to Empire Centre, which is just a few minutes away. Google Maps link: [maps.app.goo.gl/51Jr8qxY4q5YLQ6q7](https://maps.app.goo.gl/51Jr8qxY4q5YLQ6q7) 🈚 Free of Charge While there is no charge to attend, we kindly encourage you to support the venue by purchasing a drink and/or any items from their menu. Note: This event is not affiliated with the restaurant, or any third-party names mentioned. ✨ What is Curious Souls Café? Welcome to [Curious Souls Café](https://curioussouls.cafe/about/)! 👋 Designed to nurture healthy curiosity and foster connections, this is a warm and friendly space for meaningful conversations. 😊 We invite you to join us for an experience filled with thought-provoking dialogue, meaningful connections, and personal growth. We look forward to meeting you at one of our events in the future!

Join us for our April Book Club gathering where we will come together to discuss *[Stop Me if You've Heard This One](https://www.kristenarnettwriter.com/stopmeifyouveheardthisone)* by [Kristen Arnett](https://www.kristenarnettwriter.com/about) in a safe and welcoming environment. Make new friends who share your passion for books and connect with fellow LGBTQ book enthusiasts.

Join us for our May Book Club gathering where we will come together to discuss *[Cantoras](https://caroderobertis.com/books/cantoras/)*[ ](https://caroderobertis.com/books/cantoras/)by [Caro de Robertis](https://caroderobertis.com/bio/) in a safe and welcoming environment. Make new friends who share your passion for books and connect with fellow LGBTQ book enthusiasts.

**We are expanding our creative programming opportunities with Queer Quills, a quiet writing and sharing space. Queer Quills features some prompts, supplies and friendly faces to help get some inspiration or feedback for your writing. Hope to see you there!**

Welcome, readers! Our April read is **_Martyr!_ by Kaveh Akbar.** The story follows a young Iranian American poet grappling with grief, addiction, and the aching question of what makes a life meaningful. Drawn into an unexpected friendship with a terminally ill artist, he begins to confront faith, love, and the seduction of self-destruction. Lyrical, darkly funny, and emotionally piercing, the novel wrestles with beauty and despair in equal measure. It’s a story about longing—to be seen, to be forgiven, and to matter. Looking forward to discussing with everyone! We will meet at Zaftig Brewing Co in their event room in the back. We are welcome to bring in our own food, but **drinks must be purchased at the bar.** Happy reading! 📖

Posting this early because seemingly all Sundays in May are holidays or busy! I picked a shorter thriller that's hopefully a fast read/listen. [Columbus library link to book](https://cml.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S105C3458940) Location: Grandview Cafe, *1455 W. 3rd Ave*, Columbus, OH 43212 [Menu](https://www.grandviewcafe.com/menu) Book summary: Daniel leads a rich life in the university town of Athens, Georgia. He's got a couple close friends, a steady paycheck working for a regional airline, and of course, for a few glorious days each Fall, college football tailgates. He considers himself to be a mostly lucky guy -- despite the fact that he's suffered from a debilitating disease since he was a small child, one that has left him unable to speak or to move without a wheelchair. Largely confined to his home, Daniel spends the hours he's not online communicating with irate air travelers observing his neighborhood from his front porch. One young woman passes by so frequently that spotting her out the window has almost become part of his daily routine. Until the day he's almost sure he sees her being kidnapped.

WQC has weekly Thursday night social nights at the Westerville Java Central. Come and grab a coffee and connect with the community: low stakes, chill environment, and tasty drinks. No registration is required; come as you are.