Cafe Lovers

At Socrates Café we discuss thought-provoking questions about life and the world we live in. We do it as a dialogue, not as a debate or a lecture. You do not need to be a philosopher just talkative, a good listener and curious human being. In the end we end up being a group of young people talking about life. What makes these events a success are the participants, who come from all walks of life with open minds, ready to learn and form opinions through respectful discussions with others. At the start of each meeting, the facilitator invites participants to suggest topics. We then vote and choose the most popular topic for discussion. In addition you can choose from the list of questions below: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRqSLqkN6wTokud1RhGr9yXxhgUpnO-zrObf7gs5yp0tYmks_QHtaWQEmRXBVDldrtlDaUcDbqkgWOw/pubhtml RULES 1. Please be on time! We will start at 19:00 so if you arrive late, please join quietly. If you are a first timer, make sure you take extra time for finding the location. 2. If something unexpected happens, please cancel as soon as possible. There's lovely people on the waiting list 3. If you repeatedly sign up and don’t show up, you can expect to be moved to the waitlist next time. 4. You may disagree with others, but please do so **respectfully** without personal attacks. 5. Please keep your attendance to one event per week to ensure everyone has an opportunity to attend. 6. Just to meet expectations, this is a Philosophy event to discuss Philosophy and its **PRIMARY** function is **NOT** to be focused on Self Help/Psychology or Theology. Though those topics can be a point of discussion from time to time. Please take that into consideration when signing up! See you soon!

Tijdens de maakavonden van Meet Je Stad soldeer je je eigen meetkastje dat temperatuur, luchtvochtigheid en fijnstof\* kan meten. Het solderen is geschikt voor iedereen: van beginner tot expert! Daarnaast bieden we begeleiding, dus hoef je niet bang te zijn dat je er niet uit komt. Ter deelname betaal je €15 voor de materialen. Vaak lukt het niet om al het soldeerwerk binnen één avond af te krijgen, maar dit is geen probleem; tijdens onze volgende maakavonden kun je langskomen om je werk af te maken. Inmiddels zijn er in de stad Utrecht nu zo’n 150 mensen die hun eigen meetkastje hebben gesoldeerd. Als je kastje af is wordt hij geregistreerd en kun je hem bij jou thuis ophangen/neerzetten. Hierbij krijg je instructies zodat je de juiste locatie kunt kiezen en je metingen zo betrouwbaar mogelijk zijn. Als het dan eenmaal hangt kun je via de kaart op de [website van Meet Je Stad](https://meetjestad.net/index3.php?loc=Tb) bijhouden welke metingen je kastje neemt: zo kun je bijvoorbeeld zien op welke momenten het bij jou het warmst is en vergelijkingen maken met waardes van andere meetkastjes. Dat kan door middel van [deze tool](https://mjs-datavisualisation-fez7kynngq-ez.a.run.app/) die je helpt om grafieken te maken. Dan kan je er achter komen hoe jouw omgeving ervoor staat in vergelijking met de rest van de stad. Meet Je Stad organiseert ook kennisavonden met gastsprekers die vertellen over hitte, fijnstof en andere burgerinitiatieven in de stad. Dit zijn ook gelijk geschikte momenten voor deelnemers om met elkaar in discussie te gaan over hun metingen en ondervindingen. Zo hopen we een netwerk van betrokken inwoners te creëren en meer te weten te komen over de milieuomstandigheden in de stad! *\*De fijnstofsensor is optioneel en kost 20 euro extra. Indien je deze bij je meetkastje wilt moet je deze via een draad met een stroombron binnen 15 meter kunnen verbinden.* **Organisatie:** Milieucentrum Utrecht (MCU) in samenwerking met de Makerscommunity HaHaHo. **Locatie:** Bibliotheek Neude, Huis van Actief Burgerschap (begane grond) **Kosten:** 15 euro voor materiaalkosten, 20 euro extra voor fijnstofsensor. (Meet-up suggereert bij het aanmaken van een account dat een betaald abonnement vereist is. Dit is niet zo, op de pagina waar gevraagd wordt om een abonnement te kiezen staat rechts bovenin de optie "Ga door met het gratis plan".) *Bij te weinig aanmeldingen kan de workshop afgelast worden.*

Parking: Please use public transport if possible. If arriving by car, use a P+R or park at the Jaarbeurs parking (paid). Public Transit: 5 minute walk from Utrecht Central station **Event Schedule** **17:00** — Doors open & walk-in **17:30** — Dinner **18:30** — Welcome *Atanas Aleksiev — Rabobank Engineering Services AWS team* **18:35 -** Disasters don’t announce themselves—and recovery is only as good as your last backup strategy *Rabobank Engineering Services AWS team* **19:10 -** From Innovation to Enterprise: Scaling a Compliant, Microservices-Driven AWS Platform *Rabobank ODP Next team* **19:50** \- Break ☕ **20:00 -** EDSN as the Digital Backbone of the Energy Market: Use Case, Technology Choices and Challenges *Energie Data Services Nederland* **20:40** \- Drinks & Networking 🍻 **21:30** -Event ends **Summary of the talks** **Talk 1:** In this talk, we’ll walk through how Rabobank designs for failure using AWS Backup: from automated policies and immutable vaults to restore testing and ransomware protection. Because resilience isn’t just about having backups—it’s about knowing they work. **Talk 2:** What happens after an innovation delivers a promising platform before it’s ready for enterprise scale, governance, and speed? That’s where our journey begins. You’ll hear how we evolved the architecture to support over 100 microservices powering digital lending on a compliant-by-design AWS environment. We’ll share the decisions we made along the way: what we kept and what we changed. Central to our approach is Infrastructure as Code to enable consistency, repeatability, and control on the platform. We’ll show how this foundation helped us automate operations, accelerate delivery, and meet strict compliance requirements. Join us to learn how to bridge the gap between innovation and enterprise readiness, turning a promising start into a scalable, secure, and developer-friendly platform. **Talk 3:** EDSN acts as the digital backbone of the energy market, supporting essential data exchange processes across the energy market value chain. We explore this role, the underlying IT foundation, and the challenges and trade-offs that come with it.

Time for our biweekly peer Satsang gathering! This is an open, equal and low-key gathering for spiritual seekers from all walks of life to get together, talk, feel connected and grow. The gathering will last for about two hours. Bring questions, thoughts, or just your presence. We'll see what unfolds once we're there. If you're interested but can't make the currently indicated time, the event is full or you have any other questions, get in touch with me at thijshugenholtz@gmail.com and we'll see what we can do! Location: Buurtcentrum Hart van Noord, Trumanlaan 60 Utrecht but the entrance is opposite Geallieerdenlaan 24

If you are living in The Netherlands, by now, you may well have noticed the amount of open water. If you enjoy cycling in the city, you may wish to feel safer as you navigate the bridges and canals. And you may also want to get ready for visiting the beach, pools or the many lakes this summer. Learning how to swim takes approx 1 year and it all starts with the very first lesson. New comers enroll via our website and pay € 30,50, this is the first lesson and a goody bag. After the class you agree with the personal swim coach how to continue to obtain your final objectives. Enrolling is only possible via [www.your-personal-swim-coach.nl ](https://www.your-personal-swim-coach.nl/)hence a rvsp via meetup is not enough.

A great ride along the Vecht and Gein rivers. You will love this route. Please ride single file along the winding river as there can be cars around each corner. **Route:** https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/441606271 GPX: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17-T_pT_GH3QKSFcH1WWgfArvxSdAkVzO/view?usp=sharing **Afterwards:** Drinks at Polder https://maps.app.goo.gl/tbt5DDG7YLU3uWvaA **Rules:** \- Download the route to your cycling computer so you can always find your way home \- Make sure to arrive on time \- Before you ride\, decide as a group how you want to ride: you can split up in a fast and a slow group or stay together\, but make sure to discuss what pace you are going to ride and whether you are going to wait if someone is slower than the group\, or not\.

Samen sporten, gewoon voor de fun, elke week een divers programma, met allerlei verschillende sporten. Je hoeft niet de beste te zijn, maar wel zin hebben om samen te spelen en te leren. Tijdens een training doen we verschillende spelletjes, basketbal, voetbal. volleybal, spikebal, honkbal. Kom je ook, de bal ligt bij jou!! Eerste keer meedoen is altijd gratis, daarna kan je beslissen of dit voor jou is, of niet!! Dus kom een keer proberen. Kan je niet op deze dag, we sporten ook op andere dagen nl Zondag om 9:30 of Maandag om 20:30 Stuur mij een berichtje als je op die dagen een keer wil proberen! The amount of people rsvp'd to this game doesn't match the real number of people at the event, as Meetup is only used for promotion purposes.

Hi all! 🙂 On Wednesdays we welcome you to practice languages! If you want to practice a specific (uncommon) language, please send us a message so we can find some conversation partners for you on our mailing list! We hope to see you in Café Marktzicht! In the last year we had tables for the following languages: * Dutch * English * French * Italian * Spanish * Turkish\* * German\* * Portuguese\* * Danish\* * Norwegian\* * Russian\* * Arabic\* * Chinese\*\* * Japanese\*\* * Indonesian\*\* * * Most likely, but not every week present. \*\* - Rather rare ;-) If your language is not in this list, please let us know! We have a large database of Language Cafe visitors speaking 56 different languages! We might be able to connect you with a person that does speak the language you want to practice. In case you are not in our database yet, please use this form: http://goo.gl/forms/oSCn9Dn8m8

Join us for some beers, snacks and fun. Just a regular Saturday night with heavy music played by a metal DJ in a cozy café. Song requests are possible. ;) Agenda: 9:00 - café opens (free entry) 9:30/10:00 - dj starts playing music 2:00 - end No tables will be booked because we expect to have enough space even if we're >20 people. ;)

Join us for an intimate evening of exceptional food, meaningful conversation and new connections in the heart of Utrecht. Inspired by the tradition of breaking bread together, AAN TAFEL brings together food lovers, curious minds, couples, friends and solo guests around one shared table. This is more than a dinner. It's an opportunity to slow down, enjoy great food and meet people you may never have crossed paths with otherwise. Throughout the evening, you'll enjoy a carefully curated multi-course menu, paired wines (or alcohol-free alternatives) and conversation prompts designed to spark genuine connection with others at the table. Whether you're naturally outgoing or a little hesitant to introduce yourself to strangers, the evening is designed to make meeting new people feel easy and natural. Come with friends, bring your partner or arrive on your own. Everyone is welcome at the table. **What Makes This Different?** * A chef-curated multi-course dining experience * Wine pairing or alcohol-free pairing included * Shared tables designed to encourage connection * Thoughtful conversation starters throughout the evening * A mix of locals, expats, couples, friends and solo attendees * An intimate atmosphere where food becomes the starting point for memorable conversations At Stef's Table, we believe some of life's best conversations happen over a great meal. The food matters. The people matter too. **The Menu** This summer menu combines European ingredients and techniques with flavours inspired by Asia, creating familiar dishes with unexpected twists. Expect dishes such as: * Bloody Mary Oyster * Korean Steak Tartare * Seabass with Saffron Sauce * Seasonal Summer Vegetables with three side dishes * Mango Sorbet * Rhubarb Tiramisu A complete wine pairing (or alcohol-free alternative) is included and carefully matched to each course. ***[[See the menu here](https://www.stefstable.com/event-details-registration/aan-tafel-de-zomereditie)]*** **Practical Information** **Date:** Saturday 4 July 2026 **Time:** 18:30 – 22:30 **Location:** Lucas, Utrecht **Price:** €89 per person ***[Book your ticket here](https://www.stefstable.com/event-details-registration/aan-tafel-de-zomereditie)*** **Included** * Welcome drink * Five-course dinner * Wine pairing or alcohol-free pairing * Digestif * Conversation cards and social dining experience * An evening of food, connection and new encounters **Come hungry. Leave inspired.** Because some summer evenings stay with you long after the last course is served.

'THE SYMPATHIZER' by Viet Thanh Nguyen 'The winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, as well as seven other awards, The Sympathizer is the breakthrough novel of the year. With the pace and suspense of a thriller and prose that has been compared to Graham Greene and Saul Bellow, The Sympathizer is a sweeping epic of love and betrayal. The narrator, a communist double agent, is a man of two minds, a half-French, half-Vietnamese army captain who arranges to come to America after the Fall of Saigon, and while building a new life with other Vietnamese refugees in Los Angeles is secretly reporting back to his communist superiors in Vietnam. The Sympathizer is a blistering exploration of identity and America, a gripping espionage novel, and a powerful story of love and friendship.' ***Please read the book and join us for a lively discussion (in English) about the contents during our afternoon book club meeting.*** \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **PLEASE NOTE:** This is an IN-PERSON event in Amersfoort, The Netherlands. Please cancel your attendance in advance if you are unable to join, so that those on the waitlist can participate. Looking forward to seeing you all IN REAL LIFE then! Best regards, Sandra

I'm excited to host the 25st edition of *Strangers to Friends*! Every event so far has been warm, fun and full of great connections. So we’re doing it again! Curious about our previous events? Check out our photo albums (only visible on the laptop version of Meetup). **What to expect** * A safe, relaxed environment to meet both locals and expats, whether you want to meet new people, experience an international atmosphere or talk about business, it’s all possible. * Start the evening with a few rounds of conversation cards: pair up with someone you don’t know, answer meaningful questions and rotate every 10 minutes. Within just one hour, you’ll get to know several people really well and enjoy meaningful conversations. * Everyone comes on their own, so it’s easy to connect. **Practical details** * Doors open at 20:00, after 30 minutes we start with conversation cards * Venue: Boekencafé Libertas, Klarendalseweg 477-1, Arnhem * 20 min walk from Arnhem Central * 7 min walk from Arnhem Velperpoort * You’ll receive 1 drink token for (beer/wine/soft drinks) and snacks all night! * Find us on the right side of the café at the bar, by the window and garden Bring a smile and join us for an evening where friendships grow, business ideas spark and real-life connections happen. Back to basics, away from screens, meeting face-to-face. Warm regards, Julia

**Welcome to our June UX Beers in Antwerp!** This time, we will host our event on Tuesday the 30th of June at Craftzing in Antwerp. [Ariad](https://www.ariadgroup.com/) and [Creative Skills](https://www.creativeskills.be/) sponsor our events. Follow the event online? We stream live via [Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBqyTDAyQBw) \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- \#\#\# UX TALKS **Talk 1:** **UX with AI: Did we all just get promoted?** By An-Sofie Rombouts, Product designer @ Gorilla Working in a startup often means designing without established UX processes. So with AI emerging, it can feel like a lifeline: faster prototyping, '*deeper*' research, and more concepts to explore. But somewhere between the third AI-generated prototype and losing the thread of your prompted designs, it can become painfully obvious what the impact is of designing with LLMs. We're not executing anymore, we're reviewing, approving, and critiquing, like a manager. This talk gets honest about what that actually means: the speed gains are real, but the cognitive debt is quietly compounding, and your future as a designer depends on understanding why. Explore how designers can protect their cognitive depth, enhance their review capacity, and stay in control when the machine can almost draw anything. **Talk 2:** **Growing UX in organisations that are not there yet.** By Koen Peters, Designer at Namahn More and more organisations are asking us to help build design expertise in-house, even putting together a design team for them. I have learnt that in such cases, you need to set aside your own biases and assumptions first: your neatly mapped-out methodology, your Figma dogmas and all the other things you as a design agency take for granted. The reality in these organisations is often very different: limited resources, no design culture and few or no trained designers on the team. Through a few client case studies, I will show how we have tackled such challenges. Organising a training in UX and design thinking is a good first step, offering a chance to get to know the team and identify which skills are already there and which are missing. I will also demonstrate tools and activities that we have used to help a team get started and become more aware of UX research and design. These include a script for choosing the right UX approach, skills assessment models to identify gaps and first steps towards creating a design playbook. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- \#\#\# SCHEDULE 18:00 - Doors open. Drinks & snacks 19.00 - 19.15 - Introduction to UX Belgium Meetup, announcements 19.15 - 19:45 - Talk #1 19:45 -20:15 - BREAK 20:15 - 20:45 - Talk #2 20:45 - 21:30 - Socialize \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- \#\#\# SLACK CHANNEL We have our own UX Belgium slack channel. [Come join us and say hi!](https://join.slack.com/t/ux-belgium/shared_invite/zt-1bjpnuiog-T4Di4flXYPWgbT9KrZ53CA) \*\*\* \#\#\# YOUTUBE CHANNEL All our livestreams and talks are recorded and available on our [UX Belgium youtube channel](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCno7V18T-EglYXprgrUZQ7A). \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- \#\#\# ABOUT UX BELGIUM UX Belgium is a growing community of User Experience (UX) professionals in and around Belgium. Look for these types of events: UX Beers Periodically, we gather at a different agency or venue to drink beers, network and listen to speakers on various themes in the world of UX and digital design. UX Antwerp: Each last Tuesday of the month UX Brussels: Each second Tuesday of the month, 4x per year UX Workshops Now and then we organize events to dive deeper into specific skills and techniques in UX. These are smaller, hands-on workshops designed to boost your UX toolbox. \*\*\* The UX Belgium Meetup Team

grassroots meet up for women / mothers / in Amsterdam who want to bring their children into their fun, spiritual and festival-going lives! this looks like a very family friendly festival, 30 minutes drive from Amsterdam and I do believe it is accessible by public transport. please note: I am not affiliated with this event, just a new mom / family who are finding our way back to events and spaces we loved pre-baby, now ready to enjoy them with our toddler and connecting with like-minded people along the way :) https://wonderfeel.nl

🇺🇸 Red, White & BOOM: A Black Love Summer Social ❤️ Skip the downtown chaos and celebrate with great people instead! Join Black Love & Friends as we spend the evening together in the beautiful, historic King-Lincoln District, just steps from Mayme Moore Park, with an incredible view of the Red, White & BOOM fireworks. This isn't a formal event—it's a relaxed summer gathering. Come early or stop by later. Stay for an hour or stay all evening. We'll have our own private meetup space where you can kick back, meet new people, play a few games, enjoy light refreshments, and simply enjoy the holiday together. Throughout the evening we'll explore the King-Lincoln District, soak up the atmosphere, laugh, connect, and then settle in as the Columbus skyline lights up with one of the biggest fireworks shows of the year. ✨ What to expect: 🎆 Great views of the Red, White & BOOM fireworks 🏙️ Historic King-Lincoln District ⛺ Private Black Love & Friends meetup tent 🎲 Lawn games & conversation 🥤 Light refreshments 🤝 New friends & great vibes 📸 Perfect summer photo opportunities Event begins: 6:30 PM Fireworks begin later in the evening, so arrive whenever works for you. Feel free to come and go throughout the night. ⚠️ RSVP is required. Space at our tent is limited, so we'll only be able to accommodate those who register in advance. Bring a chair if you'd like, wear your favorite red, white, and blue, and come celebrate community, connection, and summer with Black Love & Friends. Good people. Great conversations. Amazing fireworks.

Hey Everyone! Let's meet at Belle's Bread Bakery and Cafe. There is lots of free parking and easy access to the cafe and many shops and restaurants as well. This is a great way to meet new and old friends while chatting about life and practicing English language speaking skills. All are welcome and encouraged to join us anytime between 11am and 1pm. Looking forward to seeing you soon.

Join us for a fun and relaxing brunch at Carfagna’s! Come enjoy delicious Italian food, great conversation, and a chance to connect with other amazing women in a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Whether you’re new to the group or a familiar face, we’d love to see you there. Please RSVP early so we can plan seating. Looking forward to a great brunch together!

Let’s meet and discuss John Updike's Rabbit, Run, the first in his series of four novels following the life, hopes, and disappointments of former local basketball star, Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom, as he fitfully confronts and evades adulthood.

Do you want more motivation and confidence to build Lasting Relationships? This is a free, in-person meeting on the subject of betrayals, losses and how to get over them so you can build lasting relationships. Are you burdened by a stressful relationship? Unhealthy relationships can trigger feelings of anger, despair or self-doubt. They can create dwindling spirals of fights and seeking to make-up, or trying to “pin the blame” on someone or something. If you don’t find the RIGHT reasons, or select the correct sources of the problem, the problem can just get worse and worse. Whether in love or personal ties, with friends or at work, our life really IS affected by the quality of our relationships. Good ones can promote pleasure and survival, while less optimum ones can lead to annoyance, anger, self-doubt, stress, or even affect our health and ability to survive well. Whether you are suffering from a divorce, or a painful break-up, don’t know who to trust (or who to CHOOSE) as a partner, friend, boss or employee - the anxiety of relationship troubles can really make a mess of things. Maybe you’ve suffered a betrayal, or are dealing with hostility or criticalness or invalidation. Dwindling relationships can involve destructive behavior, where we hurt those we love, or start succumbing to self-destructive thoughts, attitudes or behaviors that spiral out of control and affect much more than our immediate relationship. Past losses in love or life can affect how we act or react to new people and situations and hold us back from even starting to create new, possibly great relationships! How can one get back onto a saner course of action? Come to our Meetup, where we can introduce you to some of the knowledge, tools and techniques of the breakthroughs in the field of the mind that we can apply to this ever important area of life: human relationships! Break free from self imposed limitations Here we will discuss: • How to “erase” the trauma of past hurts and betrayals so that one isn’t always repeating past mistakes. • Why and how do the negative emotions of others affect you? • Why is my partner withdrawing and what can I do about it? • Why do we sometimes feel compelled to hurt the ones we love? • Fights & arguments - what's really behind them? • What underlies “corrosive criticism” or the need to invalidate self or others? • How one can stably change one’s outlook on life so they can affect positive change? • Where do compulsive destructive behaviors come from and what can be done about them? • How to form closer bonds & keep growing the relationships with the people you care about? • How to enhance one’s own ability to survive and create positive healthy relationships whether in love, family & friendships or in work, business or one’s career? Relationships can be hard and life itself IS challenging. Why not arm yourself with the knowledge and breakthroughs that have been made about the mind, mental reactions & interpersonal relationships, so that one has better awareness and control over themselves and life in general. Learn where painful experiences are “stored” and how they can unknowingly affect us. You will also find out how one can “erase” those past painful experiences so that one is free to move forward without being tripped up by the past. Learn too, about what can lead some people to become “toxic” personalities and how to identify those traits in others so you won’t be tripped up trusting the wrong person. Our free Meet-ups occur in a safe environment where one can learn, without fear of judgment or criticism, and without the recommendation of harmful mental techniques or therapies, just how YOU can get yourself onto a happier & more successful path: in love & in life. Be sure to click on the red "Attend" button below to come to this local event. We look forward to seeing you there. This class is held at the Dianetics and Scientology Life Improvement Center.

The ultimate Thursday night out is back. Join us for BAM Thursdays (Bar, Art, and Music) at the Columbus Museum of Art. Live music, great art, delicious bites, vendors and fresh cocktails in the garden space. Limited seating is also available inside Schokko Café (yummy sharable plates). **FEE:** BAM Thursday evenings offer **FREE general admission** from 5:00–9:00 PM. See what’s on view [here](https://www.columbusmuseum.org/art-exhibitions/on-view-now/) (special exhibits are $5.00 fee). **TOUR**: I'll lead a tour of the main museum from 6:30pm til 7pm. FREE **PARKING** behind the museum is $7.00. Nearby parking a little cheaper. **SEATING**: *Tables are available on a first come first serve basis for dining. In the event of inclement weather, BAM Thursdays will move inside to the atrium.* **DRESS**: Summer dressy casual