Long Term Relationships

There’s a lot happening in the world right now, and it’s easy to feel the weight of it. But joy is still available, and choosing it on purpose can shift everything. ⁣ After six years, our LIVE events are back, and we’re beginning with a beautiful, uplifting topic: Choosing Joy on Purpose! ⁣ **This evening is perfect if you’re wanting to:** • Feel lighter and more aligned • Shift your vibration/energy • Reconnect with yourself • Be surrounded and connect with warm, like‑minded people. ⁣ **What to Expect:** • Feel‑good, heart‑opening conversations • Practical tools for choosing joy • A welcoming, supportive community • Powerful positive content • Tea, coffee, and biscuits provided ⁣ Wherever you are at, you’ll be held in a space that feels soothing, uplifting, and full of possibility. ⁣ **Investment:** $15 cash - this covers the venue and refreshments. If cost is a barrier, please email [admin@debmarven.com](mailto:admin@debmarven.com "mailto:admin@debmarven.com"). Everyone who feels called is welcome. ⁣ **Location:** Hawthorn Library (Meeting Room 2), Melbourne A short walk from Glenferrie Station Plenty of free parking nearby **Dress:** Come along as you are (whatever feels comfy for you). ⁣ **RSVP Etiquette:** If you RSVP “attending” but can’t make it, please let us know so we can plan numbers. ⁣ I can’t wait to meet you, connect, and share a night that leaves you feeling lighter, clearer, and full of joy. ⁣ Love Deb x **PS This event is for women.**

There’s a lot happening in the world right now, and it’s easy to feel the weight of it. But joy is still available, and choosing it on purpose can shift everything. ⁣ After six years, our LIVE events are back, and we’re beginning with a beautiful, uplifting topic: **Choosing Joy on Purpose!** ⁣ **This evening is perfect if you’re wanting to:** • Feel lighter and more aligned • Shift your vibration/energy • Reconnect with yourself • Be surrounded and connect with warm, like‑minded people. **⁣** **What to Expect:** • Feel‑good, heart‑opening conversations • Practical tools for choosing joy • A welcoming, supportive community • Powerful positive content • Tea, coffee, and biscuits provided ⁣ Wherever you are at, you’ll be held in a space that feels soothing, uplifting, and full of possibility. ⁣ **Investment:** $15 cash - this covers the venue and refreshments. If cost is a barrier, please email admin@debmarven.com. Everyone who feels called is welcome. ⁣ **Location:** Hawthorn Library (Meeting Room 2), Melbourne A short walk from Glenferrie Station Plenty of free parking nearby ⁣ **Dress:** Come along as you are (whatever feels comfy for you). ⁣ **RSVP Etiquette:** If you RSVP “attending” but can’t make it, please let us know so we can plan numbers. ⁣ I can’t wait to meet you, connect, and share a night that leaves you feeling lighter, clearer, and full of joy. ⁣ Love Deb x

Wondering about life, faith, or just keen for some honest conversation? We’d love to invite you to Alpha at Crossway Boroondara. Alpha is a relaxed and welcoming space where you can explore life’s big questions—like purpose, God, and who Jesus is—through short videos and open, judgment-free discussion over 8 consecutive weeks. There’s no pressure, no expectations, and no such thing as a “wrong” question. Whether you’re just curious, new to faith, or returning after some time away, you’re really welcome. Come as you are, meet some great people, and be part of the conversation—we’d love to have you there. The night starts at 7pm with a free dinner.

We will be continuing our trial of our new venue - 3rd floor of MIT Mahjong at 139 Franklin St, just a short walk from Melbourne Central! Players of all skill levels are welcome, and no experience is needed. Stop by for one game or play for the whole 6 hours. Warmup and casual gaming from 5 to 5:30 pm, and the first timed and recorded game starts at 5:30 pm. If you want to learn how to play, we can teach, and if you already know how, then join our shuffle and monthly leaderboard! The games schedule is: * 5:00 pm - 5:30 pm: Setup, Freeplay * 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm: Game 1 * 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm: Game 2 * 8:30 pm - 10:00 pm: Game 3 * 10:00 pm - 11:00 pm: Freeplay This event has a $10 fee which you can pay on the night. This money is used to pay for our use of the store space, maintaining equipment and other meetup services, and organising larger events open to everyone! Members get a special discount, which you can sign up for on the website links below. We also take photos and videos at our meetups for posting on social media, you may potentially appear in these. Hope to see you all then! *** Scores tracking: [https://scores.vicriichi.org/](https://scores.vicriichi.org/) The mahjong ruleset we play with: [https://www.vicriichi.org/mahjong-meetups#meetup-rules](https://www.vicriichi.org/mahjong-meetups#meetup-rules) Join us on Discord and connect with other jongers! [https://vicriichi.org/discord](https://vicriichi.org/discord)

* **Topic:** Journey to Open Lakehouse * **Date:** Thursday 23rd April 2026 at 6.00 pm - 8.00 pm * **Networking:** 6 pm - 6.30 pm and 7.20 - 8 pm * **Presentation Time**: 6.30 pm - 7.20 pm *(includes welcome, presentation 30 mins & community marketplace)* * **Location:** Thoughtworks HQ Level 35/360 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000 * **Ticket:** Free of cost, however, registrations and RSVP are required! * **Sponsor:** Thoughtworks **Journey to Open LakeHouse** This session explores the practical realities of migrating to an Apache Iceberg lakehouse to reduce analytics costs and minimise vendor lock-in. We’ll cover architecture choices, migration pitfalls, operational lessons, and the measurable outcomes of adopting open table formats. Ideal for data engineers, platform teams, and architects evaluating the next evolution of their data stack. **About The Speaker** Karel Alfonso is a Software Engineer with experience working with reputable organisations, including Block and Thoughtworks. He studied in Havana before moving to Australia around twenty years ago, where he has built a strong track record in software delivery, distributed systems, data platform engineering, real-time streaming, and technical leadership. Karel is known for his collaborative, friendly approach and is highly regarded within the data engineering community. He has presented at FlinkForward Seattle 2023, Programmable 2023, 2024 and other community meetups. We’re excited to bring the Data Engineering Melbourne Meetup group together for an evening with Karel and his insights!

The discussion topic for this meetup will be identity and whether or not history is a necessary condition for consciousness as Dretske proposed. James

**Welcome to our Thursday Social + Language Exchange Meetup 🌍** We meet weekly at **La Di Da — 577 Little Bourke Street (Melbourne CBD).** We ask that you **purchase a drink at the bar** or **pay $3 at entry** to support the venue. *** ### 💬 Find your people (New!) Looking to practice a specific language? Post in the discussion using: * **#LearnSpanish** * **#LearnEnglish** * **#TeachEnglish** * **#LearnJapanese** * etc. 👉 This helps others find you faster and makes it easier to connect. *** ### 📲 Join our WhatsApp Community Stay connected before and after the event, meet people, and find language partners: 👉 **Join here:** [https://chat.whatsapp.com/Bi7FlhHP91e0eP7MfdeWcZ](https://chat.whatsapp.com/Bi7FlhHP91e0eP7MfdeWcZ) *** ### ⏰ What to expect We consistently have **100–120 attendees** every Thursday (across multiple Meetup groups). People arrive at different times — **best time to come is between 6PM and 9PM.** Come solo or with friends — most people come alone and join conversations naturally. *** ### 🌏 Who attends? A mix of: * Native & non-native English speakers * International students * Backpackers & working holiday travellers * Professionals & expats * Local Australians You’ll meet people from: Europe, China, Japan, Korea, Latin America, and more. *** ### 🗣️ Why join? 👉 A relaxed, social way to practice English 👉 Meet people from around the world 👉 No pressure, no structure — just conversations *** ### 🍕 FREE DRINKS & FOOD FOR FRIENDLY VOLUNTEERS! We’re looking for **friendly volunteers** to help welcome newcomers and keep the vibe social. 👉 You’ll get: * Free drinks (beer/soft drink) * Food (pizza, wedges, etc.) * A fun team to hang out with No experience needed — many of our volunteers are **first-timers too**. Interested? 👉 [www.Linguas.au/Volunteer](www.Linguas.au/Volunteer) *** 📲 **More info:** [https://instagram.com/Linguas.AU](https://instagram.com/Linguas.AU) or **@Linguas.AU**