Ruby (ルビー)

Hello, LEAF members & friends! Spring is here, and so are the cherry blossoms. “Hanami” (flower viewing) is a cherished Japanese tradition where we gather under the blossoms to enjoy their beauty. We’ll be teaming up with other Asian meetup groups for this special event! ### 🍱 What to Bring * **Drinks:** Bring your favourite beverages (sharing is fun!) * **Snacks & Food (optional):** East Asian treats, homemade goodies, or simple sandwiches * **Picnic Blanket:** If you have one * **Dress Warmly:** It can still be chilly! ### 🤗 Who’s Welcome Anyone interested in East Asian culture (or simply curious) is invited. Newcomers are always welcome—don’t be shy! ### 📍 Location We’ll meet at **Greenwich Park**. On the day, we’ll share photos and our exact spot so you can easily find us. Please **RSVP** so we know how many people to expect. Feel free to bring friends along. We can’t wait to see you there and celebrate spring together! (*If it rains or the weather is bad, we’ll announce changes or postponements.*)

Improve your Mandarin and English while making new friends! Join [Manhattan Mandarin](ManhattanMandarin.co.uk) at the [Jackalope](https://jackalopelondon.com/) in Marylebone - appropriately situated above a Chinese restaurant, [Liu Xiao Mian](https://www.liu-xiaomian.com/). All levels welcome - these are **very casual** meetups where you're welcome to mingle until finding suitable language partners Pop down for noodles or stay outside in the lovely mews, but whatever you do, come ready to chat, make great new connections, and push your language learning forward 🤗🤗🤗 Feel free to bring anything you think will help facilitate language exchange! (games, flashcards) We often provide ice-breaker question sheets just in case you need some help 🤗🤗🤗 Let us know if you need some help mingling You're welcome to try our HSK Classes in Marylebone: [https://www.manhattanmandarin.co.uk/hskclasses](https://www.manhattanmandarin.co.uk/hskclasses) or our Saturday online HSK classes: [https://www.manhattanmandarin.co.uk/onlineclasses](https://www.manhattanmandarin.co.uk/onlineclasses) For more information please contact Harry@ManhattanMandarin.com, 07767260207) Since 2012, with a fantastic team of over 200 native and non-native Mandarin teachers in the US and UK, [Manhattan Mandarin](ManhattanMandarin.com) knows what makes for fun and engaging communication between English and Chinese speakers!

Celebrate Easter weekend in style with a fabulous bottomless brunch at Aqua Kyoto! Join us for a vibrant afternoon of delicious Japanese cuisine, great music, and even better company in one of Soho’s most stylish rooftop venues. £58pp Food only bottomless add ons +£32pp for Red, White, Rosé, and beer +42pp Cocktails and Prosecco ±87pp Champagne +18pp Mocktails **Please arrive on time at bottomless starts from the time of booking.** What to Expect: Indulgent brunch menu including: Sharing starters Unlimited sushi Choice of signature main + side Desserts to share Live DJs and a lively, social atmosphere see Menu https://aquakyoto.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/AK-Brunch-Menu-260218.pdf Usual Rsvp Fee of £3 and £20 Deposit to be deducted from the bill

**1st Sunday of every month,** join us for a fun and social way to explore Chinese culture while supercharging your language skills. This isn't just practice; it’s **accelerated progress** through content you love — transforming learning into a **fun cultural discovery**! **This Month's Theme - Trending in China** 📱✨ Ever wonder what’s actually taking over screens in China right now? This month, we’re stepping away from the textbooks and into the "Trending" tab! From the latest viral clips to trendy news that everyone is sharing, come decode the digital culture that’s shaping modern China today, while learning new phrases along the way! It’s fast-paced, fun, and 100% real-world. * **All levels welcome**: our expert host provides active support so you can participate with confidence, regardless of your level. * **Price:** £10 (includes all materials + refreshments 🍵✨) * **Secure your spot** - [Tap here to Pay](https://monzo.com/pay/r/china-unbound_qsboSdlMTJ8Q1R) This is the ultimate fun way to fluency. We can't wait to welcome you! **How it works - no 'prep work', just chat!** * **We provide the inspiration:** Each month, we hand-pick authentic "cultural gems" to share (like a song, a short clip, or book). * Feel free to bring your own material, but there's no pressure to! * **We provide the treats:** we stock up on free coffee, tea, and biscuits in our beautiful office. 🍪☕️ * **You show up and enjoy:** Watch your Mandarin skills soar with natural, real-world practice! \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Take your Mandarin beyond the event.** If you’re looking for a bit more structure to accelerate your learning, let’s chat! We're offering **FREE 1-on-1 course advice sessions** to help you find the perfect class. **No commitment** required. [Book your Free Session](https://eu.bigin.online/org20070515371/bookings/course-advice) **[China Unbound](https://china-unbound.co.uk/personal/)** is the best place to learn practical Chinese for adults. While most schools prioritise grammar and writing, we empower you to communicate confidently in real-world situations. Join us and discover a fun, fast, and personalised way to master Chinese! \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-

Join us for a wander through the history of Samurai - the legendary warriors of medieval Japan. We’ll explore the exhibition as a group, then head to a nearby cafe afterwards to chat about it. Details about tickets are below. ​📍 **Where to find us** - ​1:00 PM | Meeting: I’ll be waiting by the Samurai armour in the Japanese Gallery (Room 93). I’ll post a comment here on the day letting you know what I’m wearing so you can spot the group easily. *There may be queues to enter, so I reccomend arriving early. - ​1:15 PM | We’ll start making our way over to the exhibition. If you’re running a bit late, no worries - just head straight to the Samurai exhibition, and find us inside - ​1:30 PM | We'll head into the exhibition (Room 30). Feel free to stick with the group or wander through at your own pace ​☕ Afterwards ​Once we’ve finished, we’ll regroup and go to a nearby cafe, and chat about the exhibition. ​🎟️ Tickets To join us, please remember to book your own ticket in advance as they tend to sell out quickly. Timeslot: Please aim for the 1:30 PM slot (or the closest one available ​Link[: https://www.britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/samur](https://www.britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/samurai) 🏛 I reccomend entering through the back entrance, at Montague Place - then take the stairs straight up to the 5th floor (the lifts are very slow) ♿️ If you use a wheelchair, or have difficulty climbing stairs, please send me a message. Looking forward to seeing you all there!

If you love anime & manga then please join us for our weekly meetups, where we basically just sit, chat and read anime & manga! We usually sit in the back of the pub. If the weather is nice we may sit outside at the back of the pub, or even outside on the downstairs floor. In this meetup, you can BYOM (bring your own manga) or read one from the selection we will bring. See this as an opportunity to discover, recommend or simply enjoy Japanese comics & anime with like-minded people! Note: This is not a book club. Also, the TCR bar is kind enough to allow us to use their space to host this meetup, and has asked if possible for attendees to support the venue by purchasing a drink or food while you're there. Please don't bring your own food or drink to consume at the venue, as the venue does not allow this! You can also join our discord group: [https://discord.gg/nDMBbQ2CKu](https://discord.gg/nDMBbQ2CKu)

🍮 ***A timeless French classic, a cozy evening, and a bit of Amélie magic!*** **👋** **Hello guys!** Let’s catch up for a magical evening as we celebrate **Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s** incredible classic **The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain.** We will Follow **Amélie**, a shy, quirky waitress, as she transforms the lives of those around her—while facing her own isolation. This special **25th anniversary** release is a stunning **4K theatrical re-release**, celebrating its unique, artistic portrayal of Paris—a true love letter to the city! We’ll meet at the **Curzon Bloomsbury Café Bar** at **5:00 pm** for a friendly meet-and-greet. At **5:40 pm**, we’ll head into the theatre. It’s a great venue for this movie! You’ll find me in **seat E13**. After the credits roll at **7:40 pm**, we’ll gather **back at the bar**—whether you fancy drinks or cappuccinos, your call! Then we’ll dive into a fun discussion about the film and rate it on our **[Letterboxd Page](https://letterboxd.com/movieroadhouse)** **It’ll be a delightful evening all around!** **Faheem** \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- 👉 **HEADS UP** * If you **sign up** but later can’t make it, **please** 🙏 **drop us a quick message** (or change your RSVP). And follow us **[@movieroadhouseuk](https://www.instagram.com/movieroadhouseuk/)** on **Instagram** — for fun updates! **🗓️ SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN** * **5:00 PM:** Meet & Greet (Curzon Bloombury Bar) * **5:40 PM**: Movie * **7:40 PM:** Discussion & Drinks 📱**STAY CONNECTED** * Join our WhatsApp or Telegram groups (available by request), or hop onto our **[WhatsApp Channel](https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaMVu2Z1NCrYkXpqOd1X)** or **[Telegram Channel](https://t.me/movieroadhouse)**[ ](https://t.me/movieroadhouse)for quiet updates without the chat. Whatever you prefer! 🎬 **PLOT DETAILS** * Despite being caught in her imaginative world, young waitress Amelie decides to help people find happiness. Her quest to spread joy leads her on a journey during which she finds true love. [Trailer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=555A7T_kmIc) 🎟️ **TICKET INFO & PRICES** * **Non members** From £17.95 * **Members Price**: From £0.00 * **Tickets**: [Curzon Bloomsbury](https://www.curzon.com/ticketing/seats/BLO1-108144/) 📍**VENUE ADDRESS** * **Curzon Bloomsbury:** The Brunswick Centre, London WC1N 1AW 🔊 **HOW WE ROLL** * Have fun, be respectful, and no abuse of any kind * Three-time no-show limit (applies after your first attended event), please update your RSVP if your plans change * This group is for over-18s only 🌐 **FOLLOW US ONLINE** * [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/movieroadhouseuk/) * [Letterboxd](https://letterboxd.com/movieroadhouse) * [WhatsApp News Channel](https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaDvGuK0AgW8KPxOnG2V) * [Telegram Channel](https://t.me/thehideoutuk) * [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@movieroadhouse) * [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/MovieRoadhouse) * [Facebook Group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/movieroadhouselondon) * [Threads](https://www.threads.com/@jonnyhideout) * [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/jonnyhideout/) (Jonny) 🫂 **RELATED HANGOUTS** * [The Hideout: Film Club (London)](https://www.meetup.com/thehideoutlondon/) * [Cosmic Nightmares Book Club (London)](https://www.meetup.com/cosmicnightmareslondon) * [Ani-Mates: London Animation & Art Group](https://www.meetup.com/london-motion-design-and-animation-group/?eventOrigin=your_groups) * [Film & TV Review (London)](https://www.meetup.com/film-chat/?eventOrigin=your_groups) * [Event Horizon Film Club (North Virginia)](https://www.meetup.com/event-horizon-film-club/)

IMPORTANT EVENT INFORMATION - PLEASE READ! 🇬🇧🇪🇸🇫🇷🇯🇵🇮🇹🇩🇪🇮🇳🇨🇳🇧🇷🇰🇷🇪🇬🇭🇰🇺🇸🇨🇴🇺🇦🇹🇷🇷🇺🇦🇺 **Join us for our Sunday International Language Exchange and Social!** The event starts at **4pm** and will be hosted at Craft Beer Co. in **COVENT GARDEN** 😊🍻🥂 Welcome to the Highest Rated International Language Exchange group in London,🏆 with 1500+ reviews rated 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ [www.languages.london](www.languages.london) WHEN & WHERE **This event takes place at Craft Beer Co Covent Garden on Sunday afternoon.** You are spoilt for choice with public transport options including lots of tube, train and buses close to the venue. **The address is 168 High Holborn, London WC1V 7AA** [https://maps.google.com/?cid=12246258418147807722&entry=gps](https://maps.google.com/?cid=12246258418147807722&entry=gps) **HOW WE DO IT** It's simple .... 1\. When you arrive have your Meetup confirmation visible on your phone\. **Collect your personalised language badge BEFORE ordering your drinks.** We'll be waiting to give you a warm welcome 😃 2\. Pay the £2 event fee\. You can do this by cash or contactless card / phone\. 3\. Wear your badge during the event and always return it before you leave ♻️ ......Start meeting the community and having fun...lots of fun! Please ensure you buy something from the bar to support the venue, who kindly offer us a dedicated space. 🇵🇱🇹🇼🇲🇽🇻🇳🇧🇬🇵🇸🇸🇪🇮🇱🇨🇦🇳🇱🇿🇦🇭🇺🇹🇭🇵🇪🇧🇴🇳🇬🇳🇿🇨🇭 **WHO** Languages in London events are organised for our community - being social, making new friends, building cultural bridges and always very relaxed. We have the largest number of languages and countries represented in our weekly language exchange and social events in London. This is **not** a dating event. Our events are open to Internationals, Locals, Expats, Students, Travellers.....Everyone! Are you an 18 to 24 year old? Come and explore our events. This is the event for a truly global community and for citizens from around the World. Is this the Intercambio you've been looking for? Want to practice your ingles, espanol , francais, italiano, Deutsch, portugues or other European languages? Asian languages ? Or maybe prefer to only speak English.... that's just fine. **All languages and all fluency levels are welcome** Spread the love...Bring your friends 💙 The creator and organiser of **Languages in London - Girish**, will always be visible at the event and there to support you and help with introductions, if you prefer. We want to remain the BEST language events group in London, being the biggest isn't our focus. These are real events with real people. We don't fill our events with inflated numbers and fictitious attendees 👻 **Community members that no-show at our events and inactive members are regularly removed from our group.** **LANGUAGES** Here's a selection of some of the languages that our community speak or have been practicing ... English, Spanish (incl Latin American), French, Italian, Portuguese (incl Brazilian), German, Japanese, Chinese (Mandarin & Cantonese), Russian, Korean, Hindi, Turkish, Arabic, Ukrainian, Polish, Hebrew, Swedish, Bulgarian, Vietnamese, Hungarian, Bengali, Dutch, Catalan, Farsi, Greek, Urdu, Welsh, Romanian, Norwegian, Czech, Slovak, Estonian, Danish, Finnish, Turkmen, Latvian, Lithuanian, Nepali, Yoruba, Filipino, Thai, Albanian, Croatian, Serbian, Ebo, Afrikaans, Tamazight, Tagalog, Creole, Malagasy, Mongolian, Tok Pisin and more... you get the idea! 🇷🇴🇬🇹🇨🇿🇳🇴🇩🇰🇫🇮🇨🇾🇺🇾🇪🇬🇧🇬🇦🇷🇰🇪🇱🇰🇲🇦🇹🇳🇩🇿🇸🇬🇲🇾 **SUSTAINABLE** 🌎🌳 Like you, we really care about our planet. We don't like single use paper name tags, stickers or wristbands as they can't be reused or recycled and can even damage your clothing ☹️ The Solution? ...Our personalised and completely reusable Languages in London badges! 🏆👍 So, please make sure you return your badge to us, before you leave the event. We'll sanitise it (anti bacterial & disinfectant cleaners) and use it again & again & again. Thanks for helping us do the right thing and keep our costs down🙏 **SAFE SPACE FOR EVERYONE** 👮‍♂️ We don't tolerate prejudice or harassment of any kind, at any time. Be polite and respectful to everyone else and they will reciprocate. Let's keep the space safe, welcoming for everyone and free of any political agendas. Please report any concerns to the Organiser immediately. Please look after your belongings, the venue is a public place. We may take photos or video at the event for future promotional use. Let us know if you'd rather not be included, we respect your choice 📸 **SPREAD THE WORD** 🗣️💬 If you enjoy our events, please tell your friends and colleagues and help us grow **your** community, thank you ♥️ Join our community - [https://www.languages.london/](https://www.languages.london/) We're looking forward to welcoming you at Languages in London 😊👋 🇲🇰🇳🇵🇧🇩🇵🇭🇦🇪🇦🇱🇧🇪🇮🇪🇰🇿🇱🇦🇯🇴🇱🇹🇱🇻🇪🇪🇰🇭🇨🇱🇲🇳🇨🇺

**\*\*\* We've Moved! Bold Penguin - 6555 Longshore St, Dublin, OH 43017 \*\*\*** TBD **AGENDA:** * See updates to parking below * Doors open at 5:30, feel free to come and hang out before! * Official start of the meeting is at 6:30pm * After the meeting is done, we will go hang out at a nearby space in Bridge Park! If you can, please sign up via meetup by noon the day of the meeting so we can have an estimate headcount for food :) We always order extra, so feel free to join us even if you don't get signed up! Thank you to Bold Penguin for providing the food and location! **Parking & Arrival:** **Parking:** Parking in Bridge Park is free. The closest lots are the Mooney Garage and the Hotel/Endres Garage. **Entry:** The doors to the office are to the right of PINS. The street level door and elevators lock at 6pm. If you arrive after that, someone should be there to let you in, else call the number posted. Take the elevator to the 2nd floor. Once you exit the elevator, turn right. \*\*\* We are a bunch of professionals, students, and geeks who are excited about Ruby programming language ([http://ruby-lang.org/](http://ruby-lang.org/)) and Rails framework ([http://rubyonrails.com/](http://rubyonrails.com/)) and the joy they have brought back to web development. Our main goal is to share the love of the Ruby and Rails ecosystems with anyone that is interested. We cater to everyone, whether a non-programmer through advanced Rubyists. * We give lectures on programming topics * We freely provide decades worth of experience * For full details of this month's meeting please visit [http://columbusrb.com](http://columbusrb.com)

Come out to Improving for our monthly iOS and Mac meetings. This Month's Presentation: Nothing yet. (You should volunteer). What is Cocoaheads (http://cocoaheads.org/)? CocoaHeads is a group devoted to discussion of Apple Computer's Cocoa Framework for programming on MacOS X and iOS (including the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch). During monthly meetings, members present on their projects and offer tutorials on various programming topics. What is BuckeyeCocoa (http://buckeyecocoa.org/)? BuckeyeCocoa is a group of Objective-C/Swift developers/enthusiasts. We host monthly Cocoaheads and near-weekly NSCoder meetings in Columbus, Ohio. The meetings are free to attend. Presentations! Presenters welcome! We are always in need of people willing to present material. Any Swift and/or Objective-C related topic is welcome. Times can be 5 minutes (i.e. lightning talks) to a maximum of 2 hours. Interested? Contact info is on the BuckeyeCocoa website. To volunteer for a presentation contact us at @BuckeyeCocoa on Twitter. Follow us on Twitter! @BuckeyeCocoa (https://twitter.com/#!/Buckeyecocoa/) For more information: http://buckeyecocoa.org/

Pay attention! We’re delaying a week for those of you who may be on Spring break and/or celebrating the holiday. Ok, no pancakes, but waffles-a-plenty. Join the local UX and Digital Design community for a casual monthly breakfast. Look for us upstairs!

**Our April novel is: *The Hong Kong Widow* by Kristen Loesch** **This month’s novel blends gothic atmosphere with historical fiction and chilling horror, set against the haunting backdrop of China. The book is 368 pages in print and 10 hours and 42 minutes on audiobook.** In 1950s Hong Kong, Mei is a young refugee of the Chinese Communist revolution struggling to put her past in Shanghai behind her. When she receives a shocking invitation—to take part in a competition in one of the city's most notorious haunted houses, pitting six spirit mediums against one another in a series of six séances over six nights, until a single winner emerges—she has every reason to refuse. Except that the hostess, a former Shanghainese silent film star, is none other than the wife of the man who once destroyed Mei’s entire life. It is promised the winner will receive a fortune, but there is only one prize Mei wants: revenge. Decades later, the final night of that competition has become an infamous urban legend: The police were called to the scene of a brutal massacre but found no evidence, dismissing it as a collective hallucination. Mei knows what she saw, but now someone else is convinced they know what she did. She must uncover the truth about the last night she ever spent in that house—even if the ghosts of her past are waiting for her there. . . .

Semi in honor of March being International Women's Month Columbus libraries: [https://cml.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S105C3454709](https://cml.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S105C3454709) Location: SOW Plated Menu: [https://www.sowplated.com/menu-brunch/](https://www.sowplated.com/menu-brunch/) Book summary: In 2006 Julia Lerner is living in Moscow, a recent university graduate in computer science, when she's recruited by Russia's largest intelligence agency. By 2018 she's in Silicon Valley as COO of Tangerine, one of America's most famous technology companies. In between her executive management (make offers to promising startups, crush them and copy their features if they refuse); self promotion (check out her latest op-ed in the WSJ, on Work/Life Balance 2.0); and work in gender equality (transfer the most annoying females from her team), she funnels intelligence back to the motherland. But now Russia's asking for more, and Julia's getting nervous. Alice Lu is a first generation Chinese American whose parents are delighted she's working at Tangerine (such a successful company!). Too bad she's slogging away in the lower echelons, recently dumped, and now sharing her expensive two-bedroom apartment with her cousin Cheri, a perennial "founder's girlfriend". One afternoon, while performing a server check, Alice discovers some unusual activity, and now she's burdened with two powerful but distressing suspicions: Tangerine's privacy settings aren't as rigorous as the company claims they are, and the person abusing this loophole might be Julia Lerner herself. The closer Alice gets to Julia, the more Julia questions her own loyalties. Russia may have placed her in the Valley, but she's the one who built her career; isn't she entitled to protect the lifestyle she's earned?

Let's bedazzle some books while we discuss our April pick: Bloodguard by Cecy Robson! Book description: One hundred years. Tens of thousands of gladiators. And today, only one will rise… Everything in the Kingdom of Arrow is a lie. Leith of Grey thought coming to this new land and volunteering to fight in the gladiator arena—vicious, bloodthirsty tournaments where only the strongest survive—would earn him enough gold to save his dying sister. He thought there was nothing left to lose. He was wrong—and they took everything. His hope. His freedom. His very humanity. All Leith has left is his battle-scarred body, fueled by rage and hardened from years of fighting for the right to live another day. Then Leith meets Maeve, an elven royal who is everything he despises. Everything he should hate. Until the alluring princess offers him the one thing he needs most: a chance to win the coveted title of Bloodguard—and his freedom. But in a kingdom built on secrets and lies, hope doesn’t come cheap. Nor will his ultimate revenge… Event: Please bring your own book, journal, bookmarks, etc to bedazzle. If you have bedazzling supplies, please bring them as well. I will supply gems, glue, and picker tools, but if you have certain colors in mind, you may want to bring your own.