Celtic Culture

Join us for a relaxed afternoon exploring **Museum De Speeltoren**, a charming museum in Monnickendam dedicated to the history and culture of the Waterland region. Discover historic buildings, local art, and the unique heritage of this picturesque Dutch town. 📅 **Saturday, April 11** 🕑 **Meeting Time:** 14:00 **Meeting point:** Entrance of Museum De Speeltoren Noordeinde 2 1141 AM Monnickendam https://www.despeeltoren.nl/ **Experience details:** This is a relaxed and flexible meetup. We will **not** tour the museum as a group — everyone is free to explore the exhibitions **at their own pace**, following their own interests. After the museum visit, we plan to have tea at **Zeilhoek Food&Drinks**, a **beautiful café by the lake** in Katwoude with lovely water views — perfect for coffee, tea, or a light bite beside the water. You can also check their website before the meetup: https://eetcafedezeilhoek.nl/ If the café is full or you prefer another spot, we can choose another nearby location for a casual drink and chat. For those who wish, there is also an option to enjoy a **light stroll around the charming streets of Monnickendam**, taking in the canals, historic buildings, and local atmosphere. This is entirely optional and can be done at your own pace. 🎟️ **Tickets:** I can't find online ticket sales. Museumkaart holder = gratis, adult=EUR 7,50 📱 **Communication:** Further meetup details and updates will be shared after participation is confirmed. **Whatsapp group** We will only approve participants whose names match on both Meetup and WhatsApp. [https://chat.whatsapp.com/Dazeqe7fRulIz6ui6ixF9F?mode=r_c](https://chat.whatsapp.com/Dazeqe7fRulIz6ui6ixF9F?mode=r_c) WhatsApp Group for this event https://chat.whatsapp.com/GKE3JftZe06KmUVwihXP16?mode=hqctcla If you enjoy local history, charming towns, and exploring Dutch heritage in a relaxed way, you’re very welcome to join.

'KAFKA ON THE SHORE' by Haruki Murakami 'The aging Nakata, tracker of lost cats, who never recovered from a bizarre childhood affliction, finds his pleasantly simplified life suddenly turned upside down. There is a savage killing, but the identity of both victim and killer is a riddle. Kafka on the Shore follows the fortunes of two remarkable characters. Kafka Tamura runs away from home at fifteen, under the shadow of his father's dark prophesy. The aging Nakata, tracker of lost cats, who never recovered from a bizarre childhood affliction, finds his pleasantly simplified life suddenly turned upside down. Their parallel odysseys are enriched throughout by vivid accomplices and mesmerising dramas. Cats converse with people; fish tumble from the sky; a ghostlike pimp deploys a Hegel-spouting girl of the night; a forest harbours soldiers apparently un-aged since WWII. There is a savage killing, but the identity of both victim and killer is a riddle. Murakami's new novel is at once a classic tale of quest, but it is also a bold exploration of mythic and contemporary taboos, of patricide, of mother-love, of sister-love. Above all it is an entertainment of a very high order.' ***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

📍 Hilversum Station, 10:30 → finish at Baarn railway station (~17:30) We meet inside the station near piano. 🚶‍♂️ ~10 km total | ~6–7 hours | relaxed pace with sketching stops 🎯 Main destination: Kasteel Groeneveld We’ll walk together through nature from Hilversum to the castle (~7 km), making several short sketching stops (15–30 min), with a longer session near the castle. After that, we continue ~3 km to Baarn station. There’s a café at the castle (coffee, sweets, late lunch), but we’ll arrive later — bring your own food/snacks so you don’t get hungry. Bring along: * Sketching materials * Water * Foldable chair or blanket (there is no guaranteed seating in forest) * Comfortable walking clothes * Extra layer (it gets cold when sitting still) * Sandwich or snacks to keep energy going No pressure on skill level — all styles welcome. Come for the walk, the nature, and the sketches 🌿✏️

## Love is in the air…! After the crazy success of our first event, we're back with more connection games! This time, the games will be much shorter (15-20 mins each) to allow for easier rotation. For those who're new here, Affinitee hosts slow dating events focused on discovering relationships built on compatibility over superficiality! **No more swiping, skip the bad dates!** ### *This is how it works:* 1\. Before you arrive at the meetup\, you fill in a fun 5\-10 minute questionnaire before registration below \(if you haven't already\)\. We explore different aspects of relationship compatibility using this questionnaire\. To make use of the pre-matching facility, we recommend registering on the website as well. You may sign up here [https://affinitee.eu/au-event-3](https://affinitee.eu/au-event-3) 2\. A match will be automatically assigned \(if available\)\, based on your given criteria \(age range\, children\, location etc\.\) as well as the overall compatibility score based on your questionnaire answers\. 3\. At the event\, you will be able to try out a multitude of board/card games that are specifically chosen to explore various aspects of relationship compatibility \(moral values\, decision making etc\.\)\. 4\. After each game\, you can choose to switch partners\, or continue with the same person\, based on input from either parties\. 5\. At the end of the event\, IF you did indeed feel a spark with someone at the event \(and it is reciprocated\)\, we help you arrange a date with them\. You do not even have to exchange contacts\! **[!!IMPORTANT!!]** We recommend signing up through our website to guarantee a match as early as possible. But of course, even if no match isassigned to you due to late registration or gender imbalance, a majority of the games are still played as groups! *So nobody gets left out and everyone has a chance to meet and match with other singles.* We believe in conscious, compatibility based matchmaking. Don't waste your time dating the wrong people!

Join us for the XXL edition celebrating the 3rd anniversary of our (board) games meetup at our local community center! We’re doing things a little differently this time, so make sure to read everything below and we hope to see as many of you as possible on this special day! This event is part of an ongoing series organized through our Discord server [[discord.gg/utrecht](http://discord.gg/utrecht)] • Free entry for everyone, as always! • Bring your favorite (board) games • Meet new friends and fellow gaming enthusiasts • A night filled with exciting challenges and friendly competition • Warm food, snacks, and drinks will be provided for everyone! (e.g. fries, sauces, chips, fried snacks, sodas) There will also be a Nintendo Switch 2 available with games like Mario Party, Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros and other party games, so feel free to bring a controller if you’d like to play! Whether you're a board game aficionado or a video game guru, this event is for you. Bring your friends, bring your favorite games, and let’s celebrate three years of gaming together! Note that due to limitations of the location, we cannot open the door for you after 19:00. Make sure to read the ''How to find us'' carefully and join the Discord if you have any questions.

Lieve leden, Vanaf 19:30 op onze oude vertrouwde locatie, MFA Safari Maarssen Dan nog een veel gevraagd onderwerp.. de entree! Vanaf deze post gaan we wel starten met de mogelijkheid tot doneren. Heb je het de afgelopen jaren naar je zin gehad? Overweeg dan te doneren, zo kunnen we blijven vernieuwen! Weet je niet hoeveel? Met 5,- kunnen we al een hoop. Bij binnenkomst op de club zullen we ook een QR-code plaatsen die je kunt gebruiken en natuurlijk.. de vertrouwde spaarpot. Tot de Gamenight!Spellenclub Maarssen --- Board game fanatics and beginners, assemble! We host a GameNight every two weeks on a Friday. We have our own game collection that you can use, but we encourage you to bring some of your favourites as well! No entrance cost. We have coffee, tea and drinks from the fridge for low prices! Parking is free and there are over a hundred spaces in front of the building. Please use the stairs at the back of the MFA Safari building outside to get into the club.

From March 2026, by default we'll organize the Japanese Language Club **on Sundays from 12:30 at a new location** \- in Amstelveen Library\, just across the street from the previous location :\) This new location has more space for us, so we can also have a bit more attendees, and we can use the study books from the library :) ❗Please note: * **Food is not allowed** in the library (but we'll go grab a lunch after the event - this is optional). * Drinks are allowed, you can bring your own, and there are also tea and coffee machines, paid by card. * You can arrive a bit earlier (from 12:15), but try to be there by 12:30, that's the official start time. * Toilets are not free, but they are pretty cheap (0.50€), paid by card. * We don't need to worry about making noise, as long as we keep it reasonable (so no yelling or loud music). 📍**How to find us**: enter via the Venstra Cafe entrance, then continue straight and take stairs up one level to enter the Amstelveen Library. Then on the left side, with a bunch of round tables under the "Taalhuis" sign, is where we gather. *This session we'll practice vocabulary, in groups of 3-4 people, depending on the amount of native speakers.* Note: the actual max attendee number is around 20. I'll be adding more people from the wait list, so that we have a nice balance of various levels and of familiar and new faces :) So feel free to add yourself to the wait list (you can do it as a free user, just click the, somewhat hidden, "continue with free plan" link when asked to get a subscription). **[About the Japanese Language Club]** It’s a weekly Japanese-themed event hosted by different organisers with a variety of games, conversations and grammar practices. We warmly welcome anyone who shares an interest in Japan, including those who are: – interested in the Japanese language and how to use it, regardless of their level. – keen to share stories about living in or travelling to Japan. – curious about exploring both traditional and modern aspects of Japanese culture. – especially those from Japan who want to maintain or improve their English by talking about familiar cultural topics. We truly hope everyone in the group finds joy and inspiration through these cultural adventures with the “ichigo ichie” spirit. Best regards, Goro, the founder **【この日本語クラブについて】** このレギュラーイベントでは、週替わりのホストが提案するさまざまなスタイルの日本語会話の練習やゲームなどを、リラックスした雰囲気のなかで楽しんでいます。 ・レベルに関わらず、日本語に興味をもっている方。 ・日本での生活や旅行の経験を誰かとシェアしてみたい方。 ・新旧問わず日本文化に関する知識を交換したい方。 ・そして特に日本出身の方には、馴染みの深い自国文化をテーマに英会話力を維持、向上させたい方。 この様な方々ならどなたでも歓迎します。 「一期一会」の精神で思いやりのある温かいコミュニティを作りましょう。私たちのイベントを通して、皆さんがこのグループでそれぞれの楽しみをみつけてくれることを心から願っています。 グループファウンダーのゴローより

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Come and join us for an evening of Buddhist meditation with like-minded people. The doors open at 7:00 PM, and meditation begins promptly at 7:15 PM. The meditation will last between 30 to 40 minutes, followed by tea and biscuits for anyone who would like to stay and chat. On some evenings, there will also be a short Dharma talk to provide some Buddhist context. The meditation space is down at the canal. To get there, you can take the stairs down. The meditation is offered on a donation basis. See our [website](https://utrechtbuddhistcentre.nl/) for more information.

**We have limited space at the café, so if you've RSVPd and can't make it, please cancel as early as possible so another person can join!** Join in for a morning of crafting & chatting over a drink. Just bring your own project and payment for drinks. Meet fellow crafting enthusiasts, whether it's knitting, crocheting, stitching, origami, or something more unique! We talk about our projects, exchange tipps, but also just get to know each other and enjoy a relaxed Sunday morning in good company. We now also have a WhatsApp group, where we want to organise get-togethers and other events. Ask one of the organisers at the next Meetup you join for more information and access.

The topic for April is "Water" Speak Easy: true stories, told live. The idea is simple: an audience, an open microphone, and great stories. Hilarious, gripping, poignant- it's up to you. Audiences are invited to come to listen or come to tell as folks from all corners of Columbus offer their stories live on stage! Held at Wild Goose Creative's warm, intimate space, this night of tales occurs on the 3rd Thursday of every month. Doors open at 6:30 pm, show starts at 7:00 pm. Please arrive early if you want to tell, as we generally only have room for a limited number of tellers, and the sign-up sheet has a tendency to fill up fast. Formed around the idea that people need stories--they're what hold and draw us together--SpeakEasy celebrates the strangeness and commonness of being human. And in a world of smartphones, Facebook, Twitter, and more . . . it gives people a real, breathing, in-person way to connect. The night is geared for true stories of all kinds, taking the best tales told around kitchen tables, in darkened pubs, on the street corner, and at late-night parties and giving them an audience. Speak Easy is also a great outlet for performers, writers, and artists looking to share their favorite stories and perfect their skills. We strongly encourage tellers to please tell the story rather than read it so we keep within the spirit of good storytelling and stay engaged with the audience. All are welcome. Hang around after the show for a drink and build community!

Let's grab some coffee/food and share a morning chat! The East Market has an ample parking lot and outdoor and indoor seating. Grab a cup of coffee from Winston's Coffee & Waffles or on your way to East Market and meet us on the second floor - table behind or east of the elevator. Per what this group is about: "Everyone is welcome! International transplants to Columbus who want to improve language skills, Columbus residents who want to discuss international travel and culture, and anyone who enjoys getting together for good conversations."

**Caller: Kim Thompson** **Band: Full Moon Country Dance Orchestra** **Clinton Heights Lutheran Church** **15 Clinton Heights Ave, Columbus, OH 43202** WHAT IS CONTRA DANCING? Picture the Grand Ball scenes like you’ve seen in period films such as “Pride and Prejudice”, where the dancers are lined up in long lines, across from each other. That’s English Country Dancing, the predecessor of contra dancing. Now, add moves like “swing your partner” and “do-si-do,” like you’ve seen in square dancing. Set it to fabulous, high energy, live music with fiddles, guitars, percussion and more, alá “Riverdance.” Finally, set the whole scene down in the middle of Woodstock, with a hip, groovy atmosphere, a bit of tie-dye, and hints of counter-culture attitude. THAT’s Contra Dancing! Wear cool and comfortable clothes (you will get warm) and clean shoes that won't mark up our nice wood floor. Be sure to come for the beginner's lesson from 7:30 - 8:00, followed by dancing 8:00 - 10:30. All dances are taught; we will help you learn! Beginners always welcome, no need to bring a partner. Cost is $10.00 adults, $5.00 ages 12-26. Under 12 free. Free parking in church lot. For more information contact me or check out our website: [www.bigscioty.com](http://www.bigscioty.com/) Please bring your own refillable water bottle.

Sleep in on Sundays. When you've had your fill of pajama-time, roll out and have some tasty brunch with your fellow Humanists!