China

## Time & Location Feb 21, 2026, 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM EST Fairfax, 11750 Fair Oaks Mall, Fairfax, VA 22033, USA ## About the event We can't believe a new Lunar New year is coming ## 2026 Celebrate the Lunar New Year: Year of the Horse at Fair Oaks Mall As we approach the Lunar New Year, it's time to embrace the festivities and welcome the Year of the Horse! This vibrant celebration symbolizes strength, freedom, and adventure, making it a perfect opportunity to gather with family and friends. ### Mark Your Calendars Join us at Fair Oaks Mall to celebrate this special occasion. Here are the details: * **Date:** 02/21/2026 & 2/22/26 * **Time:** 1 pm - 5 pm EST * **Location:** Fair Oaks Mall ### Festivities Await Expect a day filled with exciting activities, cultural performances, delicious food, and traditional games. It's a wonderful chance to experience the rich traditions of the Lunar New Year and create lasting memories. We look forward to celebrating together and welcoming the Year of the Horse in style!

In the first 30 minutes of class, Qi Gong(5 organ and spirit enlivening)exercises are taught. In the last hour, the class is divided into beginner, intermediate and advanced groups and are taught Lao (old) Yang Tai Chi Chuan.

Come learn how money really works. We’ll cover how to grow it, protect it, get out of debt, and use smart retirement and infinite banking strategies to build long-term security.

Greetings from the capital! Every Saturday at 7:30 PM, people from all walks of life — students, diplomats, travelers, locals — gather to unwind and connect. [[[Click this whatsapp groupchat link to join](https://chat.whatsapp.com/Gf89PPYe3RMAK6Z7SGf5or)]] Our age range is mostly 20s to 30s. If you enjoy discussing culture, politics, travel, or just want to practice a new language, this group is for you. A perfect blend of diversity and dialogue, right in the heart of D.C.

Part 2 of our celebration of the Year of the Horse finds us at Q by Peter Chang in Bethesda. Here's the link if you wish to peruse their menu: [https://www.qbypeterchang.com/menu](https://www.qbypeterchang.com/menu) We really want to try and fill out our tables with attendees, so we ask that you be diligent with managing your RSVPs. The RSVP mechanism will close 24 hours before the start of the event, so make your decisions by then so that we can give the restaurant an accurate head count! Disclaimer that we have to say even though we don't want to.........Just a heads up that we may have to give out "No Show" labels to those who don't follow our attendance protocol, but we know you don't want that Scarlet Letter, so don't let it be you! Also, please do not show up if you are not in the field of attendees! You will only anger the horse! As always, a bonus activity could follow if the mood is right! \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- If you have Instagram, you can check out our account at asiandiningandadventuregroup for photos and announcements of group outings!

This place gets crowded so let’s meet early and enjoy their very authentic Chinese food! 2026 is the year of the Fire Horse! https://www.mamachangva.com/

It's time to go and have some Chinese food! Metro friendly- Bethesda and FREE Parking on Sunday's in the parking lot! Members only please no guests. PLEASE bring cash as they do not do separate checks. I have a reservation for the group. Good event if you enjoy Chinese Food and meeting new people.

Our NEIGHBORHOOD GEMS series features emblematic meals from around the world. This series shines a light on local restaurants and is designed to bring together inquisitive foodies and dishes that are unique and oh so worth a trip on roads less traveled! Join us for playful Indian-ish food at the communal table at ***Tapori*** ! **Eater DC** On March 12, two days before the H street's anticipated South Asian restaurant opened, head chef Baburam Sharma finally touched down in D.C. After developing Tapori's menu over Zoom for over a year, months of visa delays, and over 20 hours of travel from Nepal, Sharma headed directly from his hotel to the Northeast kitchen that executive chef Suresh Sundas had built for them I just put my luggage in the room and came here, and we started prep,” he recounted. Sundas, who has been recognized by the Michelin Guide for his inventive cooking at neighborhood spot Daru, says that he and Sharma immediately clicked. They had been workshopping a complex menu spanning popular street foods from all over India and their shared birthplace of Nepal while 7,000 miles apart. But once they were together, those dishes evolved even more. From workshopping new ingredients, like pesto and pine nuts in the fragrant mushroom pilau, to finally having Sharma’s expertise on South Indian techniques, they began to perfect Tapori’s key dishes. These three represent their commitment to recreating South Asian street foods from distinct regions in an American kitchen: momos from Nepal; dosas from Tamil Nadu; and bison phav bhaji from Mumbai. **Jhol Momo** \- Sharma explains that while there are only two Himalayan snacks on the menu\, one of them had to be a momo\. “The most selling item in Nepal is the momo\,” he said\. “You will find the momo everywhere\, every state\.\.\. even in India\.” The steamed dumplings from Nepal and Tibet are usually filled with vegetables or minced meat, traditionally chicken, pork, or lamb. For Sundas, the lesser known wagyu beef momo at Tapori is an homage to a food memory from 45 years ago that still haunts him. A momo shop a block away from his father’s business was his daily indulgence while growing up in Nepal. He still smiles as he describes “the smell of that momo… Oh my god.” He’s been trying to recreate that “texture of the wrap” and meat filling ever since, but he’s never been able to without those “pure local ingredients.” So he decided he would do something more original. Instead of a small bowl of richly flavored broth sometimes served beside momos in Nepal, the wagyu beef momos at Tapori come swimming in a chicken stock that is simmered for four hours and seasoned with Nepalese session peppers, garlic, and leeks. The wagyu filling is seasoned simply as well, with chili, ginger, cilantro, and a little soy sauce. The similar seasonings meld together the two different proteins, while a bit of cilantro oil drizzled on at the end cuts through the rich flavors. **Podi Masala Dosa** \- Sundas was laser\-focused on producing the best dosa possible: “Every single day we are working on it together\,” he says\. He had started his culinary career in D\.C\. in 2007 working at South Indian restaurants and he knew that he had to show diners “the taste of a very authentic dosa\.” He found many dosas in the District were more crepe\-like\. They were missing that sour fermented flavor and thin texture with a satisfying crunch\. That’s where Sharma came in\. He had started his career in five\-star hotel kitchens in the southernmost state of Tamil Nadu and had made dozens of dosa almost daily for 15 years\. They create Tapori’s creamy and fermented batter over two days. The process of soaking the lentils and rice for at least four hours and cleaning the grains 10 to 12 times is repeated twice before they are ground up in a specially-ordered, massive dosa grinder from India, which they converted themselves to work with an American power grid. Salt and sugar are added for an eight-hour fermentation period to keep the batter at room temperature overnight. Sundas and Sharma are also grilling up each dosa at Tapori right now, expertly spreading out and flipping 40 to 50 a day with an “intuition” that comes with years of practice. The flavor punch of podi masala, a combination of seeds and spices known as gunpowder seasoning, plus a potato filling and nutty ghee that are added to the batter as it fries up on their grill. It’s served with an array of stews and coconut chutney, though that crispy texture and spicy, fermented flavor makes it easy to eat on its own. Sundas says that labor intensive process pays off when Indian and Indian American diners tell him that the dosa is “exactly how they got it in India.” **Bison Phav Bhaji** \- Tapori is named after rowdy Mumbai street culture\, so it had to include the city’s favorite internationally\-influenced street food: phav bhaji\. The hearty snack is comprised of buttered buns \(originally from Portuguese immigrants\) and stewed potato and pea curry\, but Sundas wanted to create a flavorful meat version that stood out from the chicken or fish dishes on the menu\. After trying to source local water buffalo meat from West Virginia, he finally settled on bison from Texas that’s cooked down with tomato paste, onion, minced garlic, green chili, and cumin paste. Cilantro and butter are added after a little over a half hour of stewing to balance out the heavy umami flavors. The buns add even more butter to the mix with a recipe that was developed in-house. The chefs are proofing and baking the buns themselves on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the total process taking about three hours. On busier weekend shifts, artisan wholesale bakery Uptown Bakers makes buns based on the Tapori team’s original recipe. Why create your own buns half the week when you have a great supplier? It’s the same reason that Sundas and Sharma fold fresh momos if they run out of their prepped dumplings after a long night of service. They’ll dig into the dough and wagyu filling they saved for the next day instead of saying they’re sold out, because they’re devoted to making each dish perfectly for every customer that walks through Tapori’s door. **Check out the menu** [here](https://www.taporidc.com/menus) Separate checks will be arranged in advance. All diners will settle their own tabs. We ask that ALL folks honor their RSVP. If you are unable to attend after sending in a YES, please update your status so that others may join and help us support local businesses. In the event our group incurs a fee for no-shows / late cancellations, your ability to RSVP for future events will be restricted. Thank you in advance for your understanding. To enhance the opportunity for great conversation, we will continue to limit the group size. Please feel free to sign-up to meet us along with up to 4 friends. **\*\*** **WAITLIST:** Meetup does not allow waitlists for paid events. *If this event fills and you would like to be added to the waitlist, please send a note to the host through the Meetup app. **\*\**** In the future, we will vary the days of the week and the types of restaurants to keep events interesting. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU ARE COMMITTED TO GO WHEN YOU RSVP FOR THIS EVENT. Feel free to make suggestions for future meet locations. \*\* The small non-refundable registration fee helps us share the cost associated with the Meet-Up platform ($360/yr) and reduces the likelihood of no-shows, allowing us to better plan our events and accommodate all participants. Meetup charges $0.51 and Paypal charges $0.53 on the $2 registration fee. Thanks in advance for your understanding!\*\* If you are unable to join us in February, we hope you'll stay interested and join us for a meal in the future. Looking forward to catching up with you for a delightful dinner at Tapori!

Come exchange Asian Languages that you speak! ***GRAB A DRINK AND YOU WILL BE ALL SET TO FLEX YOUR LANGUAGE CAPACITY. YOU NEED TO GET AT LEAST A DRINK OR FOOD :) To get the event going and show support. We know that you like our events. P.S. : We have non-alcoholic drinks as well.*** We have a tiny venue and we hit capacity often and early arrival is suggested. We have the discretion to decide entry. We will assign tables for represented languages. All languages are welcome! However we don't guarantee the availability of a partner in that particular language, you would like to exchange. As you all remember well, this event used to bring out hundreds of people every week. However, it was discontinued last year for obvious reasons and we couldn't gather that many people now, because of restrictions. Hence, we are downsizing and caping the number of attendees. We have super limited spots and advance ticket purchase is required. ***AFTER THE HAPPY HOUR, WE HIT THE DANCE FLOOR! BRING YOUR DANCING SHOES, WE WILL DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY!*** HOW IT WORKS : We will try to assign tables for each represented languages and will direct attendees to their respective tables accordingly. All languages are welcome! However we don't guarantee the availability of a partner in that particular language, you would like to exchange. Rules to abide : 1. Event is free and 21+ (bring ID). 2. Be respectful to your counterparts and give them a chance to exchange with others as well. 3. We all are native speakers of one or two languages and be willing to help others and try to accommodate as much as possible. 4. If you don't speak the other person's required language, LEAVE THEM ALONE. 5. Rude or aggressive members are removed from the group at an organizers discretion. 6. This is a face-to-face language exchange event. DO NOT try to arrange an online meeting, by using the comment box or direct message. 7. Most of our members complained about people writing in the comment box. Since it sends notification to all attendees. If you have any questions, send a message to the organizers. Don't write in the comment box. 8. We have ZERO TOLERANCE for solicitation. We don't allow anyone to run their own agenda at the Event. If you are interested to promote/sponsor/collaborate; contact us via (info@merevents.com). 9. When you get there, we will greet you and take you to your respective group. 10. Don't be shy of your local languages. We have diplomates assigned to different countries, who would love to practice your languages. 11\. Be patient for the first 30 minutes\, up until we form your respective language group\. 12\. We will have a registration station and check you in\. You ought to have register on Meetup for a free entry\. Otherwise\, you will be subject to a cover charge\. 11. 13\. This is mainly a social for Intermediate/Advanced/Native Speaker\. It is not as such to learn a language\. Beginners\, if you want to learn a language\, reach out to us \(info@merevents\.com\)\. We have a school and will arrange you a class\. 12.

If you are interested in selecting investment choices for your 401(k) or other workplace savings plan, minimizing your income tax liability, or identifying the most effective investments for your brokerage account, we are the group for you. We are a local chapter of Bogleheads**®**, whose investment strategy can be found here: https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Bogleheads%C2%AE_investment_philosophy Or you can peruse the Boglehead forum here: https://www.bogleheads.org/index.php I look forward to seeing you there. Mark Vonder Haar

Early-bird coffee and conversation at [Good Cafe](https://goodcafeeaston.com/)!

This is not just a money class. This is a restoration space. The I AM Worthy of Ownership™ Path is a 12-step, sister-centered journey for women who are ready to build financial stability without shame, fear, or pressure—and to do it in a way that honors both wisdom and the spirit. Many women don’t struggle with money because they lack discipline or intelligence. They struggle because of unhealed experiences, survival patterns, and the quiet belief that they are “behind” or “disqualified.” This series gently challenges those beliefs while offering practical tools for peace, clarity, and long-term planning. Together, we will talk honestly about: Releasing shame and money anxiety Building stability as a form of self-respect and spiritual discipline Understanding money as a tool, not a source of worth Managing debt with clarity instead of condemnation Preparing for life’s unexpected moments without fear Laying a calm foundation for future ownership and legacy Each session blends practical financial education with reflection, conversation, and encouragement. There is no pressure to share personal numbers or experiences. You are welcome to speak, journal quietly, or simply listen. This is not about hustle. This is not about perfection. This is about alignment, wisdom, and peace. Who this series is for: Women who are starting over or rebuilding Women who want stability without stress Women preparing for future ownership or housing decisions Women who want their financial lives to reflect wholeness, not fear No prior financial knowledge is required. Come as you are. Bring a notebook. Leave a little lighter than you arrived. Light refreshments will be served along with 30 minutes of networking.

Let's gather for lunch at Carfagna's followed by an optional stop in Carfagna's Market to check out the tastes and smells of Italy. Carfagna's address is 1440 Gemini Pl, Columbus, OH 43240

Topic details coming soon. AGENDA: 7:00pm - Opening announcements 7:10pm - Main Topic 7:50pm - Q&A

**NEW LOCATION: Improving Office in Franklinton** Physical location: Improving Office 330 Rush Alley Suite #150 Columbus, OH 43215 Schedule: * 6:00 p.m.: Socialize, eat, and drink. Improving will be providing pizza and beverages. * 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Main meeting and presentation(s). See the handy Parking Map - we recommend street parking. [Street Parking Map](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1u2A4fLNlxwLJn0KA_hKc8bnFlFHLvsHBDh-_8wzX_tk/edit?usp=sharing) We meet on the last Monday of each Month. Presentations are given by members and friends of this group. If you would like to do a presentation (small or large) on a python topic, please contact centralohpython@gmail.com