Hookah

**Hey fellow AWS enthusiasts! ✨** This April we welcome **[Philipp Hoyer](https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipp-hoyer-621555174/)**, Lead Engineer at Rackspace Technology. He'll walk us through a journey of AWS' popular containerization services Amazon ECS and Amazon EKS running on Fargate by discussing which fits best for which use case, where EKS can make you go nuts and when ECS might shines brighter - or vice versa. **📆 Tonight's Agenda** 19:00 - Welcoming **19:15 - Talk by Phillip** 20:15 - Networking Thanks to our friends at **[CodeCam:N](https://www.codecamp-n.com/)** who open their offices for us and sponsor food and drinks for this evening. Looking forward to seeing you 👋🏻 Nora & Frank \-\-\- The talk ⤵️ **An AWS Container Journey - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly featuring ECS and EKS** EKS on Fargate promises fully managed Kubernetes with zero node management—but the reality is often more complex than expected. This talk explores the journey of building a production workload on EKS Fargate, starting with the initial motivations and architectural decisions. It uncovers three non-obvious pitfalls that only surface during real-world implementation, including challenges with load balancing, EFS integration, and logging. For each case, the underlying issues and the required workarounds are dissected to reveal the hidden operational complexity behind the “serverless” promise. Based on these insights, the talk takes a critical look at whether ECS on Fargate would have been the simpler alternative. It provides a concise overview of ECS, highlights its own limitations, and delivers a direct comparison between ECS and EKS. The session concludes with clear, experience-driven guidance on when to choose which service—helping teams avoid costly assumptions and make better architectural decisions in AWS container environments. The speaker⤵️ Philipp is a Lead Engineer at Rackspace Technology who enjoys turning complex cloud architectures into solutions that actually work in practice. He started in software development, moved through the DevOps world of pipelines, containers, and Kubernetes, and eventually specialized in AWS. He has built and operated cloud solutions ranging from big data and streaming platforms to containerized and serverless workloads. With experience in both insurance and automotive, his focus today is on real-world cloud challenges—especially the ones that don’t show up in the docs. Get in contact with Philipp on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipp-hoyer-621555174/) \-\-\- **Please note:** At the event, photos and videos will be taken for marketing purposes both by our hosts and our location sponsors. We try to offer a hybrid experience by providing a video stream of the talk. There will be no recording published after the event. Please also keep in mind, that we try our best effort to provide a good streaming experience. We don't offer a professional stream, so delays, technical issues or other interference are a matter to be tolerated.

An ink painting workshop, an ancient art practiced on rice paper or silk, which combines elegance, tradition, and artistic expression through slow and meditative gestures. You will be guided by Yemin Yin, a recognized artist trained in London and Canton. Her ink paintings are found in collections worldwide. This experience includes: • A guided 2-hour workshop to discover the timeless elegance of ink painting in a small group • With all the materials provided (ink, brushes, rice paper) • A premium floral tea served throughout the session • Chinese pastries (light dim sum style) • Your artwork to take home €49 / person No experience required.

We are happy to extend our invitation to one and all to join the Luxembourg Shivyog Forum events every Sunday from 9.00 am to 11.15 am. Shivyog Forum is a platform of positive and like-minded people, interested in spiritual growth, self-healing and self-awareness. Every week, through virtual videos, Avdhoot Baba Shivanand ji blesses and shares the Divine sacred secrets and knowledge through discourses, guided sacred meditations, chanting of Mantras and Bhajans for overall life transformation. This helps the Forum members to progress in their spiritual journey, in establishing deeper connection with one’s inner being, in ability to forgive and love others, in improved emotional and physical health, mental peace, healthy relationship leading to the awakening and purification of the body mind and soul. If you wish to get connected with the Avdhoota and practice deep healing meditations, kriyas and bhajans that can change your life, you are warmly welcome to become a member and join us! Yearly membership fee is a nominal US$ 50 to be paid directly to India to the Shivyog Ashram but your are welcome to attend the first Forum event free.

**Ever wondered why some rooms feel peaceful while others feel "off"?** Join us for an introductory session into the world of Feng Shui — the ancient art of spatial harmony. In this 10 session, you'll get a taste of how your environment shapes your energy, mood, and well-being. **By** **the** **end** **of** **the** **full** **programme,** **you** **will** **be** **able** **to:** * Understand the fundamental principles of Qi, Yin-Yang, and the Five Elements * Read the energy of a space using classical Feng Shui methods * Identify the Dragon and Tiger positions in any environment * Assess the Feng Shui quality of a home or building on your own * Apply practical adjustments to improve the harmony of your living space **Your** **instructor:** Yemin YIN — architect (2025 ArchDaily Building of the Year nominee), Daoist cultural practitioner, and artist. She brings 3,000 years of Chinese spatial wisdom into a practical, down-to-earth format. * Trial session: €25 * Full Level 0 programme: €188 / 10 sessions * No prior knowledge needed

Moving to a new city is exciting at first — a fresh start, new opportunities, a new chapter. But once things settle, being new in town can feel lonely. You don’t know anyone yet, you’re unsure where to go to meet people, and everyone else seems to already have their circles. That’s where we come in. Our Fast Friending evenings are designed especially for those who are new in town and ready to build real friendships — creating welcoming spaces where conversations flow naturally and meaningful connections begin. **You will need to buy a ticket for attending -** [https://lux18thapril.eventbrite.co.uk](https://lux18thapril.eventbrite.co.uk) \*You can use any debit or credit card to purchase your ticket at PayPal checkout. It will ask you for your email address but that is only to send you a receipt. You do not need a PayPal account. TICKETS:- Early Bird - €5 / person Regular Ticket - €10 / person Cash at meetup: If you do not purchase a ticket in advance then you can pay Silvia cash of €15 when you attend. **Here’s how your evening will flow:-** **7:00 PM – Welcome** Arrive at 7:00 PM and be welcomed by your host, Silvia, who will guide the evening and help with introductions. Feeling shy? Come a little early and she’ll ease you into small-group conversations. You’re also welcome to bring a lady friend along for free. **7:30 – 8:30 PM \| Fast Friending** Chat with a new attendee every 3 minutes, ensuring you meet a variety of like-minded ladies and gentlemen. **After 8:30 PM \| Open Mingling** Reconnect with those you enjoyed speaking to and continue meaningful conversations at your own pace \- We are not a close knit tight group\. Our evenings are warm and comfortable for members attending for the first time and those coming alone\. You will not feel alone\! \- We have many groups in this city\. Members of our other groups who RSVP are included as guests of the organisers in order to give you an indication of expected people\. \- This evening is for ladies and gents in the 21 to 40 age group\. While some will be at the younger end of this range there will also be others at the other end of the range and lots in\-between\! You will naturally gel with others of your own age range and so you will always find many attendees who fit your range\. \- We are not a dating group\. Our events are not organised to manage your dating life\. Our group is created to help ladies and gents meet other like minded ladies and gents\. Please do not attend our event if a perfect gender balance is important for your enjoyment of our meet\-up\. Why do we have tickets? 1. Cover our costs - Our host is compensated for their time and work. We also pay meetup and have dedicated staff to manage our events, hosts, venues and communication. 2. Group Safety - By securing your ticket we have a record and you contribute to a well organized evening where everyone is more committed and better behaved. 3. Management - Tickets help us better manage attendee group size, book suitable space and activity. ABOUT [fastfriends.co.uk ](https://fastfriends.co.uk/)- We have connected members successfully for the past 10 years in over 30 cities (operating as Expatsclub, MeetConnectDevelop and fastfriends.co.uk). \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- You can contact our founder Dan on +447715705005 with any questions or ideas. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Here are some videos which will give you some guidance and comfort to make your attendance more productive.** Secrets of socializing at our meetups - [http://bit.ly/secrets-socializing ](http://bit.ly/secrets-socializing) How to make new friends - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6GB0Hc_bSs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6GB0Hc_bSs)

**You’re already getting up on stage. You’re writing. You’re performing. You’re grinding it out at mics.** But if you’re honest… some of those jokes could hit harder. Welcome to **The Tag Lab**, an accelerated, punch-up intensive designed specifically for comics who are past the “how do I hold a mic?” phase and ready to level up their material. This workshop zeroes in on the two things that separate solid jokes from killer bits: **1\. Finding the true kernel of your joke** We’ll strip your material down to its comedic engine, the sharpest, funniest core idea, and rebuild from there. **2\. Writing tags that stack laughs** Because one punchline is nice. Three punchlines? That’s applause breaks. You’ll learn how to: * Identify where your joke is ending too early * Add tags that feel organic, not bolted on * Heighten patterns without losing clarity * Tighten wording so every syllable earns its place This is not a beginner class. It’s for comics who are already performing regularly and want their existing material to punch above its weight. Bring jokes that are “pretty good.” Leave with jokes that consistently hit. If you’re ready to stop hoping for laughs and start engineering them, this workshop is for you. Participation is by advanced registration. Places are limited. [Book your spot here.](https://fienta.com/taglabfestrogen) **Your instructor** Erin Crouch is an American comedian based in Germany. In 2025, she was paid by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs to tell jokes about Germans. She has been featured in Germany's largest comedy festival, Cologne International Comedy Festival in 2024, Boom Chicago Amsterdam (2021 and July 2024) Utrecht International Comedy Festival (2022) and Summer Comedy Marathon festival in Ohrid, N. Macedonia (2023). She teaches stand-up comedy for teens at the KMC Onstage summer camp in Kaiserslautern, Germany as well as starting stand up and roasting classes for adults with Festrogen for the last five years. Her comedy is neither dirty nor clean but a secret third thing. This event is organised by [Festrogen Festival.](https://festrogenfestival.com/) Have specific needs or questions? We'd love to help make this place as welcoming as possible. Drop an email to [info@festrogenfestival.com](mailto:info@festrogenfestival.com) and tell us how we can do that.

Want to practise French 🇫🇷 German 🇩🇪 English 🇬🇧 Luxembourgish 🇱🇺 — or ANY language you can find a partner for? Then join our crew of friendly expats & locals for a night of chats, laughs & global energy 🎉 In Luxembourg, speaking multiple languages is basically a superpower 🦸‍♂️🦸‍♀️ — but this meetup is all about connection, not perfection. Beginners, pros & “I understand but can’t speak” people — all welcome 😄 Don’t feel like practising a language? 😎 No worries — you’re STILL totally welcome! come hang out, meet people & enjoy the international vibes anyway 🥂✨ Come for the languages — stay for the laughter, friendships & drinks 🍹 ✨ What You’ll Find ✔ Super chill atmosphere 😌 ✔ Expats from everywhere 🌍 ✔ Zero pressure — just vibes ✨ ✔ “How do you say…?” moments 🤔😂 ✔ Old friends & new — ❤️ 🍹 AFTER-EXCHANGE APÉRO 🤩 Languages warm-up… Drinks cool-down… Balance restored 😌🍺 Most weeks we wander to another bar afterwards for beer, bites & bonus socialising. Just follow the organisers — they know the 🔥 hotspots 😉 🪧 HOW IT WORKS ➡️ Sit with the group for the language you want to practise ➡️ Look for the table signs 📍 ➡️ Switch groups anytime — totally chill ➡️ Rare language? Post in the group & find your match 💫 ➡️ Luxembourgish shows up too 🇱🇺 ⚠️ By attending, you agree organisers can’t be held liable for regulation violations (or accidental grammar crimes 😜)

**Join esteemed jokester Erin Crouch for a workshop that will take you from HUH to HA.** Whether you're starting from zero or you have a few open mics under your belt, this workshop will provide you with the prompts, structure and motivation to start making people laugh. With over a decade of comedy experience, Erin will walk you through everything you need to know and inspire you to get out there on stage. Participation in this workshop is by advance registration only. Limited places are available. [Book your spot here](https://fienta.com/starting-stand-up-comedy-2026) About the instructor Erin Crouch is an American comedian based in Germany. In 2025, she was paid by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs to tell jokes about Germans. She has been featured in Germany's largest comedy festival, Cologne International Comedy Festival in 2024, Boom Chicago Amsterdam (2021 and July 2024) Utrecht International Comedy Festival (2022) and Summer Comedy Marathon festival in Ohrid, N. Macedonia (2023). She teaches stand-up comedy for teens at the KMC Onstage summer camp in Kaiserslautern, Germany as well as starting stand up and roasting classes for adults with Festrogen for the last five years. Her comedy is neither dirty nor clean but a secret third thing. This workshop is suitable for those completely new to comedy and those who have tried comedy a few times and need to write more material. It is taught in English. This is a Festrogen Festival event. It is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Rainbow Center! Have specific needs or questions? We'd love to help make this place as welcoming as possible. Drop an email to [info@festrogenfestival.com](mailto:info@festrogenfestival.com) and tell us how we can do that.

**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. . . .

Join us for a tour of Brothers Drake Meadery in Grandview, hosted by the owner Oron Benary. He will explain the mead-making process and offer us generous samples of their fine meads. Mead is basically wine that is made from honey instead of grapes. There are many different flavors that range from dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet, to sweet. They are best known for their Apple Pie Mead. Oron has offered us a special price of 5.00 each person for the tour and tasting, which is normally 25.00 per person. I've taken the tour several times, and it's always enlightening and fun. Rebecca will bring a tea that will pair well with the mead for a tea tasting afterwards. Park anywhere around the building. Please avoid parking in front of the houses in the neighborhood behind the Meadery. Please keep your RSVP current. Knowing how many will attend will help Brothers Drake plan accordingly to accommodate us.

* Second ever book club! April meet up. All are welcome. * The book will be Play Nice by Rachel Harrison (determined by votes from March Book Club. Let me know if you’d like a free digital copy of the book) * This event will be at the main library, meeting room 1B, the location will not be changed for this event due to the number of people attending, we will just add more chairs if needed! * Feel free to come whether or not you’ve started or finished the book ◡̈ * Small snacks will be provided. You’re welcome to bring your own snacks & drinks too! Starting in June I will try to keep future book clubs at the Dublin Library. Now that I understand their reservation system, I will be on top of it with booking that location as soon as the date is released for the month. Thanks for your understanding with the varying locations in the meantime.

Let’s try this popular Italian restaurant in Reynoldsburg. This is the menu: https://scaliristorante.com/#4e468054-0235-43e2-81c2-44e061341e9e

Welcome, readers! Our April read is **_Martyr!_ by Kaveh Akbar.** The story follows a young Iranian American poet grappling with grief, addiction, and the aching question of what makes a life meaningful. Drawn into an unexpected friendship with a terminally ill artist, he begins to confront faith, love, and the seduction of self-destruction. Lyrical, darkly funny, and emotionally piercing, the novel wrestles with beauty and despair in equal measure. It’s a story about longing—to be seen, to be forgiven, and to matter. Looking forward to discussing with everyone! We will meet at Zaftig Brewing Co in their event room in the back. We are welcome to bring in our own food, but **drinks must be purchased at the bar.** Happy reading! 📖

**Let’s catch up and take an afternoon break.** **Grab a coffee or snack and let’s chit chat! Gayle and I will bring adult coloring books and/or a simple craft if you’d like to unwind and relax.😊**