Learning About Wines Around the World

Join us for the emerging regions wine tasting by [Unwined](https://unwinedbars.co.uk/bars): "A great tasting to discover the up and coming regions for 2026. Taste wines from Japan, Slovenia and Uruguay to name a few!" Tickets are **£22.50**, and are available here - please buy your ticket ***before*** RSVPing to the meetup: https://unwinedbars.co.uk/tickets/tasting-tickets Please be sure to choose **26th January** from the dropdown (and ignore the date further down the page that erroneously says 27th January). When booking, ask to be "seated with Alkesh" in the "Additional Information" - "Info for events" section. This is a public event, so there will be people not from the meetup at the event.

**Important Availability Note:** This event will be free and open to everyone for the winter 2026 period: 10 weeks, from January 1 until March 15, 2026. Starting mid-March 2026, this will become available only to Starter ($25 USD/mo.) and Premium ($75 USD/mo.) plan holders on The French Club language platform (currently in development). \*\*\* **✨ French Shadowing Workshop — Confident Flow & Real Fluency ✨** January 26 – March 9\, 2026 \| Mondays\, 10:00–11:30 pm GMT \| Open to all levels \| Unlimited Number of Participants \| \*\*\* **Want to sound more French when you speak?** Join our free *French Shadowing Workshop* every Monday evening (January 26 – March 9, 2026). In just 75 minutes, you’ll train your ear, voice, and rhythm by repeating native French speech in real time — a powerful technique for fluency and confidence. \*\*\* **French Shadowing Workshop — Free & Open to All** Date: Mondays, January 26 – March 9, 2026 Time: 10:00–11:30 pm (GMT) Duration: 90 minutes per session Do you want to *sound* more French when you speak? This free weekly workshop introduces you to the powerful shadowing technique — a proven method for improving pronunciation, rhythm, and fluency. **What is shadowing?** You’ll listen to native French speech and *repeat out loud* (while being muted on Zoom) *at the same time*, just like a shadow. The focus is on sound and flow, not on translating word by word. This way, your brain and mouth adapt to the *real music of French*. \*\*\* **Why join?** * Train your ear to recognize authentic French speech. * Build muscle memory for French sounds and mouth movements. * Improve your intonation, rhythm, and natural flow. **Who is it for?** Open to *all levels*. Beginners will benefit from building sound patterns early; advanced learners will refine their accent and fluency. **Format** * Real-time shadowing practice * Group rhythm & Guided repetition No homework, no pressure — just 75 minutes of active listening and speaking every Monday evening. \*\*\* **Practical Details :** Duration: 90 minutes per session. Frequency: Once a week. Group Size: Unlimited The zoom link is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5456313643 The password is: galaxy Note: If you are a native French speaker: we kindly ask you not to join, as space is limited and our focus is assisting learners. \*\*\* **About me** As of November 25th, 2025, I’ve given 5,625 online lessons to 780 students from about 50 countries. For some info about me as a teacher, and testimonials, see: https://www.italki.com/F_Normandeau or https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/7237721 I look forward to assisting you soon. François Normandeau \*\*\*

**Workout with PRIDE (Functional Strength) at Marshall Street, just around the corner from Carnaby S**treet! 💪🌈 Join us for our weekly **WorkOUT With PRIDE** class, designed to boost your functional strength and improve your body’s ability to move efficiently as a whole. Our sessions focus on exercises that engage all planes of movement, incorporating both bodyweight and equipment-based resistance to build strength and coordination. This class is suitable for all fitness levels, so if you’re new, no worries! We’ll break down the big compound movements step by step, ensuring you feel confident before diving into the full workout. At *Workout with Pride*, our goal is for you to leave feeling accomplished, empowered, and more knowledgeable about your fitness journey. 💥 **Class Details:** * **Location:** Marshall St, London W1F 7EL**Time:** Please arrive by **6:30 pm** (changed and ready to go) * **What to Expect:** Full access to changing rooms and showers post-class. Don’t forget to bring a towel and some change for the lockers! When you arrive, just head to reception and let them know you’re there for **Workout with PRIDE**.

***WARNING*** *If you are new to our Meet Up or haven't attended any class for months, please, BEFORE signing up to a conversation class, send an email in French to Christian at frenchlondonexperience at gmail dot com ; Anyone -* aforementioned - *signing up to a class before getting an agreement will be removed from the list. Thanks for your cooperation.* You want to push up your fluency, your pronunciation and your French skills? You want to get more vocabulary, knowledge and understanding of French, the French and France? You want to speak on various topics with the support of a French native tutor? Each week, we come up to a different theme. It pushes your conversation skills up. It helps you to speak about many topics and to interact in French in multiple contexts. Regular attendees learn a lot, make improvements and are able to have a chat about numerous topic! The bonus, you will be able to ask questions to an authentic French native! This class is for French speakers with an Intermediate level. **THE CLASS:** This is a face-to-face conversation class lasting 90 minutes run by a French native & professional tutor (in London since 2016). The whole class happens in French and is dedicated to French speakers with an Intermediate level (if not sure, send a message to the organiser). The tutor helps you to structure and improve your phrasing, and to develop your understanding. During the class, first, we dedicate some time for a little introductory chat. Then, we approach the theme, read a text (you get a copy for the session), speak, learn vocabulary and things about French culture. The theme is always linked to French, the French and France. At the end, we wrap up and keep a few minutes for some miscellaneous questions. After the class, you will get an email with a list of vocabulary (some words / expressions seen along the class). **IMPORTANT** If you are new to our Meet Up, please send ASAP an email in French at frenchlondonexperience at gmail dot com to introduce yourself, to check your level, to confirm your space and to get the Bank details for payment. **PRICING:** You can pay each time or by block (then you save money) \- £15 per session \(to be paid when signing up by bank transfer \- Bank details on request\) \- £60 for 6 sessions \(to be used within 3 months \- to be paid in advance by bank transfer \- Bank details on request\) People who sign up without paying will be removed from the list. If, after your first attendance, you decide to subscribe to the offer of £60 for 6 classes, you add £45 and then you incorporate your first class in the subscription. The pricing is made to encourage you to attend more regularly as improvements will come with regularity. **TERMS & CONDITIONS** If you are to join, you are more than welcome to sign up. But, please, if you have an unforeseen hitch, up date your status as soon as possible. As spaces are limited, if you don't turn up or if you cancel at the last minute, a space is wasted. Thanks for helping. \- Fees are payable at the booking \- No refund \(exchange for cancellation more than 12 hours before the start of the event\) \- No refund\, no exchange for late cancellation \(less than 12 hours\) or non\-attendance \- People who don't turn may be banned\. If the session is fully booked, please put your name on the waiting list but ONLY if you are sure to be able to attend the session. As soon a space becomes available, even at the very last minute, you will be on the attendance list. Then you will be expected to attend the session and it will be due, even if you don't actually attend. Thanks for your cooperation and thanks for understanding. Follow French London Experience [http://www.facebook.com/frenchlondonexperience/](http://www.facebook.com/frenchlondonexperience/) [https://www.instagram.com/frenchlondonexperience/](https://www.instagram.com/frenchlondonexperience/) [https://twitter.com/FLE_Christian](https://twitter.com/FLE_Christian) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0ZB8-AhXTeqNF9MwEySmeg Website: [www.frenchlondonexperience.com](http://www.frenchlondonexperience.com/)

WORDS & WINE WORKSHOP WITH CREATIVE WRITES MONDAY 26 JANUARY 2025, 7-9pm IN PERSON - New venue, North Finchley, London, N12 Creative Writes Fee \*£45 (small group, includes wine) (Please note - Meetup now charge an additional transaction fee which means that the total Words & Wine In Person fee will be £46.50 if booking on Meetup). Delighted to announce that our Creative Writes In Person Words & Wine Workshops will return on Monday 26 January 2026, 7-9pm. We will meet at a lovely new venue in North Finchley, N12 (full venue details will be provided on booking) Booking here on Meetup or via our Creative Writes website: [https://www.creativewrites.co.uk/words-wine/](https://www.creativewrites.co.uk/words-wine/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExWGwzUU5jQ2RpMFdoUkJEQXNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIIY2FsbHNpdGUBMgABHtIISd1Ab6lbWy9xiBvmlphrAkNCGFRWvo7X-PVbsXC9MSw0uErNzBVulgfG_aem_Z4gwkVsKjHPsdD40RGG_tg) The focus is on a fun and sociable evening with fast-paced creative writing exercises & no critique, while sipping wine. Small, supportive group. You can share your work if you wish but there is no pressure to do so. There is a different Theme each time. All you need are notebooks and pens, you don’t need to prepare anything. You will leave with a toolbox of ideas and lots of writing motivation. Look forward to seeing you there. Nichola Creative Writes www.creativewrites.co.uk

***WARNING*** *If you are new to our Meet Up or haven't attended any class for months, please, BEFORE signing up to a conversation class, send an email in French to Christian at frenchlondonexperience at gmail dot com ; Anyone -* aforementioned - *signing up to a class before getting an agreement will be removed from the list. Thanks for your cooperation.* You want to improve your fluency, your pronunciation and your French skills? You want to get more vocabulary, knowledge and understanding of French, the French and France? You want to speak on various topics with the support of a French native tutor? Each week, we come up to a different theme. It pushes your conversation skills up. It helps you to speak about many topics and to interact in French in multiple contexts. Regular attendees learn a lot, make improvements and are able to have a chat about numerous topic! The bonus, you will be able to ask questions to an authentic French native! **THE CLASS:** This is a face-to-face conversation class lasting 60 minutes run by a French native & professional tutor (in London since 2016). This is a Conversation Class dedicated to French learners who struggle to have a spontaneous conversation. If you think your French is rusty, if you feel not really comfortable to interact among a group of other French speakers, this class is for you (if not sure, send a message in French to the organiser). The class goes on an adapted pace with a first part dedicated to a chit-chat and then we'll focus on a short text to learn about French culture and the language. We approach the theme, read a short text (you get a copy for the session), speak, learn vocabulary and things about French culture. The theme is always linked to French, the French and France. At the end, we wrap up and keep a few minutes for some miscellaneous questions. After the class, you will get an email with a list of vocabulary (some words / expressions seen along the class). This is a very small group class: maximum of 4 attendees and a minimum of 2. So you will speak directly to the tutor. During the class, the tutor helps you to structure and improve your phrasing, and to develop your understanding. **IMPORTANT** If you are new to our Meet Up, please send ASAP an email at frenchlondonexperience at gmail dot com to introduce yourself, to check your level, to confirm your space and to get the Bank details for payment. **PRICING:** You can pay each time or by block (then you save money) \- £15 per session \(to be paid when signing up by bank transfer \- Bank details on request\) \- £60 for 6 sessions \(to be used within 3 months \- to be paid in advance by bank transfer \- Bank details on request\) People who sign up without paying will be removed from the list. If, after your first attendance, you decide to subscribe to the offer of £60 for 6 classes, you add £45 and then you incorporate your first class in the subscription. The pricing is made to encourage you to attend more regularly as improvements will come with regularity. **TERMS & CONDITIONS** If you are to join, you are more than welcome to sign up. But, please, if you have an unforeseen hitch, up date your status as soon as possible. As spaces are limited, if you don't turn up or if you cancel at the last minute, a space is wasted. Thanks for helping. \- Fees are payable at the booking \- No refund \(exchange for cancellation more than 12 hours before the start of the event\) \- No refund\, no exchange for late cancellation \(less than 12 hours\) or non\-attendance \- People who don't turn may be banned\. If the session is fully booked, please put your name on the waiting list but ONLY if you are sure to be able to attend the session. As soon a space becomes available, even at the very last minute, you will be on the attendance list. Then you will be expected to attend the session and it will be due, even if you don't actually attend. Thanks for your cooperation and thanks for understanding. Follow French London Experience [http://www.facebook.com/frenchlondonexperience/](http://www.facebook.com/frenchlondonexperience/) [https://www.instagram.com/frenchlondonexperience/](https://www.instagram.com/frenchlondonexperience/) [https://twitter.com/FLE_Christian](https://twitter.com/FLE_Christian) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0ZB8-AhXTeqNF9MwEySmeg Website: [www.frenchlondonexperience.com](http://www.frenchlondonexperience.com/)

🌌Ever look up and marvel with insatiable curiosity at both the beauty and wonder of the **universe?** That wild sobering thought that somewhere in the chaos of creation - the emergence of life - the universe became **conscious** enough to look back and ask the fundamental questions; How it all started, our evolution and place in it, and where else in the cosmos other complex life might exist (we know almost every star you see has planets orbiting with up to **20 billion habitable exoplanets** easily in our galaxy alone!)? 🪐🌟🌟🌟 🌍Then RSVP to view the potential life harbouring moons of **Jupiter**, comets, the famous **Orion Nebula** where stars like our sun were born, the majestic rings of **Saturn**, the international space station, well known star fields, remnants of **supernova** witnessed by our early ancestors, multi-star solar systems (think the double sun in Starwars), the Tau Ceti star with **2 Earth like planets** orbiting in the habitable zone, plus a range of other fascinating celestial wonderments (comets, galaxies) over drinks and engaging chats and banter this Jan fully hosted by a passionate amateur astronomer and former global Journalist covering big picture stories including cutting edge science related ones. 🚀In between observing - we'll have **drinks and engaging chats** on all astronomy related topics for those inclined - space exploration, Fermi Paradox, Astrobiology, Cosmology, paleontology, SETI/Drake Equation (I have my own augmented version giving more realistic estimates of likely alien civilisations!), exoplanetology etc as well as non space chatter and banter too. No doubt we'll hear the usual jokes we've all heard before! If those don't make you laugh, my impersonation of Los Angeles ET will! 👽 And to help set the mood and make the night feel even extra galactic, I’ll put my DJ hat to play some space‑themed tunes and songs about the stars! **======= Joining Astronomers Group & Telescopes =======** I'm able to take a limited number of people (please only RSVP if you can make it) to join my friendly informal relaxed London amateur astronomers' club that have been for over a decade with their regulars made up of up to about 150 people. As there will be people attending from this private Astronomers group as well as others from one of my other groups - the total attendees will be far higher than rsvps here and the public liability insurance only covers a max number of people - hence I need to impose strict limits on attendance. Over the years we have enjoyed numerous social evenings of stargazing and thought provoking chatter with people of all ages and varying levels of astronomy knowledge - so complete beginners that are genuinely curious about the universe are very welcome. If you are just looking to meet generic randoms then there are others groups that will better cater for that. The world renowed **BBC Television Sky at Night** also attended our events pre covid and interviewed some of us for it's show that aired on BBC1 in Feb 2019. BBC **Radio London** (94.9 FM / digital) were there Aug 2023 to cover our meteor shower event broadcasting live to millions of Londoners for 3 hours You don't need a telescope as you will be able to view through scopes belonging to me and other club members (as long as you behave responsibly and don't temper with expensive equipment). If you have your own telescope/binoculars feel free to bring along and I can help you setting it up if you're a newbie **==== Food & Drinks With Seating From Warm Indoor Cafe ====** Alcoholic beverages (wine, beer, cider only), hot drinks and food/snacks will be available to purchase from an indoor cafe at the observation point which Regent's park keep open exclusively for the astronomers group so please don't bring your own drinks **==== ITINERARY =====** We will meet outside Camden Station. After a short wait for anyone delayed, I will escort everyone to our observation point in the local park 15 minutes walk away and brief you in terms of what to expect, observing etiquette, tips, equipment handling and take any questions you have - weather general or astronomy/cosmology related. **After Drinks:** Unless I have a very important 9AM Thursday deadline for a client presentation or something that I'm still gonna be writing 2 mins before start - most of us usually head our way back to Camden for another drink. If so - I will annouce the pub when we leave the park **==== What Can You Expect To See (this time of year)? ====** * Orion Nebula * Jupiter and 4 moons * Meteors * Andromedia Galaxy * Saturn, rings & moon * Star clusters such as the Pleiades & Owl Cluster etc * International Space station fly by * Venus & Mercury * Binary & tripple star systems (think planet *Tatooine in* Starwars!), * Neptune * Uranuus * Mars * Our moon * A look towards the galactic centre where that supermassive £22b Labour black hole sits (Sagittarius A) More here from Jodrell Bank Observatory/Astrophysics Centre: [http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/astronomy/nightsky/](http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/astronomy/nightsky/) Guide to viewing the cosmos for beginners: [https://phys.org/news/2018-05-universe-distant-starstips-cosmology-backyard.html#jCp](https://phys.org/news/2018-05-universe-distant-starstips-cosmology-backyard.html#jCp) **===Weather Dependent=====** The event is subject to clear skies forecasts on the night so if on the actual afternoon of the event the weather forecasts looks unsuitable beyond doubt then I will postpone so please check the event status on the day of the event . If this event is still listed here at 5PM on the day, it will be going ahead at the designated day and time! Happy Stargazing Lucas Skywalker - The Singin, Dancin, DJ-in Astronomer

If you know how to enjoy yourself, can hold your liqueur and rock the dancefloor like nobody's watching then tonight is for you. Yep when it comes to socialising - here at the Universe of Hedonic Adventures, either we do it right or we stay at home — so we’re tearing up the boring Jan rulebook. Let's decimate the January blues with fun chats, music fueled by a bit chaos and **£2.50** drinks all night that keep the fun flowing =====🍹 **Cheap** **Drink Deals Till Midnight =====** * **Chardonnay – £2.40** * **Beer – £2.00** * **Selected spirits & mixers – £2.50 (Run, Whisky, Vodka)** Expect a sociable freindly crowd that’s fun and talkative, a vinyl music playlist that knows how to please with feel good singalong songs and a night where the only thing that will be dry my humour (or potentially the bar!). Logically, if you don't drink, probably not worth while attending but for those on the Liver transplant list - you know what to do... First part of the night will all be about fun engaging chats and laughs against relaxed vibes, low‑volume conversation‑conducive background music, and plenty of space to mingle. As midnight rolls in, we’ll turn the frenzy up by heading over the road to a young, cool trendy Camden bar with the DJ spinning records on cool retro vinyl till 3am eternal for us to dance and singalong to — and yes, it’s free entry with your IDs, no entry after 1am though Lucas the teetotaler

**ADAM THOMASON:** is a Michelin-trained chef who worked at Noma for 3 years and also at Sat Bains in Nottingham. In October 2017, Adam picked up two culinary accolades, taking second place in Craft Guild of Chefs’ National Chef of the Year for the second year in succession. He was also awarded a prestigious Master of Culinary Arts (MCA) by the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts. **FOOD:** Adam is offering a fabulous tasting menu for £110 for us to enjoy at his home in Streatham Hill. There is no menu yet as Adam will decide what to cook in the week depending on what is fresh and available at the time. The meal will start with some delicious canapes (see the photo of a previous event), home made breads and butters, and then there will be several further scrumptious courses! Having eaten his food on several previous occasions I can guarantee that it will be a gastronomic feast of Michelin Starred quality. Adam also matches the food to my wine selections! **DIETARY ISSUES:** This event is suited to 'flexible' diners, however if you have any allergies or dietary requirements please mention these when you RSVP so that I can let Adam know. If you do not mention any allergies in your RSVP, the menu cannot be changed on the night. **WINES:** Adam includes a glass of sparkling wine as a welcome drink. To complement the high quality food, I will take 2 bottles each of 2 white and 2 red wines, 2 x 50cl bottles of a dessert wine, and a bottle of port, all with an average retail price of £25 per bottle. So over the whole evening there will be a bottle of fine wine per head. **The 'ticket price' for this event is £145 which includes:** Adam's tasting menu and a welcome glass of sparkling wine The selection of fine wines I will take Transport of wines to the event With this quality of food and wine, you would pay at least double this amount in a Michelin starred restaurant! We will be seated around one long table and numbers will be limited to 13 people. **PAYMENT IMPORTANT PLEASE NOTE:** The fees which Meetup would charge Organiser and Participants come to £10 per person for this event. To avoid these charges I will be collecting money by Paypal Friends and Family or by bank transfer. After you RSVP please let me know how you would like to pay. If you do not respond and pay within 48 hours, I will change your RSVP to 'Not Going' **LOCATION:** Streatham Hill, within 3-5 minutes from the station. We have been asked to arrive at 18:30 with the dinner starting at 19:00. The whole experience lasts several hours and we will need to leave by 23:15 latest. Adam’s address will be emailed to all attendees 2-3 days before the event, but it is very near Streatham Hill Station (3-5 mins walk). **REFUND POLICY:** If you cancel your place by 12:00 noon, Saturday 24th January latest you will get a refund of £140 but, IMPORTANT PLEASE NOTE, only if there is someone on the 'waitlist' who books and pays for your place. TO MAKE IT CLEAR - NO REFUNDS UNLESS SOMEONE ELSE PAYS FOR A CANCELLED PLACE. **WAITLIST:** If this event is fully booked and you would like to attend if someone cancels, post a comment in the event to let me know that you are interested. Cheers, Christos

Winning a few votes last week, come join us to discuss Maroon 5, Songs about Jane. My most listened to album of 2024, but I’ll try not to be biased… Have a listen in advance and come along to nextdoor records two with your thoughts!

Kiwi Cru are thrilled to announce the second in their series of exclusive New Zealand Wine Dinners at The Laundry, curated by their very own chef-sommelier Melanie Brown in collaboration with Pippa Wood from Kiwi Cru. The second dinner is a celebration of Hawkes Bay, the warmest of New Zealand's wine regions, situated on the East coast of the North Island. **This dinner will be 3 courses of delicious food dinner accompanied by 6 prestigious wines from Hawkes Bay.** **MENU and WINES:** The food menu has not been finalised, but the venue is able to cater for certain dietary requirements (for example vegetarian, gluten free) as long as you mention these when you book. Canape; *Smith & Sheth CRU Albariño 2023* Pumpkin katsu bite Petit baguette & salted whipped butter Starter; *Bilancia Chardonnay 2022 & Elephant Hill Sea Chardonnay 2020* Salmon rillette, pickled cucumber, crumpet Main Course; *Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2021 & Te Mata Bullnose Syrah 2021* Short rib - slow-cooked beef, truffle polenta, red wine jus Dessert; *Radburnd Merlot/Cabernet 2018* Chocolate mousse, pavlova crumb gf **DIETARY ISSUES:** Although 'flexible' diners will get the most out of the food and wine pairings, dietary requirements will be catered for. Please mention these when you book. **COST:** The 'ticket price of this event is £89 to include the 3 course meal and 6 wines, service charge, and meetup/paypal fees. I have reserved 8 places for the group. Please note that we may be on a larger table shared with non-members of this group. **Please note that Meetup now charge an additional fee to attendees on top of the price which the Organiser sets. This fee is paid direct to Meetup and is beyond our control.** **REFUND POLICY:** As I have to buy the tickets in advance no refunds are offered for this event, so if you need to cancel you will need to sell your place to someone else in the group. **WAITLIST:** If this event is fully booked and you would like to attend if someone cancels, post a comment in the event to let me know that you are interested. Cheers, Christos

Faced with tyranny and violence, can an artist really hope to make a difference? Does human creativity truly have the power to change our world for the better? Ai Weiwei is living proof that it does. Raised in a labour camp and later beaten, surveilled and secretly detained for 81 days without being officially charged by the Chinese state, Weiwei has dedicated his life to the struggle against corruption and oppression of all kinds. As a conceptual artist and activist fighting for justice, he has become an icon in his own lifetime, renowned world-wide for his work promoting freedom of thought and expression, compassion, and humanitarian values. In conversation with internationally renowned journalist Stephen Sackur, Weiwei will share his personal experiences of censorship at the hands of the state, and show us how authoritarian regimes across the globe suppress freedom of thought and expression. Importantly, he will show us how censorship and self-censorship affect liberal, democratic countries in hidden, pernicious ways – and issue a rallying cry against complacency. Those who control the narrative control the future: Ai Weiwei is here to help us fight back. **All tickets to this event include a copy of Ai Weiwei’s new book, *On Censorship* (RRP £12.99).** I’m seating at the Stalls Block E Row: B Seat: 2 After the event, we’ll meet to share impressions at the Red Lion pub in 48 Parliament St. [https://share.google/Ndfpw4Gb5pUq3MOlS](https://share.google/Ndfpw4Gb5pUq3MOlS) You can buy your ticket here: [https://howtoacademy.com/events/ai-weiwei-on-censorship/](https://howtoacademy.com/events/ai-weiwei-on-censorship/) Join me on: [-www.meetup.com/gaia-libros](http://-www.meetup.com/gaia-libros) [-www.meetup.com/gaia-livres](http://-www.meetup.com/gaia-livres) -[www.meetup.com/persian-culture](www.meetup.com/persian-culture) -Instagram: @persian_culture_

Calling all founders, CEOs, lawyers, doctors, and entrepreneurs to join our special *Founder Edition* of Sip & Read meetup event. Let's sip on fine wine and discuss our first book **The 5AM Club- Own Your Morning Elevate Your Life, by Robin Sharma**. We will pair this book with our favorite wine at **Wine on High** and engage in thought-provoking discussions on startup businesses and entrepreneurship, and network with like-minded individuals in a cozy book club setting. *The 5AM Club* by Robin Sharma explores how waking up early and following a structured morning routine can dramatically improve productivity, mindset, and overall life mastery. Through a blend of storytelling and practical frameworks, it teaches high performers how to build discipline, focus, and long-term success by owning the first hour of the day. Come prepared to discuss this month's book. At the end of each book club meeting, we will take next book and venue suggestions from the participants for the next meeting. Whether you are a book lover, women entrepreneur, or a content creator, this event is perfect for sharing ideas and insights with other funders and founders in the entrepreneurial world. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to connect, learn, and grow together. Sign up now to reserve your spot! *Fun fact! This meetup was established in 2015 and had over 1,000 members. I had to shut down operations while attending law school, but we're back!!*

This is "***New Members Night***." If you are one of the many folks on the fence about coming to your first wine tasting with the *Hilliard Wine Club*, this is the night to come. There will be many other new people, so you won't be alone. And the regulars will be there to help make you feel welcome. We're a relaxed and warm group. We hope to see you. **SIDE NOTE:** New members are welcome to ALL our Friday night wine tastings, but this night is a special overture to those who don't want to feel that they are the only new person in the room. Don't worry. You won't be. And don't hesitate to RSVP to other events. **OLD MEMBERS NOTE**: Hey Old Members! You're not excluded from this event. We expect to see you there to help make the new members feel welcome. **Sample 4 different wines** this Friday for $15 (*Cash or Venmo only please*). Glasses are provided. Bring a snack to share. Bring a bottle to share if you care to. See all the details below for the Hilliard Wine Club Wine Tasting. In Person. In Real Life. Actual Wine from glass bottles with corks and everything. **Wine**: Tastings will be $15 for four samples as always. And you are welcome to bring a bottle of your favorite wine to share with others. Participation in the wine tastings is optional. But since you’re going, I will buy enough wine to cover you. If you bring your own wine and do not participate in the tasting you will only pay $10 to cover the door charge. **Parking**: There are several public parking lots near the Alive614 hall. Please be careful to NOT park in private parking lots. They do tow. Check Google maps to scope out your space. Anyone who is early could easily find a parking space on the street nearby. **Glasses**: …will be provided. Please note that after the wine tasting, the glasses need to be returned to the boxes at the service table. Please be gentle, our glasses are fragile. Uh, they are made of glass! **Food**: You are welcome to bring a snack to share. It is not required. Most people do though. If no one brings anything, there will be nothing. **Code of Conduct**: Though mostly understood, it’s still worth mentioning. We don’t have rules per se, but we highly discourage the following topics of discussion because they are likely to incite anti-social responses - Sex, Politics, Religion. Please don’t mistake this as an attempt to limit your free speech rights but rather a guide to a place and time for appropriate discussions. **Extra Wine**: After everyone has had their samples, we remove the pouring spouts and any remaining wine is poured freely to whomever wants it. I hate having leftover wine. **Queen of Hearts**: The Queen of Hearts raffle is a fundraiser for the club and a Barnum and Bailey type extravaganza - minus the dancing ponies, clowns, and actual circus. Bring your ***cash*** as the Queen does not accept American Express or other plastic. **After the lights go out**: After the last sip of wine, when we clean up and turn the lights out, if you still haven’t had enough of us, it is typical for a group to get together and go to a local eatery for food and/or drinks or coffee. Again, We look forward to meeting new members and reuniting with old friends. Sincerely, ***Paul Uttermohlen***, **Red 1 Realty** *Your Hilliard Wine Club Host*

**Valentines Eve**: Love and friendship pair quite naturally with almost any wine. Go ahead. Give it a try at the Hilliard Wine Club Valentines Eve event. Pay no attention to the superstitious guy in the corner who keeps murmuring comments about it being Friday the 13th too. (Volunteers with decorations show up at least 15 minutes early to set the scene for a pleasant relaxing evening. Reminder - this is also another "Freestyle Night.") **On Freestyle night** \- just bring a bottle to share\. There is NO formal wine tasting like on other weeks\. Door charge is $10 \(cash or Venmo only please\)\. We may have some left over wines to clear out\! Glasses are provided\. Take Care\. See you there\. **Parking**: There are several public parking lots near the Alive614 hall. Please be careful to NOT park in private parking lots. They do tow. Check Google maps to scope out your space. Anyone who is early could easily find a parking space on the street nearby. I am told that the Chase parking lot is safe after hours. **Glasses**: …will be provided. Please note that after the wine tasting, the EMPTY glasses need to be returned to the boxes at the service table. Please do not make me hunt down your empty glass. Please be gentle, our glasses are fragile. Uh, they are made of glass! **Food**: You are welcome to bring a snack to share. It is not required. Most people do though. If no one brings anything, there will be nothing. **Code of Conduct**: Though mostly understood, it’s still worth mentioning. We don’t have rules per se, but we highly discourage the following topics of discussion because they are likely to incite anti-social responses - Sex, Politics, Religion. Please don’t mistake this as an attempt to limit your free speech rights but rather a guide to a place and time for appropriate discussions. **After the lights go out**: After the last sip of wine, when we clean up and turn the lights out, if you still haven’t had enough of us, it is typical for a group to get together and go to a local eatery for food and/or drinks or coffee. Again, We look forward to meeting new members and reuniting with old friends. Sincerely, ***Paul Uttermohlen***, **Red 1 Realty (<--** *Subtle attempt to remind people that I am a Realtor*®) *Your Hilliard Wine Club Host*

## Learn Infrastructure-as-Code (the FUN Way) — Through Minecraft 🎮☁️ **Joint Meetup: Azure CBUS × Columbus HashiCorp User Group** What if learning Terraform and Infrastructure-as-Code didn’t feel like a whitepaper… but more like a game? Join us for a joint Azure CBUS and Columbus HashiCorp User Group meetup where **Mark Tinderholt** \(Principal Architect\, Microsoft Azure \| HashiCorp Ambassador \| “The Azure Terraformer”\) shows how **Minecraft** can be used as a surprisingly powerful way to understand real-world Infrastructure-as-Code concepts. In this session, Mark will demonstrate how Terraform and Azure can be used to provision, configure, and manage Minecraft servers—while teaching the same patterns you’d use for production cloud infrastructure. ### What we’ll cover * Infrastructure-as-Code fundamentals using **Terraform** * Provisioning real infrastructure on **Azure** * Applying **IaC best practices** (immutability, repeatability, versioning) * How playful environments like Minecraft make complex concepts *click* * Why learning through experimentation beats click-ops every time ### Who should attend * Developers, platform engineers, and cloud engineers * Terraform users (new or experienced) * Anyone curious about Infrastructure-as-Code but tired of boring examples * Minecraft fans who want to see it used in a totally unexpected way No prior Minecraft experience required—just curiosity and a willingness to learn infrastructure the fun way. Come for the blocks, stay for the Terraform. 🧱➡️📐 Want to be a speaker? submit your talk to our Call for Presenters!!! https://sessionize.com/cbus-hug-2026/

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. If the weather cooperates we will be meeting in the patio. 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."