Open Mic

\*These classes are not a language exchange, but instead are meant to be a step in between so that students feel confident maintaining in depth and grammatically correct oral conversations outside of class\* \***Meetup event numbers only tend to show new students registering and do not include returning students attending class.** **Per class, there is an average of 7 students.** The first 2 classes are free and then only cost between $15 and $35 depending on which type of class you want to continue with\* These French, English (For Spanish and French speakers only), and Spanish classes are primarily meant for adults who are travellers, or who are planning to live in a French, English, or Spanish-speaking country. The classes are primarily oral-based through guided conversations. They will teach you how to handle conversations in situations such as **"Going to the Convenience Store"**, **"Making Plans"**, **"Negotiating Prices"**, and **"Going out for a Drink"**. To ensure that students get used to using the language automatically, students will learn to maintain contextual conversations with timing before moving on to the next lesson. Call (647)787-9953, e-mail us info@monkeylingo.ca, or visit monkeylingo.ca for more information! **Online and private classes are also available!** No other language classes are as conversational as these ones. We guarantee it! Cheap parking can be found using the "Spot Hero" app.

Use parallel working/body doubling to help focus on your art, trade critiques or zines, study reference books or just get inspired! Meet on the ground floor of the Toronto Reference Library! The organizer will be wearing a bright orange t-shirt.

D60 Advanced Leadership Toastmasters is dedicated to exploring the many dimensions of leadership and helping members elevate their leadership skills to the next level. This includes in depth evaluations, workshops, debates and presentations. Join us and discover how our club can support your leadership growth by registering for the zoom link and in-person information (close to King subway station) at https://bit.ly/d60alt_mtg.

Join us for presentations, snacks, and discussion! This time around we have an agenda of monitoring topics on the complete opposite spectrum. We'll talk about pure hobbyist monitoring topics, AI prompt based workflows and debugging your production Kubernetes clusters when they are on fire. **Special thanks to Nokia and Mark Prosser for hosting us at their downtown office.** **Agenda:** 6:00-6:15 PM: Arrivals and introductions 6:15-6:35 PM: Observability Sidequests 6:35-6:40 PM: Q&A 6:40-7:10 PM: Uh, is this a good idea? Examining the viability of reusable AI prompt-based workflows for developers 7:10-7:15 PM: Q&A 7:15-7:35 PM: Debugging your Kubernetes Cluster when it's on fire. 7:35-7:40 PM: Q&A 7:40-8:00 PM: Q&A, networking and wrap up **Talk 1: Observability Sidequests! - Eldin from Grafana** Eldin will demo some of his personal use dashboards, like monitoring his 3D printer and household CO2 and temperature sensors. **Eldin** helps people make sense of their systems through better observability. He's spent years in support, services, and advisory roles, so he knows what it really takes to make tech work in the real world. These days, he's all about helping teams solve modern observability challenges and systems that actually make life easier. **Talk 2: Uh, is this a good idea? Examining the viability of reusable AI prompt-based workflows for developers - Adriana - Dynatrace** It’s tempting to throw AI onto everything we do these days. But do we have to? Can we be lazy enough to tell our AI assistant to set up our local developer tooling for us with just some well-constructed prompts, without having to rely on our platform engineering friends? Can we achieve the Star Trek dream of saying, “Computer, run level 10 diagnostic.” and the computer would just know? And could it be repeatable and shareable? This talk explores the developer's journey of creating a natural-language, reusable prompt-based workflow with Block's Codename Goose to provision a local development environment. Attendees will learn about: \* MCP and Goose \* The target demo workflow \* Challenges faced, and key takeaways Attendees will also come away with an understanding of the possibilities and limits of creating reusable prompt-based workflows, answering the question: can developers self-provision tools using natural language? And just because they CAN, SHOULD THEY? **Adriana Villela** is a blogger, host of the Geeking Out podcast, CNCF Ambassador, and maintainer of the OpenTelemetry End User SIG. By day, she focuses on Observability and OpenTelemetry, as a Principal Developer Advocate at Dynatrace. By night, she climbs walls. She also loves capybaras, because they make her happy. **Talk 3: Debugging your Kubernetes Cluster when it's on fire - Nikola Grcevski - Grafana** Imagine you have a Kubernetes cluster that’s hosting some number of services, perhaps these services are written in different programming languages, perhaps there are some databases in the cluster too. Now, imagine that this cluster is intermittently experiencing errors and it’s not easy to tell what’s going on. In this talk I will show you how you can add detailed telemetry immediately to a problematic production environment cluster, without any changes to your existing cluster configuration or applications, with the new OpenTelemetry eBPF Instrumentation project. We’ll show you how you’ll be able to get insights into what’s wrong with your cluster or services, by leveraging on-demand distributed traces and connectivity graphs, even if it’s the first time you have heard the term OpenTelemetry. **Nikola Grcevski** has worked as a software engineer for more than 20 years, mostly in the field of compilers, managed runtimes and performance optimization. Most recently he's working on low level application instrumentation with eBPF at Grafana Labs.

| February 9, 2026 | | ---------------- | | Send me an email to let me know you are joining us at: | pcalleri@thegaap\.net \| **The CPA Toronto Accounting Group Presents a Casual Get Together** for a few of us to get together, network, learn, have a few laughs, share ideas, make new friends. become more successful etc. I will put a very casual agenda together, but the goal is having a good time. I tried to find a venue that is easy to get to. It is near the 401 and DVP. We will meet at: Swiss Chalet **[Address](https://www.google.ca/search?sca_esv=197713b87bf2beb1&sca_upv=1&sxsrf=ADLYWIKmSo8ztb94J6BUHqec-EeQUWwHRw:1725296229930&q=the+queens+head+pub+scarborough+address&ludocid=4250126838100046784&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiS46qn3aSIAxUS5ckDHbw5GJQQ6BN6BAgrEAI):** 2555 Victoria Park Ave, Scarborough Our reservation is made under Paul. I look forward to seeing you. PS Seats are limited, let me know you are attending; quickly. Send me an email to let me know you are joining us. pcalleri@thegaap.net Sincerely yours, Paul Calleri, Founder of TheGAAP.net, TheGAAP.netCareers, and the CPA Toronto Accounting Group

\#\# Details \*\*This is a paid event, please register via our Luma Page. You need to have a ticket in order to attend this event: https://luma.com/sales-toronto-feb-9-2026 **Join TechTO for engaging conversations with leaders in tech and sales** Sales Toronto is the ultimate gathering for founders, sales leaders, and ambitious professionals who want to elevate their sales game, drive revenue, and build high-performing teams. This event goes beyond theory - it’s about sharing real stories, practical strategies, and proven tactics from people who have been in the trenches and come out stronger. You’ll hear from top sales experts, fast-growing startup founders, and seasoned executives on topics like scaling outbound strategies, closing bigger deals, building resilient teams, and navigating the evolving B2B sales landscape. TechTO is more than just great content, it’s a community. Expect plenty of networking opportunities to meet like-minded peers, exchange ideas, and spark collaborations that could take your business or career to the next level. **Featured speakers:** [Kirsten Schmidtke](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirstenschmidtke/), Founder and Sales Coach of [Kirsten Schmidtke Coaching & Consulting](https://www.kirstenschmidtke.com/) [Paul Griffin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/griffinpaulm/), CEO & Co-Founder at[ The Sales Factory](https://www.thesalesfactory.com/) **More speakers will be announced soon! Stay tuned!**

Open mic for all Toronto performers! All performances welcome. Got good jokes? Pipes to sing or a poem to read? Maybe even a pet rock to show off! Join our open mic night and support other local artists! 7:30pm Sign up 8:00pm Show start 2848 Dundas St. W., down the laneway or through the restaurant House guitar available Check out [@sayheyhouse](https://www.instagram.com/sayheyhouse) on Instagram and [Eventbrite](https://www.eventbrite.ca/o/say-hey-house-118517669691) for more events! sayheyhouse@gmail.com

Join us for an unforgettable night of laughter and entertainment at Toronto's best Thursday comedy show! Get ready for a mix of stand-up comedy, open mic sessions, and hilarious sketches that will leave you in stitches. Whether you're a seasoned comedian or just looking for a fun night out, this event is perfect for anyone who appreciates the power of laughter. Come on down to our comedy club and enjoy a lineup of talented performers ready to showcase their comedic chops. From witty one-liners to side-splitting anecdotes, there's something for everyone at this comedy extravaganza. Don't miss out on the opportunity to kick back, relax, and let the healing power of humor wash over you. Grab your friends and join us for a night of non-stop laughs!

**Directions to the Room:** To find the room, once in Port Credit Arena at the main entrance, go up the stairs, room is on the left. Room is labelled Credit Room South. **Event Description:** This is an informal improv workshop where we get together to play games and scenes similar to those in Whose Line is it Anyways: https://youtu.be/KF3D2TMUhN8. If you want to boost your acting chops or are just looking for some silly fun, this is the place to be! There are usually 10-20 people. The session starts with introductions, followed by group games then finishes with audience/performance sessions. Max capacity is 35 and spots are held based on how soon you sign up. See you there! **Payment** The price is $10 per person (interac only!) to help cover the costs of running the event. I can only accept interac e-transfer since at Mississauga facilities I'm not allowed to take cash. We start by 7:10 please make sure to come on time. P.S - We usually grab dinner/drinks at one of Port Credit's fabulous nearby bars or restaurants after the session. Everyone's welcome!

**Ideas Worth Saying Out Loud — Practice Session** Do you get nervous before speaking in meetings, presentations, or on stage? You’re not alone — and you don’t have to let fear hold you back. In this session, our gentle focus is: **Feeling Less Nervous on Stage**. Using **improv-inspired exercises** and small group activities, we’ll explore ways to: * Reduce stage anxiety and nervous energy * Speak with more confidence and presence * Express your ideas clearly, even when you feel nervous * Practice breathing, pausing, and grounding yourself before speaking No experience with public speaking or improv is needed. You can participate at your own pace and speak as much or as little as you want. This is a **safe, low-pressure environment** designed to help you feel calmer, more present, and more yourself on stage. **Come join us, practice speaking out loud, and take the first step toward speaking with confidence.**

Drama Class: Exploring the Shadow 📅 February 13, 2026 | ⏱️ 2 hours | 8:15 – 9:45 pm 👥 Small group (5–7 people) | 💰 35 CAD | 📍 Location: 509 Bloor St W, 2nd Floor, Toronto, ON M5S 1Y2 I warmly invite you to a drama-therapy–inspired workshop exploring the shadow—often called our “dark side”—including emotions such as anger, fear, sadness, fear, hatred, and despair. Using characters, monologues, scenes, object work, and guided exploration, we’ll learn how to meet and express these inner states rather than suppress or be controlled by them. While we explore shadow, we’ll also journey toward your Light side—the compassionate, patient, self-aware, and wise aspects of you that support clarity and peace of mind. The session begins with centering, grounding, and safety-building, connecting with the pure consciousness within as a stable foundation for the work. You’re welcome to bring an object, poem, monologue, character, theme, or scene, or request a suggested one. This workshop is for you if you want to: • Befriend your shadow while integrating shadow and light • Regulate strong emotions and inner conflicts with greater awareness • Explore fears, doubts, and relationships creatively and meaningfully Session structure includes: 1. Trust- and safety-building, centering, and connection 2. Physical, emotional, and vocal warm-up with object work 3. Personal theme exploration, reflection, integration, and closing Facilitation approach: I create a safe, inclusive, welcoming—yet courageous—environment, inviting exploration without judgment, prejudice, or bias. Care, consent, curiosity, and respect guide the process. Facilitator: Nikolai Afanasev — educator, learning experience designer, and actor. MEd in Curriculum, Pedagogy, Wellbeing & Contemplative Education (University of Toronto, OISE). 7+ years of meditation practice; facilitated 400+ workshops and 25+ retreats across Ontario and Québec. Not a licensed therapist; currently working toward accreditation. 📩 DM me to touch base about your theme, request suggested material, or reserve a spot. Warm wishes, Nikolai

Eventbrite Link: **[https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/769789610447?aff=oddtdtcreator](https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/769789610447?aff=oddtdtcreator)** **Saturday night sizzles with top-tier laughs! Join us at 10PM for Toronto's premier stand-up comedy showcase. An unforgettable weekend awaits** Elevate your Saturday nights with Toronto's comedy elite! Join us at 10 PM for a captivating showcase at Backroom Comedy Club. Experience an evening of top-tier stand-up, laughter, and unforgettable moments. Reserve your seat now for the ultimate weekend entertainment!

Eventbrite Link: **[https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/769805277307?aff=oddtdtcreator](https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/769805277307?aff=oddtdtcreator)** **Laugh out loud every Thursday at 10 PM! Dynamic duo comedy at Backroom. Toronto's best stand-up. Hilarious night out!** Embark on a laughter-filled journey every Thursday at 10 PM with Toronto's premier Dynamic Duo Comedy Showcase at Backroom Comedy Club. Immerse yourself in the wit of local stand-up talent, promising a hilariously unforgettable night out. Join the laughter movement and experience comedy excellence at its best. Secure your seat now!

**Comedy Night + Open Mic + Freestyle**: We've hired a professional comedian to warm the group up for our open mic session. Members have been making me laugh for years and we've tossed around the idea of a comedy night / open mic. Well, It's time to step up and crack me up. We'll start with Tristan Shae and a couple of his friends. Tristan is an alternative comic from Columbus, Ohio. A counselor by day, Tristan explores how comedy can improve mental health by telling jokes and stories that muse on how absurd life can be from squeaky clean topics to not so clean ones. Tristan produces the variety show Cheaper Than Therapy, hosts the weekly Problem Child Alt Comedy Open Mic at The Attic, and can be found engaging in all sorts of silliness around the city from stand up shows at The Nest Theater, The Attic, or The Funny Bone, to improv and sketch shows with various groups at various venues such as The Hashtag Comedy Club. **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** *Your Hilliard Wine Club Host*

Whether you've never done improv before, or you've done it for so long you knew Del Close on a personal level, or anywhere in between, come join us! Swing by *Gresso's* for the **Columbus Improv Comedy Meetup** for some fun and games! The idea behind improv is to create entire scenes from scratch based on a suggestion from the audience. This can be done in game form, like *Whose Line Is It Anyway*, *ComedySportz*, or *Wild 'n Out*; it could also be done to tell stories, like *Middleditch and Schwartz*. Our meetup, which is central Ohio's longest running (and free!) weekly comedy event, brings the games (and occasionally different forms) for you to play in a safe, supportive, and compassionate environment. Not only is it a lot of fun, but you get to work on thinking faster on your feet, plus it's an excellent way to meet new people and make friendships that'll last a lifetime! Ask yourself if you want to join the **Columbus Improv Comedy Meetup**, and say "Yes, And" that you'll have fun!

The topic for February is "Transitions" 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!

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

Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at 7:00pm on Wednesday, February 11 at Streetlight Guild. Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done. **SCHEDULE:** 6:45ish - Quick introductions 7:00 - Timer starts: write for 1 hour 8:00 - The End **OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING** happens before and after the writing hour. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing. **BEING LATE IS OKAY:** just show up and get settled! If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer. Happy writing & I look forward to seeing you at Streetlight Guild! **WHAT SHOULD I BRING?** Whatever you need to be able to write! You're welcome to bring earplugs/headphones if noise will bother you! **OTHER IMPORTANT DETAILS:** * **RSVP:** Please RSVP by 6:00pm the evening of the meeting. This helps me know how many to expect, and if we'll need additional space! * **COVID:** While masks are not required, please be mindful of the other writers around you and their comfort levels. * **WIFI/OUTLETS:** Outlets are limited, so please ensure your devices are charged when you come! But Streetlight Guild does have free WiFi! Yay! * **PARKING:** There is free public parking at Streetlight Guild.

**WHAT**: Free Improv Drop-in. No experience needed / beginner friendly! (18+ for now; plans for a "kids and parents" drop-in are in the works - any of those parents who are interested and want to drop suggestions for times/days in the comments are welcome to) **DATE, TIME, & PLACE:** Sunday February 15th, 1:30pm - 3pm, Delaware Library - Community Room (84 E Winter St, Delaware, OH 43015) **WHAT TO BRING:** Punctuality, yourself, a good attitude, and a willingness to have fun and be a bit silly and goofy around others. That's it! **WHAT THIS IS:** A time for fun and exploration. We're going to do improv warm-up exercises and play silly improv games. Think of it as "dipping your toe" into improv comedy. **WHAT THIS IS NOT:** Deep improv training with scene work; a place of judgement or worrying what others think; a place where you're expected to know what you're doing. Please mention in the comments if you're planning on attending or use the "attending/interested" functions; it really helps me plan the class depending on the amount of people participating. Feel free to comment / spread the word / message me if you have any questions. Thanks!

We'll meet at The Capital One Café, 167 Easton Town Center, Space A-103. This is in the main mall where the Microsoft store used to be, on your left if you're standing at the bottom of the AMC Theater escalator. Join us on Sunday for an hour of uninterrupted wordmaking! • What we'll do Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at noon on Sundays. Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done. SCHEDULE: 12:00 - quick intros. 12:10 - timer starts: write for 1 hour. 1:10 - chat / take off / keep writing. OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING happens at 1-1:30ish. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing. BEING LATE IS OKAY: just show up and get settled, then check-in with me after the session. If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer. Happy writing and I look forward to seeing you! • What to bring Whatever you need to be able to write! Bring earbuds/earplugs if you want to block noise or the occasional conversation by other patrons. Electrical outlets are limited, so charge your devices before whenever possible. See you at The Café on Sunday!