Open Mic

Reading with Friends is Fun! Join us after work for a relaxing evening of silent reading. The perfect opportunity to unwind, immerse ourselves in our favourite books, and enjoy the company of fellow book lovers. We kindly ask everyone to buy at least one drink to support the venue. Schedule 19:00 -19:15: Say hi and briefly share something about the books we are going to read 19:15 - 20:00: Silent reading time 20:00 - 20:30: After reading chat • If you're late, please join the silent reading session first. We can catch up when the session's over. :) • We’ll be upstairs, you can identify the group by spotting people with books 📕 PS: If there's a last-minute change of venue due to unforeseen circumstances, the most updated information will be posted in the event's comment section. PS2 We’re introducing a new RSVP rule for our bookclub due to recent last minute cancellations: If you change your RSVP to "No" less than 24 hours before the event or do not show up on the day, you won’t be allowed to join the next one. Of course if you have a valid reason, DM me. PS3: Bring a warm jacket to this session because the aircon in Chagee is quite cold 🥶 Looking forward to a lovely night of reading.

Given the development potential of the Middle East market, an increasing number of Hong Kong enterprises are turning their attention to this region that blends tradition and modernity. As the Middle East comprises countries with diverse legal systems, religious cultures, and institutional frameworks, understanding the current conditions of local markets and intellectual property (IP) protection requirements is crucial for a successful market entry. In this seminar, an expert will provide an overview of the business environment and current IP systems in the Middle East (such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar). The seminar will also cover key application practices and dispute resolution mechanisms, with a view to assisting SMEs in expanding into the region steadily and sustainably. Register Now: [LINK](https://www.success.tid.gov.hk/success_enews/flyer/Flyer_20260521_Eng.pdf)

This is our second rehearsal for our ifc performance on 11/12/2016

I think we've passed our 24th month mark now, we lost track! Our drinks night's unique point is NO PRESSURE. Everyone is just chilling, learning, and empathetic and supportive to each other's AI journey, wherever they currently are at. So, join our monthly networking drinks night: MERAKIS DRINKS Whether you are working on an AI project, learning about it, or simply curious about the scene, come make some new friends :) Simple as that Location: Acquasala italian restaurant, wine bar & cafe 13 Elgin St · Central, hk People who joined our previous events had come from all walks of life including entrepreneurs, finance and banking, data science, branding, marketing, architecture and UX, you name it! Come meet some new friends. Some had found cofounders, friends, even life partners from our event. It's the good vibes. All welcome, if you are new to our events, you will be even more warmly welcomed :) & Bring friends! More the merrier. Some questions you may like to ask other attendees when you meet them for the first time: \- How are you using AI in your daily life at this moment? \- What excites you the most about the new models of AI that came out most recently? \- What are you future plans in your AI exploration journey? Please note: \- If you attend our events\, we would assume it's ok to have you in our group photos :\) \- It's a Buy Your Own Drink situation :\) We are not commercially related to the venue and this is a non\-profit event\, we are friends who come together for a good chat\, please buy your own drink\! :\) \- Please don't sell us insurance XD it's not appropriate at this event\. \- If you have trouble finding us\, please reach Adeline via Adeline's LinkedIn https://www\.linkedin\.com/in/adelinechanhokming/ Follow us on ig [@merakis.ai](http://merakis.ai/) Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/merakisai Co-organizer Adeline's Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/adelinechanhokming

Join us for an Evening Art Session! 加入我們的晚間藝術時光! Take some time to relax and express yourself through art. This is a gentle, welcoming space where you can create, meet others, and feel at ease. 花些時間放鬆身心，透過藝術表達自我。這裡是溫馨而開放的空間，您可以在這裡創作、結識他人，並感到自在舒適。 🖌️ Details: 詳情： - Bring your own art materials; any medium is welcome. 請自備美術材料；任何媒材皆可。 - We will provide watercolor supplies for those who wish to use them. **Please let us know at least 1 day in advance.** 我們將提供水彩畫具，供有興趣者使用。請至少提前一天告知我們。 We hope to see you there. Everyone is welcome, regardless of experience level. 我們期待與您相會。無論經驗深淺，歡迎各位蒞臨。

$20 for 2 hours

Welcome back to Codeaholics in May! This time we have brought 2 interesting talks. Talk 1: **Introduction to the Ash Framework, Why I like it: efficiency in delivery** Speaker: Angy Lemaire Three years ago I stopped enjoying coding. Elixir and Ash reignited that joy because they make delivery faster, more predictable, and more confident. This talk walks through **4 delivery efficiency levers** built into Ash: centralized resources, resource-backed forms, explicit policies, and native multitenancy. Each lever reduces complexity, eliminates duplication, and moves feature work from glue code to business logic. Talk 2: **TrustedServer: Building the Zero-Trace VPN Infrastructure** Speaker: Marco A. Gutierrez, ExpressVPN Traditional VPN servers, relying on hard drives, inherently risk retaining sensitive user data, leaving it vulnerable to seizure, unauthorized access, or the persistent installation of malicious backdoors. This session introduces **TrustedServer Technology**, a fundamental shift in VPN server architecture designed to eliminate these vulnerabilities and establish a new standard for user privacy. Honourable Mention: **Rustacean Meetup Group** for helping us faciliate!

Dear Toastmasters & guests, \*Theme of the meeting: “Stay hungry, stay foolish” Please note that our **venue** is at: **20/F, Cubus, 1 Hoi Ping Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong** (Causeway stn exit F1 Jardine's Crescent 渣甸坊, 5-10 minutes walk to Cubus which is opposite to Lee Garden 3) Do you want to **improve your communication skills (both speaking and listening) in English** in your daily life? We have *prepared and impromptu speeches* in English during the meeting. **Evaluation** of the speeches will be given so that the speakers can *improve* their speeches continuously. Do come and enjoy the warm atmosphere and have a wonderful learning experience together with us! **All are welcome. *No guest fee is required.*** **See you then!**

One of its kind workshop integrating yoga, flower essence & singing bowl Clears Body & Mind Blockages Brings Clarity Supports Personal Evolution - incorporates flower essence & singing bowl vibration - semi-private class ensure 1-1 adjustments - designed for beginners and intermediate yogis Time: 10:30am to 12:30pm on 4 consecutive Saturdays Venue: LIVO @Wanchai Fee: $1,000 (8 hours training); $150 First time trial Material: 1 bottle of flower essence ($770) for use during class & at home Sign-up: 94363665 Whatsapp Instructor - Frances Tong

Language exchange@ My home Cafe Kindly at least pay for one drink item for the cafe owner . Please come up stairs to 3/F .

Meet in person and share your story about FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early). Please add my WeChat "martian2lee" to join our WeChat group. The time of this event is made up. We will discuss the time in our WeChat group. 面对面分享你的提前退休故事。 加我的微信“martian2lee”，进微信群。 活动的时间是虚构的。具体时间我们在微信群里讨论。

**General idea:** Join us for a relaxed people-drawing-people activity over coffee or a drink. Both newcomers and experienced participants are welcome to join. **💰 Price** : Only pay for your drink! We don't charge a fee. **✅ Guidelines**: * Bring your own paper, pencil, drawing tablet etc ✏️ * Greet the host(s)! * Buy yourself a drink (tea, coffee, sodas, etc) * Find a seat and start drawing your surroundings (especially the people). 📣 **Join our socials!** Follow [our official Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/people_drawing_people/) for event photos **@peopledrawingpeople** Grow the event by sharing your own drawings and tag us! 📸 **Photos** Hosts will also take descriptive shots of the event and your drawings to promote this meetup to new members outside. If you prefer not to appear in photographs just let them know. **[ Optional activities ]** For variety we may suggest optional activities which you can choose to participate in or not. These include volunteering as a model for the group, or partnering up with people for longer model/artist exchanges, skill sharing, etc.

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 May is "Ink" 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!

**Talk Description** 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.

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 Saturday 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 10AM on Saturday mornings. 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: 10:00 - SESSION 1: quick intros. 10:10 - timer starts: write for 1 hour. 11:10 - chat / take off / keep writing. OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING happens at 11A-11:30ish. 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. (I’ll be the person with the Shut Up & Write! sign.) 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 Saturday!

**Welcome to Drunken Philosophy** a casual, curious social discussion **Optional topic for this meetup: What's up with all the AI hate?** A recent survey found that 74% of Americans have a negative view of AI, and I want to know why. Come out and debate whether AI is good or bad. My hot take: a labor-saving tool that could potentially help cure cancer gets called dangerous because it might raise unemployment or cause a speculative investment bubble, that tells you a lot more about capitalism and the economic system we live under than it does about the tool itself. As a computer programmer, I think AI is a wonderful tool that has increased my productivity by at least an order of magnitude. I'd go so far as to say Claude Code is the best tool I have ever used. Debate me and name a better one. Is AI potentially dangerous? Yes, but so are a lot of tools. Chainsaws. Steam engines (early ones would occasionally explode and kill everyone in the room). Do you think cavemen sat around debating whether fire could be used as a weapon or for self-harm, and decided not to discover it? I have two friends who hate AI for opposite reasons: one thinks it's a fad and not useful, and the other thinks it's going to take over everything and cause human extinction. Come out tonight, have a friendly debate, and make some friends. No lectures. Friendly crowd. Drop in for one drink and stay if it's fun.