Russian Language Exchange

* This is a Free Walking Tour. Participants are welcome to join and pay what they want at the end of the experience. Cash is appreciated but PayPal also works. * We will walk around 5 km in the centre of Brussels, please plan accordingly to the weather and your particular needs. It is also advised to arrive 10 minutes in advance so we can start on time. * The explanations will be done in English. * An informative booklet will be provided to the participants so they can get a better sense of what they are looking at during each stop. **Did you know that there is a neighbourhood in Brussels where a funeral was held to celebrate Hitler's death?** Unlike many major European cities, Brussels suffered relatively little destruction to its infrastructure and historical heritage during Nazi Germany ocupation, yet its citizens did not escape suffering. Ordinary people had to find ways not only to survive, but also to keep alive the hope that freedom would one day return. Beyond the delicious beer and perfectly cooked fries, Brussels hides many stories of resistance, bravery, and sacrifice. This tour was created to give voice to those stories, which form a compelling testimony of a city that stood tall in the face of hatred and death. Walking around the city center, I will introduce you to some of the main places that marked the **Nazi presence in Brussels.** We will explore how black markets flourished in response to scarcity and hunger, how Nazi propaganda spread through the city, and the risks some people took to shelter persecuted Jews and save them from extermination. By the end of the tour, participants will leave with a richer, more human understanding of the EU’s capital city.

**PLEASE READ THE ATTENDANCE POLICY (below) IF IT'S YOUR FIRST TIME** **SUNDAY COFFEE & JAPANESE CONVERSATION** 日曜日のコーヒー＆日本語会話 Our "Japanese/English Conversation Exchange" offers you a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of Japanese culture and language, all while helping native Japanese members to learn their target language. 私たちの「日本語/英語会話交流」は、日本の文化と言語の世界に没頭しながら、ネイティブの日本人メンバーが英語、フランス語、またはオランダ語を学ぶのを手助けするユニークな機会を提供します。 **Date: /** 日付：**(almost) every Sunday** **Time: /** 時間：**from 4.00 pm to 6.00 pm** **Location: /** 場所：**Cafe Caberdouche - Place de la Liberté 8, 1000 Bruxelles** **Venue Note: /** 会場の注意：**The manager of the cafe kindly accepted us to book a table on a regular basis. To thank him for his kindness, please order AT LEAST ONE DRINK**. カフェのマネージャーが親切にも私たちに定期的にテーブルを予約することを承諾してくださいました。その親切に感謝の意を示すために、少なくとも1杯のドリンクを注文してください。 **Location Assistance: /** 場所の案内：**If you can't find us, ask one of the waiters. They know where we are :) You can also send us a message.** 私たちを見つけられない場合は、ウェイターの一人に尋ねてください。彼らは私たちがどこにいるか知っています :) メッセージも送っていただけます。 **Event Agenda: /** イベントのアジェンダ： * **4:00 PM - 6:00 PM: JAPANESE CONVERSATION** \- Join us for the Japanese conversation and cultural exploration\. Beginners are welcome / 日本語会話 \- 最初の30分は日本語の会話と文化探求に充てられています。初心者も聞くだけでも歓迎です。30分後に参加しても構いません。多言語交換 \- ベルギーの多様性を体験し、ネイティブの日本人メンバーが英語、フランス語、またはオランダ語を学びたいと熱心に待っています。さまざまな言語で異文化交流の会話に参加しましょう。私たちの日本の友人にベルギーの文化、伝統、生活を紹介しましょう。 * **6:00 PM: EVENT CONCLUSION** \- Please respect the event's start and end times to maximize your language exchange opportunities\. Your participation and enthusiasm are appreciated\! イベントの終了 \- イベントの開始時間と終了時間を尊重して、言語交換の機会を最大限に活用してください。参加と熱意に感謝します！ **Attendance Policy: --->** 以下の日本語 * We're excited to have you join our events and appreciate your commitment to learning and growing together. To ensure a productive and enjoyable experience for all participants, please take note of our attendance policy: 1. **Punctuality:** Please arrive on time for scheduled events. Late arrivals can disrupt the flow of the event and may miss important information. 2. **Language Commitment:** If you sign up for language-specific sessions, such as Japanese conversation or language exchange, we kindly request your commitment to actively participate in that language for the designated duration. 3. **Respect:** Treat fellow participants, organizers, and cafe staff with respect and courtesy. Harassment or disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. 4. **Removal Policy:** A participant who is not respectful towards other members will be removed from the group and blocked, with no warning. This point is not negotiable. 5. **Cancellation:** If you are unable to attend an event you've registered for, please let us know as soon as possible. This helps us plan accordingly and allows others to take your place if there's a waitlist. 6. **No-Show Policy:** Three no-shows (failing to attend without prior notice) may result in restrictions on event registration to ensure fairness to other participants. By attending our events, you agree to adhere to these guidelines. We aim to create a welcoming and inclusive environment where everyone can learn and connect. Thank you for being part of our community! **出席ポリシー：** 私たちは、イベントに参加していただけることを楽しみにしており、皆さんが一緒に学び成長することに取り組んでいただけることを感謝しています。すべての参加者が生産的で楽しい経験をするために、出席ポリシーにご留意ください： 1. 時間厳守：予定されたイベントには時間通りにお越しください。遅刻はイベントの流れを乱し、重要な情報を見逃す可能性があります。日本語のみのセッションは午後4時、全言語のセッションは午後4時30分開始です。 2. 言語へのコミットメント：日本語会話や言語交換など、特定の言語のセッションに登録された場合は、その言語での積極的な参加をお願いします。 3. 尊重：他の参加者、主催者、カフェのスタッフには敬意と礼儀をもって接してください。嫌がらせや迷惑行為は許容されません。 4. 退場ポリシー：他のメンバーに対して敬意を持たない参加者は、警告なしにグループから削除され、ブロックされます。このポイントは交渉の余地がありません。 5. キャンセル：登録したイベントに参加できない場合は、できるだけ早くお知らせください。これにより、他の人があなたの代わりを取ることができます。 6. ノーショーポリシー：事前の通知なしに3回のノーショー（欠席）がある場合は、他の参加者に公平になるようイベントの登録に制限がかかる場合があります。 私たちのイベントに参加することで、これらのガイドラインに従うことに同意するものとします。私たちはみなさんが学び、つながることができるように歓迎される包括的な環境を作り出すことを目指しています。コミュニティの一部としてご参加いただき、ありがとうございます！ **Note: Please stay tuned to our event page for updates and schedule changes. We can't wait to see you there and exchange languages, cultures, and stories!** 備考：更新やスケジュールの変更については、イベントページをご覧ください。そこで皆さんにお会いして、言語や文化、物語を交換できるのを楽しみにしています！

Hey Brussels Sprouts!! **Our Language Exchange Event is coming up!! 🌍** We will have five language tables: **French, Dutch, English, Spanish, and Italian.** Each table will host around **2–5 participants**, **Participants rotate every 15–30 minutes** and you are welcome to move freely between tables to practice different languages. Native speakers are especially encouraged to join and share their language and culture! **Contribution to Our Events** Starting this year, we kindly ask participants to contribute in one of the following ways: **€5** per event, or **€40** annual membership fee If you feel like supporting us beyond this, to help people who can’t afford it, you are very welcome to do so 💛 If the contribution is a concern for you, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us directly 😉 **These contributions will help us:** * Cover the annual Meetup platform fee * Encourage everyone to respect RSVPs (We experienced a high number of no-shows at several events last year, which made organization more difficult.) * We will donate 10% collected fees to support Queer oriented organisations in the end of the year. Bank details: Yifei Yang BE12363234512492 Communication: your name+ event/membership **To make sure your spot is reserved, please complete your registration once you sign up.** We will prioritize those who have completed the registration process. Thank you very much for your understanding and cooperation. **Cheers!** 🥂 Brussels Sprouts 🇧🇪🥬💚

What's up Friends! 👋 Let’s catch up over a cup of ☕️ (or whatever drink 🍵 or bite 🍪🍰🥐 inspires you in the moment). Where: Leopold PDN. This café may be a bit of a challenge to find on rainy days 🌧️☔️, but that's how adventures begin, right? 😂 Well, don't wait until you get hopelessly lost - text me here before you start cursing google maps 🗺️. The idea: Join the table once you've grabbed your order - mandatory! We'll kick-off with a light intro and move over to topics like activities, travel, music... At some point, if we are feeling it, we may also play some games. We will speak mostly English and French. Any other language is a bonus: 🌍🎭💃🎶🎷🤹🏻🤖 🎲 Games: No giant boards that end up in coffee spills please. Only light, short and fun games (generally card games like uno or exploding kittens💥🐱 will fit). I will bring a game or two myself, however feel free to bring along any of your own favorites. ⏱Timing: We start at 15:00, and you’re welcome to join at any time and for as long as you want. Joining later? Just let me know in advance in the chat so we keep a seat available for you 😊 🚦If you find yourself on the waiting list but you absolutely want to join or if you have any other question - feel free to contact me directly via the chat. 📢 Further details may be shared via the group chat or via DM 💬. Make sure to check your messages 👀 at least on the day before the event to avoid missing critical 🙄 announcements. 🐈‍⬛ The Friends Code:
👉No formalities - just chill 😎
👉Respect and positive vibes, if not 💥🥊 👉Can’t make it? Cancel so someone on the waitlist can grab your spot 🙏 👉 Don't show up if you are on the waiting list. See you folks! 😉

Let's read and discuss non-fiction together. In **March** we will be discussing "Your Inner Fish: a Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body" by Neil Shubin. For more information about the book check out goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1662160.Your_Inner_Fish How it works: - 10-15min Introduction round - 1 - 1,5h Free discussion around the book - 10min selection of the next book. (We will vote between three possible books. I bring two suggestions and we select a third one from the group. So if there is a book you like to discuss feel free to put it forward.) Don't worry if you cannot finish it in time. Just join us for a coffee or tea and a good conversation. :) Happy reading!

Let's meet to write ! Schedule : 11:00 - 11:30 am : Presentation tour. Share briefly with the group about your project and your "goal of the day". 11:30 - 13:30 : Let's write ! 13:30 : Conclusion tour. Did you achieve your goal of the day ? See you soon !

Welcome to our weekly event in the upstairs room of The Sister Café, rue Chair et Pain 3, one block from the Grand Place. Please get there early enough to order your drink at the bar first. Thank you! After introductions we will collect questions from the group participants, choose one by voting then discuss it for an hour. Then most of us stay for drinks and bizarre conversations. Past questions have been wide and not confined to academic philosophy: What is a genuine friend? Is social media turning us into emotional zombies? Do we lose some of the experience of things by defining them? Are we driven by sex? Is loneliness a personal failure? Is morality relative? **Crucially, be kind and respectful and generous** in your disagreements; remember how much you personally enjoy someone else proving you wrong before celebrating your cutting counterexamples.

Join us for some friendly Badminton games- all levels welcome! IMPORTANT- in order to secure your place you’ll need to both book a spot on Meetup AND pay €8 by Friday morning. This is to make sure we can cancel courts if demand isn’t there, and make sure we’re being fair to people on the waitlist. Refunds will only be possible after Friday AM if another player is definitely able to take your spot Always worth joining our W’app group as well for faster, often better, updates! https://chat.whatsapp.com/GXq4WSg5QVqGelLpAzfbHG?mode=hq1tcli

Hello! This is a meet-up to play tennis from 2 pm to 4 pm on Sunday. Meeting is on the courts. The courts are booked under the name Jean-Marc. This event is for intermediate and advanced players and not organised for novice players or beginners. Please make sure to bring the exact sum of 10 € in cash. The event is non-commercial. This sum covers the cost of the courts reserved. The organizer is not there to make money out of you. Ladies are encouraged to join. If anyone wants to drop out, they should do it on Saturday morning, not on Sunday the day of the meetup, another wise it would be too late to find a replacement in time or to cancel a court in time with reimbursement. If you don't do this, you will be asked by the organizer to reimburse your participation fee. If this happens too late then those who have cancelled after Saturday morning will have to cover the extra cost for reserving the courts. In the past meetups, it happened too many times that we were an oneven number and because of that all those present had less fun to play. If you don't show up without giving a written excuse in time, the first future participation will be cancelled and you will be asked to reimburse the participation fee. If it happens too many times you will not be able to participate anymore. In case if we are an uneven number of players, then the last player (except the host of course who has to collect the money) can leave or persuade other players to play with him or her. Of course if the last player leaves, then he or she doesn't have to pay the participation fee. If this player leaves, he or she will be added on a future event by the host or organizer in the participation list if the player is far away in the waiting list. This is the advantage of leaving on a voluntary basis;-). We operate on the principle of Fair Play as we do not have umpires or referees. Any disputes or disagreements over line calls or scores should be resolved immediately on the court and, when agreement is not possible, the point or game should be replayed. To be able to replay the game, 3 players need to agree on that without manipulation of the one who disputes an entire game, anotherwise injustice could occur where in the end possibly the biggest cheater could win... This situation applies also, if the host or the organizer is involved. When one of the players still doesn't accept this compromise, then it should be reported (meetup message by preference) to the organizer or host of the meetup event. One of the consequences could be that the first upcoming event could be cancelled by the organizer for the player who doesn't comply with the compromise to play the point or the game again. If the same player does that again for a second time, then the person will see 4 of his next tennis meetups cancelled. If this happens a third time with the same player, then the player in question will be banned from all future tennis meetups with an exclusion as a final result. Whenever there is a big problem, it should be reported as well to the organizer of the group so he can, if necessary, take actions to improve the situation for all the players. Please also note that if you are the first on the waiting list, you will automatically be moved up to the attendance list if someone pulls out. So if you are on the waiting list and see that you cannot attend, please also change your status to not going. If you would like to organize a meet up either this week or next week please get in touch with me, my name is Jean-Marc. It will depend on your initiatives to create more tennis meetups per week.

Spring is doing its yearly cameo in Brussels, so we’re stealing the good weather for a **garden BBQ**: grill smoke, laughs, games of cards, new friends, and language switching mid-sentence like civilized chaos. The goal is easy language practice, meeting new people, and having a good time. This is a **bring & share** setup: you show up with something tasty, you leave with new words, new people ### **The vibe** * Backyard BBQ, relaxed and social * Language exchange baked into the night (talk, eat, switch languages, repeat) * Cultural food is strongly encouraged: bring your “this is what we eat at home” item ### **Languages** Host are fluent in **English, Italian, French, Spanish**, **Tamoul, German.** If you speak anything else, bring it. We collect languages like Pokémon. ### **What to bring (Bring & Share)** * Food + drinks for you **AND** something to share * Bonus points for something from your culture * If you’re bringing veggie stuff, make it something people actually want to eat. ### **If you don’t want to bring food** Message the host in WhatsApp. You can pay a **small fee** instead and still eat like a functional adult. ### **Contribution** **€2 per person** to cover wood/charcoal. Yes, even in 2026 humans still pay for fire. ### **Location (shared privately)** The address is shared **only** with confirmed RSVPs who: 1. Join the CLUB WhatsApp chat 2. Send a quick intro: first name + languages + what you’re into WhatsApp link: https://chat.whatsapp.com/F2hTxZ4TT3hHICiihX1Efy ### **Rules (because humans)** * **Not a dating meetup.** * This is not an “NPC meetup” where everyone tiptoes around like they’re negotiating a hostage release. People can talk freely and share opinions. **No censorship, no tone-policing, no drama farming.** * **No creeps. No harassment. No pushing after a “no.” No weird DMs.** * Respect the host’s home, neighbors, and the group. * If you act shady, you’re out. Simple.

⚠️ **IMPORTANT: You must sign up and buy a ticket here to attend:** [https://groupvibe.com/](https://groupvibe.com/) **This is a curated, small-group meetup make new friends in Brussels.** Each meetup brings together 4–6 like-minded people for casual conversations over brunch. We use the Groupvibe platform to organize and ensure everyone’s a good fit. 👉 **To attend, you’ll need to complete registration via this link:** [https://groupvibe.com](https://groupvibe.com) Once you register, and **buy a ticket or become a Groupvibe member**, we’ll share the exact location and match you with your group. **Why this works:** \* Smaller groups make real conversations easier \* Matching helps avoid awkward dynamics **Note:** RSVPs here on Meetup don’t reflect total attendance. Many attendees register directly via our website. This meetup is organized by **Groupvibe**, a small team passionate about helping people form meaningful friendships offline.

Let's continue the tradition and play UNO, everybody is welcome :) If you're on the waitlist please check your messages, especially on Sunday. If people drop off last minute I tend to message people on the waitlist to see who can come. We'll be playing at the lobby of Radisson RED, Brussels. The address of the hotel is: Rue d'Idalie 35, 1050 Bruxelles My number is 0471 45 55 02. Feel free to call if you cannot solve a physics question, cannot find the place or simply need a hug. I have quickly written a set of rules on how we play. It is assumed that the reader has a basic concept of the game. *** Setup: * Each player starts with 6 or 7 cards each (depending on total number of players) * A card is shown in play in the middle of everyone, this is known as the top card. Goal: * The goal of the game for each player is to get rid of all cards in your hand Rules: * Whenever you go from two cards to one card, you have to say "UNO". * Each player takes his turn one by one, initially going in the clock-wise direction * A card may be played if it matches the same colour or same number or same type as the top card in play * The two black cards (Draw 4 and Wild) can be played regardless of the top card in play. * Interruption rule: You may interrupt the general flow of the game (clockwise or counter-clockwise) if you have the EXACT same card as the top card in play. If you manage to play the card prior to the person whose turn it's supposed to be, then the game continues on from you in the same direction it was previously. (Unless the reverse card was interrupted, then the direction changes). * Draw2 or Draw4 cards can be played in accordance to the interruption rule. The following person after the interrupt has to take the accumulated number of cards. If however, cards have already been drawn AND seen by the person who was supposed to take the cards, then only the remainder of cards has to be drawn. * Once someone has no cards remaining in his hand, play stops and we start counting points. Points: * Number cards have the face value as the number of points. i.e. number 6 is worth 6 points, number 0 is worth 0 points, number 4 is worth 4 points. * Skip, reverse and Draw2 are worth 20 points each * Wild and draw4 are worth 50 points each

**About the session** This is a curated mixed doubles of Intermediate and Advanced levels. It’s an invitational group, no beginners or casual/amateur play. We balance courts for pace and quality. New and Interested in being part of our group? Join here, https://chat.whatsapp.com/KqdVhyuBhFz1d56lv4WVVi Please Direct Message the Organizer with your level. Approval is required before your first RSVP. **Format & level** * Competitive mixed doubles match play with quick rotations * Self-umpired with rally scoring to 21. * We may adjust pairings to keep games balanced. **Shuttles** We provide Yonex Mavis 2000 (Medium, Yellow) match-grade nylon shuttles. Please don’t mix in other shuttles during games. **Other Info** * We’ll post exact court numbers in the WhatsApp group before each session. Check on the day. * To secure your spot, RSVP on Meetup and complete payment by thursday evening (RSVP deadline). Unpaid RSVPs may be moved to the Waitlist so we can release/adjust courts fairly. * Waitlist: If enabled, members may be promoted automatically as spots open. So check regularly for the latest update. **House rules** * Shoes: Clean, non-marking indoor shoes only. * Timing: Arrive 10 minutes early for warm-up and court assignment. Running late? DM the Organizer. * Etiquette: Call lines fairly, rotate quickly, and mind court boundaries. No Aggressive language. * Gear: Bring your racket, water, and a towel. shuttles are provided. **Contact** Questions or first-time approval requests? DM the Organizer with your playing level and availability.

The aim of this group is to get together and practice our German. Doesn’t matter if are a beginner or a native speaker. The goal is to speak and improve our German. Everyone is welcome! If the weather is good, look for us in the Biergarten. Pro Tip: Get there before 6:00 for happy hour pricing.

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. 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."

Hey Everyone! Let's meet at Belle's Bread Bakery and Cafe. There is lots of free parking and easy access to the cafe and many shops and restaurants as well. This is a great way to meet new and old friends while chatting about life and practicing English language speaking skills. All are welcome and encouraged to join us anytime between 11am and 1pm. Looking forward to seeing you soon.

We thought of one of the interesting things that can be enjoyed at this time of the year. We will be meeting at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church for a "Fish Fry" in Marian Hall on Friday, March 27th at 5:00 PM. It might be fun for you to experience what has become a tradition on the Fridays before Easter. They will have fried fish or baked fish, French fries and Cole slaw, as well as beverages, all for $16.00 for adults. They will have other beverages and desserts available for sale, as well. We have never tried this, and sometimes there are quite a few people at these events so we hope that we will be able to find each other easily. I'll try to have signs outside Marian Hall that Identify our group. We hope to have you join us!

Bienvenue! Columbus French Conversation group invites you to our Saturday morning French conversation club. Expect a casual and welcoming atmosphere in which to learn french! I will bring my laptop so we can look up new vocabulary as needed! The venue is a beautiful French restaurant so you can really get into the zone :)

While some are still meeting online, this is an in person event. Please note that we have attendees of all levels of speaking, including some native speakers. All are welcome! Also, as we meet at the same time and place each week, many don’t RSVP on the app, so we will likely have more attendees than noted here. Note: if you are asked to pay and upgrade the Meetup app, this is not necessary. You can ignore this and still attend our meetings.

Ciao a tutt\*! Let's meet Monday at 6.30pm at the Upper Arlington Library (**Tremont** Branch) in **Meeting Room A** to speak in Italian for 1 hour. Keeping Monday for consistency but we can discuss if there are better days/times/locations!