Search, Information Retrieval

Who is in the mood for some quiet togetherness while catching up on their reading while these new year’s resolutions are still fresh on our minds 😀? Come to our Reading in Companionable Silence meeting on Saturday 17th. Nathania will welcome members and there is time to socialize and to order some food or a beverage - ca. 30 min. Then we read for an hour in silence. After that - time to exchange impressions, suggestions, ask questions and generally have a good time.

Winterwonderland-Waldbaden in offenen Gruppen im Düppeler Forst - Treffpunkt Berlin-Wannsee. In meinen 2,5 stündigen Waldbaden-Kursen tauchst du in die regenerative Kraft des Waldes ein – entschleunigend, achtsam und wissenschaftlich fundiert. Du erlebst die Natur bewusst und mit allen Sinnen, löst Spannungen, reduzierst Stress und findest ganz natürlich zurück zu innerer Ruhe. Angeleitet wird der Kurs mit Übungen, Meditationen und kreativen Aufgaben, die helfen sich wieder auf sich selbst zu konzentrieren. Z.B.: * Übungen zur Entspannung, Achtsamkeit, Atem * Leichte Mobilisierungsübungen * Genussvolle Momente * Kreativübungen, z.B. Naturbild kreieren * Bonus: kleine Teezeremonie als Abschluss Der aus Berlin und Potsdam sehr gut erreichbare westliche Düppeler Forst (Wannsee) ist dafür der perfekte Ort: Weitläufig, still und voller ursprünglicher Waldabschnitte, die sofort eine tiefe Erdung spürbar machen. Ich bin Sarah und verbinde meine berufliche Erfahrung, die meist mit hohem Stressaufkommen verbunden war mit meiner Leidenschaft für **Waldbaden (Shinrin Yoku)**, Naturverbindung und ganzheitliche Stressprävention. In meinen Angeboten begleite ich Menschen, Teams und Organisationen dabei, im Wald Räume der Ruhe, Klarheit und Selbstwahrnehmung zu finden – und dadurch nachhaltige Veränderungen im Alltag zu ermöglichen.

!!! Note the corrected meeting spot, which for some reason keeps getting changed in the event: [https://maps.app.goo.gl/L8SuKJxoLLa8hXCdA](https://maps.app.goo.gl/L8SuKJxoLLa8hXCdA) \-\-\- **Mandarin Learner Meetup in Berlin! *(Free resources below)*** **Learning Mandarin is like trying to tame a** 🐲**.** It can feel frustrating, but you’re not alone. **[WeHanzi](wehanzi.com)** is here to support! **[WeHanzi](wehanzi.com)** is an independently built iOS app created by Ben and Gina. We've turned the entire learning experience into ***Comprehensible Input* through both simplified and traditional manga** with support for **Zhuyin**, **Pinyin**, **flashcards**, **audio**, **direct translation**, an integrated dictionary. We also specifically design region-specific language to reflect real-life usage in both **mainland Chinese Mandarin** and **Taiwanese Mandarin**, allowing you to naturally compare and explore the differences between the two, so you don’t end up saying something that makes perfect sense in Beijing, but gets you funny looks in Taipei 😏. Now, together with our good friend Matthias from **[Gemeinsam Chinesisch & Deutsch lernen](https://www.meetup.com/gemeinsam-mandarin-chinesisch-und-deutsch-lernen/events/308204343/?eventOrigin=group_upcoming_events),** we’re inviting you to our very first **in-person Mandarin Learner Meetup in Berlin** together! All levels are welcome, from beginners to advanced learners. Just come hang out, share your stories, laugh at our tone mistakes! As a community, we can learn from each other and turn Mandarin into a piece of cake! 🍰 **Come and join us!** 📱 App: [Wehanzi.com](https://wehanzi.com/) 📸 Free bite-sized resources: [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/wehanzi/) 📚 More free tools: [wehanzi.app/menu](https://wehanzi.app/menu) **📍ABOUT THE MEETING SPOT** Please note that we will meet HERE, on the 3 wooden tree benches slightly left of the main entrance gate of Tempelhofer Feld: [https://maps.app.goo.gl/L8SuKJxoLLa8hXCdA](https://maps.app.goo.gl/L8SuKJxoLLa8hXCdA) We'll meet at the meeting spot first and then - depending on the weather - decide as a group to either walk around Tempelhofer Feld or go to a closeby restaurant to warm up and chat. So please be on time. Or if you are running late or can't find us, just give Matthias a call on 0176-21984345. See you all soon, Gina & Matthias

Im Jungfernheideweg 77, 13629 Berlin treffen wir uns zwischen 16.30 Uhr und 22.30 Uhr wieder um gemeinsam Brett- und Gesellschaftsspiele zu daddeln. Das Angebot richtet sich an alle Interessierten. Kinder bitte erst ab 12 Jahre. Eine Vielzahl toller Brettspiele sind vor Ort, es können aber auch gerne eigene mitgebracht werden. PS: Es wäre sehr hilfreich wenn die Leute, die sich anmelden und dann doch nicht können, sich auch wieder abmelden vorher. danke schön

**RSVP Available on luma:** https://luma.com/4wsj92ss Silent Reading Club is a group of book lovers who enjoy reading together in public. All books and all readers are welcome. There's no entrance fee, but please order at least one item from the cafe and don't bring any outside drinks :) No quizzes, no pressure, no assigned books - just a group of book-loving souls basking in the beauty of silent reading. **Our thrilling agenda:** 10:30 am - 11:00 am - Arrivals, ordering drinks/food (social time) 11:00 am - 12:00 pm - The Great Quiet Reading Hour (where silence is the star) 12:00 pm - 13:00 pm - Optional socializing, share your reading adventures, or just keep exploring the pages

Nice! You are looking for real long time friendship! You might have already lived in Berlin or other big cities and experienced the "Anonymous" culture for a while. Meeting random people over and over and never see the same person again! In order to find "Real Long Term Friendship" in Berlin, do as follows: * You should not care how many people are joining this meetup. You RVSP. Even if only one person is joining. Because if everyone are waiting for everyone else to RVSP, nobody joins and nobody finds a new friend. * You do not care how many people of the opposite sex are joining. You are looking for friends. Finding the best romantic partner in the world, while avoiding not very attractive others, can be your other goal, for another time. Here we are looking for Friends. Real ones. * You are going to risk a very precious property of yours: Your time! Yes, there are thousands of opportunities in Berlin, there might be a rock concert for free, a birthday party you might miss, an important person might call you and invite you spontaneously, but you never find new friends until you decide to risk your time and meet people anyway. "I will check my calendar and get back to you" also does not work. Commit your time and spend it. Trust me, you won't go bankrupt ;-) * You are ready to use your phone as a real phone! You might have been using your phone as a tablet to visit Instagram and Facebook and watch movies. But if you want to find friends, you must know that people might take your phone number and give you theirs. That means they will Call you! And you have to pick up the phone and answer it. If you want to find new friends, you must be ready to do something really hard for the first time after years: Call people first, and if they called you: Answer your phone! * You are going to meet some people twice! That's the point of friendship. We already can experience random encounters with random people in random places one at a time. But that is not called friendship. If you want friends, you must be ready to meet the same person more than once. If you agree with above, RVSP and COME! You will meet other people who think the same way. P.S: Now that you've read all the way down to here, I suggest you [watch this animation](https://player.vimeo.com/video/547249272?h=22f3dd0f6f).

**⭐ NOTE THE NEW LOCATION! ⭐** The Creative Code Jam is a monthly gathering of artists, makers, designers, illustrators, coders, musicians, performers, learners and anyone interested in the use of computing skills for artistic expression. The event is free and open to all, regardless of age, origin, gender or experience. The jam is an opportunity to meet likeminded people and get creative together in a relaxed and safe environment. Beginners and first-timers should feel especially welcome! WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT? **Bring a laptop** and/or anything you’d like to work on, whether it’s a personal project, an experiment, or a skill you want to learn. You can come with friends or meet new people here. There’s no set agenda: some people code, some sketch ideas, some collaborate, and others just chat and get inspired. SCHEDULE Doors open at noon, then we’ll have quick introductions so everyone can share what they’re planning to work on. Note: arriving on time is the best way to hear what others are up to ;) Around 6 pm, we gather to share what we’ve worked on during the day. BEGINNERS WELCOME! If you’re new to creative coding, we'll be happy to help you get started, and you can find beginner-friendly resources at [creativecode.berlin/learn](http://creativecode.berlin/learn). THIS IS YOUR SPACE We do our best to create a welcoming environment for all people regardless of race, ethnicity, color, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. People from group generally underrepresented in open-source, art, and technology fields are warmly encouraged to come by. And if you know someone who might enjoy this meetup but isn’t sure it’s for them, let them know they’ll be welcome! SAFE SPACE POLICY We support the Berlin Code of Conduct: https://berlincodeofconduct.org/ Please make sure you agree with its content. ABOUT MotionLab.Berlin MotionLab.Berlin is Germany’s premier Innovation Hub & Makerspace – an ecosystem for Hardtech, art, creativity, and entrepreneurship. They are an international community with access to state-of-the-art machinery, prototyping machines, coworking spaces, offices, and production facilities. More info: https://motionlab.berlin/ ACCESSIBILITY MotionLab is located on the ground floor, with bathrooms on that same level, although unfortunately they are too small for wheelchairs. FOOD MotionLab has drinks and snacks for sale. Bio food can be found on LPG at Bouchéstr (\~200m). Their cantine has vegan, vegetarian and other food options at least until 2pm. DO I NEED TO SPEAK GERMAN? We speak mostly English so international guests are more than welcome! Our team also speaks French, Turkish, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Finnish and German... though language availability may vary depending on which organizers are present :) CONTACT Raphaël de Courville team@creativecode.berlin +49 176 700 70572 or get in touch via [creativecode.berlin](https://creativecode.berlin/)

Let's read together on another Sunday morning. Agenda: 10:30-11:00 Arrival, ordering drinks, getting to know each other 11:00-12:00 Reading together 12:00-13:00 Share reading experience There is no books assigned. Just bring whatever you are reading for now. Please sign up only when you can join the event. Hope you will enjoy it there!

**Join Us for Sunday Worship at the American Church in Berlin!** The American Church in Berlin (ACB) is an **ecumenical Protestant congregation** where people from *many* Christian traditions worship together—Lutheran, Reformed/Presbyterian, Anglican/Episcopal, Methodist, Baptist, non-denominational, Roman Catholic, and even a few Eastern Orthodox members. Wherever you come from, you’ll find a place where you can feel at home. Our worship is **traditional and liturgical**, rooted in the rich patterns of the Christian church and easy for both Protestants and Roman Catholics to enjoy. We celebrate **Holy Communion every Sunday and every festival day**, and all baptized Christians are welcome at the Lord’s Table. ACB is an **extraordinarily diverse congregation**, with members from around the world. On any given Sunday you’ll find long-time Berlin residents, young adults, teenagers who attend on their own, families with children, seniors, and many visitors and tourists passing through the city. Our community is known for its **warm and friendly fellowship**—it’s one of the things people talk about most after visiting. Some folks dress formally and others show up in jeans and sneakers; we sit side by side without judgment. **Come exactly as you are.** Most importantly: **our welcome is for everybody—EVERYBODY.** If you’re looking for a church home, a place to pray, just looking to connect, or simply a peaceful hour of worship during your travels, you’re invited. We’d love to welcome you this Sunday! [ACB website](www.americanchurchberlin.de)

Silent Book Club is a group of book lovers who enjoy reading together in public. All books and all readers are welcome. (Kindly RSVP 'yes' only if you can make it, so we can save a seat for you and our fellow readers on the waitlist!) This page-turning party will unfold in the Café (1st floor) at the Bode Museum. There's no entrance fee, but please order at least one item from the cafe and don't bring any outside drinks :) No quizzes, no pressure, no assigned books - just a group of book-loving souls basking in the beauty of silent reading. **Our thrilling agenda:** 10:30 am - 11:00 am - Arrivals, ordering drinks/food (social time) 11:00 am - 12:00 pm - The Great Quiet Reading Hour (where silence is the star) 12:00 pm - 13:00 pm - Optional socializing, share your reading adventures or just keep exploring the pages Stay for lunch, and who knows? You might just find your next favorite book over a pizza. NB: If you plan to go for lunch, please consider bringing cash, as some restaurants only accept card payments after a certain amount.

We start this new year in Mexico! Our first 2026 reading will be "Like Water for Chocolate" by Laura Esquivel. **About the Book** ***Like Water for Chocolate*** is a sensuous, magical tale set in early 20th-century Mexico, where emotions simmer as intensely as the dishes prepared in the family kitchen. Through Tita, a young woman bound by tradition, yet full of passion, Laura Esquivel blends romance, food, and magical realism to explore love, family expectations, and personal freedom. Told through monthly recipes, the novel invites us into a world where cooking becomes an act of resistance, emotion, and connection. **About the Author** Laura Esquivel is a Mexican novelist, screenwriter, and former politician. *Like Water for Chocolate* is her internationally acclaimed debut novel that brought her worldwide recognition. **Location of the Event** To be announced **Event contribution alert** The event might require a small participation fee (3-5 euros) or the purchase of something to eat or drink in case we are hosted by a coffee shop. I will make sure to communicate that in advance.

This is a 3 phase meetup. You can come at any time. 1.) 6:30 -7:00 p.m.: Gathering at the meeting spot (see gmaps link!) 2.) 7:00 - 7:30 p.m.: Walk & Talk to the Kerb food court. 3.) 7:30 - 10:00 p.m.: Immerse conversations in the Kerb food court. 🪑: Reserved tables for the meetup. 💸: 20 % discount for the drinks if we are at least 15 people! **1.) How to the find Quartier 205 Stadtmitte:** [https://goo.gl/maps/6Fhft3LbPhcEsQrdA](https://goo.gl/maps/6Fhft3LbPhcEsQrdA) The exact meeting spot can be seen in the photo below! We meet on the 1st floor where the trash sculpture can be seen. Look for a meetup sign or organizer wearing a black or red lanyard with "staff" written on it. **2.) Walk & Talk to the Kerb food court** The best part. In order to extend the walk we'll stroll all the way to Brandenburger gate and from there to the former Sony Center where we are going to enter the Kerb food court. **3\. How to find the Kerb food court** [https://maps.app.goo.gl/xJTQg9oBoGL67syz7](https://maps.app.goo.gl/xJTQg9oBoGL67syz7) Kerb is located at the former Sony Center. The new flagship food court of Potsdamer Platz. Most likely we will be sitting upstairs on the first floor next to the bar (take the stairs to the left). ***Best ways to get there:*** 1\. U2 \(subway\): Get off at Potsdamer Platz and walk around 7 min to Kerb. 2\. Bus M41 or M85 Get off at Potsdamer Platz and walk 5 min to Kerb. *Who is this meetup for:* 1\. Internationals who want to practice German or any other language\. 2\. Germans who want to improve their language skills\. 3\. Anyone who is interested in cultural exchange and wants to socialize\. *What you can expect:* 1\. A professionally organized meetup that can adapt to any changes given the current situation\. 2\. A Walk & Talk to break the ice\. 3\. A collaborating venue where you can further socialize with other members\. *important:* This event is at the same time and meeting location like the "Asian Languages & Culture Exchange 🍜日本語, 한국어, 汉语🍥" one. So I'm basically organizing 2 events at the same time which means that you can expect way more people than on the list. *** Whenever you attend a meetup, the most common as well as first question you get is: "Where are you from?" You probably heard this question a million times. Well, at least I did. From my own experience of attending over 200 international meetups in various countries such as Germany, Japan, Australia and Thailand, I can tell you that asking for the name is a better approach. “A person’s name is to that person, the sweetest, most important sound in any language.” - Dale Carnegie If you really want to connect with like-minded people you should remember their name, but you don't have to remember every persons name you've talked you. Be picky about that, don't be me who can somehow remember everyones name easily. Don't tell yourself sth. like "I'm bad at remembering names." It's all about developing the habit of asking for a name and keep the conversation going on. Furthermore, you want to learn German or any other language. Learning the local language is crucial to connect with the locals and developing a true friendship. This can be accomplished with immersion. My goal is to inspire you to go out of your comfort zone and improve yourself each time you join this meetup.

Welcome to Sunday Tech Coffee. This is a **networking** event for those in the tech industry in Berlin. We are usually inside and to the right

Um Harmonie zu erlangen arbeiten Sie mit Ihrem Herzen, anstatt mit Ihrem Gehirn. Hallo hoch geschätzte Wanderlustige und Freunde der deutschen und englischen Sprachen, haben Sie ein frohes Weihnachten gehabt? ZEIT (SPAZIERGANG) \~2 Stunden, (Mit Pausen), wenn wir mit einer Geschwindigkeit von etwa 2,5 Meilen pro Stunde laufen. ZEIT (VERANSTALTUNG) \~2,5 - 3 Stunden. Wir begrüßen uns um 14 Uhr bei Oslo Kaffebar, Eichendorffstraße 13, 10115. Wir unterhalten uns auf Deutsch und Englisch für eine halbe Stunde bis eine Stunde damit jedes Mitglied ohne Hetze ankommen dürfte. Männer, bitte kaufen Sie Kuchen oder Ähnliches damit die Gruppe wie keine geizige Gruppe zu sein anscheint. Heute beschreibe ich nur den Begrüßungsplatz, seit man immer sehr fleißig sein muss, über einen ganzen Wanderweg jedes Mal zu schreiben. Also, wir begrüßen uns, und den Wanderweg empfehle ich, und es kann sein, dass wir den Weg gleich zusammen bestimmen. Poetry & Puls setzt sich den Zweck den Armut betroffenen Personen durch die kalte Jahreszeiten zu helfen. Sozialhilfe in Verbindung mit Sprachtraining ist unser Zweck. Wir sind begeistert Leuten, die wenig platt gewesen sind, bei Spaziergängen zu begleiten. Leute, die aus unbelebten Dörfer stammen, oder neben der Eisenbahn wohnen, können sich manchmal fühlen wie die Großstadt sehr lärmig sein kann, und wie durch den Lärm und Kälte des Winters den Atem eventuell erstickt werden könnte. Durch die kälteste Zeiten ist es am Wichtigsten, dass wir für unsere Beweglichkeit sorgen. Wenn wir wenig platt gewesen sind, sollen wir eine Ruhepause von zu viel Spaß bei YouTube oder soziale Medien haben um Schwung zu erhalten. Um Harmonie zu erlangen arbeiten Sie mit Ihrem Herzen, anstatt mit Ihrem Gehirn. Wir sollen erst unsere Wohnungen für wenige Stunden einfach verräumen um unsere Körper zu betätigen. Dann kommen wir durch die kalten Zeiten. Spaziergänge sind immer schön, und etwas in der Natur der Stadt und in den Parks wirkt, also keiner Spaziergang ist gleich zu einem Anderen. Wir sollen denn die Bäume der Stadt schätzen. Es gibt immer etwas neues zu bewundern, egal ob den Pfad gleich ist. Die Stadt kann lärmig sein, jedoch gibt es sonnige Tage den ganzen Winter durch. Wir müssen nur Dankbarkeit für die gute Tage haben Auftakt zu erhalten. Wenn Sie auch so eine soziale Sorgfalt für Armut betroffene Leute haben, bitten wir Sie unsere Gruppe zu fördern. Uns zu fördern müssen Sie nur Mitglied bei einem Spaziergang sein, und gleich zusammen Fröhlichkeit mit uns haben. „Fröhlichkeit ist nur echt, wenn wir sie gleich anwesend zusammen haben.“ - Christopher McCandless (Into The Wild) Bitte nehmen Sie Kommunikation mit uns durch die Signal Gruppe auf: [https://signal.group/#CjQKIBTrh2sYFm3OGDi4r40tkgKiUyVPfvcwu31zIEsEScSxEhAI7mF8oDKHqZwLobqmW73_](https://signal.group/#CjQKIBTrh2sYFm3OGDi4r40tkgKiUyVPfvcwu31zIEsEScSxEhAI7mF8oDKHqZwLobqmW73_) Auf die Gesellschaft, das Gespräch auf Deutsch und Englisch, und den Spaziergang!!! Versäumen Sie nichts! Übrigens: kleine Gruppen sind besser, denn wir die andere Mitglieder besser kennenlernen können und eine größere Möglichkeit echte Freundschaften aufzubauen haben.

**Important time note:** Please plan on arriving between 5:30 and 6:00 as the elevators lock after 6 and you'll need to message us and we'll need to come get you. The building address is 4450 Bridge Park The entrance is 6620 Mooney St, Suite 400 **Abstract** GitHub Copilot is rapidly changing how developers write, understand, and maintain code. Powered by generative AI and deeply integrated into modern development environments, Copilot acts as an intelligent coding assistant, helping developers move faster while maintaining quality and focus. In this session, we’ll explore what GitHub Copilot is, how it works, and where it fits into a real-world developer workflow. We’ll break down what Copilot can (and cannot) do, where it can be used, and how licensing differs for individuals and organizations. Most importantly, this talk goes beyond theory with a live, hands-on demo showcasing Copilot inside the IDE and on GitHub, demonstrating how it can assist with code generation, refactoring, learning new APIs, and accelerating day-to-day development tasks. Designed for developers, technical leads, and engineering managers, this session provides a practical introduction to AI-assisted development, highlights best practices for getting value from Copilot, and closes with guidance on how to continue learning and evolving alongside this rapidly advancing tool. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of how GitHub Copilot can enhance productivity, improve developer experience, and fit into modern software teams today, not someday. **YouTube Link** TBA

## Details \#\# Learn Infrastructure\-as\-Code \(the FUN Way\) — Through Minecraft 🎮☁️ **Joint Meetup: DevOps Columbus - 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 DevOps Columbus, 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. 🧱➡️📐

2026 may be the last year many developers write code by hand. We need coding agents to solve complex problems in production codebases, but vibe coding alone won’t get us there. Vibe coding is all gas, no brakes. It burns up the context window until the agent slips on its own slop. You can go fast at first, but the more you stuff into the context window, the more tangled its outputs get. While the industry is rapidly increasing code generation speed, we still have to understand, review, merge, and maintain what gets shipped. This talk featuring Michael Geiger will outline how coding agents (Claude Code + Gas Town) work and a framework for orchestrating them to solve complicated problems in complex codebases. It’s about steering the model: doing the research to align intent, planning the approach up front, implementing in parallel steps, and breaking early. Human judgment still matters, but it should be spent on high-leverage decisions: what to build, what to forbid, and “what is quality?”, not cleaning up slop. Attendees will leave with a checklist to identify workflow and environment gaps that hold agents back, so you and your team can ship higher-quality software starting tomorrow.

Rev. Steven Clevenger is an ordained spiritualist minister with over 40 years experience as a Spiritual Healer, Clairvoyant and Spiritual Teacher, educated and trained at the White Lily Chapel. Rev. Siobhan Wolf Shaffer is an ordained spiritualist minister and certified medium and healer with over 20 years experience. She began her development in 1988 in Pennsylvania and continued when she moved to Ohio in 1998 where she studied at Rays of Lights Church with Rev. Steven Clevenger. Our full worship services consist of an inspirational lecture, healing meditation, and messages from the spirit world that serve to demonstrate evidence of eternal life. Please visit our Official Church Website (http://raysoflightchurch.com) for more information.

*GOhio!* turns 8!! 🥳 Come celebrate with us at [Pins Mechanical](https://www.pinsbar.com/locations/easton)! 😄 **Summary** Pins Mechanical Co. is a social entertainment venue that combines old-school games like duckpin bowling, pinball, and other classic arcade and table games with craft cocktails, local beers, and punch. The vintage-industrial atmosphere is designed for playful, face-to-face gatherings with friends, family, and colleagues, offering a casual and lively alternative to a typical bar. Pins' Easton location spans over 38,000 square feet, making it the largest in the United States. This massive entertainment venue features two floors, a mezzanine level with stadium seating, and three full-service bars. It offers 16 duckpin bowling lanes, two indoor bocce courts, and more than 60 classic and modern pinball and arcade games. For additional fun, the location is known for its two outdoor patios, an indoor slide, and an expanded patio pong setup. **Activities** As noted below, some machines take actual quarters. Pins has two change machines (one downstairs and one upstairs) that accept ones, fives, or tens (only), and return quarters (only). * *Duckpin Bowling* [Like Bowling](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duckpin_bowling) but with smaller balls, stubby pins, and no oil on the lanes. The cost is $9 per game per person. * *Pinball* [Who](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Who)'s a [wizard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinball_Wizard) on these [retro machines](https://pinballmap.com/map/?by_location_id=15311)? At $1 per play, everyone! Takes quarters. * *Arcade* Play classics like Gorf, Pac-Man, Gorf, Donkey Kong, Gorf, Galaga, and Gorf! The best part is, there's Gorf! And all the arcade games are free! * *Patio Pong* The classic college party staple but bigger. Instead of tossing a ping pong ball into cups, you use a regular ball and oversized buckets. There are two of these upstairs, and they're both free! * *Ping Pong* The most popular sport in China! They have two ping pong tables downstairs and two more ping pong tables upstairs. For those of you who have studied topological spaces and set theory, you will know this means they have four total ping pong tables. They have bubble gum dispensers with ping pong balls in them for 25¢ each. The dispensers take quarters. However, they also have racks where they store the ping pong paddles, and in these racks are slots for ping pong balls. It's not uncommon to see balls already here, so there's a chance you may be able to play ping pong for free if you want to. * *Hookie* You can't put your eye out! The safe alternative to darts: Hook thrown rings on a board. Outdoors on the upstairs patio, and free! * *Bocce* Like bowling, except there’s turf and a lot more balls. You can also knock your opponent’s balls out of the way. There are two of these upstairs, and they're both free! * *Foosball* Everyone loves [foosball](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_football)! 50¢ a game. Takes quarters. * *Giant Jenga* Stack massive wooden blocks into a tower, then take turns pulling out one block at a time without collapsing the tower. There are four of these sprinkled throughout the venue (two downstairs and two upstairs, with one on each patio), and they're all free! * *Skeeball* There are three skeeball machines on the first floor (near the Gorf machine!), and they're all free! * *Giant Connect Four* On the outdoor patio upstairs, and free! * *Bubble Hockey* This is upstairs. Up to four people can play at once, and it costs $1. Takes quarters. * *Cornhole* There are two cornhole lanes upstairs, and they're both free! * *Basketball* There are two basketball machines downstairs. They're tucked behind the downstairs bar, so they're not always obvious unless you go look for them. They're $2 per play, and they take quarters. * *NES and Sega Genesis video games* These are collections, downstairs (near the Gorf machine!), of video games that you can play for free! * *The Big Metal Indoor Slide* This large two-story slide is for kids, and certainly no adults would ride this. After all, it's not like it's free or anything. **Outdoor Patio** Pins at Easton actually has two outdoor patios. But for our purposes, only the upstairs one matters. See, it will be winter and likely cold. But their upstairs patio has multiple ceiling heaters and two massive gas fire pits that put out a ton of heat. Sitting out here may be a real option. As mentioned above, the upstairs outdoor patio has one of the venue's two Patio Pong setups, one of their multiple Giant Jengas, the Giant Connect Four, and Hookie. **Food** Pins doesn't serve food, but there's a [Mikey's Late Night Slice](https://www.latenightslice.com/) next door. This Mikey's is basically an extension of the Easton Pins; there's a large open doorway between both establishments. Mikey's has a fountain dispenser with Coke products. You can also get Coke and Diet Coke (but not Coke Zero, like you can at Mikey's) at the bars in Pins, but I think the quality of the soda pop from Mikey's fountain is better than that from the bar hoses Pins uses to dispense soft drinks. You are also quite allowed at Pins to either bring food in or order it in via your favorite delivery app. **Parking** I recommend parking in the [Worth Garage](https://eastontowncenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/parking-at-easton-updated-file-sept-25.pdf). It's literally right next door to Pins, and it's free as long as you park on Level 2 or above. They recently started charging people to park on Level 1, and you pay for parking on this level the same way you pay for street parking in Columbus, with the [ParkColumbus](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.parkmobile.parkcolumbus&hl=en_US&pli=1) app. I've seen them enforce this by ticketing people's cars, but I don't know how they actually compel payment. The garage is not a public street that actual cops can write you tickets for parking illegally on. If you have an actual ticket from a cop that you don't pay, they can go so far as to issue a warrant for your arrest. But all Easton has, seemingly, is, "[Please pay our ticket](https://eastonpreferredpark.com/)." Still, in my ongoing efforts to eliminate needless stress and aggravation from my life, I just park above the first Level. The actual address of the garage is [4049 Worth Ave, Columbus, OH 43219](https://www.google.com/maps/place/4049+Worth+Ave,+Columbus,+OH+43219/@40.0542293,-82.9137962,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x88388a86de3af559:0xc1dc8b4661fc834f!8m2!3d40.0542293!4d-82.9137962!16s%2Fg%2F11sgzjp4ml?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDkyNC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D). However, your GPS is stupid. The actual entrances to the garage are on the cross steets Brighton Rose Way and Fenlon St, not Worth Ave. Just keep this in mind once you get to the garage. **Where we'll meet** I'll post in the comments where I am. People will obviously want to explore different areas of the venue over the course of the event (and there's a lot to explore), but please just let me know (as in, come find me) once you've arrived. **Peroration** Come on out and say hi! 😄

**Chaos Monkeys, Open Telemetry, and .NET Aspire: Taming Complexity in Modern Apps** .NET Aspire is far more than just a sleek dashboard for wowing your boss and co-workers. It's also a gateway to increased observability with open telemetry, better fault tolerance to fend off chaos monkeys, and a drastically improved onboarding experience for new developers. This session will explore Microsoft's latest guidance for building distributed, cloud-first applications, with practical strategies for enhancing simpler existing apps. You'll discover the inner workings of Aspire, from installation to customization, and learn how it streamlines integration with performance boosters like Redis. Most importantly, you'll see why scalable microservices architectures can be challenging—and how Aspire helps simplify the journey. **Presenter:** Lee Richardson, Microsoft MVP **Pizza starts at 6. Presentation starts around 6:30.**

**NEW LOCATION: Improving Office in Franklinton** Physical location: Improving Office 330 Rush Alley Suite #150 Columbus, OH 43215 Schedule: * 6:00 p.m.: Socialize, eat, and drink. Improving will be providing pizza and beverages. * 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Main meeting and presentation(s). For this first meeting of the year, we will be reviewing submissions for the [Your Program is Hideous and Obfuscated Challenge (YPHOC). ](https://docs.google.com/document/d/13zbxwElpJqPMuAN4Ele2hUgsqtFKzH3OCTL5NEeiLKQ)Submissions for this challenge are due by January 12th, 2026. The details can be found here: or on our website http://www.cohpy.org See Our [Parking Map](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1u2A4fLNlxwLJn0KA_hKc8bnFlFHLvsHBDh-_8wzX_tk/edit?usp=sharing) We meet on the last Monday of each Month. Presentations are given by members and friends of this group. If you would like to do a presentation (small or large) on a python topic, please contact centralohpython@gmail.com