If you need a break from all the holiday cheer, here are some community events that look real good this week. Tonight Shaving in the Dark's hosting an animated movie night and tomorrow will bring a lecture on China’s Gender Gap from Hopkins China Forum. The launch of the second Shanghai Literary Review is set for the weekend, as well as the return of Shanghai Soup, and a chance for your dreams of sushi making to come a little closer to fruition. If not now, when?

*** Tonight Shaving in the Dark is organizing an animated movie night with shorts of different styles, lengths, and origins (including: Dragon Ball, Rurouni Kenshin, Death Note, and more). They'll also have pens and paper for doodling and zines on sale. No entry fee. 7.30pm. CINEMQ presents BLUE, a program of short films celebrating Black/QPOC/African queerness, because "our queer community is only as rich, as beautiful and as complex as the people in it." Amen! Screening start at 9pm. Also Roxie will be hosting a SHQFF 2017 Queer Shorts Weekend. On December 16 they'll screen all 8 award-winning shorts from the first SHQFF, followed by an after-screening panel with Blooming Night director Bell Zhong and producer Ye Xiankai. The next day will bring 6 films from different cultural backgrounds. The next Hopkins China Forum brings Jane Zhang, Professor at HKUST, to discuss China’s Gender Gap in Competitiveness: Culture, Institutions, and Gender Policies. The lecture will run from 7-8.15pm but you're encouraged to stay for a drink after. Mixin' and mingling and also a live jazz band. Free entry. Email editor@shanghai-review.org to RSVP. You can learn more about the Shanghai Review and Shanghai's lecture series here. The Shanghai Literary Review's having launch party for their second edition. There'll be reading of submitted work and editors'll be present to discuss their favorite pieces. It's free to get in but you could, y'know, support independent publishing by buying a copy. Or a few...makes for a sweet gift yo. Shanghai Soup is a micro funding initiative in partnership with Fresh Start. The idea is to hear pitches on four local projects while eating soup, then vote on the project you think benefits the community most. The project with the most votes will take home the money collected at the door from the 50rmb entry fee. Runs from 5.30-8pm. Hatsune is offering a class on making three different sushi rolls with sushi master Alan Wong. Costs 380rmb, includes all ingredients. Runs from 12-2pm. Strays and Best Friends China are teaming up for an adoption day at Amanda Plaza from 11am-4pm. Cute furry animals that need a home. Free entry. And...incase you missed it here's another shout out to Hanakkuh festivities.