Saturday, August 31, 2019

"Storytime: Chinese and English" in Squirrel Hill, September 7.


via Ed Massery.

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh branch in Squirrel Hill will hold its next "Storytime: Chinese and English" on Saturday, August 24.
Celebrate our city’s diverse culture as we explore new words through songs, action rhymes and stories in both English and Chinese.
Storytime runs from 11:00 to 11:30 am and is free and open to the public. The Carnegie Library branch in Squirrel Hill is located at 5801 Forbes Ave. (map), accessible by buses 61A, 61B, 61C, 61D, and 74.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Free Chinese, Japanese, Korean classes in Pittsburgh in September.


via Khun Hans Photography (Creative Commons)

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will continue to offer free Chinese, Japanese, and Korean classes at some of its branches this September. Check out the class information below in addition to its language resources on the shelves and online.

As the library notes: these classes are free; registration is not required; no materials are needed and nothing needs to be bought; new participants are welcome at any time; classes are for adults (unless otherwise noted) but well-behaved young people are welcome to join as well.

2019 Korean Music Festival, November 16 at University of Pittsburgh.



The 2019 Korean Music Festival will be held on November 16 in Oakland. Presented by the Korean Association of Greater Pittsburgh and the Korean Heritage Room, it will begin at 7:00 pm in the Frick Fine Arts Auditorium on the University of Pittsburgh's campus (map). Tickets are $10 for adults, free for students and children, and half-price for guests dressed in hanbok. For more information, please contact 310-909-3280.

Linda Sue Park in Pittsburgh, March 2020.



Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures will host children's author Linda Sue Park on March 1, 2020.
Linda Sue Park is the author of more than two dozen books for young readers, including picture books, middle-grade and young-adult novels, short stories, and poetry. Among her titles are the 2002 Newbery Medal winner A Single Shard, and the New York Times-bestseller A Long Walk to Water. Along with Meg Medina and Grace Lin, Linda serves on the Advisory Board for We Need Diverse Books, a non-profit that advocates essential changes in the publishing industry.

Linda comes to Pittsburgh with Prairie Lotus, a compelling, emotionally engaging novel set in 1880, a half-Chinese girl and her white father try to make a home in Dakota Territory, in the face of racism and resistance to change.
The event starts at 2:30 pm at the Carnegie Library Lecture Hall in Oakland (map) and will be followed by a book signing. Tickets are now available online.

Japan Association of Greater Pittsburgh fall picnic, September 7.

The Japan Association of Greater Pittsburgh (ピッツバーグ日本協会) will hold its annual fall picnic on September 7 in O'Hara Township. Details and registration information are available on the JAGP's website.

"Shakespeare in Tokyo" at Pittsburgh Reel Abilities Film Festival, September 4.



The Australian short film "Shakespeare in Tokyo" will play at the Reel Abilities Film Festival on September 4..
An Australian Shakespeare fan with Down Syndrome, sets off on a solo adventure to discover Tokyo in order to get away from his over-bearing older brother.
The 21-minute film is part of the opening night of the Reel Abilities Film Festival. The night starts at 7:00 pm at the Southside Works Cinema and tickets are available online. Southside Works Cinema is located at 425 Cinema Drive in the Southside, one block from the Hot Metal Bridge (map).

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Mike Chen at Pitt, September 3.



The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Student Alliance will bring YouTuber Mike Chen to Pitt on September 3.
Mike Chen is a Chinese American YouTuber who runs several different channels on the platform. His fame stems from the channel, Beyond Science, and out of all of his beloved channels, he is now best known for one of his food channels, Strictly Dumpling where he expresses his love for food from all over the world.
Tickets are free for Pitt students and $6 for everyone else. Doors open at 7 and the event starts at 7:30 in the William Pitt Union's Assembly Room (map).

"Celebrating The Relationship Between Pittsburgh And Japan Through Garden Design," September 9 at Pitt.



The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center and Humanities Center will present "Celebrating The Relationship Between Pittsburgh And Japan Through Garden Design" with Shunsaku Miyagi on September 9.
Prof. Shunsaku Miyagi (University of Tokyo) is one of Japan's most eminent landscape architects. He is also the representative director of the Byodoin Temple, a temple in Kyoto that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and so important in Japan that an image of it is on the back of every 10-yen coin. Trained and educated in the US and Japan, his guiding philosophy is "Life is Design Itself." He will discuss Japanese gardens and connecting Pittsburgh and Japan through landscape design.
It starts at 4:30 pm in room 602 of the Cathedral of Learning (map) and is free and open to the public.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

New 3D-animated Chinese movie Ne Zha (哪吒之魔童降世) in Pittsburgh, from August 29.



The new 3D animated Chinese film Ne Zha (哪吒之魔童降世) will play in Pittsburgh from August 29. From the distributor:
A young boy, Nezha, is birthed from a heavenly pearl by the Primeval Lord of Heaven. Born with unique powers, Nezha finds himself as an outcast who is hated and feared. Destined by prophecy to bring destruction to the world, the young boy must choose between good and evil in order to break the shackles of fate and become the hero.
It is the highest-grossing Chinese animated film of all time. It will play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront theater and tickets are available online. The theater is located at 300 West Waterfront Dr. in the Waterfront shopping complex in Homestead (map), across the Monongahela River from Greenfield, Squirrel Hill, and the rest of Pittsburgh.

Night Market Gourmet coming soon to Oakland.



Even more signage is up for Night Market Gourmet, which will replace Top Shabu Shabu at 114 Atwood St. in Oakland (map). Its new sign, like the sign before it, resembles the pizza shape leftover from Pizza Sola, which had the space until 2014.

K-pop lecture at Pitt, September 5.



The University of Pittsburgh Asian Studies Center will host Dr. Suk-Young Kim and her keynote speech on K-pop on September 5 to kick off the start of its Asia Pop course this term.
The Asian Studies Center is pleased to present our new Asia Pop Series where we explore a different facet of Asian popular culture. In this first year, we will focus on the global legacy of Asian popular music including K-pop, Idol Pop, Canto and Mando Pop.
The talk starts at 5:30 pm in 125 Frick Fine Arts Auditorium.

Monday, August 26, 2019

Pitt suspends its Confucius Institute.

The University of Pittsburgh has suspended its Confucius Institute.
The University of Pittsburgh has joined a growing list of American universities that have shuttered a Chinese language and culture program sponsored by the Chinese government.

Ariel Armony, Pitt’s vice provost for global affairs and director of the University Center for International Studies, said the university closed its Confucius Institute after the U.S. State Department issued “unwelcome and unexpected” guidance regarding the visas of 15 Chinese scholars who were scheduled to travel to Pittsburgh this fall to operate the program.

A Pitt spokesman said the university was informed it was out of compliance with J-1 visa regulations regarding interns at the Confucius Institute and was not able to make modifications in time for the fall semester.

"Building Asia," September 4 at Pitt.


via tokyoform.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will host Dr. Maohong Bao and his talk "Building Asia" on September 4.
The steel industry has historically held a central place in the development of all modern industrial economies. Supporting the rise of East Asia in the postwar world, the rise of resource import-dependent steel industries in Japan, Korea and China has emerged alongside export-oriented mining industries in Australia, Brazil, Canada, India and South Africa, etc., and steel products exported to the rest of world. These processes formed the global production network of East Asia’s iron and steel industry. This talk will address its global environmental history from four aspects: The development of iron and steel industry in postwar East Asia; East Asia’s iron ore and coal import and the environmental impacts of resource extraction in the producing areas; environmental consequences of iron processing in East Asia; East Asia’s Steel product export and its recycling in the consuming areas.
The talk runs from 12:00 to 1:30 in 4430 Posvar Hall (map) and is free and open to the public.

The Farewell continues in Pittsburgh through August 29, resumes September 6.



The Farewell, which opened in Pittsburgh on August 1, will continue at local theaters through August 29 and will resume at the Row House Cinema from September 6. From the distributor:
In this funny, uplifting tale based on an actual lie, Chinese-born, U.S.-raised Billi (Awkwafina) reluctantly returns to Changchun to find that, although the whole family knows their beloved matriarch, Nai-Nai, has been given mere weeks to live, everyone has decided not to tell Nai Nai herself. To assure her happiness, they gather under the joyful guise of an expedited wedding, uniting family members scattered among new homes abroad. As Billi navigates a minefield of family expectations and proprieties, she finds there’s a lot to celebrate: a chance to rediscover the country she left as a child, her grandmother’s wondrous spirit, and the ties that keep on binding even when so much goes unspoken. With The Farewell, writer/director Lulu Wang has created a heartfelt celebration of both the way we perform family and the way we live it, masterfully interweaving a gently humorous depiction of the good lie in action with a richly moving story of how family can unite and strengthen us, often in spite of ourselves.
It plays at the Waterworks Cinema, the AMC in Mt. Lebanon, the Squirrel Hill Manor, and the Tull Family Theater in Sewickley through Wednesday and remains at the latter two on Thursday. Tickets are available online. It will then play at the Row House Cinema in Lawrenceville from September 6 through 12 as part of the Amazing New Directors series.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Anime Series at Row House Cinema, September 13 through 19.




The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (時をかける少女), Ghost in the Shell (攻殻機動隊), Akira (アキラ), and Metropolis (メトロポリス) will comprise this fall's Anime Series at Row House Cinema from September 13 through 19. Tickets are now available online. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map).

Friday, August 23, 2019

"Materializing Memory: Contemporary Video Art from China," September 5 through October 11 at Pitt.



The University of Pittsburgh's University Art Gallery will host the exhibit "Materializing Memory: Contemporary Video Art from China" from September 5 through October 11.
Exhibited in Pittsburgh for the first time, Materializing Memory presents the work of five young Chinese artists, all born after 1980. These artists are part of China’s balinghou and jiulinghou (post-1980 and post-1990) generations. Unlike earlier practitioners, they came of age following the dramatic economic and cultural reforms of 1978. Through the medium of video art, these artists explore contemporary Chinese society during a period of profound technological and urban transformation. Their work is deeply informed by the Internet, rapid economic development, international communication and exchange, as well as opportunities to earn advanced degrees abroad. These videos document personal and collective experiences. Some record individual feelings of boredom and isolation, while others investigate broader social contradictions and complexities within China and beyond. Together, these works illustrate the plasticity of contemporary experience, and ask what it means to remember during a time when progress accelerates the urge to forget.
The exhibition's opening reception is scheduled from 5:00 to 7:00 pm on September 5; the gallery is open from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm weekdays in the Frick Fine Arts Building in Oakland (map).

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Korean-American singer Ronin to perform in Ambridge, August 22.



Korean-American singer Ronin will perform at Mario's Dockside Grille in Ambridge (map) on August 22. Writes the Beaver Valley Times:
Korean-American pop singer named simply Ronin [. . .] will hop on stage Thursday to sing a couple songs at the weekly open mic/jam night at Mario’s Dockside Grille in Bridgewater. These jam nights are co-hosted by Ambridge rocker David Granati, brother of percussionist Rick Granati, who’s friends with Vulpis, hence the local tie.

Ronin might treat his Beaver County audience to his single “Chemical Smile,” now being played by 15 Top-40/pop radio stations from San Francisco to Atlantic City.
He is also performing at Hambone's tonight at 7:00 pm.

Monday, August 19, 2019

My Neighbor Totoro (となりのトトロ) in Pittsburgh, August 25, 26, 28.



The classic Japanese animated film My Neighbor Totoro (となりのトトロ) is will play in Pittsburgh on August 25, 26, and 28 as part of this year's GKIDS Studio Ghibli Fest. From a 2001 Roger Ebert review:
Miyazaki's films are above all visually enchanting, using a watercolor look for the backgrounds and working within the distinctive Japanese anime tradition of characters with big round eyes and mouths that can be as small as a dot or as big as a cavern. They also have an unforced realism in the way they notice details; early in ''Totoro,'' for example, the children look at a little waterfall near their home, and there on the bottom, unremarked, is a bottle someone threw into the stream.

The movie tells the story of two young sisters, Satsuki and Mei Kusakabe. As the story opens, their father is driving them to their new house, near a vast forest. Their mother, who is sick, has been moved to a hospital in this district. Now think about that. The film is about two girls, not two boys or a boy and a girl, as all American animated films would be. It has a strong and loving father, in contrast to the recent Hollywood fondness for bad or absent fathers. Their mother is ill; does illness exist in American animation?
It will play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theaters in Monroeville, North Hills, Pittsburgh Mills, and Robinson. The August 25 and 28 shows are dubbed in English and the August 26 show is in Japanese with English subtitles. Tickets are available online.

Lauren Yee's play "Cambodian Rock Band," with music from Cambodian-American band Dengue Fever, in Pittsburgh from September 14 through October 6.



Lauren Yee's "Cambodian Rock Band" will run at the City Theater from September 14 through October 6. Yee offers a summary:
Discover Cambodia’s lost surf rock scene through the eyes of a young Cambodian American woman and her father, a Khmer Rouge survivor who begrudgingly returns to his home country for the first time in thirty years. This thrilling story toggles back and forth in time, as father and daughter face the music of the past. An intimate rock epic about family secrets set against the dark chapter of Cambodian history. Featuring actor/musicians who perform the show’s mix of contemporary Dengue Fever hits and classic Cambodian oldies.
There has been some interest in Cambodian surf rock music in recent years, with the 2014 documentary Don't Think I've Forgotten playing at the Row House Cinema, Hollywood Theater, and Melwood Screening Room in 2015 and 2016. Dengue Fever has played in Pittsburgh, too, most recently as an opening act in 2017.

Tickets are available online. The theater is located at 1300 Bingham St. in the South Side (map).

10% off at Panda Supermarket, August 19 - 25



Squirrel Hill's Panda Supermarket is offering 10% off everything for its second anniversary, August 19 through 25. The store is located at 5846 Forbes Ave. (map).

Sunday, August 18, 2019

"Storytime: Chinese and English" in Squirrel Hill, August 24.


via Ed Massery.

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh branch in Squirrel Hill will hold its next "Storytime: Chinese and English" on Saturday, August 24.
Celebrate our city’s diverse culture as we explore new words through songs, action rhymes and stories in both English and Chinese.
Storytime runs from 11:00 to 11:30 am and is free and open to the public. The Carnegie Library branch in Squirrel Hill is located at 5801 Forbes Ave. (map), accessible by buses 61A, 61B, 61C, 61D, and 74.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Free Mid-Autumn Concert at Rivers Casino with Mai Tiến Dũng, Nguyễn Hồng Nhung, Đặng Thế Luân , and more, September 8.



Rivers Casino (map) will host a free Mid-Autumn Concert on September 8, featuring a number of Vietnamese and Chinese performers. The concert runs from 9 to 11 pm. Tickets are limited and those interested should call 412-566-4615.

BTS's Bring the Soul: The Movie still in Pittsburgh this Saturday and Sunday.



The latest BTS concert film, Bring the Soul: The Movie, will stay in Pittsburgh this weekend, August 17 and 18, at the Cinemark in Robinson.
Following their landmark “Love Yourself” tour, boy band sensation BTS is headed to Pittsburgh’s largest screen in Bring The Soul: The Movie.

Shining brighter than any light on the stage, now the group invite us behind the spotlight. The Rangos Giant Cinema will transport you to the final concert of their Europe tour, on a rooftop in Paris, where BTS tells their very own stories from experiencing new cities to performing in front of thousands of ARMY across the globe.

A glimpse into BTS’ world away from the stage, featuring intimate group discussions alongside spectacular concert performances from the tour, this is a cinema event not to be missed.
It plays at 2:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday, in Korean with English subtitles, and tickets are available online. The Cinemark Robinson Township is located in the Mall at Robinson (map).

Chang Chun Chemical Corporation hiring bilingual Mandarin-English Logistics and Accounting Assistant.

Chang Chun Chemical Corporation in Wexford is hiring a bilingual Mandarin-English Logistics and Accounting Assistant.
Communicating with suppliers in Asia for shipment scheduling, tracking, and importation.

Supporting sales function such as issuing shipping and delivery documents.

Maintaining, filling, updating and keeping of records

Managing stock inventory and sales operation as instructed by the Sales Manager

Handling customers’ payments and vendors' invoices.

Ensuring on-time receiving and out-going payments.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

2016 Taiwanese documentary Small Talk (日常對話) at City of Asylum, November 20.



The 2016 Taiwanese documentary film Small Talk will play in Pittsburgh on November 20, presented by ReelQ.
Anu is a tomboy. Married off at a young age—as was customary in Taiwan in the 1970s—and had two children, Anu soon divorced her violent husband and raised her daughters alone. Since then her only romantic relationships have been with women whom, like her, earn a living as professional mourners at funerals.

It’s considered taboo in Taiwanese culture to question a mother’s love, but that’s exactly the topic of her daughter, Hui-chen Huang’s intimate portrait. Mother and daughter set off on a journey together into the past, during which Hui-chen confronts Anu with questions that have tormented Hui-chen for many years.

In a series of long shots the two women discuss loneliness, trust, and abuse, yet most of these discussions end in painful silence. Shifting focus in order to plumb the depths of their relationship, Hui-chen brings viewers along on her desperate attempts to understand her mother.
It plays from 7:00 to 9:00 pm at the Alphabet City Word Cellar on the North Side (map), though tickets are not yet available.

JJ Poke Bowl and Taiwanese Bubble Tea opens in Oakland.


via @jjpoke412.

JJ Poke Bowl and Taiwanese Bubble Tea has opened at 110 Atwood St. in Oakland (map), in what was formerly a supplements shop below Popeye's. It held its Grand Opening on August 10.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

"Storytime: Japanese and English" at Carnegie Library in East Liberty, August 20.


via archdaily.org

The next installment of the monthly program "Storytime: Japanese and English" will take place on August 20 at the Carnegie Library in East Liberty.
Celebrate our city’s diverse culture as we explore new words through songs, action rhymes and stories in both English and Japanese for children and their parents or caregivers. For children age birth – 5 and their caregivers.
It runs from 11:00 to 11:30 am. The library is located at 130 S. Whitfield St. (map).

Monday, August 12, 2019

Korean cyclists raising awareness of "comfort women" in US bike tour will be in Pittsburgh on August 14 and 15.


Passing through in 2018, via 3A Project.

The 2019 iteration of the 3A Project will hit Pittsburgh on August 15, according to the itinerary posted online. The 3A Project is an annual nationwide tour by two Korean university students to raise awareness of "comfort women" and the contentious politics surrounding their legacy. The group is arriving in Los Angeles on June 24, heading east through the summer, and leaving Detroit for Pittsburgh on August 12. The cyclists have made Pittsburgh part of its national bike tour the last two years.

Kusama: Infinity screening at Mattress Factory, August 15.



The Mattress Factory, which hosts two permanent installations by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, will hold a screening of the documentary Kusama: Infinity on August 15.
Get to know the artist behind the polka dots. Join us for a special screening of Kusama: Infinity, a documentary that looks at the life and work of Mattress Factory artist Yayoi Kusama, the top-selling female artist in the world.

Along with the film, you can experience Infinity Dots, Mirrored Room and Repetitive Vision, two Kusama rooms that are part of the Mattress Factory’s permanent collection, and explore photos and items – think a polka dot chair! – from Kusama’s Mattress Factory installation in 1996.
Tickets are $20 for the general public and $15 for students and Mattress Factory members. The movie runs from 6:00 to 8:00 pm, and the museum is located at 500 Sampsonia Way in the North Side (map).

Sunday, August 11, 2019

William Tsutsui and "Godzilla on my Mind," 1954's Gojira (ゴジラ ) October 16 at Pitt.



Dr. William Tsutsui will speak on "Godzilla on my Mind" and introduce a screening of the original Japanese Godzilla film on October 16 as part of the University of Pittsburgh's International Week. A synospis of Tsutsui's book of the same name:
Ever since Godzilla (or, Gojira, as he is known in Japan) crawled out of his radioactive birthplace to cut a swath of destruction through Tokyo, he has claimed a place alongside King Kong and others in the movie monster pantheon. He is the third most recognizable Japanese celebrity in the United States, and his fan base continues to grow as children today prove his enduring appeal. Now, Bill Tsutsui, a life-long fan and historian, takes a light-hearted look at the big, green, radioactive lizard, revealing how he was born and how he became a megastar. With humorous anecdotes, Godzilla on My Mind explores his lasting cultural impact on the world. This book is sure to be welcomed by pop culture enthusiasts, fans, and historians alike.
The event runs from 6:30 to 9:00 pm in the William Pitt Union Assembly Room (map).

2019 Japanese movie Kingdom (キングダム) in Pittsburgh from August 20.



he 2019 Japanese movie Kingdom (キングダム), a live-action adaptation of the Japanese manga, will play in Pittsburgh from August 20 through 22. The movie will be released stateside on the 16th, though no longer appears to be playing from that date as earlier announced. A synopsis from the distributor:
Orphaned by war, a young boy and his friend dream of changing their fate and becoming the world’s greatest generals. And after his friend sacrifices himself to protect
the future emperor, the young boy’s path to greatness is set in motion.

Helping the King reclaim the throne puts the boy’s blade to the ultimate test as they go against deadly assassins, large armies, and the dangerous mountain clan.

In a country torn apart by war, only they can fight to unite the warring states!
Released in Japan on April 19, it's the second highest-grossing domestic movie of the year there. The movie will play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront theater and tickets are available online. The theater is located at 300 West Waterfront Dr. in the Waterfront shopping complex in Homestead (map), across the Monongahela River from Greenfield, Squirrel Hill, and the rest of Pittsburgh.

Saturday, August 10, 2019

New restoration of 2002 Satoshi Kon film Millennium Actress (千年女優) in Pittsburgh, August 13 and 19.



The 2002 Satoshi Kon film Millennium Actress (千年女優) will play in Pittsburgh on August 13 and August 19. The distributor provides a synopsis:
Experience the gorgeous new restoration of what many believe to be Satoshi Kon’s (Perfect Blue, Paprika) greatest work, MILLENNIUM ACTRESS.

When the legendary Ginei Studios shuts down, filmmaker Genya Tachibana and his assistant are tasked with interviewing its reclusive star, Chiyoko Fujiwara, who had retired from the spotlight 30 years prior. As she recounts her career, Genya and his crew are literally pulled into her memories where they witness her chance encounter with a mysterious man on the run from the police. Despite never knowing his name or his face, Chiyoko relentlessly pursues that man in a seamless blend of reality and memory that only Satoshi Kon could deliver. Boasting countless awards, including the Grand Prize in the Japan Agency of Cultural Affairs Media Arts Festival, which it shared with Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away, MILLENNIUM ACTRESS is a must-see for anime fans of all ages.
The August 13 shows will be in Japanese with English subtitles and the August 19 shows will be dubbed in English. The Japanese-language version will play locally at the Southside Works Cinema and the Cinemark theaters in Monroeville, the North Hills and Robinson, while the dubbed version will play at the Cinemark theaters in Monroeville, North Hills, Pittsburgh Mills, and Robinson. Tickets are available online.

Friday, August 9, 2019

Library orientations for new Chinese, Japanese, Korean students at Pitt: August 14 - 16.



The University of Pittsburgh's Hillman Library will host library orientations for new Chinese, Japanese, and Korean students from August 14 - 16.
Would you like to know...
  • A librarian who speaks your native language?
  • The difference between academic libraries in the U.S. and libraries in your home country?
  • The many wonderful services that the library offers to help your area of study and research at Pitt?
  • If so, please come to attend one of the library orientation sessions.
Chinese sessions:
Japanese session
Korean session

Sessions are free but seating is limited and registration is required (and can be completed online).

Wednesday, August 7, 2019

2019 Pittsburgh Chinese Culture Festival, September 14 at Mellon Park.


via @pghccc

The annual Pittsburgh Chinese Culture Festival will be held this year on September 14 at Mellon Park.
The Pittsburgh Chinese Cultural Festival celebrates the rich culture of China, past and present, through entertainment, music, art, food and exhibits.

This fun filled day includes: local performances, renowned UNESCO Masters of Arts & Crafts from Wuhan, China, food from Pittsburgh’s BEST Chinese Restaurants and exhibits of handcrafted items, information and much more!
It runs from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm at Mellon Park in Shadyside (map) and is free and open to the public.

(G)I-dle's "Senorita" at next (and final) K-pop Dance Class, August 10.



The weekly K-pop Dance Class at Yanlai Dance Academy will do (G)I-dle's "Senorita" for its tenth and final meeting on August 10. The class is held each Saturday from 4:00 to 5:00 pm, and the cost is $18 for a drop-in session. Yanlai Dance Academy is located at 2260 Babcock Blvd. in the North Hills (map).

GlobalPittsburgh Happy Hour with visiting Yasuda Women's University students, September 5.


Interior of Pitt's Cathedral of Learning, from the 2019 Yasuda Women's University promotional catalog.

GlobalPittsburgh's next First Thursdays Happy Hour on September 5 will welcome students from Yasuda Women's University (安田女子大学) in Hiroshima.
In September, we will have special guests from Japan. The 43 students from Yasuda University will be study abroad students at the English Language Institute at the University of Pittsburgh. Their host families are also invited to celebrate!

Meet globally-minded people from Pittsburgh and all over the world to make new friends and learn more about different cultures at our GlobalPittsburgh First Thursdays monthly happy hour. Bring your friends, family, and colleagues or come alone - we are a very friendly group!
A cohort of undergraduates has studied each fall at the University of Pittsburgh's English Language Institute since 2016.
The event runs from 5:30 to 8:00 pm at Roland's Seafood Grill in the Strip District (map), and tickets are available online.

Chengdu Gourmet, Sichuan Gourmet, Umami, and Bae-Bae's Kitchen, NIcky's Thai Kitchen voted "Best" by readers of Pittsburgh City-Paper.


via ChengduGourmet.net

Some variety in this year's Pittsburgh City-Paper Best Of readers' poll.
  • This year's Pittsburgh City-Paper Best Of poll featured a Best Asian Food category, with Squirrel Hill's Chengdu Gourmet taking first place, Banh Mi & Tea second, and Thai Gourmet third.
  • Sichuan Gourmet was voted Best Chinese, upsetting perennial winners Sesame Inn.
  • Umami was voted tops in both Best Japanese and Best Sushi over Nakama, which had received some notoriety for its annual victories.
  • Bae-Bae's Kitchen was voted Best Korean, a new category for this year.
  • Nicky's Thai Kitchen was voted Best Thai.

Tuesday, August 6, 2019

New Chinese movie The Bravest (烈火·英雄) in Pittsburgh, from August 9.



The new Chinese movie The Bravest (烈火·英雄) will play in Pittsburgh from August 9.
When the oil pipeline in the city harbor explodes due to a calculation error, a disgraced firefighter captain must put aside his grievances and team up with his former subordinate in order to save the city.
The Bravest was the second-highest grossing movie at the Chinese box office last week. It will play at the AMC Loews Waterfront theater in Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles, and tickets are available online. The AMC Loews Waterfront theater is located at 300 West Waterfront Dr. in the Waterfront shopping complex in Homestead (map), across the Monongahela River from Greenfield, Squirrel Hill, and the rest of Pittsburgh.

Back when Hyomin came to Pittsburgh.


via 뉴스엔.

A flashback to when T-ara's Hyomin was in Pittsburgh to throw out the first pitch at PNC Park on September 13, 2015. Jung-ho Kang, her catcher for the pitch, was officially released from the Pirates this week, ending the city's brief flirtation with Korean celebrity.


via 일간스포츠.

Artist Talk with Asian Pacific Islander American Artists in Pittsburgh, September 13.



The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council will host an Artist Talk as part of its ongoing "We Are Here: Asian Pacific Islander American Artists in Pittsburgh" exhibition on September 13.
Join curator Karen Lue in conversation with the artists of "We Are Here: Asian Pacific Island American Artists in Pittsburgh" on their work, identity, and the significance of this exhibition. A Q+A session will follow and refreshments will be provided. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the artists as well as APIA culture and its context in Pittsburgh.
The event runs from 5:30 to 7:00 pm on the 13th in the GPAC Big Room on the 7th floor of 810 Penn Ave. (map), and tickets are available online.

Franck's "Unkillable Human" on the North Shore.



On the Northshore Heritage Trail is a 2003 sculpture by Dutch artist Frederick Franck titled "Unkillable Human," commemorating those lost in the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It is located basically across the street from Warhola Recycling on Chesboro St. (map). A marker there reads:
At Hiroshima Franck was confronted with the shadow of a human being burned into a concrete wall by the atomic bomb.

The indestructible spirit rises from the ashes.
The sculpture---though Franck preferred the word "sign"---was originally to find a home at a proposed Peace Park at Point State Park, but was eventually relocated to the North Shore when those plans fell through.

Monday, August 5, 2019

Documentary on rescuing Asian elephants in Thailand, Love & Bananas, in East Liberty, August 12.



The 2018 documentary Love & Bananas will play at the Carnegie Library in East Liberty on August 12. A synopsis, from the film's official site:
Elephant rescues in Thailand are rare, unpredictable and often life threatening. After waiting 2.5 years, actor/director Ashley Bell and a team of elephant rescuers led by world renowned Asian elephant conservationist and TIME Magazine's Hero of Asia, Lek Chailert, embark on a daring mission 480 miles across Thailand to rescue Noi Na, a 70-year old partially blind trekking elephant and bring her to freedom.

African elephants are slaughtered for their ivory, but sadly the plight of the Asian Elephant has been completely overlooked even though they are the elephant we are most familiar with in zoos, circuses and elephant rides. L&B exposes the cruel secret that every Asian elephant has had to endure to become a service animal; a process knows as Pajan, aka The Crush Box. LOVE & BANANAS aims to ignite a new way of thinking about this species and shows what can be done to prevent the extinction of Asian elephants.
The movie runs from 6:00 to 7:30 pm on the the 12th, in tandem with World Elephant Day. It is free and open to the public, but not recommended for children 12 and under. The library is located at 130 S. Whitfield St. (map).

BTS's Bring the Soul: The Movie at Carnegie Science Center Rangos Giant Cinema, August 7 through 11.



The latest BTS concert film, Bring the Soul: The Movie, will play at Carnegie Science Center's The Rangos Giant Cinema from August 7 through 11.
Following their landmark “Love Yourself” tour, boy band sensation BTS is headed to Pittsburgh’s largest screen in Bring The Soul: The Movie.

Shining brighter than any light on the stage, now the group invite us behind the spotlight. The Rangos Giant Cinema will transport you to the final concert of their Europe tour, on a rooftop in Paris, where BTS tells their very own stories from experiencing new cities to performing in front of thousands of ARMY across the globe.

A glimpse into BTS’ world away from the stage, featuring intimate group discussions alongside spectacular concert performances from the tour, this is a cinema event not to be missed.
Tickets and showtime information is available online. The movie will also play locally at the Cinemark Theaters in Monroeville and Robinson and the AMC Loews Waterfront.

Sunday, August 4, 2019

2019 Japanese movie Tokyo Ghoul S (東京喰種 【S】) in Pittsburgh, from September 16.



The 2019 Japanese movie Tokyo Ghoul S (東京喰種 【S】) will play in Pittsburgh on September 16. From the distributor:
Now a member of Anteiku, Ken Kaneki grows closer to the ghouls around him. Determined to protect his new home against anti-ghoul forces, he trains his powers in secret. But when the infamous gourmet, Shu Tsukiyama, wishes to
savor some half-ghoul flavor, Kaneki’s training is put to the test of a lifetime.

Based on the thrilling supernatural manga, Tokyo Ghoul.
It will play in the US on September 16, 18, and 20, and locally at the Southside Works Cinema, but showtime information has not yet been announced.

Saturday, August 3, 2019

Chang Chun Chemical Corporation hiring bilingual Mandarin-English sales assistant.

Chang Chun Chemical Corporation in Wexford is hiring a bilingual Mandarin-English sales assistant.
Communicating with suppliers in Asia for order processing and shipment arrangement

Supporting sales function such as issuing purchase order, invoice or sales related documents

Maintaining filling, updating and keeping of records

Managing stock inventory and sales operation as instructed by the Sales Manager

Handling customers’ inquiries and maintain tip top service to customers.

Friday, August 2, 2019

Screening of documentary Day of the Western Sunrise for local educators, August 7 at Pitt.



The National Consortium for Teaching About Asia will hold the teacher workshop "Nuclear Testing and Day of the Western Sunrise" at the University of Pittsburgh on August 7.
Join us on Wednesday August 7 for an NCTA teacher workshop “Nuclear Testing and Day of the Western Sunrise” which will explore the effects on a Japanese fishing boat that was accidentally caught in the U.S. testing of a thermonuclear bomb in the Bikini Atoll in 1954. Active teachers attending this morning workshop will receive a free DVD of the film along with an Educational Toolkit on this documentary, and Act 48 hours.
The movie was made with the help of the local Japanese-speaking community. Registration to hughespw at pitt.edu is required and requested by August 5.

"One of the worst films of the year," She's Just a Shadow, in Pittsburgh from August 2 through 9.



2019's She's Just a Shadow, filmed and set in Tokyo, will play at the Parkway Theater from August 2 through 9. From a July New York Times review:
Shot in Tokyo and with a mostly English-speaking Japanese cast and crew, this lurid blood bath centers on an impassive madam and her gaggle of under-occupied, over-embellished working girls. Two of these are vying for the addled attentions of a snaggletoothed gangster-addict whose boss controls the city’s sex trade and black markets. Not for much longer, however, if the madam and her poisonous mother have their way.

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