Friday, November 3, 2017

"Chinese Karaoke Night," November 10 at Pitt.



The Chinese language program and the Chinese Language Club at the University of Pittsburgh will present a Chinese Karaoke Night on November 10.
Songs you will hear:
对面的女孩看过来
对不起我的中文不好
中国话
小幸运
给我一个吻
再见
Backstreet Boys - I Want It That Way -- the Chinese version

and many more ~~~~~

Everyone is welcome!
It will run from 7:00 to 9:00 pm in Nordy's Place, located on the ground floor of the William Pitt Union (map).

Thursday, November 2, 2017

Ross Park Mall's Tiffany & Co. hiring Mandarin-speaking sales associate.



The Tiffany & Co. jewelry store in Ross Park Mall in the North Hills is hiring a Mandarin-speaking sales professional.
Required Qualifications
  • Experience in retail or luxury retail or relevant customer-related experience (e.g., hospitality).
  • Proven track record in achieving sales results.
  • Flexibility to work non-traditional hours, including days, nights, weekends and holidays.
  • Ability to work with a diverse client base.
  • Proficiency with Point of Sales (POS) systems, client tracking systems and Microsoft Outlook/email.
  • Must have authorization to work in the United States or in the country where the position is based.
Preferred Qualifications:
  • A college/university degree.
  • Graduate Gemologist degree or previous Gemological Institute of America (GIA) course work is preferred.
  • Proficiency in multiple languages.

APA Y-Advocate training for high school students, November 11 at Pitt.



The Organization of Chinese Americans will hold a half-day session for Asian Pacific American high school students on topics of leadership, community engagement, career planning, and financial responsibility at the University of Pittsburgh on November 11.

KDKA: "Increase In Asian Population Is Changing Region Culturally, Economically"


2015 Lunar New Year Parade, via @OCA Pittsburgh.

KDKA, the local CBS affiliate, has a quick look at the influence of the growing Asian population in the region.
“I think there’s always room for people to bring something specialty, something different, something more tradition[al], and introduce to the consumer,” said Mike Chen, the owner of Everyday Noodles.

When Chen moved here from Los Angeles 33 years ago, there were very few Asians in the city, but he says this new influx will be a welcome change in the Pittsburgh — both economically and culturally.

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Chang Chun Chemical Corporation seeking bilingual English-Mandarin Sales Assistant in Pittsburgh.

Taiwan's Chang Chun Chemical Corporation is seeking a bilingual English-Mandarin Sales Assistant for its office in Wexford, PA.
Communicating with Headquarters in Taipei for order processing and shipment arrangement

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

To maintain filling, updating and keeping of records

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

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

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Pittsburgh Pirates re-sign Taiwanese minor league catcher Jin-de Jhang.


via pb+.

Pirates Prospects reports that the Pittsburgh Pirates have re-signed Taiwanese catcher Jin-de Jhang (張進德) to a minor league contract. Jhang, whose signing in 2011 was considered part of a "scouting revolution" by the Post-Gazette, spent last season in AA ball with the Altoona Curve.

The Pirates have never had a Taiwanese player on the major league roster.

How To: Asia: Chinese Brush Calligraphy, November 1 at Pitt.



The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will host a Chinese Brush Calligraphy demonstration as the next installment of its How To: Asia series.
Join us for a demonstration of Chinese brush calligraphy, followed by a chance to make and take home some calligraphy of your own!
The event starts at 5:00 pm in 4130 Posvar Hall (map). The event is free though space is limited and RSVP is requested to asia at pitt.edu.

Sunday, October 29, 2017

Mother (마더), Okja, and The Host (괴물) at Row House Cinema's Bong Joon-ho film series, November 3 -9.



The Row House Cinema presents its first film series by a Korean filmmaker, with 2009's Mother (마더), the 2017 Netflix release Okja, and 2006's hit The Host (괴물) comprising a Bong Joon-ho film series from November 3 through 9.

A 2010 Roger Ebert review summarizes Mother:
The mother of the title, played by respected South Korean actress Kim Hye-ja, is a force of nature. In a village, she runs a little shop selling herbs, roots and spices. Her sideline is prescribing herbal cures. Her son Do-jun (Weon Bin), in his late 20s, lives at home and they sleep in the same bed. He's a few slices short of a pie. Early in the film, he's saved from death in traffic when his mother races to the rescue.

Do-jun has a friend named Jin-tae (Jin Gu). Jin-tae easily manipulates him. Do-jun's mental fogginess may be his most attractive quality. In the town, a shocking murder occurs. A girl's body is left where all can see. A golf ball with Do-jun's name is found near the death site.
A June 2017 Atlantic review introduces Netflix's Okja:
Okja begins with a splendiferous introduction to its title character. Who is Okja? The ecstatic businesswoman Lucy Mirando (Tilda Swinton) is thrilled to tell us, via multimedia presentation, by revealing to the press and her investors a new kind of “super-pig” her global corporation has discovered. A giant, lumbering beast resembling a hippo (though with a more baleful face), this creature is the future of cuisine, Lucy explains, and Okja is a prized calf sent to a farm in South Korea as part of a worldwide competition to find the best environment for her species. There she’ll roam around the mountains for 10 years, munch on the grass, and becoming a loving companion to young Mija (Ahn Seo-hyun), the farmer’s granddaughter.
And a Slate review introduces The Host, which was the highest-grossing South Korean film from its release until 2014:
Park Hie-bong (Byeon Hie-bong) manages a snack stand on the banks of the Han with his son, a bleached-blond ne'er-do-well named Gang-du (Song Kang-ho). Gang-du has a 13-year-old daughter, Hyeon-seo (Ko Ah-sung), whose mother abandoned her at birth. As Hyeon-seo and her layabout dad watch her aunt, Nam-joo (Bae Du-na), place third in a national archery competition on TV, something strange is happening in the river outside. What looks to be a giant, multilegged tadpole hangs upside down from a bridge piling, does a few impressive loop-the-loops under the bridge, and then disappears into the water. Passersby gather to watch, throwing food at the mysterious amphibian. Moments later, in defiance of the monster-movie convention of the slow reveal, the thing is galumphing along the riverbank in full daylight, munching its way through entire trailers full of people.
Tickets and showtime information are available at the theater's website. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map).

2017 Takashi Miike film Blade of the Immortal (無限の住人) in Pittsburgh, November 3 - 9.



The 2017 Takashi Miike film Blade of the Immortal (無限の住人) will play at the Hollywood Theater in Dormont from November 3 through November 9. A May 18 IndieWire review has a summary of Miike's 100th film:
With a body count in the thousands and a breakneck pitch that starts at feverishly intense and only builds upwards, “Blade of the Immortal” is certainly one of Takashi Miike’s most lethal works. But then, how else should a director with Miike’s talents celebrate such a milestone? You see, not only is his adaptation of a popular manga overloaded, overlong and gleefully over-the-top – it’s also the director’s hundredth feature film.

Based on Hiroaki Samura’s eponymous series, “Blade of the Immortal” follows Manji (local mega-star Takuya Kimura), a cursed samurai and unkillable killing machine who broods and maims his way across Edo era Japan. Thanks to the “sacred bloodworms” coursing through his veins, Manji can heal any wound and ages in slow motion, and that’s not the only similarity to a certain Marvel hero, as this film also hinges on the relationship between the older sell-sword and young girl he’s paid to protect.
Tickets and showtime information is available from the theater's website; the movie plays at 9:00 pm each night from the 3rd through the 9th. The theater is located at 1449 Potomac Ave. in Dormont (map), and is accessible by Pittsburgh's subway/LRT at a block south of Potomac Station.

2016 Tibetan movie Soul on a String in Oakland, November 5



The 2016 Tibetan movie Soul on a String will play at the Carnegie Library in Oakland on November 5 as that month's installment of International Cinema Sunday.

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Pittsburgh-based WholeRen hiring Brand Content Specialist (品牌项目专员) fluent in Mandarin.



WholeRen Education (美国厚仁教育集团), a Chinese education consulting and placement firm headquartered in Oakland, is hiring a Brand Content Specialist (品牌项目专员) fluent in Mandarin.

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し) playing in Pittsburgh, October 29 and 30.



The 2001 Studio Ghibli film Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し) will play Pittsburgh-area Cinemark theaters as part of GKIDS Studio Ghibli Fest 2017 on October 29 and 30.

"Storytime: Chinese and English" at Carnegie Library in Squirrel Hill, October 28.

The Squirrel Hill branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will host its next "Storytime: Chinese and English" on October 28.
Celebrate our city’s diverse culture as we explore new words through songs, action rhymes and stories in both English and Chinese. For children birth – 5 years and their caregivers.
It 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.

Monday, October 23, 2017

2017 Japanese animated film Mary and the Witch's Flower (メアリと魔女の花) in Pittsburgh in January 2018.



The 2017 Japanese animated film Mary and the Witch's Flower (メアリと魔女の花) will play at Pittsburgh-area Cinemark theaters on January 18, 2018.
Fathom Events and GKIDS are proud to present this special one-night premiere event of Studio Ponoc's debut film by Academy Award®-nominated director Hiromasa Yonebayashi, director of Studio Ghibli’s When Marnie Was There and The Secret World of Arrietty, and an animator on Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and more. Mary and The Witch’s Flower is an all-ages action fantasy adventure full of ingenious characters, jaw-dropping imaginative worlds, and the simple, heartfelt story of a young girl trying to find her place in the world. The English dubbed version (featuring the voices of Ruby Barnhill, Kate Winslet, and Jim Broadbent) will start at 7:00pm, and the English subtitled version at 8:00pm.
Tickets for both the dubbed and subtitled versions are currently available online. Pittsburgh-area Cienmark theaters showing the film are Monaca, Monroeville, North Hills, and Pittsburgh Mills.

Pittsburgh Ginkgo Fest, November 4.



Tree Pittsburgh will present its annual Ginkgo Fest on November 4 in Highland Park.

"Postwar Tokyo: Reality and Imagination through the Camera", October 25 at Pitt.



The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will host Dr. Shunya Yoshimi and his talk "Postwar Tokyo: Reality and Imagination through the Camera" on October 25. The talk will run from 3:00 to 4:30 pm in 630 William Pitt Union (map), and is free and open to the public.

"Indonesia-Korea Earthquake Dialogue," October 27 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public and International Affairs will host an "Indonesia-Korea Earthquake Dialogue" on October 27.
The Global Earthquakes Group: Response, Recovery, and Resilience (GERRR) will have an event, "Indonesia-Korea Earthquake Dialogue" at 12:00p.m., Friday, October 27 in Posvar Hall, room 3800. The group is funded by GSPIA’s Fund for Student Initiatives and hosting a series of dialogues in order to provide GSPIA students and the public the opportunity to participate in conversations with experts on the character of seismic risk, as well as earthquakes that occurred in Ecuador, Indonesia, Italy, Korea, and Nepal within the past two years. Dr. Taieb Znati (Chair of Department of Computer Science, School of Computing and Information, University of Pittsburgh) and YoonAh Shin(Graduate Student Researcher at GSPIA's Center for Disaster Management) will talk about Hazard SEES Project in Padang, Indonesia and Ji Sun Ryu (Director of Disaster Recovery Support Division, the Ministry of Interior and Safety, South Korea) will discuss governmental responses in Kyeongju Earthquakes, South Korea.
The event runs from 12:00 to 1:30 pm in 3800 Posvar Hall (map) and is free and open to the public. The event listing notes that Korean and Indonesian food will be provided.

Sunday, October 22, 2017

2004 Thai horror film Shutter (ชัตเตอร์ กดติดวิญญาณ) at Butler Maridon's Museum, October 27.



The 2004 Thai horror film Shutter (ชัตเตอร์ กดติดวิญญาณ) will play at the Maridon Museum in Butler on October 27, the second of three installment's in the museum's Thai Film Series. The Tribeca Film Festival provides a summary:
There's a ghost in the machine and she's looking for blood in this nastily entertaining supernatural thriller from Thailand. It was the biggest Thai box office hit of 2004 and the country's response to the current Asian horror renaissance. The photographer and playboy Ton and his girlfriend Jane accidentally run over a woman on their way home one night; even worse, they drive off without stopping. Their guilt forces them to return a few days later, but there's no record of the accident, nor report of a body. There is one problem though; all of Ton's recent photos have been smeared with a strange light and an odd smudge, one that when enlarged looks strangely like a woman's face. Who this woman is, and what she's after, are questions that grow more urgent as Ton's friends begin dying, and as his playboy past begins to unravel.
The movie starts at 6:00 pm and is free and open to the public, though reservations are required to be made by phone: 724-282-0123. It will be presented by Slippery Rock University professor William Covey.

The Maridon Museum is an Asian art museum at 322 N. McKean St. in downtown Butler (map) that runs film series periodically throughout the year, in addition to art classes, book club meetings, and its regular exhibits.

Friday, October 20, 2017

Cremation Ceremony of King Bhumibol, October 26 at Carnegie Mellon University.



SIAM - CMU Thai Students Association will host a ceremony marking the cremation of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand on October 26.
His Majesty the beloved King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand passed away on October 13, 2016. His Majesty has worked tirelessly on several projects all over the kingdom throughout his life for the betterment of his people. His countless accomplishments and teachings will forever be remembered.

The cremation of the Late King is happening on October 26, 2017 in Thailand. SIAM will be hosting an event on CMU campus for those of us away from home but would like to pay respect to the King. Please dress respectfully to the event.

The exhibition will be open from 5:30 to 8:00pm. There will be a presentation about the cremation ceremony at 6:00pm presented by SIAM Thai members.
The event will be held in the Connan Room of the Jared L. Cohon University Center (map) from 5:30 pm.

Thursday, October 19, 2017

Nine decades of Chinese food in Squirrel Hill.


Advertisement in the June 29, 1934 Jewish Criterion.

Pittsburgh's Chinese food scene has gotten a lot of attention and acclaim in recent years, specifically newer restaurants in Squirrel Hill—see this piece in Saveur and this write-up from Eater, for example—but Chinese restaurants have been in the neighborhood for almost a century. The Canton Tea Garden opened on June 30, 1934 at 2018 Murray Ave., where it stayed through the 1930s and 1940s. Like its contemporaries, it advertised Americanized dishes for local tastes. The December 14, 1934 installment of "Sue's Shopping Pursuit" profiles the restaurant:
If it is true that in China people never heard of Chop Suey, all we can say is "they don't know what they are missing." Once you have eaten it at the CANTON TEA GARDEN you'll have no trouble in agreeing with us. And at the same place—2018 Murray Avenue, by the way—there are all sorts of other Chinese dishes too.

But we have saved the best thing about the Canton Tea Garden for last. On some of these cold winter nights haven't you often had a yen (parton our mixture of Japanese with Chinese!) for some good Chinese food—yet you hated to go out to get it? Well, all you need to do next time you feel that way is to phone Hazel 1213, no matter when it is, or where you are—you can order what you want.


Via Dr. Young Suh Kim.

On December 9, 1950 it reopened at 2205 Murray Ave., as seen in the photograph above taken by a Korean graduate student in the late-1950s. The outline of the sign's lettering can still be seen on the present-day Squirrel Hill Shoe Repair.


"Tea G" faintly visible at the Squirrel Hill Shoe Repair.



Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Pittsburgh firm hiring for Japanese-Fluent Document Review Attorney position.

Special Counsel, a national legal staffing and recruiting company, just posted an opening for a Japanese-Fluent Document Review Attorney in Pittsburgh.
Special Counsel is working with several clients who have future needs for Japanese-fluent barred document review attorneys in Pittsburgh, PA! We are expecting these projects to move quickly.