"Storytime: Chinese and English" in Squirrel Hill, February 29.

via Ed Massery.

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh branch in Squirrel Hill will hold its next "Storytime: Chinese and English" on Saturday, February 29.

Celebrate our city’s diverse culture as we explore new words through songs, action rhymes and stories in both Chinese and English for children and their parents or caregivers.

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.

Bong Joon-ho film Parasite (기생충) stays in Pittsburgh through (at least) March 5.

The Oscar-winning 2019 Bong Joon-ho film Parasite (기생충) will keep playing throughout the Pittsburgh region through at least March 5. A synopsis from the movie's official site:

Bong Joon Ho brings his singular mastery home to Korea in this pitch-black modern fairytale.

Meet the Park Family: the picture of aspirational wealth. And the Kim Family, rich in street smarts but not much else. Be it chance or fate, these two houses are brought together and the Kims sense a golden opportunity. Masterminded by college-aged Ki-woo, the Kim children expediently install themselves as tutor and art therapist, to the Parks. Soon, a symbiotic relationship forms between the two families. The Kims provide “indispensable” luxury services while the Parks obliviously bankroll their entire household. When a parasitic interloper threatens the Kims’ newfound comfort, a savage, underhanded battle for dominance breaks out, threatening to destroy the fragile ecosystem between the Kims and the Parks. By turns darkly hilarious and heart-wrenching, PARASITE showcases a modern master at the top of his game.

Here is a list of currently-scheduled screenings:

• AMC Mt. Lebanon: now through March 4
• AMC Loews Waterfront: now through March 4
• Cinemark Pittsburgh Mills: now through March 4
• Row House Cinema: through 27 (black and white version)
• Squirrel Hill Manor: now through March 5
• Southside Works Cinema: now through March 5
• Waterworks Cinema: now through March 4

SAP Ariba hiring bilingual Mandarin-English Procurement Operations Specialist.

SAP Ariba hiring bilingual Mandarin-English Procurement Operations Specialist, this time through a staffing agency. Though not specified on this job ad, please note that this position is usually an overnight one in order to correspond to Asian time zones.

The Procurement Operations Specialist will act as the face and voice of the organization to the customer, building relationships in each interaction.

Responsibilities of the Procurement Operations Specialist:

• Handle inbound customer calls in a courteous and kind manner
• Use CRM to document and escalate issues as needed

Qualifications for the Procurement Operations Specialist:

• MUST BE FLUENT IN BOTH ENGLISH AND MANDARIN
• Customer service skills, strong troubleshooting and problem solving skills

"Finding a Balance Between Diversity and Language Standards in a University-Level Japanese Language Program," March 6 at Pitt.

The Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures at the University of Pittsburgh will host Shinsuke Tsuchiya of Brigham Young University and his talk "Finding a Balance Between Diversity and Language Standards in a University-Level Japanese Language Program" on March 6.

One of the challenges that language professionals face in our increasingly diverse communities is establishing a balance between diversity and language standards. While Standard Japanese can be considered a common language to interact with the majority of Japanese speakers who may not be accustomed to nonnative speech (ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines, 2012), the strict requirement to follow the monolingual standard may disregard the legitimacy of multilingual speakers, including nonstandard dialect speakers. The presenter will discuss pros and cons of setting standards in language programs and relevant findings concerning the native speaker fallacy (Tsuchiya, 2019). Then the presenter will share his shifting perspectives on errors, interlanguage, dialectal differences, and certain “nonstandard” practices (e.g. translanguaging) in his experience of training, hiring, and supervising teaching assistants at Brigham Young University.

It starts at 4:00 pm in 208B Cathedral of Learning (map) and is free and open to the public.

Tripalink hiring Bilingual (Chinese) Sales / Marketing Specialist.

Tripalink, a California-based real estate agency that expanded to Pittsburgh last year and caters to Chinese international students, is hiring a Bilingual (Chinese) Sales / Marketing Specialist. An excerpt of the duties from the job ad:

Sales Dimension

• Determine clients’ needs and budget to propose guidance and solutions for them.
• Get familiar with all the properties, create introduction strategy and display properties for potential tenants in both open house activities and individual visits.
• Intermediate negotiation processes, consult clients on market conditions, prices, legal requirements, and related matters, ensuring a fair and honest dealing.
• Prepare necessary paperwork (contracts, leases, statements, etc.) and manage the check-in / check-out processes.
• Cooperate with vendors to solve maintenance issues, providing customer-oriented service to tenants.

Tiny Talk with Karen Lue, February 27 at Small Mall.

Lawrenceville's Small Mall will host its next Tiny Talk with artist and curator Karen Lue on February 27.

Join us for a Tiny Talk and Micro Exhibit with Small Mall featured artist Karen Lue!

View and buy work by Karen and hear her give a tiny artist talk.

It's free and open to the public. Small Mall is located at 5300 Butler St. (map).

Pittsburgh's 2020 Lunar New Year Parade through Squirrel Hill, March 1.

The 2020 Lunar New Year Parade is scheduled to move up Murray Ave. in Squirrel Hill on Sunday, March 1. Initially scheduled for February 9, it was postponed to accommodate local community members' efforts in dealing with the coronavirus outbreak. It will begin at 12:30 pm at Murray and Phillips Ave. (map) and move to Forbes Ave.

Extreme Job (극한직업), Mal-Mo-E: The Secret Mission (말모이) at Pitt's Korean Film Festival in March.

Two 2019 films will comprise the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures' 17th annual Korean Film Festival at the University of Pittsburgh. Extreme Job (극한직업)---the top-grossing film in Korea last year---will play on March 20 and Mal-Mo-E: The Secret Mission (말모이) on March 27. Both films run from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm in 332 Cathedral of Learning (map) and are free and open to the public.

Dagu Rice Noodle (大鼓米线) aiming to open later this month in Squirrel Hill.

Signage went up in November at 5829 Forbes Ave. in Squirrel Hill (map) for Dagu Rice Noodle (大鼓米线), a Chinese chain that opened its first American location in Las Vegas and has another location in Cleveland. The owner says they are aiming to open by the end of this month, pending health department approval.

In the middle of the Ming Dynasty, there was a restaurant without a sign near the flowery Drum tower in Yunnan, Kunming. Whenever the city had a happy news, people rang the drum to celebrate. Along with the joy of drumbeat, people flocked to the unnamed little restaurant and had bowls of hot rice noodle soup, meaning “smooth long time”. Because of this joy, with the honesty of the shop owner, the little restaurant eventually became a century-old business.

It replaces The Magic Noodle, which opened in May 2019 and in turn replaced Sun Penang, which closed a few months before that.

Golden Dragon Acrobats in Johnstown, March 5.

The Golden Dragon Acrobats will perform at the University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown campus on March 5.

The World's Leading Chinese Acrobatic Troupe. The Golden Dragon Acrobats hail from Cangzhou, Hebei province, in the People’s Republic of China and have toured the United States continuously since 1978. Its members are athletes, actors, and artists who have studied and trained for their craft since early childhood. Their spellbinding artistry and amazing athleticism will thrill audiences and children alike.

Tickets range from $37 to $42. The group will perform from 7:30 pm at the Pasquerilla Performing Arts Center (map).

Yanlai Dance Academy's Wings of the Soul, February 29 at August Wilson Center.

Wings of the Soul, the 2020 installment of Yanlai Dance Academy's annual winter performance, will take place on February 29 at the August Wilson Center in the downtown Cultural District.

Happy New Year Every One!

Our annual performance is coming soon! We would like to invite you to our show!

This is our school 16th Annual Performance on Feb 29th Saturday 2020 at August Wilson Center ( 980 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh PA 15222). This year's performance theme is "Wings of the soul", there will be 23 dances range from classical Chinese dance from Hang Dynasty - walking into the ancient world of Chinese thousands of years ago - to minority dances such as Xin Jiang, Mongolian, Tibetan, Yi, and Dai dance, where our audience will see the world of enthusiasm and passion. We hope that through our performances the audience can learn about many historical stories and cultures hidden behind the identity of "Chinese" also enjoyed the colorful, beautiful costumes, and the joyful and deep music. We can't wait to show everybody our new product.

Tickets for the 6:00 to 8:00 pm show are available for purchase online. The August Wilson African American Cultural Center is located at 980 Liberty Ave. (map).

Chinese Language & Culture Club Meeting at Pitt, February 24.

Chinese Dim Sum, by Lezlie (Creative Commons)

The University of Pittsburgh's Chinese Language & Culture Club Meeting will next meet on Monday, February 24. The meetings are open to the Pitt student community, and located in the Global Hub on the first floor of Posvar Hall (map). Meetings are generally held each week; upcoming meetings this term include February 24, March 4, March 18, March 23, April 1, and April 6.

Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies Leadership Academy Reception, March 6 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh will host an Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies Leadership Academy Reception on March 6. The reception coincides with the APAICS Regional Leadership Academy in Pittsburgh on March 6 and 7:

The APAICS Regional Leadership Academy is a two-day leadership training event for community stakeholders, individuals seeking to run for public office, current elected officials, and those with an interest in policymaking or social justice.

The Pittsburgh Regional Leadership Academy is co-hosted in partnership with the Pennsylvania Governor’s Advisory Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs. APAICS and the Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs are proud to deliver programming that is consists of interactive political training with topics ranging from developing your campaign plan, communications, digital organizing, power mapping, volunteer recruitment and management, and fundraising.

The deadline to apply for the academy is February 24 but all indications are that this community reception is free and open to the public. The reception will be held in the Global Hub on the ground floor of Posvar Hall (map) from 6:00 pm.

Asian American Leadership Forum Happy Hour Mixer at Yuzu Kitchen, February 26.

via Jorge Santiago, 2019

Downtown's Yuzu Kitchen will host an Asian American Leadership Forum Happy Hour Mixer on February 26.

The Asian American Leadership Forum presents Networking Opportunity Happy Hour. Come join us for an evening of fun, friends, and drinks! This is your chance to meet and mingle with local professionals across all environmental fields. Purchase of a ticket gets you a free drink and appetizers!

Japan Association curse strikes again: Happy Home Buffet on McKnight Road to close for good, be replaced by Ocean Treasures Cajun Seafood and Bar.

McKnight Road's Happy Home Buffet, which recently posted news of a temporary closure on its door, will close for good and be replaced by Ocean Treasures Cajun Seafood and Bar. The seafood place has another location in Monroeville.

I frequently joke that the Japan Association of Greater Pittsburgh has this effect on businesses that host its annual New Years party. In recent years Golden Palace in Robinson, Tokyo Sushi Buffet, Misaki, and Old Town Buffet have all closed shortly after hosting the Japan Association's event. Hopefully they'll choose the Oakland McDonald's next year.

Japanese guitarist Mr. JIMMY brings his Led Zeppelin tribute band back to Pittsburgh, March 6.

Japanese guitarist Akio “Jimmy” Sakurai will play at the Hard Rock Cafe on March 6 with his Led Zeppelin tribute band Mr. JIMMY Led Zeppelin Revival.

Japanese guitarist Akio “Jimmy” Sakurai has dedicated over 35 years of his life to faithfully recreating vintage Led Zeppelin concerts note-for-note. With years of practice and an incredible backstory, MR. JIMMY is a Led Zeppelin revival like you’ve never experienced before!

In snowbound Tokamachi, Japan, teenaged Akio Sakurai took refuge in his room, escaping to another world with a pair of headphones and a pile of Led Zeppelin records. Moving to Tokyo, Akio worked as a “salary man” by day, but by night became “MR. JIMMY,” adopting the guitar chops and persona of Jimmy Page. For 35 years, Akio recreated vintage Zeppelin concerts note-for-note in small Tokyo clubs, until the “real” Jimmy Page stopped by one night, and Akio’s life changed forever.

General admission tickets are still available from $35. Pittsburgh's Hard Rock Cafe is located in Station Square (map).

Love Live! Series 9th Anniversary LOVE LIVE! FEST in Pittsburgh, February 25.

The movie Love Live! Series 9th Anniversary LOVE LIVE! FEST will play in Pittsburgh on February 25. From the distributor:

Captured live from Saitama Super Arena (Stadium Mode) in Saitama, Japan in January, Love Live! Series 9th Anniversary LOVE LIVE! FEST will feature not only “Aqours” from “Love Live! Sunshine!!” and “Nijigasaki High School Idol Club” from the newest game, but also "μ's" from “Love Live!,” which has not been on stage since 2016.

It will play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and tickets for the 7:00 pm show are available online.

2019 Japanese film Children of the Sea (海獣の子供) coming to Pittsburgh, from April 20.

The 2019 Japanese animated film Children of the Sea (海獣の子供) will play in Pittsburgh from April 20. The distributor summarizes:

When Ruka was younger, she saw a ghost in the water at the aquarium where her dad works. Now she feels drawn toward the aquarium and the two mysterious boys she meets there, Umi and Sora. They were raised by dugongs and hear the same strange calls from the sea as she does. Ruka’s dad and the other adults who work at the aquarium are only distantly aware of what the children are experiencing as they get caught up in the mystery of the worldwide disappearance of the oceans’ fish.

Children of the Sea is the latest feature from Japan’s STUDIO4C (known for Tekkonkinkreet, MFKZ, Mind Game, Animatrix, Batman: Gotham Knight, and others), and is directed by Ayumu Watanabe, with a score by award-winning composer and longtime Studio Ghibli collaborator Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, My Neighbor Totoro). Children of the Sea is adapted from the manga of the same name by author Daisuke Igarashi, which won the Excellence Prize at the Japan Media Arts Festival.

It has been announced locally for the Southside Works Cinema, though additional theaters and ticket information will not be available until March 13.

Bong Joon-ho film Parasite (기생충) stays in Pittsburgh through (at least) February 27.

The Oscar-winning 2019 Bong Joon-ho film Parasite (기생충) will keep playing throughout the Pittsburgh region through at least February 27. A synopsis from the movie's official site:

Bong Joon Ho brings his singular mastery home to Korea in this pitch-black modern fairytale.

Meet the Park Family: the picture of aspirational wealth. And the Kim Family, rich in street smarts but not much else. Be it chance or fate, these two houses are brought together and the Kims sense a golden opportunity. Masterminded by college-aged Ki-woo, the Kim children expediently install themselves as tutor and art therapist, to the Parks. Soon, a symbiotic relationship forms between the two families. The Kims provide “indispensable” luxury services while the Parks obliviously bankroll their entire household. When a parasitic interloper threatens the Kims’ newfound comfort, a savage, underhanded battle for dominance breaks out, threatening to destroy the fragile ecosystem between the Kims and the Parks. By turns darkly hilarious and heart-wrenching, PARASITE showcases a modern master at the top of his game.

Here is a list of currently-scheduled screenings:

• AMC Mt. Lebanon: now through February 26
• AMC Loews Waterfront: now through February 26
• Cinemark Pittsburgh Mills: now through February 26
• Cinemark Robinson: now through February 20
• Row House Cinema: February 21 through 27 (black and white version)
• Squirrel Hill Manor: now through February 20
• Tull Family Theater: now through February 20
• Southside Works Cinema: now through February 27
• Waterworks Cinema: now through February 26

My Hero Academia: Heroes: Rising (僕のヒーローアカデミア THE MOVIE ヒーローズ:ライジング) in Pittsburgh, from February 26.

The 2019 animated movie My Hero Academia: Heroes: Rising (僕のヒーローアカデミア THE MOVIE ヒーローズ:ライジング) will play in Pittsburgh at several local theaters from February 26. From the distributor:

Class 1-A visits Nabu Island where they finally get to do real hero work. The place is so peaceful that it’s more like a vacation … until they’re attacked by a villain with an eerily familiar Quirk! Now, Deku and his friends are the island’s only hope.

It will play locally at AMC Loews Waterfront, the Hollywood Theater, the Southside Works Cinema, AMC South Hills Village, the Waterworks Cinema, and the Cinemark theaters in Monaca, Monroeville, North Hills, Pittsburgh Mills, and Robinson. Tickets are available online and it will play here through at least March 7.

"Making Green Tea For America - And For Japan," February 21 at Pitt.

via cyclonebill (Creative Commons)

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will host Dr. Robert Hellyer and "Making Green Tea For America - And For Japan" on February 21.

Join Professor Robert Hellyer of Wake Forest University for a discussion on the socio-economic history of green tea in America and Japan in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Soon after the Meiji Restoration of 1868, Japan dramatically expanded tea production—especially of high-quality sencha green tea—specifically to meet demand from the United States, then a green tea consuming nation. This presentation will outline that export trade highlighting how tea production helped to ease social tensions in the nascent Japanese nation-state by providing employment for Tokugawa retainers who had opposed the new central regime during the Boshin War (1868-1869). It will also explain the ways in which a change in American tastes—the 1920s’ embrace of black teas produced in South Asia—brought a decline in Japanese tea exports to the United States. Facing a glut, Japanese tea merchants aggressively marketed sencha at home for the first time, emphasizing its health benefits. As a result, more Japanese began to consume sencha, setting in motion a trend that made that type of green tea the definitive daily beverage it remains today.

The event starts from 3:00 pm in 4130 Posvar Hall (map).