The way children travel to school structures daily life for families around the world—but differs dramatically. In Japan, 98 percent of children walk to school every day, unaccompanied by a parent. In the United States, just 13 percent of children walk or bike to school, and most are driven to school by a parent.
Join us for a reading with Viet Thanh Nguyen presented in partnership with Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures and the Carnegie Nexus: Becoming Migrant series.Nguyen will give a lecture at Carnegie Music Hall that evening, and will participate in a discussion with University of Pittsburgh students and faculty on April 5.
“A major writer with firsthand knowledge of the human rights drama exploding on the international stage—and the talent to give us inroads toward understanding it.”—THE WASHINGTON POST
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen can’t remember a time when he wasn’t a refugee. When he was four, in 1975, his family joined the masses of South Vietnamese fleeing the Viet Cong. His first reliable memories began when his family arrived at a Pennsylvania resettlement camp and was temporarily split up.
Join Nguyen, author of The Refugees and The Sympathizer, Divya Heffley of Carnegie Museum of Art, and Patrick McShea of Carnegie Museum of Natural History for a live reading and discussion, followed by a hands-on workshop that layers passages of text with memories of what we perceive to be home.
The Chinese Navy’s Jiaolong (“Sea Dragon”) Assault Team is famed for its skill in getting the job done. After its success in rescuing a cargo ship hijacked by pirates off the Somalia coast, the team is assigned an even more perilous mission. A coup in a North African republic has left local Chinese residents in danger, circumstances further complicated by a terrorist plot to obtain nuclear materials. The situation could prove fatal to the hostages and disastrous to the entire region, and presents Jiaolong with a challenge that threatens the very existence of the team and its members.
Holy Hum is a project I started probably in 2013 but I didn’t release any music or play any shows until 2015. The project is still in its early stages so I can’t really try and pin it down and define it. Sometimes it’s just me and a guitar or synth. Sometimes it’s a five piece post rock band. And sometimes it’s eight speakers in an abandoned fur vault.Tickets for the 8:00 pm show are available online. The Funhouse at Mr. Smalls is located at 400 Lincoln Ave. in Millvale (map).
Your Night, You Decide.The 8:00 pm show will be at the August Wilson Center in the Cultural District (map).
Select one, select them all. You own the night with Multiple Choice Events:
[A] Attend a show featuring San E & Mad Clown
[B] Go to a post-show party
[C] Grab a bite to eat at our food truck roundup, or
ALL OF THE ABOVE.
Mad Clown and San E are two of the biggest stars in Korean pop music. With numerous hits songs in Korea, these rappers are joining forces to tour every corner of America and Canada. For both MCs, this tour is a homecoming, as Mad Clown is originally from the Chicago area, and San E grew up in Atlanta. Mad Clown and San E's "We Want You 2018 Tour" will hit North America in April 2018, with Korean American singer Sobae opening.
From Academy Award®-nominated Hiromasa Yonebayashi – animator on Studio Ghibli masterpieces Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Ponyo, and director of When Marnie Was There and The Secret World of Arrietty – comes a dazzling new adventure about a young girl named Mary, who discovers a flower that grants magical powers, but only for one night.The movie will play at Cinemark theaters in McCandless, Monaca, Monroeville, and Pittsburgh Mills. Tickets for the English-dubbed show on the 24th and the English-subtitled show on the 26th are available online.
Mary is an ordinary young girl stuck in the country with her Great-Aunt Charlotte and seemingly no adventures or friends in sight. She follows a mysterious cat into the nearby forest, where she discovers an old broomstick and the strange Fly-by-Night flower, a rare plant that blossoms only once every seven years and only in that forest. Together the flower and the broomstick whisk Mary above the clouds, and far away to Endor College – a school of magic run by headmistress Madam Mumblechook and the brilliant Doctor Dee. But there are terrible things happening at the school, and when Mary tells a lie, she must risk her life to try to set things right.
Based on Mary Stewart’s 1971 classic children’s book The Little Broomstick, Mary and The Witch’s Flower is an action-packed film full of jaw-dropping imaginative worlds, ingenious characters, and the simple, heartfelt story of a young girl trying to find a place in the world.
explores the concept of ceramists who identify with both Western and Eastern cultures; their stories are unique and give a taste of what goes on in contemporary America.Featured are Adam Chau, Ayumi Horie, Steven Lee, Jennifer Ling Datchuk, and Beth Lo.
Matt Ketchum left his hometown of Pittsburgh and arrived on the shores of Japan in the fall of 2009. He was living in Miyako, Iwate, enjoying the Slow Life and playing Fast Metal, but then the Tohoku earthquake changed his life forever. After assisting in frontline relief efforts he was transferred to Tokyo where he became involved in various projects concerned with Tohoku and the arts.The screening will be accompanied by a Q&A with promoter and community organizer Matthew Ketchum. The event starts at 5:00 pm in room 548 of the William Pitt Union (map) and is free and open to the public.
He formed Kaala after years of experience performing in bands, booking and promoting tours, and seeing all of the good that underground extreme music can provide its members. The system that dictates cultural movements in music is far from perfect, and he aims to better it through applied data science, thoughtful content production, and boots-on-the-ground community engagement and participation.
He's currently in Seattle getting international music tourism pipelines established, so if you're at a show in the area shout his name and he'll probably appear. It's happened before.
“The food here is my style, Wei Zhu’s style,” says Zhu, 49, a native of the city of Chengdu in China’s Sichuan province.
A recently added beef soup dish combines traditional Sichuan elements such as garlic, ginger, pea shoots and Sichuan peppercorns, but it also is served with Japanese ramen noodles and dressed with fresh and pickled jalapeño peppers. Or there’s Zhu’s addictive Chinese winter sausage, an item on the menu for only a few months of the year. The rich, fatty links are enhanced with organ meat and ferment into funky, delicious bites as they age.
“At other Chinese restaurants, they just make the same dishes. I am always trying to keep updated on what chefs are doing in China,” he says.
Osamu James Nakagawa is Ruth N. Halls Distinguished Professor of Photography at Indiana University, where he directs the Center for Integrative Photographic Studies. Nakagawa is best known for his Okinawa trilogy, a series of works that address the atrocities of WWII in Japan. His illustrated lecture Fences, Maps, and Darkness: Visualizing Okinawa explores Okinawa's diverse ecosystems, primeval forests, and its history as a prime crossroads of war and colonial expansion for centuries. Nakagawa's photographs of Okinawa bridge the inherently different interpretations of this history through a cross-cultural lens.The lecture starts at 6:00 pm in the Beckwith Lecture Hall in the Buhl Hall of Science and Science Laboratory Building (map), and is free and open to the public.
Mad Clown and San E are two of the biggest stars in Korean pop music. With numerous hits songs in Korea, these rappers are joining forces to tour every corner of America and Canada. For both MCs, this tour is a homecoming, as Mad Clown is originally from the Chicago area, and San E grew up in Atlanta. Mad Clown and San E's "We Want You 2018 Tour" will hit North America in April 2018, with Korean American singer Sobae opening.The concert will be at the August Wilson Center in the Cultural District. Tickets will go on sale February 19 at 9:00 am.
Come out to hear her speak, Q&A, and a meet and greet!The event is free for Pitt students and $5 for everyone else, though registration is required. The event is at Bellefield Auditorium (map) and the doors open at 6:40 pm.
Nora Lum, better known as Awkwafina is a Chinese-Korean American rapper, comedian, television personality, television host and actress. She works to break down barriers in both rap and Hollywood scenes. Awkwafina touches on many important issues surrounding mental health, cultural identity, feminism, and Asians in media. Her most upcoming appearances will be in Crazy Rich Asians (2018) and Ocean's 8 (2018).
To RSVP fill out this google form! SEATS ARE LIMITED AND FIRST COME FIRST SERVE!
will share his insights in this talk about collaboration between Japan and the United States.
The third installment of the blockbuster fantasy series sees the return of the Monkey King (Aaron Kwok) in his most action-packed adventure yet! While continuing their epic journey to the West, the Monkey King and his companions are taken captive by the Queen of an all-female land, who believes them to be part of an ancient prophecy heralding the fall of her kingdom. With a lot of sorcery and a little bit of charm, the travelers devise a plan to escape. But when their trickery angers the mighty River God, they realize they might just bring about the foretold destruction - unless they can find a way to quell her wrath.The Monkey King 2 played in Pittsburgh in 2016, and was the second-highest-grossing domestic film in China that year.
This sequel to the mega blockbuster follows monster king Wuba as he faces another threat from the dark lord who plots to overthrow the empire.Detective Chinatown was released in 2015 and was the ninth-highest grossing domestic film in Mainland China that year. The theater provides a synopsis:
A follow up to the Chinese hit “Detective Chinatown,” the new film reunites writer/director Chen Sicheng and stars Wang Baoqiang and Liu Haoran, who reprise their roles as detectives Tang Ren and Qin Feng, respectively. When the case of New York Chinatown godfather Uncle Qi’s missing son turns into a murder investigation, the detective duo Tang and Qin team up again to hunt down the killer—this time with some help from the International Detective Alliance.Monster Hunt 2 opens on the 15th, while The Monkey King 3 and Detective Chinatown 2 open on the 16th at the AMC Loews Waterfront theater. Ticket and showtime information for all three movies are available online via Fandango. 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.
Tensions are heating up over North Korea's nuclear program, intensified by an exchange of insults between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Will the conflict between the two countries result in war? Why does North Korea want nuclear weapons? For aggression? Or for self-defense? Do South Koreans regard a nuclearized North as an existential threat or as something they can live with? How would a new Korean War end?The event runs from 2:00 to 4:00 pm and is free and open to the public. The Church of the Redeemer is located at 5700 Forbes Ave. (map).
PACHINKO follows one Korean family through the generations, beginning in early 1900s Korea with Sunja, the prized daughter of a poor yet proud family, whose unplanned pregnancy threatens to shame them all. Deserted by her lover, Sunja is saved when a young tubercular minister offers to marry and bring her to Japan.The reading runs from 8:00 to 9:30 pm at Alphabet City on the North Side, and is free and open to the public, though RSVP is required.
So begins a sweeping saga of an exceptional family in exile from its homeland and caught in the indifferent arc of history. Through desperate struggles and hard-won triumphs, its members are bound together by deep roots as they face enduring questions of faith, family, and identity.
It is with heavy hearts that we are announcing that Sunday, February 11th was our last day of programming, and after settling our obligations with the previous building owners, we will be fully vacated from the premises by Wednesday, February 14th.The full statement on the theater's website indicates it may reopen in a different capacity in the future.
At a moment when marriage and childbirth are on the decline, employment is increasingly short-term and precarious, and more and more people are living longer and all alone, sociality is changing in Japan. Away from the workplace or the family, ever more attention is placed on a free-floating, mobile but responsible self. Consistent with this streamlining of the social is a new trend in “simple living” spurred by de-clutter guru, Marie Kondo. Encouraged to detach from all but the most essential, most joyful of personal possessions, the stress is on matter that materializes life in a very particular way. But in this presentist, self-oriented lifestyle, what happens at the time of death? To those possessions the deceased has left behind, and to bodies of the dead, in cases when there is no social other to attend to these persons and things? Asking what the matter of death is in an age of decluttered belonging(s), I examine new businesses emerging in Japan (ihin seiri gaisha) that help clients sort through the possessions left behind, or that they may leave behind themselves, at the moment of death. Special clean-up of the "lonely dead" is one of their services—sanitizing the landscape of the waste left behind by a wounded sociality.The event runs from 3:00 to 4:30 in 3306 Posvar Hall (map) and is free and open to the public.
For the third year in a row, Squirrel Hill is celebrating the 2-week Lunar New Year Festival. Beginning with a kick-off celebration on Saturday, February 17th at the Jewish Community Center and culminating with the Year of the Earth Dog Parade on March 4th on Murray Avenue, be awed by dragons and dancers, taiko drummers and martial artists, and eat in some of the best Asian restaurants in the city!The event runs from 1:00 to 5:00 pm in the JCC (map) and is free and open to the public. The annual Lunar New Year Parade will be held in Squirrel Hill on March 4.
Throughout the building, attendees can enjoy free arts and crafts for the kids including calligraphy, origami, making hand-drums (for the parade of course!), Chinese paper cutting, and more. There will be door prizes and free give-aways throughout the afternoon, be sure to submit your name! There will also be delicious, authentic Asian foods and drinks, savory and sweet for sale.
In addition to the activities inside the JCC, two teams of lion dancers will be visiting and blessing our merchants on Forbes and Murray from 10am to 3pm.
On stage in Levinson Hall, we have planned over 21 live performances.
Ten years ago, the villainous scientist Dr. Hell led his wicked followers, known as the Underground Empire, in a struggle to destroy all of humanity. It was against these forces that the young hero Koji Kabuto fought, piloting the legendary super robot “Mazinger Z.” Koji’s victory stopped Dr. Hell’s evil plan and returned peace to the Earth.The movie opened in Japan on January 13. It will play in Japanese with English subtitles at the Cinemark theaters in Monroeville, North Hills, and Robinson at 12:55 pm on the 11th and 7:00 pm on the 12th. Tickets are now available online.
Now Koji has left the pilot seat behind and become a scientist in his own right, following in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps. Yet an unexpected encounter deep under Mt. Fuji triggers an even greater threat to mankind than ever before and alters Koji’s destiny forever. With humanity’s fate in their hands, Koji and Mazinger Z face a choice between good…and evil.
Audiences who attend the English subtitled premiere will also have the chance to receive an exclusive Mazinger Z: INFINITY mini-poster (limited quantities, while supplies last).
Assigning study with Anki as homework: This presentation will describe how to hold students accountable for studying with Anki, a free flashcard program, outside of class. While the presentation will focus on using Anki to aid retention of newly learned characters (e.g., kanji), it is considered to be applicable to a wide variety of subjects.The event runs from 12:00 to 12:50 pm and is free and open to the public. The Language Media Center is located in G-17 Cathedral of Learning (map).
In ancient times, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on the Lunar New Year. Twelve came, and Buddha named a year after each one. Come kick off the Lunar year 4716, the year of the Dog, with Silk Screen Asian Arts and Culture Organization at the Children's Museum. Try Chinese calligraphy with Ming Rui, and enjoy live performances by Yan Lai Dance Academy, Purple Bamboo Chinese Ensemble, and Steel Dragon Lion Dance Team. Stop by MAKESHOP to explore Kumihimo, a Japanese form of braid-making. Kumi himo is Japanese for "gathered threads". The technique involves using different types of looms to create countless kinds of braids! You can even taste some of our favorite fruits and learn about the Vietnamese Five Fruit Tray tradition at our Fresh Picks.A complete schedule of events is available on the museum's website. The celebration runs from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm and is free with museum admission ($16 for adults, $14 for kids aged 2 through 18, and free for infants under 2). The museum is located at 10 Children's Way on the Northside (map).
He's an overworked accountant. She's an accomplished dancer. Passion is about to find two unlikely partners. The 1996 Japanese romantic comedy “Shall We Dance?” will launch the 2018 Movie & Mumble series. No reservations are necessary. The PG-rated feature, with English subtitles, will be followed by an open discussion led by Elena Geil, a former resident of Japan.The movie was originally scheduled for January 13, but inclement weather caused its cancellation. The event runs from 1:00 to 3:00 pm at the Cranberry Public Library (map), and is free and open to the public.
An informal dialogue between Pitt students and Mr. Lakhani on best practices when seeking employment with non-profits or developing new NGOs to serve the needs of developing countries.And from 5:00 to 7:30 pm, the Katz Graduate School of Business will host his "Fireside Chat: Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship".
Pitt Business is proud to host a fireside chat with University of Pittsburgh alumnus Samir Lakhani, founder of Eco-Soap Bank and a Top 10 CNN Hero of 2017. In this special discussion, Lakhani will highlight the power of social entrepreneurship to make positive health, economic, and environmental impacts on the developing world. Pitt Business Associate Dean Audrey J. Murrell will serve as moderator, as issues of ethics, leadership, health, and global entrepreneurship in the 21st century are discussed.The events are free and open to the public, but both the keynote address and the Fireside Chat require advance registration.
After Mark Speer, Laura Lee, and Donald Johnson put out their first album, The Universe Smiles Upon You, critics and khru-members alike slotted them under the genre of Thai funk. “We can’t claim that,” says Speer, who plays the guitar. “That’s doing great disservice to the folks who actually make what we in the West call Thai funk. Khun Narin, or Paradise Bangkok, check them out, those are actual Thai bands playing Thai funk.” It’s been an honest mistake: Ahead of recording Universe, Speer built a playlist of tracks by Khun Narin, Paradise Bangkok, and their contemporaries, sourced from all over but mostly from a blog called Monrakplengthai. They played it constantly. “If you put something in your head, and you’re listening to it all the time, it will come out when you’re playing,” Lee, the bassist, says.Tickets for the 21-and-over show at Rex Theater on the Southside (map) are now available online.
