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

via @koreanet.

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will continue to offer free Chinese, Japanese, and Korean classes at some of its branches this July. 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.

Reports say Pittsburgh Pirates are close to signing Zheng Zong-Zhe (鄭宗哲), a 17-year-old Taiwanese shortstop.

Via Liberty Times.

Multiple sources are reporting the Pittsburgh Pirates are close to signing Zheng Zong-Zhe (鄭宗哲), a 17-year-old Taiwanese shortstop.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are reportedly close to signing 17-year-old 鄭宗哲 (Zheng Zong-Zhe), a shortstop from Pu-Men high school. According to Liberty Sports, the deal said to be at least $300,000 USD.

With the 2019 CPBL Draft just around the corner, Zheng who is considered to be one of the top high school shortstop talents did not enter the draft. As per Liberty Sports, Zheng has shown great interest to go overseas, which make this deal extremely likely to happen.

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).

Ghost Fleet, a documentary on present-day slave fishermen of Thailand, in Pittsburgh July 5 - 11.

The 2018 documentary Ghost Fleet will play in Pittsburgh from July 5 through 11. A synopsis, via the documentary's official site:

Ghost Fleet follows a small group of activists who risk their lives on remote Indonesian islands to find justice and freedom for the enslaved fishermen who feed the world’s insatiable appetite for seafood. Bangkok-based Patima Tungpuchayakul, a Thai abolitionist, has committed her life to helping these “lost” men return home. Facing illness, death threats, corruption, and complacency, Patima’s fearless determination for justice inspires her nation and the world.

And in a Hollywood Reporter review:

During the voyage, [the filmmakers] encounter a handful of escaped slaves from Thailand, Burma and Cambodia hiding out on remote islands far from home. They all have similar stories of how they were promised jobs and then wound up imprisoned at sea, working in sordid conditions where accidents could happen at any time — one man tells the gruesome tale of his friend getting decapitated by a fishing net — and where escape was the only viable option. But even if they did manage to get free, the men were often hunted down and thrown into illegal prisons run by the fishing corporation, which was in cahoots with local police.

It will play at the Harris Theater in the Cultural District (map), though tickets and showtimes are not yet available.

Japanese punk band Shonen Knife returning to Pittsburgh, October 5.

Japanese punk band Shonen Knife announced its 2019 tour dates today, and will return to Pittsburgh on October 5 for a show at Cattivo (map).

Since their pure DIY beginnings in 1981, Osaka, Japan’s Shonen Knife have been building a faithful following of music enthusiasts and the alternative rock elite. Their relentless journey secured the band’s place as one of the pioneer ambassadors of Japanese rock music and culture on the international stage.

The band features original members (and sisters) Naoko on Vocals and Guitar, Atsuko on Bass and Vocals and introduces their newest member, Risa, on Drums and Vocals.

2019 movie Sound! Euphonium: Oath's Finale (劇場版 響け！ユーフォニアム〜誓いのフィナーレ〜) in Pittsburgh, July 11 and 15.

The 2019 movie Sound! Euphonium: Oath's Finale (劇場版 響け！ユーフォニアム〜誓いのフィナーレ〜) will play in Pittsburgh on July 11 and 15. The distributor provides a summary:

From Kyoto Animation, the studio that brought you A Silent Voice, Liz and the Blue Bird, and Violet Evergarden comes the long-awaited sequel in the Sound! Euphonium franchise, Sound! Euphonium: The Movie – Our Promise: A Brand New Day.

While Liz and the Blue Bird explored the relationship of band mates Mizore and Nozomi and took on a radical new art style, Our Promise: A Brand New Day returns to Sound! Euphonium's familiar style and the story of franchise protagonist Kumiko Oumae, now in her second year of high school. Follow Kumiko as she takes on the role of mentor towards the incoming class of new band members. Series director Tatsuya Ishihara reprises his directorial role to create a film that is sure to delight diehard fans and newcomers alike.

This special event will feature an exclusive recap of Sound! Euphonium seasons 1 and 2 before the film so that fans – new and returning – can enjoy the film without missing a beat.

The first half of the story, in the form of the 2018 film Liz and the Blue Bird, did not play in Pittsburgh.

The July 11 shows are in Japanese with English subtitles and the July 15 shows are dubbed in English. The movie will play at the Southside Works Cinema and the Cinemark Theaters in Monroeville and Robinson on July 11, and at Monroeville and Robinson on the 15th. Tickets are available online.

Oakland's T-Swirl Crepe opening June 27.

T-Swirl Crepe, a chain serving Japanese-style crepes, will open its new Oakland location on Thursday, June 27. It will be located in Schenley Plaza, in a kiosk most recently occupied by Waffallonia. The chain, which opened its first Pittsburgh location in Squirrel Hill in 2017, describes itself like this:

The story of T-swirl Crepe starts thousands of miles away on the shores of Japan. The Japanese Crepe borrows from a western concept and modernized it into new level of versatility that you can gobble on the go. Building on this new concept, T-swirl started to research and have perfected the 100% gluten free rice flour batter, to craft a crispy thin chewy layer that embraces all the decadent condiments. T-swirl is synonymous with using the finest ingredients to construct a trendy/artistic crepe that arrives to your hand with incredible speed. We have standardized the process to give you a consistently clean and delicious crepe.

1995 Studio Ghibli film Whisper of the Heart (耳をすませば) in Pittsburgh, July 1 and 2.

The 1995 Studio Ghibli film Whisper of the Heart (耳をすませば) will play in Pittsburgh on July 1 and 2 as part of the 2019 GKIDS Ghibli Fest. The distributor provides a synopsis:

Discover the brilliance of this heartwarming coming-of-age classic from the legendary Studio Ghibli, creators of My Neighbor Totoro and the Academy Award®-winning Spirited Away.

A chance encounter with a mysterious cat sends Shizuku, a quiet schoolgirl, on a quest for her true talent. Together with Seiji, a boy determined to follow his dreams, and enchanted by The Baron, a magical cat figurine who helps her listen to the whispers of her heart, Shizuku embarks on a life-changing adventure that takes her beyond the boundaries of her imagination. This beautiful tale based on a screenplay from Hayao Miyazaki will delight and amaze audiences of all ages!

The movie will play at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theaters in Monroeville, North Hills, Pittsburgh Mills, and Robinson. The July 1 shows are dubbed in English and the July 2 ones are in Japanese with English subtitles. Tickets are available online.

2018 Chinese film Long Day's Journey Into the Night (地球最后的夜晚) continues in Pittsburgh through July 4.

The 2018 Chinese film Long Day's Journey Into the Night (地球最后的夜晚), which opened in Pittsburgh on June 21, will continue through July 4. An April Atlantic review calls it "a gorgeous and impossible puzzle of a movie that could become a cult hit when it arrives in the United States."

The plot of Long Day’s Journey, which has nothing to do with the Eugene O’Neill play of the same name, centers on three characters: Luo (played by Huang Jue), a man haunted by his time as a youth in 2000; Luo’s long-lost lover, Wan Qiwen (Tang Wei); and a childhood pal named Wildcat, who was murdered. Roughly 20 years after Wildcat’s death, Luo tries to find Qiwen again and dig into the mystery of what happened between them decades prior. But any simple explanation for what’s going on is never offered. As Long Day’s Journey progresses, its meaning becomes more elusive, and its narrative strands stubbornly refuse to tie together.

The movie plays at the Regent Square Theater at 1035 South Braddock Ave. (map). Tickets are available online.

We Are Here: Asian Pacific Islander American Artists in Pittsburgh at Cultural District Gallery Crawl, July 12.

The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council will host Art on the Walls Reception - We Are Here: Asian Pacific Islander American Artists in Pittsburgh from July 12. It will open as part of that evening's Gallery Crawl through the Cultural District and will remain on display through December.

Event Details
As part of Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council's exhibition series, Art on the Walls, "We Are Here: Asian Pacific Islander American Artists in Pittsburgh" features art by April Brust, Wen Gao, Pralhad Gurung, Eriko Hattori, Sesame Kim, Huei-Hsuan Sun, Estelle Tian,Patty Tran, Marieke Van Der Maelen, Grace Wong, and Ariel Xiu. The exhibition is available on display in GPAC's Big Room from July through December 2019. You can view the exhibition during July's Gallery Crawl on Friday, July 12.

About the Exhibition:
Although Asian Pacific Islander Americans (APIA) have been present in Pittsburgh since the 1870s and represent an ever-growing community in the city and in the country at-large, APIA’s continue to struggle for representation. This exhibition aims to provide visibility for this community: for the first time in Pittsburgh’s history, every exhibiting artist in "We Are Here" identifies as APIA. While some of these artists create work directly informed by their race, family backgrounds, and socio-political history, all possess an identity created in the context of omission and discrimination.

By giving a physical space for viewers to look at and engage with these artists’ work, we hope to set a precedent for the local art scene, educate the larger public, develop dialogue, and voice that "We Are Here," we have been here, and we will continue to create.

The event is free but online RSVP is required. It runs from 5:30 to 8:00 pm on the 12th in the GPAC Big Room on the 7th floor of 810 Penn Ave. (map).

Blackpink's "Kill This Love" at this weekend's K-pop Class, June 28.

The weekly K-pop Dance Class at Yanlai Dance Academy will do Blackpink's "Kill This Love" for its sixth meeting on June 28. 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).

Beyond Chinatown: Pittsburgh's "Chinamen" once entertained idea of "Chinese Building" downtown.

A 1908 Pittsburgh Gazette Times article reports on the efforts to replace Pittsburgh's Chinatown with a state-of-the-art "Chinese building" downtown.

Koreatown at November cookbook club meeting in Squirrel Hill.

Koreatown by Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard will be featured at the November meeting of the Dish! cookbook club at the Carnegie Library in Squirrel Hill. A summary, from the book's official site:

A trailblazing book featuring nearly 100 recipes, essays, profiles and documentary-style photography concentrating on many of the lesser-known aspects of Korean food, drink and culture. The book is co-written by Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard, two authorities in the exploding Korean food movement in the United States and abroad. Together Hong and Rodbard spent over two years traveling to the Koreatowns of the United States, researching the book and interviewing over 100 chefs and business owners. Once back in their New York City kitchens, they developed recipes that reflect traditional home and restaurant cooking — translated with historically rich (and entertaining!) notes and easy-to-follow directions.

The event is free but online registration is required.

2019 film Promare (プロメア) in Pittsburgh, September 17.

The 2019 Japanese animated film Promare (プロメア) will play in Pittsburgh on September 17. The distributor summarizes:

The first feature-length film from the acclaimed studio TRIGGER, creators of the hit series KILL la KILL and Little Witch Academia, and director Hiroyuki Imaishi (GURREN LAGANN, KILL la KILL), Promare uses a bold cel-shaded visual style to tell a blistering action-adventure story, and is the spiritual successor to many of director Imaishi’s former works.

Thirty years has passed since the appearance of Burnish, a race of flame-wielding mutant beings, who destroyed half of the world with fire. When a new group of aggressive mutants calling themselves “Mad Burnish” appears, the epic battle between Galo Thymos, a new member of the anti-Burnish rescue team “Burning Rescue,” and Lio Fotia, the leader of “Mad Burnish” begins.

It will play at the Southside Works Cinema, though showtime information has not yet been released.

Japan-inspired T-Swirl Crepe coming soon to Oakland.

T-Swirl Crepe, a chain serving Japanese-style crepes, has a location coming soon to Oakland. Signage recently went up in Schenley Plaza, in a kiosk most recently occupied by Waffallonia. The chain, which opened its first Pittsburgh location in Squirrel Hill in 2017, describes itself like this:

The story of T-swirl Crepe starts thousands of miles away on the shores of Japan. The Japanese Crepe borrows from a western concept and modernized it into new level of versatility that you can gobble on the go. Building on this new concept, T-swirl started to research and have perfected the 100% gluten free rice flour batter, to craft a crispy thin chewy layer that embraces all the decadent condiments. T-swirl is synonymous with using the finest ingredients to construct a trendy/artistic crepe that arrives to your hand with incredible speed. We have standardized the process to give you a consistently clean and delicious crepe.

BTS's "Boy With Luv (작은것들을 위한 시)" at this weekend's K-pop Class, June 22.

The weekly K-pop Dance Class at Yanlai Dance Academy will do BTS's "Boy With Luv (작은것들을 위한 시)" for its fifth meeting on June 22. 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).

Twice's "Fancy" at this weekend's K-pop Class, June 15.

The weekly K-pop Dance Class at Yanlai Dance Academy will do Twice's "Fancy" for its fourth meeting on June 15. 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).

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.

2018 Chinese film Long Day's Journey Into the Night (地球最后的夜晚) in Pittsburgh, from June 21.

The 2018 Chinese film Long Day's Journey Into the Night (地球最后的夜晚) will play in Pittsburgh from June 21 through 27. An April Atlantic review calls it "a gorgeous and impossible puzzle of a movie that could become a cult hit when it arrives in the United States."

The plot of Long Day’s Journey, which has nothing to do with the Eugene O’Neill play of the same name, centers on three characters: Luo (played by Huang Jue), a man haunted by his time as a youth in 2000; Luo’s long-lost lover, Wan Qiwen (Tang Wei); and a childhood pal named Wildcat, who was murdered. Roughly 20 years after Wildcat’s death, Luo tries to find Qiwen again and dig into the mystery of what happened between them decades prior. But any simple explanation for what’s going on is never offered. As Long Day’s Journey progresses, its meaning becomes more elusive, and its narrative strands stubbornly refuse to tie together.

The movie will play at the Regent Square Theater at 1035 South Braddock Ave. (map). Tickets are now available online.

Yummyholic's Jasmine Cho at TEDxPittsburgh, June 15.

"Baker and humanitarian" Jasmine Cho of Yummyholic will be one of the speakers at the 2019 TEDxPittsburgh on Saturday, June 15. Jasmine will talk about, among other things, using cookies to further Asian-American representation. Tickets are available online via Trust Arts.

Nakama voted Best Japanese / Sushi by readers of Pittsburgh Magazine in 2019.

Pittsburgh Magazine readers voted Nakama the Best Japanese / Sushi place in the city in their 2019 poll, and Sesame Inn the Best Chinese, in a repeat of the results from last year (and most other years). Nicky's Thai Kitchen was voted Best Thai, to round out the entries of relevance to this site.

"Storytime: Japanese and English" at Carnegie Library in East Liberty, June 18.

via archdaily.org

The next installment of the monthly program "Storytime: Japanese and English" will take place on June 18 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).

1995 Studio Ghibli film Whisper of the Heart (耳をすませば) in Pittsburgh, July 1 and 2.

The 1995 Studio Ghibli film Whisper of the Heart (耳をすませば) will play in Pittsburgh on July 1 and 2 as part of the 2019 GKIDS Ghibli Fest. The distributor provides a synopsis:

Discover the brilliance of this heartwarming coming-of-age classic from the legendary Studio Ghibli, creators of My Neighbor Totoro and the Academy Award®-winning Spirited Away.

A chance encounter with a mysterious cat sends Shizuku, a quiet schoolgirl, on a quest for her true talent. Together with Seiji, a boy determined to follow his dreams, and enchanted by The Baron, a magical cat figurine who helps her listen to the whispers of her heart, Shizuku embarks on a life-changing adventure that takes her beyond the boundaries of her imagination. This beautiful tale based on a screenplay from Hayao Miyazaki will delight and amaze audiences of all ages!

The movie will play at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theaters in Monroeville, North Hills, Pittsburgh Mills, and Robinson. The July 1 shows are dubbed in English and the July 2 ones are in Japanese with English subtitles. Tickets are available online.

"Storytime: Chinese and English" in Squirrel Hill, June 15.

via Ed Massery.

"Storytime: Chinese and English" returns to the Carnegie Library in Squirrel Hill on June 15 after a brief hiatus.

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.

Jung-ho Kang moves to second on list of home runs by Koreans in the Major Leagues.

Via AP / 해럴드경제.

With his fifth home run of the season on June 9, Pirates infielder Jung-ho Kang is now second on the list of Korean home run hitters in the Major Leagues with 41. He passed Hee-Seop Choi, who played from 2002 to 2005 and who is from the same high school as Kang.

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

The 2002 Satoshi Kon film Millennium Actress (千年女優) will play in Pittsburgh on August 13. 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.

So far tickets for the August 13 show at the Southside Works Cinema are available online, though tickets for other theaters---and for August 19 dubbed screenings---are not available until June 21.

2019 move Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?: Arrow of the Orion ダンジョンに出会いを求めるのは間違っているだろうか in Pittsburgh, July 23.

Tickets were just announced for Pittsburgh screenings of the 2019 movie Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?: Arrow of the Orion ダンジョンに出会いを求めるのは間違っているだろうか, based on the manga and anime series. The distributor provides a synopsis:

Far from the dungeon beneath Oraria rises a new threat, one the beautiful goddess Artemis has sworn to destroy with the help of her chosen warrior. But this fighter isn’t the renowned Ais Wallenstein or another stor ied hero of Orario legend. Instead the fate of Artemis’ quest falls upon the shoulders of Bell Cranell, who must partner with the goddess and stand against the menace lurking in the remains of a distant, ancient city. Although Bell is the ordained champion of Artemis and a member of the goddess Hestia’s familia, their adventure will test every skill and take every ounce of courage that Bell has — and perhaps, along the way, turn him into the hero he has always aspired to be.

Tickets for the Southside Works Cinema screening on July 23 are now available online, though tickets for other locations will not be on sale until June 21.

Japanese doom metal band Church of Misery in Pittsburgh, June 13.

The Japanese doom metal band Church of Misery will play in Pittsburgh on June 13. Tickets for the show at Cattivo in Lawrenceville (map) are available online or at the door.

SEVENTEENs "Getting Closer" at this weekend's K-pop Class, June 8.

The weekly K-pop Dance Class at Yanlai Dance Academy will do SEVENTEEN (세븐틴)'s "Getting Closer" for its third meeting on June 8. 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).

Dragon Boat Festival at Pitt, June 7.

The University of Pittsburgh's Chinese Students and Scholar Association will host a Dragon Boat Festival on June 7.

New Chinese movie My Best Summer (最好的我们) in Pittsburgh, from June 6.

The upcoming Chinese movie My Best Summer (最好的我们) will be released in China, and in Pittsburgh, on June 6. A synopsis of the film, which is based on a TV drama:

Geng Geng, a slightly awkward but adorable first year high schooler who feels like she's not smart enough to be at the prestigious Zhen Hua High School. The first day she happens to meet her future deskmate, the brilliant Yu Huai, and although they bicker at first, they soon form a strong friendship. They all become good friends with their classmates and have a strong bond with their teacher. But after the final exam in the last semester, Yu Huai suddenly disappeared. He hasn’t said his secret feeling for Geng Geng. When they re-meet years later, can Geng Geng find out what the secret is?

Tickets for two June 6 screenings are available online via AMC; future dates should be added shortly.

Chinese-language historical tour of Carnegie Library in Oakland / 将提供卡内基图书馆的中文导游, June 9.

via @CarnegieLibraryOfPittsburgh.


The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will host a Chinese-language historical tour of its Oakland (main) branch on June 9, part of this year's Summer Reading Extravaganza.

Join us as we take you on a guided tour in Chinese through Andrew Carnegie’s Main Library. You’ll get a look at the wonderful art and architecture that created this historic landmark, as well as how the building’s interior has changed over time.

This exclusive tour will be offered at 2:15 PM during Extravaganza, and will last 1 hour. Visit the Welcome Station located outside the Library’s Front Entrance to sign up.

下午2点15分将提供卡内基图书馆的中文导游，请于图书馆正门外的欢迎站注册游览。

The tour starts at 2:15 pm. The library is located at 4400 Forbes Ave. in Oakland (map), accessible by buses 28X, 58, 61A, 61B, 61C, 61D, 67, 69, 71B, 71D, 75, and P3.

Weir Group hiring bilingual Mandarin-English International Projects Administrator for McKeesport location.

The Weir Group is hiring a bilingual Mandarin-English International Projects Administrator. An excerpt from the posting:

Business Need / Purpose of Role
Reporting to Engineering Manager, main emphasis will be on supporting existing and future international projects.

Ideal candidate will have the following:

• Fluency in both Chinese Mandarin and English Languages.
• Experience in communicating technically with international customers, primarily Chinese.
• Previous experience in the commercial nuclear power industry, ideally in a third tier supplier environment.

Reading and discussion with R.O. Kwon, August 4.

via ro-kwon.com / Smeeta Mahanti.

City of Asylum will host a reading and discussion with R.O. Kwon on August 4. Kwon provides a synopsis of her latest novel, The Incendiaries:

A powerful, darkly glittering novel about violence, love, faith, and loss, as a young Korean American woman at an elite American university is drawn into acts of domestic terrorism by a cult tied to North Korea.

Phoebe Lin and Will Kendall meet their first month at prestigious Edwards University. Phoebe is a glamorous girl who doesn’t tell anyone she blames herself for her mother’s recent death. Will is a misfit scholarship boy who transfers to Edwards from Bible college, waiting tables to get by. What he knows for sure is that he loves Phoebe.

Grieving and guilt-ridden, Phoebe is increasingly drawn into a religious group—a secretive extremist cult—founded by a charismatic former student, John Leal. He has an enigmatic past that involves North Korea and Phoebe’s Korean American family. Meanwhile, Will struggles to confront the fundamentalism he’s tried to escape, and the obsession consuming the one he loves. When the group bombs several buildings in the name of faith, killing five people, Phoebe disappears. Will devotes himself to finding her, tilting into obsession himself, seeking answers to what happened to Phoebe and if she could have been responsible for this violent act.

The Incendiaries is a fractured love story and a brilliant examination of the minds of extremist terrorists, and of what can happen to people who lose what they love most.

The event runs from 5:00 to 6:30 pm. It is free and open to the public, though RSVP is required (coming soon). The City of Asylum's Alphabet City venue is located at 40 N. West Ave. on the North Side (map).

Japanese film Shoplifters (万引き家族) at Northland Public Library, June 12.

The 2018 Japanese movie and Palme d'Or winner Shoplifters (万引き家族) will play for free at Northland Public Library on June 12.

Reading and conversation with author Gina Apostol, July 23.

City of Asylum will host author Gina Apostol for a free conversation and reading on July 23. A synopsis of her latest novel, Insurrecto:

Two women, a Filipino translator and an American filmmaker, go on a road trip in Duterte’s Philippines, collaborating and clashing in the writing of a film script about a massacre during the Philippine-American War. Chiara is working on a film about an incident in Balangiga, Samar, in 1901, when Filipino revolutionaries attacked an American garrison, and in retaliation American soldiers created “a howling wilderness” of the surrounding countryside. Magsalin reads Chiara’s film script and writes her own version. Insurrecto contains within its dramatic action two rival scripts from the filmmaker and the translator—one about a white photographer, the other about a Filipino schoolteacher.

The event runs from 7:00 to 8:30 pm; it's free but online RSVP is required. The City of Asylum's Alphabet City venue is located at 40 N. West Ave. on the North Side (map).

"Storytime: Japanese and English" at Carnegie Library in East Liberty, June 18.

via archdaily.org

The next installment of the monthly program "Storytime: Japanese and English" will take place on June 18 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).