Zoom hiring Web DevOps Engineer for Pittsburgh location, with preference for proficiency in Mandarin.

Zoom, which announced earlier this summer a research-and-development center in Pittsburgh, is hiring a Web DevOps Engineer here with a preference for someone proficient in Mandarin.

Zoom is an award-winning workplace. We have been recognized by Comparably as #1 CEO, Company Happiness, Benefits, Compensation, Diversity, and more! Not to mention we’ve been awarded by Glassdoor as the 2nd Best US workplace & Best Large Company US CEO in 2018, Wealthfront, and Business Insider. Our culture focuses on delivering happiness, our commitment to transparency, and the tangible benefits we provide our employees and our customers.

Web DevOps Engineer

Responsibilities
* Design and implement zero-downtime to accomplish highly available service (99.99%)
* Design and implement disaster recovery (DR) between different region Datacenters
* Troubleshoot complex production issues, including performance and function issues
* Cooperating with cloud vendor and infrastructure, engineering team for security and service availability
* Provide deep level of outage troubleshooting for systems and Zoom backend service
* Provide the CI/CD model to deploy and configure the production system

More details available on the job ad.

"The Plight of the Uyghur Muslims in China: A Modern Cultural Genocide," September 1 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Center for Governance and Markets will present "The Plight of the Uyghur Muslims in China: A Modern Cultural Genocide" on September 1.

Join the Center for Governance and Markets at GSPIA for a virtual conversation about the plight of the Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, China.

Speakers include:

• Sean Roberts, Director, International Development Program, Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University

• Nury Turkel, who was just appointed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as a Commissioner to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom

• Mihrigul Tursun, a Uyghur who survived the camps in Xinjiang

The 11:00 am online event is free though registration is required.

Hello Kitty Cafe Truck coming to Ross Park Mall, August 29.

via @HellyKittyCafeTruck

The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck will return to Ross Park Mall on August 29.

Hello Pittsburgh! The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck is returning to Ross Park Mall on Saturday 8/29! Come say hello to us near Cheesecake Factory between 11am-7pm and pick up some supercute treats & merch, while supplies last! We welcome all friends to wear masks and practice social distancing.

Learn how we are creating a comfortable and safe environment for our guests and staff here: https://bit.ly/2YOwj9u

*subject to government travel restrictions*

More information about the truck and its tours available via Sanrio.

Crazy Rich Asians free at drive-in at Hartwood Acres, September 4.

The movie Crazy Rich Asians will play outdoors at at Hartwood Acres on September 4" as part of the county's "Drive-In Date Night" series of films that are free and open to the public. (This is two weeks later than originally announced by the county.) A summary of the film, from the distributor:

"Crazy Rich Asians” follows native New Yorker Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) as she accompanies her longtime boyfriend, Nick Young (Henry Golding), to his best friend’s wedding in Singapore. Excited about visiting Asia for the first time but nervous about meeting Nick’s family, Rachel is unprepared to learn that Nick has neglected to mention a few key details about his life. It turns out that he is not only the scion of one of the country’s wealthiest families but also one of its most sought-after bachelors. Being on Nick’s arm puts a target on Rachel’s back, with jealous socialites and, worse, Nick’s own disapproving mother (Michelle Yeoh) taking aim. And it soon becomes clear that while money can’t buy love, it can definitely complicate things.

Gates open at 7:00 pm and the movie starts at dusk. Spaces are first-come first-served, and the gates will close once the parking lots are full.

2018 Chinese movie Animal World (动物世界) online at Pitt, part of Watch Party Wednesdays, September 30.

The University of Pittsburgh's Office of International Services will present the 2018 Chinese film Animal World (动物世界) on September 30, part of its Watch Party Wednesday series. A South China Morning Post review writes:

An earnest adaptation of a profoundly silly Japanese anime, Chinese director Han Yan’s film is about a young man stuck in a dead-end job who dreams of slaying monsters and gets sucked into a deadly game of rock-paper-scissors

The 7:00 pm event is free and open to the Pitt community, though registration is required.

Bong Joon-ho film Snowpiercer (설국열차) online at Pitt, part of Watch Party Wednesday series, September 16.

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The University of Pittsburgh's Office of International Services will present the 2013 Bong Joon-ho film Snowpiercer (설국열차) online on September 16, part of its Watch Party Wednesday series. An introduction, via a review from The Atlantic:

Snowpiercer is set after the onset of an ice age, triggered by humanity’s efforts to solve global warming, and set on a train that runs perpetually around the earth, doing one circuit per year, using some combo of a perpetual motion engine and recycled ice that it’s better not to think too hard about. The glorious advantage of setting the movie entirely on a train is that it’s so easy to make the class stratifications Bong wants to talk about clear. At the back of the train, conditions are grim; everyone’s got soot on their faces, people are missing limbs, they eat black jellied “protein bars” handed out by the military, and once in a while their kids get measured and snatched away for reasons unknown.

The 7:00 pm event is free and open to the Pitt community, though registration is required.

"Drinking Tea in Japan" with Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania, online on September 2.

by Flood G.

The Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania will present "Drinking Tea in Japan" on September 2, the final installment of its Late Summer Lecture Series.

Japanese tea drinking has been a part of Japanese culture and tradition for hundreds of years. The influence of Japanese tea has not only expanded across the globe, but it also developed into a practice with its own types of aesthetics. Join Katsuko Shellhammer for a presentation on the history and types of tea in Japan. We will also explore modern ways to drink tea and what snacks to pair with your tea time. Finally, follow along at home and learn how to make dorayaki pancakes!

A Zoom link will be emailed to registrants before the event.

Registration and donation information for the 6:30 pm event is available online.

1998 Japanese film After Life (ワンダフルライフ) with Pitt's Asian Studies Center, September 2, part of three-part Hirokazu Koreeda series.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will present the 1998 Japanese movie After Life (ワンダフルライフ) on September 2, the first in a three-part series of Hirokazu Koreeda films. Wikipedia provides a summary:

A small, mid-20th century social-service-style structure is a way station between life and death. Every Monday, a group of recently deceased people check-in: the social workers in the lodge ask them to go back over their life and choose one single memory to take into the afterlife. They are given just a couple of days to identify their happiest memory, after which the workers design, stage and film them. In this way, the souls will be able to re-experience this moment for eternity, forgetting the rest of their life.

Twenty-two souls of different ages and backgrounds arrive and are received by the counsellors, who explain them their situation. Lengthy interviews take place in the lodge, with each person having different perspectives of their lives, some being more reluctant in indicating a significant memory.

Registration for the free 7:00 pm event is required. The next two films in the series are 2004's Nobody Knows (誰も知らない) on October 14 with Dr. Charles Exley of the Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures and 2018's Shoplifters (万引き家族).

BTS concert film Bring the Soul: The Movie in Pittsburgh, from August 28.

The 2019 BTS concert movie Bring the Soul will play in Pittsburgh from August 28.

On the day following the final concert of their Europe tour, on a rooftop in Paris, 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 enjoyed a lengthy run in local theaters last year. It will play in Pittsburgh at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark in Robinson, and tickets are available online.

New Chinese film The Eight Hundred (八佰) in Pittsburgh, from August 28.

The new Chinese film The Eight Hundred (八佰) will play in Pittsburgh from August 28. From the distributor:

The film is based on true stories taking place during Sino-Japanese war in Shanghai, China, in 1937, the battle and protection of the Si Hang Warehouse. There are around 400 soldiers (so called Eight Hundred Heroes in history), holding out against numerous waves of Japanese forces for 4 days and 4 nights…….

It opened nationally in China on August 21 and will play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront 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.

"Dance Like a K-pop Star" with Fanxy and Pitt Program Council, August 28.

The University of Pittsburgh's Program Council will host "Dance Like a K-pop Star" on August 28, though tickets are no longer available and sold out quickly.

Join the Pitt Program Council as we invite South Korean Dance Team Fanxy in an hour-long k-pop dance class! Students will feel like they're a part of BTS of Blackpink after learning dance routines and basic moves that are a huge part of making the iconic K-Pop stars shine, all from the comfort of their apartments or dorm rooms! Join us virtually via Zoom for a dancing experience like no other - no prior experience required. Students will be admitted from the Zoom waiting room starting at 9:45 pm, and no students will be admitted to the event after 10:05 pm. Tickets are available starting August 22, 2020 and will remain available for reservation until August 26, 2020.

Those interested in working with Fanxy can still book an online class through its website.

The Korean Peninsula and the U.S. Commitment to the Region, September 30 with World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh.

The World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh will host "The Korean Peninsula and the U.S. Commitment to the Region" online on September 30.

Is North Korea the nation posing the greatest threat to the U.S.? Why do we need to pay attention to what’s happening in the Korean Peninsula? Amidst COVID-19 and its fallout, policymakers are confronted with newly emergent issues alongside pre-existing ones. As the pandemic spreads, US-North Korea talks remain stalled, inter-Korean relations persist as mostly one-sided, and North Korea has continued to test and refine its military capabilities as well as ratchet up its rhetoric, and COVID-19 has intensified a growing US-China strategic competition. From a decades-old military alliance to deep economic ties and a large and vibrant Korean-American community, the linkages between the United States and the Korean Peninsula remain as important as ever.

The Stimson Center and Stimson’s 38 North program, working with the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh, presents a dialogue to discuss the importance of the US commitment to the Korean Peninsula. Speakers include: (Ret.) Walter Sharp, former Commander, US Forces Korea (2008-2011) and former President of the Korea Defense Veterans Association (KDVA), Jenny Town, Stimson Fellow & Deputy Director of Stimson’s 38 North, and moderated by Clint Work, Stimson Fellow & Security for a New Century & 38 North.

The talk runs from 2:00 to 3:00 pm online and is free and open to the public. Registration can be completed online.

Online preview and panel discussion "Harbor from the Holocaust," on European Jews who fled to Shanghai in the 1930s, with WQED, September 3.

An online preview and panel discussion of the upcoming WQED feature "Harbor from the Holocaust" will take place on September 3 with the station's Jim Cunningham.

Be among the first to preview this documentary produced by WQED for PBS. It shares the story of nearly 20,000 Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi-occupied Europe during WWII to the port city of Shanghai. You'll hear their extraordinary recollections and unique relationship with their adopted city.

This preview will be followed by a panel discussion with Pittsburghers with ties to this poignant story. Rivaling all elements and in tragic contrast to those who could not escape, this is a Holocaust story of life.

The free event starts at 7:00 pm and those interested can register here.

An Ant Strikes Back (アリ地獄天国) wins second biennial University of Pittsburgh Japan Documentary Film Award.

The 2019 Tokachi Tsuchiya documentary An Ant Strikes Back (アリ地獄天国) has won the second biennial University of Pittsburgh Japan Documentary Film Award, it was announced on the 14th. A synopsis, from Nippon Connection:

More than 5,000 people died from the ramifications of overworking in Japan between 2006 and 2017 – and this is only the official number. Rarely do Japanese employees stand up against exploitative working conditions, since the social pressure is too high. In his documentary, Tokachi TSUCHIYA follows the case of a moving company sales agent who decides to no longer accept illegal employment contract clauses and a humiliating work environment. Initially being just like an ant among others, he joins a labor union and fights not only for his own rights, but for the rights of all “ants” in Japan’s workforce.

The Nanako Hirose film Book-Paper-Scissors (つつんで、ひらいて) claimed Honorable Mention. A ceremony was planned prior to COVID-19 shutdowns, though it remains to be seen what events will celebrate the 2020 award.

RAND Corporation hiring Survey Coordinator, proficiency in Chinese preferred.

RAND Corporation is hiring a Survey Coordinator, with a preference for those proficient in Chinese or Spanish.

The Survey Research Group (SRG) has an opening for an entry level Survey Coordinator. The main responsibilities of an entry level Survey Coordinator are assisting senior staff with management of data collection on topics related to public policy.

Duties

* Assist with review of data before delivery and/or verification of contents of project-specific sample management system.
* Participate in project meetings to take notes, give updates on work in progress, develop specifications or procedures and/or participate in problem solving.
* Assist with instrument development and testing. Instrument testing includes a range of tasks from recruiting participants for interviews or focus groups to conducting test interviews.
* Oversee data collection staff and assist with quality assurance and/or validation procedures.
* Conduct scans of the literature or formal literature reviews
* Assist with training, recruitment and oversight of data collectors.
* Assist in the development of training materials, agendas, and schedules.
* Participate in data collector training and assist with evaluation and training feedback.
* Assure adherence to corporate, group and project-specific procedures for safeguarding data and personally identifiable information.
* Other duties as assigned.

More information and application instructions are available on the company website.

Crazy Rich Asians free at drive-in theater in South Park, August 28.

The movie Crazy Rich Asians will play outdoors in South Park on August 28 as part of the county's "Drive-In Date Night" series of films that are free and open to the public. (This is two weeks later than originally announced by the county.) A summary of the film, from the distributor:

"Crazy Rich Asians” follows native New Yorker Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) as she accompanies her longtime boyfriend, Nick Young (Henry Golding), to his best friend’s wedding in Singapore. Excited about visiting Asia for the first time but nervous about meeting Nick’s family, Rachel is unprepared to learn that Nick has neglected to mention a few key details about his life. It turns out that he is not only the scion of one of the country’s wealthiest families but also one of its most sought-after bachelors. Being on Nick’s arm puts a target on Rachel’s back, with jealous socialites and, worse, Nick’s own disapproving mother (Michelle Yeoh) taking aim. And it soon becomes clear that while money can’t buy love, it can definitely complicate things.

Gates open at 7:00 pm and the movie starts at dusk. Spaces are first-come first-served, and the gates will close once the parking lots are full.

New Chinese film The Eight Hundred (八佰) in Pittsburgh, from August 28.

The new Chinese film The Eight Hundred (八佰) will play in Pittsburgh from August 28. From the distributor:

The film is based on true stories taking place during Sino-Japanese war in Shanghai, China, in 1937, the battle and protection of the Si Hang Warehouse. There are around 400 soldiers (so called Eight Hundred Heroes in history), holding out against numerous waves of Japanese forces for 4 days and 4 nights…….

It will play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront 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.

BTS concert film Bring the Soul: The Movie back in Pittsburgh, from August 28.

The 2019 BTS concert movie Bring the Soul will play in Pittsburgh from August 28.

On the day following the final concert of their Europe tour, on a rooftop in Paris, 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 enjoyed a lengthy run in local theaters last year. It will play in Pittsburgh at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark in Robinson, and tickets are available online.

"Sake: Beyond the Basics" online with Japan America Society of Pennsylvania, August 26.

by Masayuki Igawa

The Japan America Society of Pennsylvania will host "Sake: Beyond the Basics," a virtual tasting and discussion, on August 26.

Dive into the world of sake with this lecture and go beyond the basic distinction of junmai and honjozo. Deb Mortillaro, certified sake sommelier, will guide us through how five elements - the rice, the region, the water, the yeast, and the brewer - combine to create unique flavors, even within the same grade of sake. We will learn how those elements are reflected in the labels so you can become a more confident sake connoisseur. This class is a practical tasting, covering Ishioka, Mighty Peak Tokubetsu Junmai;Housui, Fragrant Water Tokubetsu Junmai; Echigo Ikarashi-Gawa, Blue River Ginjo; and Hakuyou, White Sun Junmai Ginjo. For Pittsburgh-area participants, order & pick up your sake directly from Dreadnought Wines at 412-391-1709 ($64 for four 300ml bottles, optional).

Those interested in the 6:30 pm session can register and pay the suggested donation online.

Fantuan Delivery arrives in Pittsburgh with service to Chinese restaurants and groceries coming soon.

Several Pittsburgh-area Chinese restaurants and groceries have begun to display signs for Fantuan Delivery, a Canada-based delivery service that specializes in Chinese restaurants and groceries. PennsylvAsia noted in July the increase of local job postings for Fantuan and Chowbus, a similar third-party delivery service that covers Asian restaurants.

Susan Choi talk with Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures, online on September 14.

Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures will host author Susan Choi online on September 14 as part of this year's Ten Evenings series.

The author of five novels, Susan Choi won the 2019 National Book Award for Trust Exercise, an ingenious meditation on fiction and truth, friendships and loyalties, the capacities of adolescents, and the powers of adults.

In an American suburb in the early 1980s, students at a highly competitive performing arts high school struggle and thrive in a rarified bubble, ambitiously pursuing music, movement, Shakespeare, and, particularly, their acting classes. The outside world of family life and economic status, of academic pressure and of their future adult lives, fails to penetrate this school’s walls — until it does, in a shocking spiral of events that catapults the action forward in time and flips the premise upside-down.

Choi’s first novel, The Foreign Student, won the Asian American Literary Award for fiction. Her second novel, American Woman, was a finalist for the 2004 Pulitzer Prize and was adapted into a film. A Person of Interest was a finalist for the 2009 PEN/Faulkner Award. In 2010, Choi was named the inaugural recipient of the PEN/W. G. Sebald Award. Her fourth novel, My Education, received a 2014 Lammy Award.

Tickets for the 7:30 pm event are now available: $10 for students and $15 for the general public.

2019 Chinese documentary Our Time Machine (时光机) online via Carnegie Science Center's Rangos Giant Cinema, from September 11.

The 2019 Chinese documentary Our Time Machine (时光机) will be available online via Carnegie Science Center's Rangos Giant Cinema from September 11. The film played in Pittsburgh last fall as part of the Three Rivers Film Festival. From the film's official site:

Shaken by the news of his father’s dementia, artist Maleonn creates “Papa’s Time Machine,” a wondrous time-travel adventure performed on stage with life-size mechanical puppets. Through the play’s production, he confronts his own mortality. Maleonn finds grace and unexpected joy in this moving meditation on art, the agonies of love and loss, and the circle of life.

Pitt's Daehwa Korean Conversation Club (한국어 대화 동아리) to resume online, from September 4.

The University of Pittsburgh's Daehwa Korean Conversation Club will hold its meetings and activities online for the fall 2020 semester. THe first meeting of the term is September 4.

"The Influence of Japanese Ceramics," online with Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania, August 19.

via Guerrero Ceramics.

The Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania will host local artist Jeff Guerrero and his talk "The Influence of Japanese Ceramics" on August 19.

Why have western ceramic artists continuously looked to Japan for inspiration over the past century? How has the American craft revival been influenced by traditional Japanese aesthetics and ethos? Join ceramic artist and educator Jeff Guerrero for a journey through the history of Japanese ceramics and its influences on Western art.

2017 Japanese animated film Mary and the Witch's Flower (メアリと魔女の花) with Pitt's Office of International Services, August 19.

The University of Pittsburgh's Office of International Services will present an online viewing of the 2017 Japanese animated film Mary and the Witch's Flower (メアリと魔女の花) on August 19 as part of Watch Party Wednesdays, open to the Pitt community. The distributor provides a summary:

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.

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.

The movie starts at 7:00 pm and is open to the Pitt community with registration.

2006 Vietnamese film Journey from the Fall (Vượt Sóng) online with Pitt's Asian Studies Center, August 12.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will present the 2006 Vietnamese film Journey from the Fall (Vượt Sóng) online on August 12 as the next installment of its Summer Screenshots: Hot Nights/Cold War film series. A synopsis, from the film's official site:

"The Americans have broken their promise. They have left us."
(Long Nguyen, South Vietnamese resistance fighter)

Inspired by the true stories of Vietnamese refugees who fled their land after the fall of Saigon—and those who were forced to stay behind, Journey From The Fall follows one family’s struggle for freedom.

April 30, 1975 marked the end of Vietnam's two-decade-old civil war and the start of the exodus of hundreds of thousands of refugees. Despite his allegiance to the toppled South Vietnamese government, Long Nguyen (as Long Nguyen) decides to remain in Vietnam. Imprisoned in a Communist re-education camp, he urges his family to make the escape by boat without him. His wife Mai (Diem Lien), son Lai (Nguyen Thai Nguyen) and mother Ba Noi (Kieu Chinh) then embark on the arduous ocean voyage in the hope of reaching the U.S. and freedom.

Back in Vietnam, Long suffers years of solitary confinement and hard labor, and finally despairs that his family has perished. But news of their successful resettlement in America inspires him to make one last desperate attempt to join them.

The online presentation starts at 5:30 pm and includes a live Q and A with Ham Tran, the film's director. Those interested should register online.

Authors Caroline Kim & Alexander Chee (online) with Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures, October 7.

Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures will host authors Caroline Kim & Alexander Chee for a virtual discussion on October 7.

2020 Drue Heinz Literature Prize winner Caroline Kim in conversation with author and guest judge Alexander Chee

Exploring what it means to be human through the Korean diaspora, Caroline Kim’s The Prince of Mournful Thoughts and Other Stories feature many voices. From a teenage girl in 1980’s America, to a boy growing up in the middle of the Korean War, to an immigrant father struggling to be closer to his adult daughter, or to a suburban housewife whose equilibrium depends upon a therapy robot, each character must face their less-than-ideal circumstances and find a way to overcome them without losing themselves. Language often acts as a barrier as characters try, fail, and momentarily succeed in connecting with each other. With humor, insight, and curiosity, Kim’s wide-ranging stories explore themes of culture, communication, travel, and family. Ultimately, what unites these characters across time and distance is their longing for human connection and a search for the place—or people—that will feel like home.

Of the collection, Wendy Hinman for Foreword Reviews writes, “Worth savoring, the stories of The Prince of Mournful Thoughts are intimate, often wistful portraits set amid the stifling and conflicting expectations of families and cultures.”

The free event starts at 6:00 pm and tickets are now available.

A Girl Missing (よこがお), Patema Inverted (サカサマのパテマ), We Are Little Zombies (ウィーアーリトルゾンビーズ) continue at Row House Cinema through August 13, part of Japanese Film Week.

The Japanese films A Girl Missing (よこがお), Patema Inverted (サカサマのパテマ), We Are Little Zombies (ウィーアーリトルゾンビーズ) will continue online at the Row House Cinema through August 13, part of the theater's Japanese Film Week. Tickets and showtime information is available online.

Pitt hiring Assistant Instructor of Chinese.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures is hiring an Assistant Instructor of Chinese:

The University of Pittsburgh seeks an Assistant Instructor of Chinese to work in The Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures at the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, PA. Duties include teaching both recitations and lectures of language courses, with a 3/3 course workload, as well as working closely with the language coordinator to contribute to the overall effectiveness of the Chinese language program. Will also collaborate with Asianists in other units (e. g., the Asian Studies Center) to promote Chinese language learning and China studies. Will also lecture in English on Chinese grammar, vocabulary, and contexts in which the language is used as well as provide students opportunities to use the language grammatically correctly and in socially appropriate ways through practice in recitation sections that are conducted exclusively in Mandarin Chinese. Will meet with students to discuss and advise on academic issues as appropriate and monitor their progress as well as supervise and train part-time instructors.

Must have a master’s degree (or foreign equivalent degree) in Chinese language pedagogy, Asian Civilizations, Linguistics, foreign language pedagogy, or a related field plus one (1) year of experience teaching Chinese at the college/university level in a North American institution.

Must also have: (i) demonstrated excellence in teaching as measured through student evaluations/teaching surveys; (ii) any experience with the use of course management technology (e.g., Blackboard); (iii) any knowledge of the Chinese as a Foreign Language field as well as the general foreign language pedagogy theory and practice in the United States; (iv) working with the language coordinator, students, other department faculty; (v) student advisement; and (vi) engaging in professional development to further her/his skills and knowledge.

Those interested should apply through Interfolio via the Pitt website.

"The Influence of Japanese Ceramics," online with Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania, August 19.

via Guerrero Ceramics.

The Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania will host local artist Jeff Guerrero and his talk "The Influence of Japanese Ceramics" on August 19.

Why have western ceramic artists continuously looked to Japan for inspiration over the past century? How has the American craft revival been influenced by traditional Japanese aesthetics and ethos? Join ceramic artist and educator Jeff Guerrero for a journey through the history of Japanese ceramics and its influences on Western art.

Sushi Fuku rebrands as Atarashi.

Starting this month Sushi Fuku has rebranded as Atarashi. It has a simliar menu and the same ownership and will operate the same three locations: Craig St., Oakland Ave. and UPMC Presbyterian. Atarashi means new in Japanese.

August Book Club: Miracle Creek by Angie Kim, August 27 at Maridon Museum.

Butler County's Maridon Museum will read and discuss Miracle Creek by Angie Kim in its August Book Club meeting on August 27. A brief synospis, from the author's site:

In the rural Virginia town of Miracle Creek, Young and Pak Yoo run an experimental medical treatment device known as the Miracle Submarine—a pressurized oxygen chamber that patients enter for therapeutic “dives” with the hopes of curing issues like autism or infertility. But when the chamber mysteriously explodes, killing two people, a dramatic murder trial upends the Yoos’ small community.

The meetings will be held in person from 3:00 to 4:00 pm but will also have a Zoom component for people not comfortable gathering at this time. Those interested in registering should call 724-282-0123 or email info@maridon.org. The Maridon Museum is an Asian art museum in Butler County that holds frequent movie screenings, classes, and book club meetings, in addition to the art exhibitions that take place when there isn't a pandemic.

Chiang Mai Noodle now open in Oakland.

Chiang Mai Noodle has opened in North Oakland, located at 256 N. Craig Street (map) in what was most recently Pad Thai Noodle (and three Vietnamese restaurants in recent years).