Chinese animated film Big Fish & Begonia (大鱼海棠) just announced for Pittsburgh, April 11 and 12.

The 2016 Chinese animated film Big Fish & Begonia (大鱼海棠) is getting a limited release in the US, and the distributor recently announced dates for Pittsburgh screenings in April. A glowing Variety review summarizes:

In the history of Chinese animation, there has never been a film like “Big Fish & Begonia.” Certainly, precedents exist in American and Japanese cartoons (at its core, the film could be a cross between Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” and Studio Ghibli’s “Spirited Away”), but as far as the Chinese industry goes, this bold and breathtaking fantasy adventure stands alone.

Quick-serve ramen restaurant BOOM Noodles coming to Southpointe.

BOOM Noodles will open in a former Saga hibachi restaurant at Southpointe Town Center, according to the Pittsburgh Business Times today. It is a new venture by AMPD Group, which operates (among others) Steel Cactus and Social House Seven, the latter an Asian-themed bar and restaurant downtown. No opening date has been announced.

Working from some of the recipes of AMPD’s downtown Asian cuisine restaurant Social House 7, AMPD will open BOOM Noodles, which DeSimone describes as a quick-serve Ramen restaurant. BOOM Noodles will be watched by AMPD for potential to expand elsewhere.

BOOM Noodles and a new Steel Cactus location will occupy a space formerly occuped by Saga Japanese Restaurant in Canonsburg's Southpointe Town Center (map).

ORIENTED, featuring ceramic artists who identify with both Western and Eastern cultures, in Pittsburgh from March 13 to 17.

From "Culture Blind" by Stephen Young Lee.

The 2018 National Council On Education For The Ceramic Arts will bring hundreds of national and international artists to venues across Pittsburgh in March. One exhibition of particular relevance here is ORIENTED, on display from March 13 to 17, which

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.

China-Africa Railway Crossings: Building the TAZARA Railway, March 19 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's African Studies Program hosts Dr. Jamie Monson and her talk "China-Africa Railway Crossings: Building the TAZARA Railway" on March 19.

HCL Technologies hiring Bilingual Japanese Product Analyst for position onsite at Google.

HCL Technologies is still hiring a Bilingual Japanese Product Analyst for a position working onsite at Google in Larimer. The posting, via Monster.com:

Billingual Japanese Product Identity Analyst is a full-time job through HCL America, Inc. onsite at Google Pittsburgh. This position requires entrepreneurial drive to contribute to the long-term growth of online shopping by performing in-depth research, analyzing product specification data, using highly technical internal tools and processes to manage and enhance a large repository of knowledge about products. It is part of a fast-paced environment, partnering closely with operations and engineering teams.

"Archaeology for the People: A Review of Public Archaeology in China," March 16 at Pitt.

Public excavation of Xiyang Lou, via Chinese Social Sciences Net.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of Anthropology will host Tao Wang of Capital Normal University (Beijing) and his talk "Archaeology for the People: A Review of Public Archaeology in China" on March 16.

Pirates sign 18-year-old Korean shortstop Ji-Hwan Bae.

Via Joong-ang Ilbo.

The Pittsburgh Pirates signed 18-year-old Korean shortstop Ji-Hwan Bae (배지환), according to Pirates Prospects. Bae, from Daegu, signed with Atlanta in September 2017 but his contract, along with 12 others, was voided in November. Not counting Jung-ho Kang, who remains out of the country because of legal issues, Bae is the only Korean player in the Pirates system, though at this point he is still several years away from figuring into plans at the Major League level.

K-Day Radio Show, a K-pop program at Point Park University, is giving away two pairs of tickets to the April San E and Mad Clown show.

San E (산이) and Mad Clown (매드클라운) are coming to Pittsburgh on April 10, and a local K-pop radio station is giving away two pairs of tickets. K-Day Radio Show, a K-pop program on the Point Park University radio station, is giving away one pair through its Facebook page and one pair through its Instagram page. Winners will be announced March 28.

A Taxi Driver (탁시운전사), Violent Prosecutor (검사외전) at Pitt for annual Korean Film Festival, starting March 16.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures will present two Korean films for its 15th annual Korean Film Festival: 2017's A Taxi Driver (탁시운전사) on March 16 and 2016's Violent Prosecutor (검사외전) on March 30.

Pitt hiring native Chinese speakers as "language buddies" for this summer's STARTALK program.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures is hiring 20 native Chinese speakers for this summer's STARTALK program. From the job posting:

Pitt Chinese STARTALK program hosted by the Department is East Asian Languages and Literature is seeking a student Language Buddy. The Language Buddy (LB) will work under the Lead Teacher to provide one-on-one practice in Chinese with high school students for one hour daily from 1:00-2:00 PM from June 21 to July 13, 2018. We strive to create an encouraging environment where students can freely explore Chinese language and culture. If you are patient, open-minded, and enjoy being around teenagers, we welcome you to join our team.

Job Requirements
• Attend orientation on June 18th (Monday) from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
• Review activity plan before coming to each session
• Attend daily meeting at 12:45 pm
• Fill in the progress report after each session and monitor student performance and progress
• Use maximum Chinese to communicate and interact with high school students
• Must attend every session during the summer camp
• Maintain a professional but friendly relationship with students