Saigon88 Express now open in Robinson.

Saigon88 Express, a Vietnamese restaurant serving pho and banh mi, opened at 5500 Steubenville Pike (map) in Robinson Township in last month.


via @SAIGON88 EXPRESS.

Pittsburgh Lunar New Year Parade, February 17 in Squirrel Hill.

via @Lunar New Year PGH.

The annual Pittsburgh Lunar New Year Parade will be held in Squirrel Hill on February 17. It will begin at 11:00 am at the corner of Murray Ave. and Phillips Ave., and proceed up Murray to the intersection of Forbes Ave. Writes the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition:

On Sunday February 17th, the Lunar New Year Parade returns to the heart of Squirrel Hill! Starting at 11am at Philipps and Murray Avenue, Steel Dragon Kung Fu & Lion Dance will begin the festivities and the new year with a traditional Chinese blessing ritual. Pan-Asian cultural organizations in resplendent costumes and uniforms will showcase their craft as we march up Murray toward Darlington Street. Weaving in and out will be Chinese dragon lines, lion dance teams and Thai Fire-eaters! The award winning Allderdice Marching Band will be keeping us in rhythm. Minadeo K-5 will show us how a young dragon team can rock the line! And Dragonboat teams Pittsburgh Paddlefish and Hearts of Steel share what makes them strong and resilient in our three rivers! The Lunar New Year Parade is free and open to the public!

Chinese-language play Ivy League Dream in Wexford, April 7.

The Pittsburgh Chinese Cultural Center will present the play Ivy League Dream on April 7 at North Allegheny Senior High School in Wexford (map). The show starts at 7:00 pm and will play with English subtitles. Tickets are available by contacting the email addresses on the flyers above.

"From Animation to Martial Arts: Toward the Transcendence of False Movements," February 21 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Pittsburgh Film and Media Colloquium will present Dr. Jinying Li and her talk "From Animation to Martial Arts: Toward the Transcendence of False Movements" on February 21.

"Where Goes The Neighborhood? Japan and the Rise of Asia" March 5 downtown.

The World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh and Japan America Society of Pennsylvania will present "Where Goes The Neighborhood? Japan and the Rise of Asia" on March 5.

Join us for a lively discussion with two well-known experts on the evolving Japan-US alliance and its impact on security and trade in Asia.
The US-Japan alliance has provided one of the foundations for decades of security and freedom in Asia. But, the neighborhood is changing: Japan is experiencing significant strategic and diplomatic challenges from China, faces increasingly aggressive North Korean weapons development and testing, and has an uncertain relationship with South Korea.

While the U.S. continues to be Japan’s main partner and ally, it has withdrawn from the major Pacific free trade pact, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), after completing negotiations with Japan. As uncertainty in the region abounds, Japan considers how to work effectively with the U.S. but also how to chart its course as a leader and a balancer in Asia.

The event is free but registration is required and can be done online; breakfast is required. It runs from 8:00 to 9:30 am at the Rivers Club on Grant Street (map).

NextPittsburgh: "Family pho-ever: Two Sisters Vietnamese Kitchen opens in East Liberty."

For some local restaurateurs, food is a family affair.

Siblings Trinh Phan and Trang Somphomaphakdy opened Two Sisters Vietnamese Kitchen in East Liberty this week. The new spot — located on N. Highland Avenue right next door to the new barbecue joint Porked — specializes in traditional dishes, such as pho — a soup made with rice noodles, onion, scallion, cilantro and either beef, chicken, seafood or veggies.

Read more via NextPittsburgh.com.

Pitt hiring part time Japanese Language Instructors for Summer 2019.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures is hiring part-time Japanese Language Instructors for Summer 2019.

EALL anticipates an opening for a part-time instructor in the Japanese language program beginning in the summer of 2019. Candidates must have native language proficiency, hold at least a college degree, and be authorized to work for the University. Prior experience in teaching foreign languages and familiarity with language pedagogy or linguistics is highly preferred, but not required. If interested, please send your CV and a cover letter explaining your interest in the position to Stephen Luft (luft@pitt.edu) by February 28, 2019. Candidates with desirable qualifications will be contacted for interviews.

WholeRen Education (美国厚仁教育集团) hiring bilingual Mandarin-English astronomy tutors.

Pittsburgh-based Chinese education and consulting company WholeRen Education (美国厚仁教育集团) has announced openings for bilingual Mandarin-English astronomy tutors.

Discussions with Japanese Pitt alumni on international trade, entrepreneurship, March 5.

The University of Pittsburgh's International Business Center will host two talks on March 5 with Japanese alumni on the topics of international trade and entrepreneurship in Japan.

Hiromi Iriyama (GPSIA, 2005) will speak from 3:00 to 4:00 on International Trade and Development:

Please join us for a conversation with Ms. Hiromi Iriyama on her work with the Japan International Cooperation Agency, Tokyo, Japan. In her current role, Ms. Iriyama consults on procurement supervision for projects funded by Japanese Official Development Assistance Loans. Ms. Iriyama also has significant financial experience in corporate and investment banking, including with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Ms. Iriyama will share insights from her current work as well as her international career path, which has taken her to the United States, Vietnam, Kenya, Malaysia, Philippines, France, Germany, and beyond.

This event is co-sponsored by the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs and made possible with support from the International Business Center, the MBA Office, the University of Pittsburgh Japan Studies Speaker Series, and the Asian Studies Center.

The talk will be held in 4130 Posvar Hall (map).



From 5:00 to 7:00 pm, Dr. Akie Iriyama (Katz, 2008) will speak on Entrepreneurship in Japan.

Please join us for a conversation on Entrepreneurship in Japan and the U.S. with Dr. Akie Iriyama, Associate Professor at Waseda University, Graduate School of Business and Finance, Tokyo, Japan. Dr. Iriyama has worked as a business consultant and industry economist including building corporate, market, and global strategies for Japanese automotive manufactures. Clients have included Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mitsubishi Motors, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan.

Dr. Iriyama has previously presented to students during the 2018 Japan Global Research Practicum. We are delighted to welcome him to campus to further our global programming.

This event is made possible with support from the International Business Center, the MBA Office, the University of Pittsburgh Japan Studies Speaker Series, and the Asian Studies Center.

Dr. Iriyami's talk will be held in Conference Room A of the University Club (map). Those interested in attending are encouraged to RSVP to jsaslawski at katz.pitt.edu.

"Bao," "One Small Step" among Oscar-nominated Animated Shorts playing in Pittsburgh, February 8 - 14.

The Regent Square Theater will present all five of the nominees in the Oscar Shorts: Animation category from February 8 through 14; among them, the hit "Bao" and the Chinese-American production "One Small Step." Pixar provides a synopsis of "Bao":

In “Bao,” an aging Chinese mom suffering from empty nest syndrome gets another chance at motherhood when one of her dumplings springs to life as a lively, giggly dumpling boy. Mom excitedly welcomes this new bundle of joy into her life, but Dumpling starts growing up fast, and Mom must come to the bittersweet revelation that nothing stays cute and small forever. This short film from Pixar Animation Studios and director Domee Shi explores the ups and downs of the parent-child relationship through the colorful, rich, and tasty lens of the Chinese immigrant community in Canada.

And TAIKO animation studio summarizes "One Small Step":

An ambitious young girl aspires to be an astronaut with the support of her humble father.

Showtime information is available online, though tickets are only available at the door. The theater is located at 1035 S. Braddock Ave. in Regent Square (map), accessible by buses 61B, 71, and P71.