Yang Jin and Mimi Jong performing as "String Bouquet" in Oakland, November 24.

Pipa performer Yang Jin and erhu performer Mimi Jong will perform as "String Bouquet" on November 24 at the Carnegie Library in Oakland, part of the World Kaleidoscope series.

As individual artists, Jin Yang and Mimi Jong have been dedicated to the study and performance of traditional Chinese music. Since meeting in 2015, they have embarked on a musical journey together. From concert halls to libraries, from universities to community centers, from museums to house concerts, String Bouquet is permeating the hearts of their audience. Their versatile styles include Chinese traditional, global, western classical, jazz, pop and modern music. Their multi-media projects include collaboration with dance and various performance arts. String Bouquet continues to explore and expand the possibilities of their creativity, bringing exciting music presentations to their audience.

The performance runs from 2:00 to 3:00 pm in the North Wing Music Room on the second floor. The library is located at 4400 Forbes Ave. in Oakland (map) and is accessible by buses 28X, 54, 61C, 61D, 67, 69, 71A, 71B, 71C, 71D, and 93.

The Course of Democracy Never Did Run Smooth: Hongkongers’ Political Awakening (從反送中運動看港人的掙扎與蛻變), December 15 at CMU.

Cafe Philo @ Pittsburgh will present an English-language talk, The Course of Democracy Never Did Run Smooth: Hongkongers’ Political Awakening (從反送中運動看港人的掙扎與蛻變), on December 15 at Carnegie Mellon University.

The Anti-Extradition Movement in Hong Kong Political apathy seems to have reigned Hong Kong for very long. And yet the recent Anti-Extradition Movement, the largest and longest social movement in the history of Hong Kong, has been joined by over one-third of the population. Through a discussion on the Anti-Extradition Movement, this seminar aims to provide a general understanding of the struggle for democracy in Hong Kong, especially its milestones, transformations, and current obstacles, and to explore the reasons for Hongkongers' political awakening.

Speakers: Hong Kong Social Action Movements in Boston (https://www.facebook.com/HKSAMBOS/)
Date: Sunday, December 15th , 2-4 pm
Place: CMU Wean Hall 4623
Host: Café Philo-Pittsburgh
This talk will be delivered in English.

“An Island of Death”: Homo Sacer and Ungrievable Deaths, December 13 at Pitt.

via thejejumassacre.com

Y.J. Hwang will give a lecture, “An Island of Death”: Homo Sacer and Ungrievable Deaths, on the Jeju Island Massacres on December 13.

Jeju Island is internationally known as “the Hawaii of Asia” because of its scenic landscapes. But it is not known that this volcanic island is also called “an Island of Death” in connection with the Jeju massacre (1948-1949). This talk thus focuses on the ways in which the victims of the mass killing are enacted in relation to cultural implications of conceptualizing deaths of the Jeju incident. Given that the main characteristic of the Cold War narrative is associated with the reburial of the dead and the finding of missing bodies in the context of modern Korean history, this talk engages with the way in which cultural memory is performed in Jeju Peace Memorial Park through artistic practices and monuments. Concentrating on the injustice of death, the ethics of the dead, and the relationship between history and memory, it also includes how this site reveals a futuristic vision of understanding the Jeju massacre.

YJ, Hwang is a teaching fellow, working on her doctoral project in relation to South Korea’s Jeju massacre and its cultural memory at the University of Pittsburgh. As a theatre and performance studies scholar, her research interests include gender, memory, and mobility.

It starts at 12:00 pm in 4130 Posvar Hall (map).

Pirates again without an Asian player after Wang becomes free agent.

In not-so-news from earlier this month, the Pirates granted Taiwanese pitcher Wei-chung Wang (王維中) free agency on November 4, leaving them again without an Asian player on their roster. Wang joined the team on August 31 as the first Taiwanese player in Pittsburgh Pirates history and made five appearances toward the end of the season. He was the sixth Asian player to appear in a regular-season game for Pittsburgh, following Jung-ho Kang, Akinori Iwamura, Hisanori Takahashi, Chan-ho Park, and Masumi Kuwata.

The Pirates still have a number of Asian players in their system, including Taiwanese infield prospect Cheng Tsung-Che (鄭宗哲) and Korean shortstop Ji-hwan Bae, who is currently ranked the #8 prospect in the team's system.

2019 Chinese movie Better Days (少年的你) continues in Pittsburgh through November 25.

The new Chinese movie Better Days (少年的你), which opened in Pittsburgh on November 15, will continue through at least November 25. From the distributor:

From the award-winning team of Soul Mate, comes a new Chinese drama movie by Derek Kwok-Cheung Tsang, starring Jackson Yee and Zhou Dongyu.

When it is time for the Chinese gaokao, a two-day national college entrance exam, the entire country comes to a standstill. For nearly ten million high school students, this exam not only determines where and if they get to study but the fates of their entire families as well. Like so many others, Nian has been single-mindedly preparing for the exam, cutting everything else out of her life. When she becomes the target of relentless bullying, fate brings her together with small-time criminal Bei and the two form a strong friendship. Before they can completely retreat into a world of their own, the two are dragged in the middle of a murder case of a teenage girl where they are the prime suspects. In this dramatic thriller, Derek Kwok-Cheung Tsang paints a bleak picture of an oppressive society, in the guise of a gripping fairy-tale love story, exposing the dark world of bullying and societal pressures of achievement facing today’s youth.

It will play 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.

Bong Joon-ho film Parasite (기생충) continues in Pittsburgh through (at least) November 28.

The acclaimed 2019 Bong Joon-ho film Parasite (기생충), which opened in Pittsburgh on November 1, will continue in Pittsburgh through at least November 28.

Bong Joon Ho brings his singular mastery home to Korea in this pitch-black modern fairytale.

Meet the Park Family: the picture of aspirational wealth. And the Kim Family, rich in street smarts but not much else. Be it chance or fate, these two houses are brought together and the Kims sense a golden opportunity. Masterminded by college-aged Ki-woo, the Kim children expediently install themselves as tutor and art therapist, to the Parks. Soon, a symbiotic relationship forms between the two families. The Kims provide “indispensable” luxury services while the Parks obliviously bankroll their entire household. When a parasitic interloper threatens the Kims’ newfound comfort, a savage, underhanded battle for dominance breaks out, threatening to destroy the fragile ecosystem between the Kims and the Parks. By turns darkly hilarious and heart-wrenching, PARASITE showcases a modern master at the top of his game.

Parasite won the Palme d'Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. It continues locally at the Manor Theater in Squirrel Hill through the 28th and the AMC Loews Waterfront through the 25th, plus three other local theaters through the 20th. Tickets are available online.

"Kitsuke: The Art Of Kimono," December 4 2 at Pitt.

"Vivid kimono" by Raita Futo (Creative Commons).

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will host Evan Mason and his workshop "Kitsuke: The Art Of Kimono" on December 4 December 2.

Through this interactive workshop, learn about the intricate art of dressing in kimono with expert and Pitt alumnus Evan Mason. The workshop will begin with a lecture on the culture and history of the kimono in Japan followed by a demonstration of kitsuke and an opportunity for participants to dress in yukata and try out their new skills!

It runs from 5:30 to 6:30 pm 4:00 to 5:00 pm in 4130 Posvar Hall (map).

Work continues on Oishii Donburi in Lawrenceville.

Work continues on Oishii Donburi in Lawrenceville. It is coming soon to 5227 Butler St. (map) from the team behind Oakland's Oishii Bento. The company, founded in 2017, purchased the former Design Island and Artisan Harvest spot in May 2018.


Via Margittai Architects.

Try It Out!: Kumihimo Weaving, November 22 at Carnegie Library Woods Run.

by sayo ts (Creative Commons)

The Woods Run branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will host a kumihimo weaving workshop on November 22.

Join library staff each month for a drop-in opportunity to try out a new skill. From hand sewing to stop-motion animation, and from beat-making to podcasting, everyone will find something new to love! During each pop-up workshop, you will be able to discover, explore, and create. Library staff will be on hand to direct you to more learning materials if your interest has been piqued!

This program occurs on the fourth Friday of every month. This month we will be focusing on Kumihimo weaving. This program is for adults only.

It runs from 12:00 to 1:00 pm and the Woods Run branch is located at 1201 Woods Run Ave. (map).

Hal B. Klein of Pittsburgh Magazine profiles KIIN Lao & Thai Eatery, which opened in Squirrel Hill this month.

I stopped by for lunch this week and, if the Nareedokmais follow through with their vision, I think that Pittsburgh is in for a real treat, one that has the potential to offer diners a culinary experience heretofore not available in the city.

“We don’t want to hold anything back. If you eat here, it should taste as it does in Laos. That is my challenge,” says Nareedokmai.