"The Fall of Hong Kong: Comparative and Historical Perspectives on a Global City in Crisis" with Pitt's Asian Studies Center, October 15.

via Jonathan van Smit (Creative Commons)

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will host Jeffrey Wasserstrom and his online talk "The Fall of Hong Kong: Comparative and Historical Perspectives on a Global City in Crisis" on October 15.

Dr. Jeffrey Wasserstrom will focus on recent events in Hong Kong, from the city’s response to COVID-19 to the imposition of a new National Security Law that was imposed on the metropolis by Beijing. It will expand on and update the arguments in the author’s most recent book, Vigil: Hong Kong on the Brink, which took the story of protest and repression in the city up to October 2019. The speaker will draw on both his experiences on the ground in Hong Kong, including during a December 2019 visit that gave him a chance to watch last year’s last massive march, and his past work on social movements in Shanghai and other urban centers.

The event runs from 3:00 to 4:30 pm and is free and open to the public, though registration is required.

Puppet Workshop Series: Japanese Karakuri, October 14 with the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh.

via nippon.com

The Children's Museum of Pittsburgh will hold an online workshop for kids on Japanese Karakuri puppets, October 14.

What if you could build puppet versions of your favorite Japanese anime characters and make them appear to move by themselves? Join Georgia based puppeteer, Paulette Richards, as we explore Japanese Karakuri puppets and ways that Karakuri mechanisms have merged with electronics. Together well learn simple mechanisms we can use to animate our own puppet creations! This virtual workshop will be hosted on Zoom and is designed for ages 6-10. Materials to have on hand: scrap cardboard, scrap paper, paper fasteners or paper clips, hole punch, scissors, ruler, glue, pens, pencils or markers.

The 4:00 - 5:30 pm event is free but advance registration is required.

2003 Bong Joon-ho film Memories of Murder (살인의 추억) in Pittsburgh-area theaters, October 19 and 20.

The 2003 Bong Joon-ho film Memories of Murder (살인의 추억) will play in Pittsburgh-area theaters on October 19 and 20. From the distributor:

MEMORIES OF MURDER tells the harrowing true story of the hunt for a sadistic serial rapist and murderer terrorizing a small province in 1980s South Korea. Marking the first of many successful collaborations between four-time Oscar winner Bong Joon Ho and leading man Song Kang Ho, the film follows the paths of three increasingly desperate detectives as they attempt to decipher the violent mind of a killer in a futile effort to solve the case.

Now, seventeen years after its initial release, and a year after the real culprit was identified, this cult classic takes its place as a modern masterpiece.

So far it is scheduled to play at AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark in Robinson and tickets are available online.

2019 Japanese film Lupin III: The First (ルパン三世 THE FIRST) in Pittsburgh, October 18 and 21.

The 2019 Japanese film Lupin III: The First (ルパン三世 THE FIRST) will play in Pittsburgh on October 18 and 21. A summary from the distributor:

The iconic “gentleman thief” Lupin III returns in an action-packed, continent-spanning adventure, as Lupin III and his colorful underworld companions race to uncover the secrets of the mysterious Bresson Diary, before it falls into the hands of a dark cabal that will stop at nothing to resurrect the Third Reich. The gang undertakes trap-filled tombs, aerial escapades and daring prison escapes with the trademark wit and visual finesse that have made LUPIN THE 3RD one of the most storied animation franchises in the world, in a thrilling new caper that is sure to delight fans old and new.

It will play locally at the Cinemark theaters in McCandless and Monroeville and the AMC Loews Waterfront, and tickets are available online. The October 18th screening is dubbed in English while the October 21st one has English subtitles.

Pittsburgh Pirates sign Taiwanese pitching prospect Po-Yu Chen (陳柏毓).

The Pittsburgh Pirates have signed 19-year-old pitcher Po-Yu Chen (陳柏毓) out of Taoyuan, Taiwan.

The Pirates set their sights on Chen, viewing him as equivalent to a second-round-type talent in the MLB Draft, but needed to obtain more international bonus pool space to sign him. So on Sept. 20, the last day to make such trades, they sent left-hander Domingo Robles to the Cardinals and right-hander Conner Loeprich to the Orioles, acquiring bonus pool slots in each deal.

[General Manager] Cherington said the Pirates have been scouting Chen for three years, writing up more than 25 reports on him.

“In particular, our scout in Taiwan, Fu Chun Chiang, did a great job getting to know Po-Yu and his family and putting us in a position to sign him,” Cherington said. “I enjoyed meeting Po-Yu this week in Pittsburgh, and we look forward to working with him in the years to come.

Chen received a $1.25 million signing bonus, according to the team's beat writer. The Pirates signed one other Taiwanese player in 2019-2020: 17-year old Cheng Tsung-Che (鄭宗哲).

JET Program 2021 info session, October 22 at Pitt.

via Pedro Szekely (Creative Commons) 

The Pittsburgh JET Alumni Association will present its annual JET Program 2021 info session with the University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center on October 22. The event will run from 6:00 to 7:30 pm, though login details are still pending.

It's time for Pitt's annual info session; this year it'll be fully online. I (Smitha) will be leading it, and JET alumni (especially recent returnees) are more than welcome to attend and share your experiences with prospectives. Will include more info as I get it, including info on how to join (Pitt is hosting it), but the date/time are confirmed as of yesterday. This should be an interesting one, as there are plenty of unknowns related to the Coronavirus.

K-Pop/FRESA Virtual Showcase, November 5 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center and Fresh Entertainment by Student Artists (FRESA) will present K-Pop/FRESA Virtual Showcase on November 5, part of the university's International Week. The online showcase will run from 8:00 to 9:30 pm, and login details should be available shortly.

2018 Taiwanese movie Dear Ex (誰先愛上他的) online at Pitt, October 14.

The University of Pittsburgh's Office of International Services will present the 2018 Taiwanese movie Dear Ex (誰先愛上他的) on October 14 as part of its Watch Party Wednesdays series. From a 2019 New York Times review:

Following the death of his father (Spark Chen), [13-year-old] Chengxi finds himself caught between his mother, Sanlian (Hsieh Ying-hsuan), and Jay (Roy Chiu), a man for whom his father left his family. Chengxi has been written out of his late father’s insurance policy, and all of the money will now go to Jay — as soon as Sanlian signs off on it. Chengxi copes with the resulting fight by moving in with Jay (to the displeasure of both adults), drawn to the man’s mercurial nature and relationship with his father.

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

Discussion of Leslie Chang's Factory Girls, October 15 with University of Pittsburgh's Global Studies Center.

The University of Pittsburgh's Global Studies Center will host a discussion of Leslie Chang's 2008 book Factory Girls on October 15.

This reading group for educators explores literary texts from a global perspective. Content specialists present the work and its context, and together we brainstorm innovative pedagogical practices for incorporating the text and its themes into the curriculum. Sessions this year will take place virtually on Thursday evenings from 5-7:30 PM. Books and Act 48 credit are provided.

“Music, Sound, and Nostalgia in My Neighbor Totoro and Grave of the Fireflies" with Pitt's Department of Music, October 29.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of Music will host Visiting Scholar Kunio Hara and his lecture "Music, Sound, and Nostalgia in My Neighbor Totoro and Grave of the Fireflies" online on October 29.