Free Korean Learning Circle classes for beginners and intermediates continue at Carnegie Library in Oakland in July and August.

via the Republic of Korea's Flickr page.

The Carnegie Library Main Branch in Oakland will continue to host "We Learn: Beginner Korean Learning Circle" and "We Learn: Intermediate Korean Learning Circle" most Saturdays in July and August, though the intermediate class is closed to new registrants.

The beginners' class runs every Saturday from 1:00 to 2:00 pm.

In this beginner-level class, we will use the textbook published by the Korean government for foreigners who learn Korean as a secondary language. We will start from writing/reading Korean characters, ‘Hangul’, and learn how to organize sentence structures. Register for the event here.

And the intermediate class runs every Saturday from 11:00 to 12:00 pm.

In this intermediate-level class, we will cover the textbook published by the Korean government for foreigners who learn Korean as a secondary language. We will cover basic Korean grammar and vocabulary, and practice how to speak and write using what we’ve covered in each lecture.

Registration is required for the intermediate class as well, though it is not currently accepting new registrants.

The library is located at 4400 Forbes Ave. (map) and is accessible by buses 28X, 54, 61C, 61D, 67, 69, 71A, 71B, 71C, 71D, and 93.

Japanese animated films Belle (竜とそばかすの姫), Paprika (パプリカ), The Deer King (鹿の王), Panda! Go Panda! (パンダ・コパンダ) at Row House Cinema, from July 15.

The Row House Cinema in Lawrenceville will present a collection of Japanese animated films from July 15 as part of a Fantastical Anime film series. Belle (竜とそばかすの姫), Paprika (パプリカ), and The Deer King (鹿の王) will play from July 15 through 21, while 1973's Panda! Go Panda! (パンダ・コパンダ) will play on the 21st only. Tickets are now available online.

The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map).

Japanese-English Social Hour, July 15 at Pitt.

"Tokyo," by Marc Veraart.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will host a "Japanese-English Social Hour" on July 15.

Language social hour for Japanese and English language learners. To RSVP, please email Samantha at sas715@pitt.edu

The in-person event starts at 4:00 pm at the Posvar Patio, and is open to the Pitt community, though RSVP is required.

HCL Technologies hiring Bilingual Japanese Identity Analyst - Google Pittsburgh for position onsite at Google in Larimer.

HCL Technologies is hiring a Bilingual Japanese Product Identity Analyst - Google Pittsburgh for a position onsite at the Pittsburgh Google offices in Larimer.  From the Indeed.com posting:

Bilingual Japanese Product Identity Analyst is a full-time job through HCL America, Inc., for Google Pittsburgh.

This position requires 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.

Food delivery service Hungry Panda hiring Mandarin-speaking Marketing Specialist for Pittsburgh area.

Hungry Panda is again hiring a Mandarin-speaking Business Development Specialist for the Pittsburgh area. As PennsylvAsia noted in Summer 2020, more Chinese delivery options, like Fantuan and Chowbus, have made their way to Pittsburgh.

Main Objective: Activate new users and increase orders for existing customers, promote online and outdoor market campaigns to increase the branding visibility, conduct customer surveys to increase customer satisfaction, Responsible for new users acquisition, customer retention and satisfaction, daily sales volume and revenue.

• Utilize social media to attract new customers and increase engagement with existing customers
• Work closely with the design and content teams to build effective marketing strategy
• Conduct market research, design campaign cooperation with KOLs and related companies
• Responsible for the planning and execution of local market campaigns to increase daily average users
• Collect and analyze operational and marketing data collected from previous marketing campaigns, and adjust marketing strategies

2021 Japanese film The Deer King (鹿の王) in Pittsburgh, July 13 and 14.

The 2021 Japanese film The Deer King (鹿の王) will play in Pittsburgh on July 13 and 14. A synopsis from the distributor:

In the aftermath of a brutal war, former soldier Van toils in a mine controlled by the ruling empire. One day, his solitary existence is upended when a pack of wild dogs carrying a deadly and incurable disease attack, leaving only Van and a young girl named Yuna as survivors. Finally free, the pair seek out a simple existence in the countryside but are pursued by nefarious forces. Intent on protecting Yuna at all costs, Van must uncover the true cause of the plague ravaging the kingdom—and its possible cure.

The Deer King is a sweeping fantasy epic that marks the directing debut of Masashi Ando, whose work on such landmark films as Spirited Away, Paprika, and Your Name. helped shape the world of modern animation.

It is scheduled to play on the 13th in Japanese with English subtitles at the AMC Loews Waterfront, the Cinemark theaters in McCandless, Monroeville, and Robinson, and the Luxury Phoenix 14 in Chartiers Valley; on the 14th it will be dubbed in English and play at the Waterfront and in Chartiers Valley. Tickets are available online . .

芋见BAO to take over Lulu's Noodles spot in Oakland.

芋见BAO will move into the Lulu's Noodles spot in Oakland after the latter's owner sold the restaurant. 芋见BAO, opened at its current location at 114 Atwood St. in early 2021 and offers a menu of dim sum, noodle dishes, bubble tea, and more. A Pittsburgh City-Paper review last September wrote:

Dim sum are small dishes that originated in Guangzhou in southern China. The phrase typically calls to mind dumplings, buns, starchy or glutinous cakes, and light desserts, and 芋见BAO’s dim sum menu covers all of these. To try as wide a variety as possible, I ordered with my partner and we shared the dim sum dishes, which came with enough pieces for us to enjoy at least one or two of everything.

The name of the restaurant refers to 芋, or taro, a tropical root vegetable common in African, South Asian, and Oceanic cuisines. While 芋见 translates directly to “seeing taro,” it’s also a homophone for “meet” or “come across,” creating a secondary phrase “come across bao,” or “come across steamed buns.”

Living up to its name, 芋见BAO has several bao options, including Pork Buns 肉包, Vegetable Buns 菜包, and Pork and Dry Bamboo Buns 笋干肉包. Each comes with six buns and has the option between steamed or pan fried preparation. I opted for steamed Pork Buns 肉包, and the pillowy dough and subtle sweetness combined with a more robust savory flavor in the meat filling was an excellent start to the meal.

There is no timetable yet for Bao's opening. The Lulu's Noodles spot is located at 400 S. Craig St. (map).

Japanese guitarist Miyavi returns to Pittsburgh, October 15.

Japanese guitarist Miyavi will perform in Pittsburgh on October 15, part of his 20th anniversary North American tour.

MIYAVI is a musician, actor, and philanthropist, bridging cultures across the globe with his music and message. His unique style of guitar playing has taken him on 8 world tours in over 30 countries. Fans refer to MIYAVI as the “Samurai Guitarist.” He has released 13 studio albums.

In December 2018, MIYAVI released the groundbreaking collaborations album Samurai Sessions Vol. 3: Worlds Collide on Universal Music Group. The stellar list of U.S.-based collaborators included Oscar-nominated actor Samuel L. Jackson, Grammy nominated R&B artist Gallant, Grammy nominated Pop artist Mikky Ekko, Grammy winning producer RAC, Malaysian born R&B songstress Yuna, South Central LA rapper DUCKWRTH, “Hood EDM” rapper Bok Nero, “laptop punk” artist NVDES, and Australian born Pop artist Betty Who.

MIYAVI returned to his releasing solo albums with 2019’s NO SLEEP TILL TOKYO kicked off by a concert at Los Angeles Dodgers Stadium followed by the 2020 release of Holy Nights. On September 15, 2021 MIYAVI released his latest album Imaginary with features from KPOP star Kang Daniel and Grammy winning pop artist Kimbra.

The concert takes place at the Thunderbird Cafe, and tickets for the 18+ show are available online. Miyavi last performed in Pittsburgh, at the Thunderbird Cafe, in October 2021. The Thunderbird Cafe & Music Hall is located at 4023 Butler St. in Lawrenceville (map).

2020 Japanese film True Mothers (朝が来る) free at Northland Public Library, July 20.

Northland Public Library will present the 2020 Japanese film True Mothers (朝が来る) as part of its next Movie Matinee.

After a long and unsuccessful time to get pregnant, a young couple decide to adopt. Six years after a young woman claims that she is the biological mother and wants him back. A deeply touching and compassionate celebration of two mothers.

So come join us. No registration required.

It runs from 1:30 to 3:30 pm and is free and open to the public. The library is located off of McKnight Road and Rt. 19 in McCandless Township (map).

Pitt (still) hiring Assistant Instructor in Korean Studies.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures is still hiring an Assistant Instructor in Korean Studies.

The University of Pittsburgh’s Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures seeks an Assistant Instructor in Korean Studies to teach/instruct graduate and undergraduate courses. Will also be responsible for: (i) preparing for and teaching all levels of Korean classes as required, (ii) training and observing less experienced instructors, (iii) coordinating teaching and work with the Korean coordinator and other instructors, (iv) evaluating student performances and assign grades, (v) meeting with students as needed to advise study progress, (vi) assessing program performance, (vii) holding office hours, (viii) participating in department service and professional development.

Must have a master’s degree (or foreign equivalent degree) in Korean Languages or a related field plus one (1) year of experience teaching Korean at the college level in a North American institution of higher learning.

Must also have any experience with or knowledge of: (i) Korean and foreign language pedagogy in American higher education setting; (ii) linguistic knowledge of the Korean language; (iii) pedagogical technology; (iv) excellence in teaching as measured through student evaluations; (v) research in the field of Korean as a foreign language; (vi) teaching courses related to the Korean language (e.g., hanja); and (vii) coordination and administrative.

Must also be fluent in Korean (speaking, reading, and writing).

Experience can be concurrent.