Kaiser Kuo lectures at Carnegie Mellon and Pitt rescheduled for April 17 and 18.

Two lectures by Kaiser Kuo at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh that were cancelled in March have been rescheduled for April 17 and 18, respectively. "The 'DeepSeek Moment:' China and the Crisis of American Confidence" will take place on April 17 from 5:30 to 7:00 pm at Baker Hall A53, Steinberg Auditorium (map).

China's recent achievements in artificial intelligence, exemplified by DeepSeek's breakthrough LLM, represent more than just technological advancement - they signal a fundamental shift in global innovation dynamics. While Chinese companies have demonstrated remarkable capabilities in areas from EVs to social media to AI, U.S. responses continue to follow a predictable pattern: disbelief, anger, accusations of theft, and blame. This recurring cycle reveals both China's evolved capacity for coordinated technological development and deep-seated American anxieties about what this means for U.S. technological primacy. Drawing on his extensive experience analyzing both societies, Sinica Podcast host Kaiser Kuo explores how China's innovation ecosystem has matured, why its successes continue to surprise Western observers, and what this tells us about the structural, cultural, and epistemic barriers to understanding China's technological transformation. The talk examines how China's rise has challenged core assumptions about the relationship between political systems and innovation, market economies and state guidance, and ultimately, about American exceptionalism itself — and whether it can accommodate China's own brand of exceptionalism.

"China’s 'Second Generation Ethnic Policies' in Historical and Comparative Contexts, LIVE Podcast Recording" will run from 12:00 to 2:00 pm at the University of Pittsburgh, 252 Cathedral of Learning.

A weekly podcast about current affairs in China, hosted by Kaiser Kuo and featuring in-depth conversations about books, ideas, new research, intellectual currents, and cultural trends that can help us better understand what’s happening in China. A conversation between Sinica Podcast host and co-founder Kaiser Kuo and Professor Benno Weiner.

Kaiser Kuo is the host and co-founder of the Sinica Podcast, a weekly discussion of current affairs in China that has run since April 2010 — for its first six years from Beijing, and since 2016 from the U.S. as part of SupChina. The show features in-depth conversations with scholars, journalists, diplomats, analysts, and others who work to better understand China in all its complexity.

Pirates call up Tsung-Che Cheng (鄭宗哲), who will be the third Taiwanese player in Pirates history when he takes the field.

Before the game on Monday evening the Pittsburgh Pirates called up shortstop Tsung-Che Cheng (鄭宗哲) to their roster. Cheng is the Pirates #17 ranked prospect, and was added when infielder Jared Triolo was placed on the 10-day injured list. Cheng was signed as a 17-year-old in 2019, and he is among over a dozen Taiwanese players and prospects who have been in the Pirates organziation. When he gets into a regular season game he will be the third Taiwanese player to make the big league roster, after Wei-chung Wang in 2019 and Yu Chang in 2022.

Pittsburgh Sakura Project Hanami, cherry blossom viewing festival, rescheduled for April 12.

The Pittsburgh Sakura Project has rescheduled its annual Hanami for April 12 at North Park, after its April 5 event was rained out. 

Location: North Park, Harmony Shelter (near the Boathouse)

Participation fee: Free

Activities: Do as you like, enjoy the cherry blossoms in bloom. We will provide a cherry blossom site tour, a tree care demonstration, drinks and snacks (while available).

Any updated information will also be provided through the Pittsburgh Sakura Project Google Group, so if you are interested, we recommend that you subscribe.

The event will run from 2:00 to 4:00 pm, weather permitting. 

via the Project's 2020 gallery

Gold Ladle in Greenfield temporarily closed due to fire.

A printed sign recently went up at Gold Ladle (金汤勺·蜀道香) in Greenfield to announce its temporary closure.

To our valued customers:

We regret to inform you that Gold Ladle will be temporarily closed for renovations due to a recent fire incident at our location. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the damage requires immediate attention to ensure the safety and comfort of our staff and guests.

Our team is already hard at work to restore and improve the space, and we plan to reopen as soon as we can.

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and deeply appreciate your patience, support, and understanding during this time. We can't wait to welcome you back with a refreshed space and the same delicious food you love.

Stay tuned for updates and thank you for being part of the Gold Ladle family.

Warm regards,
The Gold Ladle Team

Gold Ladle is located at 4219 Murray Ave. in Greenfield (map), across from the Giant Eagle. It opened in October after a few months of Wai Wai, which took over that spot after China Star was shut down in February 2024 due to repeated health violations.

The Pittsburgh apartment in Korea.

When I started laying the foundation for this site around 2009 I was living and writing in South Korea, and taking note of the growing intersections of Pittsburgh and Korea: Hines Ward, Hwang Woo-suk, a Pittsburgher-owned bar in Incheon, and the Seoul church built to resemble PPG place, among other things. There were also a handful of random "Pittsburgh"s there, too: a bar called Pittsburgh in Siheung, a pizza place called Pittsburgh in Ansan, a Cafeteria Pittsburgh in Seoul, a hamburger placed called 피츠버거 (which is how Pittsburger [sic] would be hangeulized), and a Pittsburgh Hall at a university.

While following up on some of these this week I came across the latest Koreayinzer artifact: a Pittsburgh house in Gyeongsangbuk-do. The apartment in Chilgok-gun is a four-story, 15-unit apartment building ; three floors of five units each sit atop a ground floor parking garage. The exterior has black and yellow trim, with "Pittsburgh" in along the side, and a Pittsburgh Pirates P marks.

The photos in this post were taken from Kakao Map's Road View around the apartment's address, 경북 칠곡군 석적읍 남중리2길 17.


The black and yellow theme was applied sometime after the next-to-last Road View look in August 2020:

Japanese animated movie Kaiju no 8: Mission Recon, largely a compilation film of season one, in Pittsburgh, April 13, 14, and 16.

The Japanese animated movie Kaiju no 8: Mission Recon, a recap of the anime's season one combined with a new episode, will play in Pittsburgh on April 13, 14, and 16.

In a Kaiju-filled Japan, Kafka Hibino works in monster disposal. After reuniting with his childhood friend Mina Ashiro, a rising star in the anti-Kaiju Defense Force, he decides to pursue his abandoned dream of joining the Force, when he suddenly transforms into the powerful "Kaiju No. 8."

It plays locally, so far, at the AMC Loews Waterfront and tickets are available online.

Story Saturday: Sashiko’s Stiches, April 12 at Carnegie Museum of Art.

The Carnegie Museum of Art will feature a reading of Sachiko's Stitches for the April 12 installment of its Story Saturday series.

Join us in the Ailsa Mellon Bruce Decorative Arts and Design galleries for an in-person morning story time with Alyssa Velazquez as she reads Sashiko’s Stitches by Sanae Ishida. Following the reading stick around for a making activity for children 12 and under.

This reading is made possible by Worthy Kids.

About the Book

Sashiko is girl with very big feelings. Sometimes the feelings weigh her down, or make her feel all tangled up inside. But when she learns about sashiko, the traditional Japanese practice that inspired her name, she finds hope and comfort in creative expression.

The storytime runs from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm and is free with museum admission, but registration is required. The Carneige Museum of Art is located at 4400 Forbes Ave. in Oakland (map), accessible by numerous city buses.

1985 Japanese animated movie Vampire Hunter D (吸血鬼ハンターD) in Pittsburgh for 40th anniversary, April 9, 10, and 13.

The 1985 Japanese animated movie Vampire Hunter D (吸血鬼ハンターD) will play in Pittsburgh on April 9, 10, and 13 to mark its 40th anniversary. A synopsis from the distributor:

Anime Expo Cinema Nights Presents special 40th anniversary screenings of the cult classic Vampire Hunter D. In the year 12,090 AD, technology and the supernatural have overtaken the world, leaving the land desolate and despotic. The remnants of humanity are scattered into small communities and live in fear of vampires who compose the ruling Nobility. When Count Magnus Lee tastes the blood of Doris Lang, she is forcibly chosen to be his next wife. In an effort to escape her ill-gotten fate, she hires a mysterious vampire hunter known only as D, who comes from a peculiar lineage.

It is scheduled to play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront, andtickets are available online.

Ocean Vuong, "The Emperor of Gladness" Reading and Conversation, May 20.

White Whale Bookstore will present Ocean Vuong and his "The Emperor of Gladness" Reading and Conversation at the Carnegie Library Lecture Hall in Oakland on May 20.

White Whale Bookstore is thrilled to welcome bestselling author, award-winning poet, and MacArthur Genius Ocean Vuong back to Pittsburgh in celebration of his latest novel, The Emperor of Gladness! Join us May 20th at the Carnegie Library Lecture Hall for an unforgettable evening.

Tickets are required to attend this event. Each ticket—except discounted student tickets— will include a signed copy of The Emperor of Gladness, to be picked up at the event. The author will not be personalizing books, or signing any books brought from home.

Can't attend this time? You can preorder The Emperor of Gladness here. For every confirmed preorder of this book, Penguin Press will donate $0.50 to Queer Liberation Library. Let them know you preordered here.

Sushi I coming soon to downtown Pittsburgh, from team behind forthcoming Hong Kong Dim Sum.

Work is nearly complete on Sushi I, a new sushi place coming soon to downtown Pittsburgh from the Hong Kong Dim Sum. It will be located at 245 4th Ave., a short distance from Market Square in the former Harris Grill (map). Sushi I anticipates an opening date roughly around April 18 through 23, after finishing touches to hiring and inventory. The development team sends a few photos: