"Korea Dreambus" Pilgrimage and Documentary Film

I'm over the moon that L.A.-based composer Terry Taegwoo has agreed to work with me on the score to Korea Dreambus! You can listen to some of his sample tracks on his website. Terry has composed for film and television, and he currently works for Bear McCreary's studio, Sparks and Shadows.  So far Terry and I seem to be on the same page regarding the use of Korean folk music -- specifically Arirang -- as well as choral music in the film. Some of the sections are more about the martyr saints, others are about my pilgrimage, and still others are pure reflections, so there will be a couple of themes to work through those sections. Ulsan's JinHa Beach area, Sept. 2024 Summer spins by so fast. I have, in fact, decided to move the screening date to Jan. 17, 2026. The film will still be finished by the end of this year, but I realized that a Nov. 1 screening date just wasn't feasible. If I didn't have two or three other jobs and was 100% focused on this film 100% of the ti...

Incredible though it seems, it's been a month and a half since I returned from Korea. Until now, I've actively avoided writing on this blog or engaging in a serious perusal of the media I captured on the pilgrimage for three reasons:   1. I had quite a sit-rep presented to me when I got home, requiring me to sort out my housing in a hurry. It has all been settled now; I am getting a new housemate as of Jan. 1st. God be praised! 2. The backlog of catch up work and future planning for my teaching job was staring me down, and since this is the first time I've taught these three theology classes, there is heavy prep that requires intense intellectual focus and time. I also had to get my head back in the game for my writing job, which felt easier and more natural since I've been doing that job for over a year.  3. I just wasn't ready.  Let me unpack that third statement a bit. Lotte Department Store, Ulsan, S. Korea When I first got back, the jet lag was more than just a...

A little over a month ago, I found this article about a Korean photographer, Lee Seoung-ho, a Buddhist, who felt drawn to document the history of the Catholic martyrs in Korea. To quote the article, written by reporter  Kang Hyun-kyung with The   Korea Times : Lee Seoung-ho felt his heart was sinking when four children’s graves near a Catholic cemetery caught his eye six years ago. The cemetery, which is home to 37 tombs of Catholic martyrs sacrificed in the bloody persecution in the 19th century, is part of the Hanti Martyrs' Shrine Pilgrimage, a 45.6- kilometer route stretched along Mount Palgong in the rustic southeastern county of Chilgok, North Gyeongsang Province. The article describes how Mr. Lee felt drawn to explore and document the lives of the martyrs and their mountain villages where they raised their families in community, staying faithful despite persecution. He published a photobook, titled “Gongso: A Place Cherishing Memories of Korean Catholicism.” Quoting t...

My pilgrimage will begin in Seoul, the capital of Korea. Myeongdong Cathedral photo by Pixabay Thousands of pilgrims have come to honor and worship at the holy sites of the Korean martyrs in Seoul since Pope John Paul II canonized 103 martyrs including St. Andrew Kim Taegon in 1984.  On September 14th, 2018, the Vatican designated "The Seoul Catholic Pilgrimage Route" as the first Asian International Pilgrimage Site.   Pope Francis beatified 124 more martyrs  during his visit to S. Korea in 2014. The Archdiocese of Seoul  has established three pilgrimage routes to help pilgrims access the numerous sites. I will start my Korean pilgrimage with these three routes, beginning with Myeongdong Cathedral in the Myeongdong neighborhood.  The A.D. of Seoul's website seems to have regular difficulties with the "Exultation of the Martyrs Committee" page, so I will post the maps below. My hotel, a Korean-style hotel (with ondol rooms, meaning I'll be sleeping on a fl...

Several years ago, I wrote a blog about my adventures traveling and teaching in Korea and China called "Adventures of the Jade Monkey."  Since that blog is fairly well junked by the internets, and since this is a very different kind of adventure, I decided to start a new blog to record my pilgrimage to S. Korea in 2024. A bit of background:  I lived and worked in S. Korea in 2002-2003, visited in 2007 to try making a documentary about the lives of EFL teachers in Korea, and returned in 2010 to teach at Hanyang University and finish that film. Due to reasons mounting in my personal life, I never did complete that film. Then in 2012, I experienced a profound reversion/conversion and returned to the Catholic Church. Previously, I had spent many years practicing Tibetan Buddhism, so this was a massive shift in my self-awareness and understanding of the truth of reality.  At the risk of boring you with my life story, I'll just say this... in 2022 I decided I needed to dive bac...