New Projects

This week was a little busy so no interesting photos to put up. I would have had some if I would have remembered to bring my camera to Aimee Lee's fulbright forum. She presented on her work on Korean paper. It was really neat. She had the lights of the classroom where the forums are held covered in dyed paper which tinted the lights the color of the paper. She also had up some of the paper she made. It's really amazing all the labor that goes into making the various objects that can be made from Korean paper (ranging from wallpaper to shoes to chamber pots!).

I've taken on a few extra projects over the last couple of weeks. I will write a short article on Wang Kon's ten injunctions. Wang Kon, also known as Taejo (great founder) established the Koryo dynasty which ruled Korea from 935 to 1392. I had to study the injunctions because several of them are directly related to Buddhism so I've already done some work on them. One of the chief reasons I took on this project was to have something in my resume without the word "Catholic" in it. I have to show that I can do work outside of my specialty.

I also was asked by the Korean Institute for Advanced Theological Studies to do some translation work. Specifically they wanted me to help translate some poems that Yi Pyok (an early leader in the Korean Catholic Church wrote). Fortunately they are allowing me to translate from the modern translation (I don't understand old Chinese poetry, it's very difficult) though I am referring back to the Chinese when I'm unsure of the Korean translation. The poems are all religious in nature. I've only done the first couple of chapters. The first one covered the creation of the earth and the fall of man and the second was about Cain and Abel and Noah's Ark. It's a lot of fun.

A professor I know asked me to do a guest lecture for his class. It will be on my birthday:). I'll be talking about Catholicism in Korea to graduate students. It should be fun.

Tomorrow I will go on a the Korean Church History Institute pilgrammage so hopefully I will have some interesting photos for next week.