Watching You Watching Me

• Jeanette and I opted to stick closer to home tonight (rather than go to the meet-up in Daegu), because I am sick and she didn't feel like going that far. So we met up for a "date" in Pohang instead :) We had planned to see Titanic - but it wasn't showing at the first theater we went to (like we thought) and we didn't make it in time to see it at the other theater, even though we tried REALLY hard to get there quickly. So we went to the buffet named Ashley's across the hall from the theater instead. 

(Note: Since Korea builds up, instead of out, there are often lots of businesses in the same building...one complex near my apartment is laid out like this: 1F - a bookstore, Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, KFC, Baskin Robbins, phone store, another coffee shop, a bunch of independent vendors; 2F/3F - HomePlus; 4F/5F - independent, kind of expensive, vendors; 6F - food court, independent vendors; 7F/8F - movie theater. This one was similar: 1F - Starbucks, a fast food place, an arcade; 2F - Mr. Pizza, nail salon, other places we didn't see; 3F - movie theater, Ashley's...and I'm not sure if there were more floors in this one...)

It was a fantastic way to spend the $14 we would have spent on Titanic tickets. The buffet advertised that it served American food - but it was Korean-ized American food. I mean, yes, there were mini corndogs (which Korea must think Americans eat all the time - they are everywhere here!) and cheesecake and soup...but there was also ddeokbokki (short, thick rice noodles) in alfredo sauce, seaweed-wrapped rice in chili sauce, nachos with cheese-colored-but-not-cheese-flavored cheese, and a meat whose sign literally read "Real" meat, with the Real in quotes. And the drink we had was called non-alcoholic fruit wine black tea - is it wine? Is it tea?? Is it juice??? There was a really good salad and fruit bar though, plus ice cream and coffee. And all the people-watching we could want! The waiter happened to seat us near the beverage station, which meant we were able to gaze at the lovely backsides of all of the young, attractive Korean men who dined there this evening, even if they came there with their girlfriends. There was also an adorable little girl at the table next to us; I tried lots of times to wave at her and she just stared at me, until we got up to leave and then she waved back! So cute. And, of course, we had to stare down anyone who left in order to figure out how/where we should pay. Ohhh the life of people who don't know the mother tongue of the country they live in :D After dinner (we did figure out how to pay), we went downstairs for Starbucks and seated ourselves neatly next to the giant window, to facilitate more people-watching. It was so fun and we were able to stave off getting soaked for another hour or so (so much rain in Pohang today). After that, we almost went home...and then I remembered there is an ArtBox downtown. And we had to go. We just had to. And then we bought things. But that's okay because they are adorbz :D :D Anyways, it was a great way to spend a Saturday night and I'm so glad Jeannie lives close and we've gotten to be such good friends :)