Friday Night

I neglected to make any plans for Friday night, and was too chicken to call someone up at the last minute and invite them out. My work friend also had plans, so I thought maybe I'd just go home.

Yeah, just go home and read a little, go to sleep early, relax.

But I don't feel like going home.

What are you gonna to do then, go out by yourself?

Well...

So, per my advice to myself, I ventured out alone tonight. Okay, it was only to a movie, but when you: 1. are in a foreign country where you don't know the language too good; and 2. are timid like me, even going to the movies is an adventure.

I went to see 8 Mile, the Eminem movie, at the Coex Mall. This is the huge, enormous, gigantic, continental underground shopping mall where I went last week to buy a book. It contains a large theatre called "Megaplex."

The theatre complex itself is huge, enormous, gigantic, etc. Since seating is assigned, they can sell out far in advance, so there was a line to buy advance tickets. But there has to be somewhere to buy tickets from a person, I reasoned. Where was it?

Oh, I have to go down this escalator! (Mind you, we're already underground.)

Whoa. Lots of weird lighting. Hey, is that a -- yeah, it is! A Playstation Center! Weird. All the people are actually standing in front of large monitors and playing with joysticks.

Wait, there's a separate room for video games?

Why yes, my young friend, there is.

But where do you -- oh, I see it now. There's where you buy tickets for the current night. Oh, and there's a sign for 8 Mile, too. Boy, that's annoying: the 8 different movies keep switching from sign to sign. But there's a 9:00 show. Good.

What's that phrase next to the time? I bet that means there are tickets left. No, wait, maybe it means there are no tickets left. Shit. What if I get up there and say I want a ticket for the 9:00 show and they stare at me and point up to the sign?

Oh fuck it. Get in line already.

Maybe I should ask the woman behind me if that phrase means there are tickets left? Let's see, I start with "Shillae ji man" or was it "Jeh song han dae yo"? Well, she's talking to some guy now anyway.

Hey, is that my phone ringing?

It's J! J, I'm in line to buy a movie ticket! Okay, here we go...

"Can I help you?"

"8 Mile, please."

"Blabbity blah blah?"

"Uh, that's okay." (Huh?)

"How many?"

"One."

"Here's the ticket with your seat number."

"Thanks."

J, I just bought my first movie ticket in Korea!

Wow, I'm happy I could be there with you.

Aww.
. . .
I ended up sitting on the floor of the Megaplex talking to J for a while, which was nice, since I was feeling a little alone. We signed off half an hour before showtime, so I could get some food, go to the bathroom, find the bloody theatre, etc.
. . .
Okay, here I am, sitting by myself. Yup, not self-conscious at all! Feeling good, I tellya. Could do this everyday. In fact, mean to do so from now on. Yup, yup, all good.

Oh god, does everyone think I'm a freak for being here by myself?

Someone's coming into this aisle. A group of guys is sitting to my right now. Okay, I can just pretend I belong with them.

Oh look, another group of guys is sitting on my left now. Huh. The guy next to me is wearing a bandanna under a baseball cap and baggy pants. What, you think you're all gangsta now?

Oh, shut up, Helen.

Yay, previews! Chicago looks good. Catherine Zeta-Jones is beautiful. Renee Zellweger looks kinda fat. Ew, Richard Gere. Hey, I read about that new CIA movie with Colin Farrell and Al Pacino. Colin is hot. Oooh look, sex scene.

Jesus, no wonder foreigners think that Americans are sex-crazed.

Finally! The movie's starting.

[entranced for two hours, periodically thinking that you just can't really translate rap]

[exit, while being hailed to go safely by the theatre staff]

Oh, I am SO ready to buy the Eminem CD.

Oh shit, the store is closed.

In fact, ALL the stores are closed. What is this? No, I guess only the stores close by 11 pm on a Friday night. The cafes and restaurants seem to be open still.

Well then, time to head on home, I guess.

Hey, it's snowing! It's sort of wet and not very impressive, but it's snow all right. Cool. Snow.