Buddha's birthday is a national holiday here in Korea. Translation: no school! In honor of Buddha's birthday, paper lanterns adorned many walkways and all the temples, beginning a few days in advance. At night, the lanterns were lit up, which was even more gorgeous. At the temple across from my building, they set off fireworks on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday night. From my windows, I had a perfect view.
On Monday, Buddha's birthday, I went to Bulguksa temple with my friends Lizzi, Nina, and Won-Hyong. It was crowded and festive, with live music and colorful paper lanterns everywhere. We walked around for awhile, enjoying the sights. Then we headed off to a Korean buffet, where I enjoyed sea snail once again, as well as tasty miniature crabs (you eat them shell, pinchers, and all).
After lunch, we went to a DVD bang, which is where you select a DVD and then watch it in a private room on a huge movie screen. Basically, it is like having a miniature theater all to yourself. We watched "National Treasure," which we all enjoyed (although Lizzi and I took note of the historical errors). As we were leaving, three of the guys that we are friends with were coming in. They convinced us to join them for "The Heartbreak Kid."
During the second film, I developed a migraine, so I had to leave the group as soon as the movie was over. The blasted thing stayed with me until about three in the morning. I guess I shouldn't complain too much; I used to get three to five of them a week, and now I only get one or two each month. Migraine notwithstanding, it was a very enjoyable start to the week.
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