5:30 p.m. — My friend teaches English as a second language classes, and since most of her students are adults, her classes are in the evenings, hence the early dinner. I get to the restaurant first and order a water and a locally-brewed lager that has a slightly honey-ish taste. It's different, but pleasant. She arrives about three minutes later and shows me the art and feminist theory books she just purchased at a bookstore around the corner. She orders a beer, and we get some Korean pancakes with kimchi to share before she orders a soup and I order bibimbap for the first time. It's delicious. As usual, our conversation immediately drifts into weighty topics, like being progressives in a largely conservative area and helping to reconcile racial dynamics in our towns. She tips in cash, and I tip on my card before parting at the door. I walk around the corner to the bookstore she mentioned, but it's unfortunately closed by now. $25.50