Until the day before the tree-planting volunteer gig, I had no clue where it was happening. That’s typical for me. Sometimes, I only realize a place is out of reach at the last minute. Tried fixing this habit, but no luck. Before I knew it, everyone around me just adapted. Fortunately, this time, I did a quick search the day before and found out the place was pretty far from home. 🌳
The tree-planting spot was called ‘Noeul Park’. Never heard of it before. But apparently, it was created alongside the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup Stadium. Did you know? I didn’t. (Originally, it was a landfill island called Nanjido.) Mapo isn’t a place I usually visit. I, who can barely find familiar roads, left home early, heading for ‘Noeul Park’ like a blind man groping for a doorknob. I wandered around the park for quite some time trying to find the meeting spot but found no trace of its landfill past. I guess if you could see traces of the landfill, the park would be a fail…
The host of the volunteer event explained that the area where we were planting trees still had remnants of the old landfill. For that reason, the area wasn’t open to the public and was secured with a massive iron gate to control entry. He hoped that one day, this place would be open to everyone and continued planting trees with that hope. Volunteering to make the world better for others is truly admirable. To someone like me, living for the moment with no particular hopes for the future, it seemed even more inspiring. 🌱
Some might say, ‘How is planting trees volunteering?’ but digging the ground isn’t easy. In the military, after a few digs, I was convinced I needed an office job. It’s not the digging itself, but the jarring shock when rocks disrupt your shovel’s path. If it’s your first time, you might be sore the next day. Anyway, it’s tough. 💪
Since the park is artificially made, there’s a lot of underground support structures for hills and paths. If you hit one while digging, you have to cover it up and find another spot. Planting two trees usually means digging up three or four places. Once you’ve dug deep enough, plant the tree, cover it halfway with soil, and press it down firmly with your foot. The instructor said to lift the tree slightly and if it comes up, dig deeper. Of course, no one lifted it. I didn’t either. After watering generously and covering with soil, you build a small dam around it so water can pool. Task complete. My friend and I planted four trees, and I was sore all over. But, these experiences of physical effort aren’t common. That feeling of your sweat-drenched body drying in the breeze—it’s like when you played outside all day as a kid and walked home at dusk, cooling off in the evening wind. I remember feeling pretty proud then too. Maybe moving your body is about feeling alive, and cooling off is the time to truly feel it? 🌬️
Just a bit outside Noeul Park is Mangwon-dong. Someone searched for good eats, and we divided into cars and headed to a restaurant. It’s times like these I genuinely marvel at humanity’s complementary way of survival. If I were alone, I’d probably go home hungry, happy just to have made it back. Gratefully, I enjoyed a meal and coffee. Outside, the sun was shining high overhead. We said our goodbyes, and I took a slow stroll around Mangwon-dong, taking in the sights. Who knows when I’ll be back? Suddenly, memories of wandering here with a friend over drinks popped into mind, so I gave them a call.
Get your head straight. That’s Mullae-dong.
Why do all neighborhood names sound so similar here?
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