Sadie and I ventured out to a nearby park that we see every time we drive into the city. Its gate says "Norimae Themepark," but we've come to find that every thing is called a themepark here, so I don't think Korea quite knows what that word means. My first exposure to the word Theme Park was when I was taken to DollyWood as a young girl, so I was not so secretly hoping Norimae was the name of a little known Korean country music star and this trip to the park was about to rock my world.
Welp, it wasn't dedicated to K-Twang (which is what we need to all call Korean country music if it ever becomes a genre), but Norimae park was still pretty great. It's a very nicely kept park with a beautiful pond in the middle and all kinds of nice winding paths through manicured gardens. There was also a bunch of this:
Little nooks along the paths with instagram-worthy photo backdrops! This park knows its audience: young couples curating the perfect life in social media.
There was a sign that frequently popped up that read "usual path," which I found really funny. Does that mean the other direction is the unusual path?
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjso-8TWBEwrpSeiESIW4qeJbxOl3P516DIfhtpwCY7y0f-H6HAB0lDmQcSA52rcdAVhbWylaaYy5Ig4g9EE-Ew-LqR2eDg1-nxWog7It9Z0uldp_lgIePnh9GgqJtjr5b5xhd1ln-3GyRn/s640/IMG_9480.jpg) |
I never did figure out what the volcanic bomb was. It was just a little path, from what I could tell... |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwo6u5zicL5Uhb29SGh54MgZ5tG9aCFT_Ss44AfP4zcmG-y0D1cnwlw9bBYo3ZqKMDMCpRE0u4pXU_64KKz38311qG7igNlvEqhlHCineDfdy1ACq-4VqVGzQgWHXg9E6St0iZCGTIWOyK/s400/IMG_9489.jpg) |
My options were "Mrror funtain square" or "Traditional house" |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWS-gQN-HIEUlccrvmTOmxcaPhawAtQwSJxbSk0bm77GZdrR0czDmB-ILQJYMKu6rOpGFM7uuuDo28-qX6bWlDjeuoJU3TvdBEm6u7DUfDgjJOffuDJaoE0VhPE_X_Odmpah4B3-RR1R87/s400/IMG_9535.jpg) |
Yes, but is it THE way out? |
The signs were helpful and entertaining all at the same time.
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This was the gate to the traditional house |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWA-0oK0yBU9IKgMrppM4zNQ5YSyLM4xPQjxgaZRYMr4ek6y3t7rpHIlLuLJxt50vgc4mRhpZBtyXq1EoiOmbXd2zT6VbGa_5wQe79mHT-0DMlOUSh3Aabjk0wgONcJ61p62LVvI7_vrs/s400/IMG_9492.jpg) |
I was disappointed that I couldn't go in the traditional house! |
Despite its nonchalant entrance that is sort of tucked into a curve in the road, this park was heavily attended on the day Sadie and I went. There was a school group of young kids who were having a great time intercepting Sadie and I as we meandered and practicing their English. All they could say was "Hello" which was right on par with my level of Korean vocabulary: "Annyang Haseyo" which means "Hello."
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSO8VMbRrwry8Fv0mhx8A_Y4tnuFf44p9eq41S16GpQbIb4YxsfF2MvwubR3Tmei77BDH3kv8GKwjRMY1v_fQMIexk6tL8CLC2PZXX6IZiDzz-phd2GeECcg2UryvU1Y2b2RbQA_0S40NM/s400/IMG_9502.jpg) |
Gotta make the boyfriend take the perfect Instagram photo |
As we wandered along we found a bonsai garden and a George Orwell novel.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHGFo16UbKax7t3lh1VZO7BodxdVeKv91hJX_tTIO70PksKHKZ6LWq4kK2muYfRPY9hO3649rcFspHN5kqfUKLjKX146nD6h4Q51I4EnzGakcQ6SPRAN5t0Wybl0l5jb4vB5KODGmmzfMP/s400/IMG_9509.jpg) |
See what I did there? |
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Sadie was practicing her goat face |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjznf-LdfyIU3FqmrjfY372MASh5DTYXIrrA0aH1Ug8bTt65ULrkxCFSfSRrsJFcXSU_-D30r-b8hU3UPBRIjpPXtbNPwUW19RWjsncRc3W0HNAgJjXrkoDRQZnfAPidAWq88KGhdDkChTt/s400/IMG_9524.jpg) |
Hello goat! One day we will teach Sadie about the inhumanity of making two goats live in such a tiny enclosure. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8xyQzvWuNk3vMbpwTwfW6vt_LBE3LD05dLp9qSiwNoLTM6_xSn4YmndE-7C4Nq_l5-8m_-Jje9wF5OAK1Pde7ZdyT9FoaFMd6TGL5BOx55g80Fjk4LV6jWicul0whHr1oUDJ-CcyTgn2t/s400/IMG_9518.jpg) |
She was unimpressed with the conditions, though the animals were being better taken care of than at DinoSaurLand Park, it seemed. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2E4pqQCbeDqJJ4l6za7krhfFvGsydwwbq-78ThNMZpv6NcKv_ABtYFa4wkr58iO1pj9cceBVyfLvPTPn3-cU6FwYKR8s57uvZJtbss33tWk2kJrXTiiC_HBwI2kUxy-OQHoDUimO10XK2/s400/IMG_9482.jpg) |
HALLOWEEN! |
Throughout our walk it was hard to tell if Sadie was asleep or just hiding from the sun. I think my child might be part lizard.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCeioSgsJF6C6PFGVg8g48m2mjCwB2QuBaf4Q5MyTPjqsd1B8IEQM98ZcpROvYPEQl_9PLvGhNkaQQBZJM4Hprnj0mArUJDB_M5OLaDKRTvnuSNH80tJpE11jjHinKjzU5f3ZvsEhKqS1Y/s400/IMG_9532.jpg) |
One of the photo backdrops featured fake Jeju tangerines tied to a real Jeju tangerine tree. |
I'm glad to have discovered this little park so close to our house. It'll be a great little dose of nature between naps and I'm definitely adding it to my list of stops for friends and family when they visit.
Vicariously yours,
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