Pere

The unconventional musician Chopin’s tomb always attracts a large crowd of admirers. I often hear people in Taiwan say they went hiking on weekends; how envious I am of that hometown with mountains and water. Of course, living in Paris is also enviable. I feel as comfortable here as a fish in water. Although it is hard to say that Paris has no mountains or water—usually "water" refers to the sea—Paris has the alluring Seine River, a place for Parisians to imagine walking by the sea. The benevolent enjoy mountains, the wise enjoy water, but who can be sure there are no benevolent or wise people where there are neither mountains nor water? I think this is just an adjective. Benevolent and wise people are everywhere because this is a world of hidden dragons and tigers. The benevolent find joy in their mountains, the wise in their water. My many artist friends find joy in their art and are delighted within the humanities and arts. This is enough to soothe life. If one becomes benevolent and wise through creation, do we still need mountains and water? It is hard to say.

This weekend was the most pleasant day since spring this year. Seeing the warm sun made Parisians become uninhibited. We, full of spirit, were no exception. We went out for walks and strolls both days. On Saturday morning, my wife and I went to the mobile market to buy fruits and vegetables, personally experiencing soaring prices. It seems the era of high prices has arrived; could this not be a counter-effect of globalization? At noon, carrying water and snacks, we walked in Pere-Lachaise Cemetery, the most famous cemetery in northern Paris. Walking in a cemetery is indeed unusual. Unexpectedly, on this sunny weekend, the entire cemetery was filled with crowds coming to ponder, stroll, and pay respects at the tombs of celebrities. Holding maps of the cemetery layout, they searched for the tombs of figures they wished to honor like treasure hunters. Obviously, Pere-Lachaise contains numerous monuments against tyranny and commemorating World War I and II. However, citizens and tourists come primarily for the celebrities they admire in their hearts. What is comforting is that most of these honored figures are famous artists, painters, musicians, literary giants, writers, playwrights, scientists, etc. In contrast, the grand tombs of politicians or businessmen seem to attract little attention. People have more emotion and gratitude toward these artists. The green cemetery looks like a park, unusually crowded with people and guided tour groups. We paid respects at the tombs of many famous artists such as David, Ingres, Géricault, Delacroix, Corot, Daumier, Balzac, and Chopin. Flowers are often placed before the tombs of many artists, especially those of the pianist Chopin, which are always colorful and brilliant. Every time I visit the cemetery for a walk, I specially pay respects to these artists and deeply contemplate that the eternity of art surpasses material achievements. Thus, the brilliance of art shines eternally upon the human world without extinguishing.