The Pont des Arts

The Pont des Arts or Passerelle des Arts is a pedestrian bridge in Paris which crosses the Seine River. It links the Institue de France and the central square of the palais cu Louvre . This is one of my favorite places in Paris. There is a special atmosphere here. People picnic, watch the sunset, drink wine, or just hang out. There are street musicians, and art exhibits. There is a photo exhibit there now that I’ve been wanting to see. It’s called, “Palestine, Life As It Is”. The exhibit features two Palestinian photographers now living in Paris.

The show is not political, nor does it dwell on the suffering and hardships, it is more of a personal memoir, a family album. It is more about the trivial everyday life that goes on there.

Rula Halawani’s photos depict life in Palestine and Jerusalem. In “Under the Gaza Sky”, Taysir Batniji takes us to his family home in Gaza.

As I look into the faces of people in the photos, I keep thinking, “these are real people”, the have the same needs and desires as you and I. The children laugh and play and their parents love them. Young boys play sports, and old men gather in pubs and café’s for gossip and drinks. Women go to the market, take care of household chores, mind the children. There are weddings, and celebrations. Picnic’s at the beach. I’m taken by one photo of an old woman swathed in black, sitting in the shade under a table at the market. I wonder what her life is like.

Both photographers show moments of happiness and sorrow, in a landscape that is both beautiful and ugly. Urban and contemporary activities live side by side with the more traditional, religious customs. These people, like us, have dreams and disillusionment. It’s obvious that the painful history of this area is very much a part of their daily life.

I walk away thinking how lucky I am, knowing that I could have been one of these people but for the luck of the draw.

And speaking of the draw Gael Monfils became the first Frenchman to reach the Roland Garros semi-finals in seven years by defeating Spanish No5 seed David Ferrer 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-1 . This will mean he will meet Federer in the semi-final. This is a match I'm looking forward to. The French fans will pack the stands to support their player, and will go mad if he gets past Federer, and frankly I think he has a chance.