[Choi Kyungpil's Book Column] The Tumultuous Story of a Physicist in Paris

Life in the world is different from the strict realm of physics.

“My memories of the attic are like a fly in my heart. Just a short walk away were Rue Saint-Michel, the Sorbonne University, the Seine River, and the botanical garden.”

A university professor teaching physics calmly recalls his study abroad experience in Paris during his twenties and has published a light essay. One wonders what stories are contained in an essay written by a physicist.

The author says, “Life is different from the strict world of physics. That’s why it’s interesting.” What principles of physics could be seen in the quirky and free-spirited physicist Lee Gijin’s adventurous escapades in Paris? This essay contains special experiences of the city that ordinary travelers do not see.

Is it really important to strictly define oneself as a physicist in life? Must humans put down roots in only one place? The author, Lee Gijin, shares stories and joyful episodes as a person who lives fully in the present moment, traveling between Seoul and Paris, rather than as a physicist.

Wine, romance, leisure... and memories! In his late twenties, the author, who happened to stay in a Paris attic, says that the sighs of that time have now turned into deep breaths.

This book is a bundle of time, carefully collected by the author who did his best to get through a page of his youth, to live the world more enjoyably, and to make better choices.

Reading the honest and straightforward writing style and the uniquely colored illustrations, one soon finds oneself immersed in the author’s quirky and free memories. With each page turned, we gain the courage to fill our own world and present moment with wonderful memories.

A physicist researching invisible microwaves. Yet, many people doubt whether he is truly studying physics properly?a free and eccentric physicist whose hobbies include drawing, cooking, and collecting strange and precious antiques. Although his main profession is physicist, he has many alter egos.

The author, who says, “The coolest thing in the world is to take a plane and move to another place in an instant, like the mathematical law of shifting spatial coordinate axes,” recorded his happy moments traveling in Armenia, Japan, Italy, and Paris through words and pictures.

Memories of drinking wine late into the night at the swimming pool with his friend Gerald, walking through the rainy alleys of Paris with his beloved daughter, and sipping beer while watching peaceful people under beach parasols.

In his time, there is a fullness of being who enjoys and lives fully in the present moment rather than the identity of a physicist. Walking through his memories, one soon finds oneself smiling, filled with that same fullness. If there is romance and romance in life, these must be the moments.

The best way to live in the present moment might be to clearly separate work and rest and create one’s own leisure.

Book columnist, Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, guest reporter Choi Kyungpil

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.