Memory

Shortly after helping to update our list of recommended textbook, I joined a small gathering of my university classmates. Our good friend SL was back from the States for a short stay, and it has been at least 15 years since I last met him.

(SL did appeared briefly in my blog some time ago. See http://ccszeto.blogspot.hk/2013/03/cooperate.html)

The event was organized by, in my own terminology, our GOLF club - gentlemen only, ladies forbidden. As you would expect, gathering of this kind means we settle at some exquisite place; everyone sitting around a table (we had so may people this time that there were actually two tables), followed by a traditional Chinese dinner.

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“It really feels great to meet so many good friends,” SL said, “You know, it’s such a long time since I went to the States, but, looking at you guys now, everything seems just happened yesterday!”

“Alas, that’s because you have an extraordinary memory!” One of us said. And that’s exactly the remarkable capability of our friend – he could probably remember every detail that he read or encountered.

“May be, or may be not,” our friend blushed a little, “I suppose we all remember a good part of our enjoyable past. For example, we will never forget what we did in our graduation trip.”

“Do we?” TC, now a consultant orthopedic surgeon, said with a smile, “Yes, I can still recall with whom I went for the trip, but, seriously, I cannot recollect where we went!”

“How could that be?” SL was surprised, “You went to Prague, then Vienna, then Budapest, and finally to Rome…”

We were dumbfounded.