Memory and sulking DBJ.

For those of you who, like me, find the concept of memory fascinating, you must read this article from the November issue of National Geographic.

I always thought that people like Drew Berrymore in "50 first dates" do not exist. I mean, how can a person have a memory span that lasts only one day?

National Geographic introduces us to a gentle, friendly old man named EP, who has zero memory. He cannot retain old memories nor can he form new memories. He wakes up in the morning, eats his breakfast, goes to his bedroom and lie on his bed to listen to the radio, and then, forgetting that he has eaten breakfast, he wakes up again and eats a second round of breakfast, and then goes back to his bedroom to listen to the radio. Sometimes he will have breakfast a third time. His world is now, and now only.

Every person is a stranger to him, even if that "stranger" has met him for 200 times. Every TV program re-run is a first time excitement to him. His life is nothing like you and I can imagine.

But -- he is happy, worry-free and stress-free. (Although his family may feel otherwise - it must be heart-breaking.)

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About two months ago, I booked through my travel agent air tickets to Singapore in mid-December (I am flying this Sunday). The ticket price was HK$1,700, a bargain mainly because I booked early. The deadline for confirmation was 28 Nov. Due to some and miscommunication, the travel agent did not confirm the tickets on the due date, and as a result my booking was cancelled, and I had to re-book my tickets yesterday. As any seasoned traveller will know, try buying an air-ticket 6 days before departure and you are bound to be ripped-off.

The price of the ticket I have to pay this time for the VERY SAME flight is HK$4,300, more than double of the previous price. (I am flying with BB so it's twice the damage.) I almost fainted when I was told the "new" price. I spent the past few days sulking big time and thinking what I could have done with the price difference - dinner at Petrus, new mobile phone, donation to charity, huge Christmas present for my parents, even a trip to Bangkok(!)... anything BUT giving to the blood-sucking airline.

As I was reading the article this morning, I couldn't help thinking, if my memory failed me and I could not remember having booked the tickets for a much cheaper price, then I wouldn't feel so bad about it. I might even think $4,300 is a bargain!

Now I wish I were EP.