Of all the habits Van de Berg had, this was the one that perplexed people the most. He was never able to recall the exact names of the places he had seen, or the people he had met and the things he had done. Different sounds, flavours and encounters were all filed in his mind like documents in a chaotic desk of which only the owner knew the order. Whenever we suggested a new dish to try, or a tourist site he might like to visit, or whenever we wanted to teach him a common word in our language, he welcomed the recommendation without surprise, thought of another experience he could compare it
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