I have been in the office for a few days now...and for the past two, have been a silent witness to the comings and goings of the head of the Medical Education Department here. Both the office assistant and the professor's fathers passed away recently. As a result, there has been a steady stream of visitors, mostly colleagues I think, who have come to offer their condolences, mostly to the professor. Each time, using almost the same words, in a calm manner, he describes how unexpected it was and always ends with, I do not think that he suffered much, to describe his father's passing away.

These visits are so strange to me. The formality and rigidity, the man's father just passed away and he has to repeat ad nauseum the circumstances surrounding his father's death to every single person who comes in to see him. One might think that he would rather not talk about it over and over again, but these people come, sit down, and he recites his speech.