At eight years of age I desired my first beer.

On the large silver screen at the local cinema, beautiful people were having a great time. I could feel the warmth, the sensuality, the closeness and friendship. The beautiful people were relaxed and happy, without a care in the world. I remember a blonde woman with curly hair and the music, by Robert Palmer,

"It takes every kind of people
To make what life's about
Every kind of people
To make the world go round."

I had to wait another 9.5 years for the much anticipated beer. It happened casually with Frederic, over a grilled Croque Madame sandwich. Frederic ordered a demi or glass of beer. It was hot. I too ordered beer without letting on that this was my first time. As I sipped the first sip of the first beer, I remembered this ad, the blonde woman with curly hair, the music by Robert Palmer.

I remembered it today on the way to the beach with disgust. I was eight years old and already brainwashed.

Shame on me. I must be more careful in my attemps at being a role model and bringing world peace. We played this Horses board game yesterday (and today).

When you throw the die and land your horse on a position already occupied by another player's horse, you send them back to the starting position. Although I had two horses in the game when I rolled the die, that's what i chose to do. I chose to move the horse which dislodged another player's. I knew that was wrong.

How often had I read and heard warnings of this kind before? "Be nice to people on your way up, because they are the ones you see on the way down." Or, you know, just be nice and others will be nice to you, be bad and they will be bad. Your behaviour causes positive or negative actions in the world. It was odd to see this verified in a simple children's game.

I could have played the other horse. I sent another player's back to the start instead. Not only did he make concerted efforts for the rest of the game to catch up with and do the same to my horse, my misguided tactics also taught my six-year old nephew to play nasty. In fact I spoiled the whole game by focussing every one on sending each other back to the start, instead of focussing on moving our own pawns forward peacefully.

Horses aren't competitive, people who ride them are.

At a considerable cost to the environment I find myself once again in the scorching summer heat in Annecy (the Venice of the French Alps).

A stroll through the medieval streets takes us to a deli shop. Rows of small jars of terrines and baskets of saucissons make me forget for a minute that I am a vegetarian. I used to live on dead animals and the memory of these feasts suddenly comes back to my stomach.

Green beer with Genepi, Liqueur de Myrtilles, Croquants au pistou, Rhubarb jam seem more likely dishes for me nowadays and I vaguely dream of sharing... such-and-such would like this product, but my friend x might like this.

After setting up a website with Drupal it is no longer clear whether I have any literary or even technical talent. The end result is www.auerbachorama.com with short stories to entertain you. Yes, you!