That's right: Even in France he was always the one asked to try wine. But I suspect he was using his Jedi's mind trick, to influence the waiters' minds.

I met Sylvain in 1992 when we started studying in our engineering college in Brest, France, and we never really lost contact after that time.

I think that, every time I've watched the Star Wars trilogy in the same evening, he was also watching. (hum, except that the last time, we both fell asleep before the end...)

Sylvain also offered the "Dilbert Principle" book to me. This book is great, but this is probably the only book I refuse to lend to anyone, I keep it as a personal treasure.

I miss him.

Well, I missed this unexpectable new until yesterday... I feel as I if had been unconscious for 9 years now... I was in Classe Preparatoires before Sylvain got to Brest, and Sylvain was my best friend. We had less and less opportinities to see each other then, and the last new I had was he was going to the US for a job... It was back in 1996.
And yes, I confirm the wine anecdote.