In most cities people’s main activities are a function of their age. Children spend their days laughing, listening to stories, running around, playing with toy figurines, learning new words, exploring. Adults are more likely to be seen writing, buying vegetables, giving orders, sitting, making appointments, helping those in need. Old people spend their time thinking, walking in nature, reading books, passing on traditions, enjoying the sun on a cool day, reminiscing.

Not so in the city of Zerenya. In Zerenya, any citizen can be seen, at times, enjoying classical literature, picking their nose, starting a new religion, doing their laundry, falling in love, using elaborate swear words, imagining fantasy worlds, making peace with their enemies. The age of the citizens changes depending on the activity: They are all children when they learn about distant countries, sing for fun, have to go to bed early, do sports with their friends. They are all adults when they carry large boxes, build and destroy empires, wait in line, invent new machinery. And they are all old when they play cards, tell stories, complain about the weather, are confused by new music.