this kind of problems happened to me too some time (years?) ago until i realized the right order.

my $variable  = 'value';
-----------  ---------- 
| 1          | 3

BEGIN{ say $variable}
---------------------
| 2
[download]

As the OP reveals, the compiletime runtime order implication is not so easely intellegible from docs: maybe is worth to put a note in perlmod where BEGIN block is described (well i do not understand why it is here, anyway; a separtate tutorial about the phases of the Perl process would not be better?).

The OP can profits the read of some stuffs about the matter:

• Re: RunTime & compile Time Doubt on Perl (many)
• Context: compile-time vs. run-time
• Re^2: Understanding compiletime vs. runtime
• Re^3: Perl compiler request - flogging the dead horse!
• ikegami on SO about runtime compiletime
• perldoc about BEGIN blocks

L*