It is getting hotter by the day. My house is getting hotter and hotter, as well. Only a week ago, the temperature in the house was at twenty-one degrees Celsius, and it is at twenty-five right now. Thus I am getting up earlier and earlier to cool the house down at least a bit. I open all the windows and shutters for about an hour. At the same time, I burn insect repellant to keep the house free from the little pests that are forever in search of dark places to lay their eggs. Anyhow, each morning I manage to drive the temperature down by half a degree at most. A few hours later, the temperature is where it was before my cooling exercise. My only solace is that it would have been even hotter without my intervention. But I am getting ready for much higher temperatures in the house. So far, twenty-nine degrees Celsius is the all-time record. When will it reach thirty degrees and beyond, though? One way or another, cooling down the house will go only so far. In the meanwhile, I am learning how to cool myself down. And yoga is the only way forward, for air-conditioning is not to my liking, and never will be. Cooling yoga is my way. I almost froze yesterday afternoon as I was practicing it.

Addendum (July 3, 2025)

Ten years later, I got a portable air-conditioning unit. For all my love of yoga, the rising temperature made it nigh useless (“Heat Yoga,” August 4, 2012; and “Old Heat Yoga,” June 16, 2013). The highest temperature in the house was thirty degrees Celsius ten years ago (“Doing My Best,” July 10, 2016). Last week it was twenty-nine degrees while the ongoing heat wave was marching forward. All my efforts to cool down the house had become useless, and I thus decided to go for the technology of this day and age. Chances are that temperatures will be rising in the foreseeable future, and I am getting ever older, as well. Anyhow, Jure Bralić came to my help a couple of days ago. He took me to a big store in Pula, and he helped me select the best portable unit on offer. He also helped me install it in my livingroom. Before he left, he instructed me what to do until the house cools down sufficiently. As I am writing, the air-conditioning unit is making me quite comfortable in spite of its mindboggling noise. In just a few days, the temperature in my house will be comfortable enough, I am pretty sure. And I will be most thankful to my friend. Without his help, I would be cooked among my paintings. Alas, life in Motovun would be unimaginable without good friends like Jure!