I just collected all of the chi-gong balls from my study and put them in three wooden bowls on the dining table in my livingroom. In the modern Chinese transliteration, chi is rendered as qi. It stands for “natural energy,” “life force,” or “energy flow” in classical Chinese. Literally, it stands for “breath,” “air,” or “gas.” And gong stands for “work” or “exercise.” There are seven pairs of chi-gong balls in Motovun, and they look quite formidable next to each other. Two pairs that I have in my beloved’s apartment in Zagreb are in their own wooden bowl. Of the ones right in front of me at the moment, two are made of steel, three of jade, and two of marble. One of the marble pairs is huge and it is quite an art twirling them in the palm of one’s hand. One of the steel pairs is full and the other has bells inside. The full pair is on the large and heavy side. One of the jade pairs is so small that I rarely twirl them. They are yellow while the other pair is green. Of the two pairs in Zagreb, one is also of green jade but the other is of wood. The wooden pair is rather large and it takes quite a bit of skill to twirl them. The nine pairs of chi-gong balls give me an enormous pleasure. Whenever I get a chance, I give them a twirl. On occasion, I twirl two pairs in the palms of both hands at once. And my mind wanders off all the way to China of old. It is only a breath away.