I just learned that there would be no water tomorrow between eight in the morning and three in the afternoon. The main leading to Motovun has burst. This is an emergency of sorts. Fine enough. I will adjust. And so will my poor neighbors. But who is going to explain to all the tourists who come to the hilltown tomorrow that there is a good reason why there is no coffee and tea in the morning, or lunch in the afternoon. Once again, the idiots in key places in the region can tell you many a wonderful story about tourist development, but not one of them can figure out how to maintain the basic infrastructure that underlies any kind of development, tourist or otherwise. To the best of my understanding of these pitiful people, they cannot see any connection between electricity, water, and tourism. They go on and on about elite sports, like golf and polo, but the very basics of tourism are beyond them for all eternity. Spending money on infrastructure strikes them as just daft. What for? You can get electricity and water all over the place, but golf and polo are our own inventions. And so on, and so forth. Stupidity is an amazing thing, for it is unlimited. The greatest gift of the human species, indeed. And Istrians are especially gifted, no doubt.

Addendum (August 14, 2016)

When I came across this piece, the title quite surprised me. The greatest gift of the human species? What could it possibly be? I was perplexed, indeed. Only when I read the first few sentences, the piece started making sense to me. It is stupidity, it goes without saying! In retrospect, the title is just right. There is no gift of the human species that could possibly beat stupidity. Mind you, the word “gift” has many meanings, including “talent,” “skill,” “ability,” “flair,” “knack,” “genius,” “aptitude,” and “bent.” Of course, the word in the title has little if anything to do with meanings such as “present,” “contribution,” “souvenir,” “bequest,” “award,” “donation,” “endowment,” “grant,” or “offering.” Perish the thought!