What it seems to be
A question about the air conditioning.
What it really is
Italian summers are getting hotter and hotter. Yet every time someone reaches for the air-conditioning remote, a discussion begins.
Some people are already hot in May, while others hold out until July. Some want it at twenty-two degrees; others insist that twenty-seven is more than enough. Some point it at the ceiling, some lower the vents, some open a window “to change the air”.
Air conditioning does not merely cool a room. It forces everyone to find a balance between different needs, personal convictions and a question nobody ever manages to settle once and for all: what is the right temperature?
In Italy there is no answer. There is a discussion.
Scene
— Accendo l’aria?
— Aspetta un attimo.
— Io sto morendo di caldo.
— Sì, ma non metterla troppo bassa.
— Facciamo ventisei?
— Venticinque.
— Venticinque e mezzo.
The key to understanding it
For Italians, finding the perfect temperature is harder than putting up with the heat.