Outline · [ Standard ] · Linear+ "Cur-rent!"

Where draughts are truly dangerous By Debbie Stowe The humble ceiling fan: Romanians may display extreme resistance to using this weapon of mass destruction 12:10AM BST 16 Aug 2005 Comment In Romania, the greatest threat to life today is not poverty, climate change or al-Qa'eda. It's moving air. Fans, air conditioning and open windows are not - as I had thought - useful mechanisms to generate a nice breeze, or give a little respite as summer temperatures climb to around 40 degrees. They are weapons of mass destruction. I first noticed this phenomenon last summer. Romania has extreme, continental weather, and I suggested to my Romanian boyfriend - quite reasonably, I thought - that we purchase a fan. He shifted uncomfortably, which, given that we were sweltering through every night in a stuffy room, I found odd. Nonetheless I persisted, and after a few abortive trips to the department store, a fan was acquired. Yet this was just half the battle, as I then found Vasile showing extreme resistance to turning the fan on, but hesitating to offer an explanation. And I observed similar strange behaviour elsewhere. Both at home and work, panic would break out if ever two windows, or a window and a door, were open simultaneously, and somebody would race to close one, wailing "Cur-rent!" Colleagues, shirts stuck to their backs with sweat, would stomp to close the window, shutting off the one fresh air supply we had, growling this dirty word. It turned out that "cur-rent", or the draught that circulates when two windows are open, is blamed in Romania for almost every ill one can think of. Toothache, headache, cold, flu, meningitis, paralysis, even death - all are apparently the result of moving air. This was solemnly confirmed to me by Vasile's mum, who has just retired from a 30-year career as a nurse. I saw how widespread this belief is when Vasile came down with toothache. In my layman's view, there are many possible factors that could contribute to a Romanian's teeth deficiencies: poor dental hygiene (a friend from the UK government's trade department told me that average toothpaste consumption per capita here is half a tube per year); low quality toothpaste under communism; the view of dental care here as a vanity issue rather than a health issue; a diet high in sugar; and smoking. But every single person to whom Vasile complained of his ailment attributed it ardently to his having been in a draught. Moving air had been blamed, he said, for almost every medical problem he had had, by grandparents, teachers - even his dentist. Consequently, it took a while to convince him that slight breezes were not universally feared outside Romania. He then went back to his mum and asked what, apart from the draught, could have caused the toothache. She fixed him with a serious look and pronounced: "There is nothing apart from the draught." Air currents are the most reviled, but other cooling devices are also treated with suspicion. It can be quite a problem in Anglo-Romanian relationships. Either you don't sleep because the room is like a sauna or they don't sleep because they're terrified of waking up paralysed. Each time I mention it to a Westerner in a relationship with a Romanian, or anyone who has spent time in a Romanian home, they nod and sigh, recalling hot nights and even more heated debates with people convinced that any affliction can be put down to a slight breeze. No-one can explain where this moving air phobia has come from. It seems to have elements of superstition and self-fulfilling prophecy. Most Romanians - especially the older ones - have no chance to travel, and therefore get little exposure to other cultures and viewpoints. Scepticism was crushed by communism, and people tend to hold on to beliefs they have acquired without questioning them. Recently my boyfriend read his parents an article in a newspaper written by a doctor, headlined "Sitting in a draught does not cause toothache." They muttered, suspiciously. I told them that I, and many of my compatriots, actively seek out a draught when we are hot, and that we are all in rude health. This, I was told, was due to the in-built English resistance to draughts. Life here for many is austere, and it's a shame to see people suffering when they could at least enjoy a comfortable room temperature. For that reason I try to make a point of exposing myself to the draught and then emerging undamaged, telling everyone how nice it is to get a bit of a breeze going. But long-held superstition is a tough foe to beat, and I don't expect the wind of change to be blowing through these parts any time soon.

Where draughts are truly dangerous
By Debbie Stowe

The humble ceiling fan: Romanians may display extreme resistance to using this weapon of mass destruction

12:10AM BST 16 Aug 2005
Comment
In Romania, the greatest threat to life today is not poverty, climate change or al-Qa'eda. It's moving air. Fans, air conditioning and open windows are not - as I had thought - useful mechanisms to generate a nice breeze, or give a little respite as summer temperatures climb to around 40 degrees. They are weapons of mass destruction.

I first noticed this phenomenon last summer. Romania has extreme, continental weather, and I suggested to my Romanian boyfriend - quite reasonably, I thought - that we purchase a fan. He shifted uncomfortably, which, given that we were sweltering through every night in a stuffy room, I found odd. Nonetheless I persisted, and after a few abortive trips to the department store, a fan was acquired.

Yet this was just half the battle, as I then found Vasile showing extreme resistance to turning the fan on, but hesitating to offer an explanation. And I observed similar strange behaviour elsewhere. Both at home and work, panic would break out if ever two windows, or a window and a door, were open simultaneously, and somebody would race to close one, wailing "Cur-rent!"

Colleagues, shirts stuck to their backs with sweat, would stomp to close the window, shutting off the one fresh air supply we had, growling this dirty word.

It turned out that "cur-rent", or the draught that circulates when two windows are open, is blamed in Romania for almost every ill one can think of. Toothache, headache, cold, flu, meningitis, paralysis, even death - all are apparently the result of moving air. This was solemnly confirmed to me by Vasile's mum, who has just retired from a 30-year career as a nurse.

I saw how widespread this belief is when Vasile came down with toothache. In my layman's view, there are many possible factors that could contribute to a Romanian's teeth deficiencies: poor dental hygiene (a friend from the UK government's trade department told me that average toothpaste consumption per capita here is half a tube per year); low quality toothpaste under communism; the view of dental care here as a vanity issue rather than a health issue; a diet high in sugar; and smoking. But every single person to whom Vasile complained of his ailment attributed it ardently to his having been in a draught.

Moving air had been blamed, he said, for almost every medical problem he had had, by grandparents, teachers - even his dentist. Consequently, it took a while to convince him that slight breezes were not universally feared outside Romania. He then went back to his mum and asked what, apart from the draught, could have caused the toothache. She fixed him with a serious look and pronounced: "There is nothing apart from the draught."

Air currents are the most reviled, but other cooling devices are also treated with suspicion. It can be quite a problem in Anglo-Romanian relationships. Either you don't sleep because the room is like a sauna or they don't sleep because they're terrified of waking up paralysed.

Each time I mention it to a Westerner in a relationship with a Romanian, or anyone who has spent time in a Romanian home, they nod and sigh, recalling hot nights and even more heated debates with people convinced that any affliction can be put down to a slight breeze.

No-one can explain where this moving air phobia has come from. It seems to have elements of superstition and self-fulfilling prophecy. Most Romanians - especially the older ones - have no chance to travel, and therefore get little exposure to other cultures and viewpoints. Scepticism was crushed by communism, and people tend to hold on to beliefs they have acquired without questioning them.

Recently my boyfriend read his parents an article in a newspaper written by a doctor, headlined "Sitting in a draught does not cause toothache." They muttered, suspiciously. I told them that I, and many of my compatriots, actively seek out a draught when we are hot, and that we are all in rude health. This, I was told, was due to the in-built English resistance to draughts.

Life here for many is austere, and it's a shame to see people suffering when they could at least enjoy a comfortable room temperature. For that reason I try to make a point of exposing myself to the draught and then emerging undamaged, telling everyone how nice it is to get a bit of a breeze going. But long-held superstition is a tough foe to beat, and I don't expect the wind of change to be blowing through these parts any time soon.

scuze ca ma manifest aici, insa un rezumat in romana se poate? nu toti stapanim engleza......

O tanti vorbitoare de engleze ii ia la mare baza pe romanii speriati de curent mai ceva ca de apocalipsa.
Si pe buna dreptate. Bascalia, nu frica de curent.

O tanti vorbitoare de engleze ii ia la mare baza pe romanii speriati de curent mai ceva ca de apocalipsa.   
Si pe buna dreptate. Bascalia, nu frica de curent. 

ce fel de curent? electric, new age, yoga ( sa nu zis misa), vant?

Băi, femeia are dreptate.
În RATB ăia nu deschid geamurile că se face curent (în plm, sunt peste 40 de grade în maşină!), mi s-a întâmplat deseori să merg cu cineva cu maşina şi să direcţioneze aerul la picioare "să nu-l tragă curentul" (eu dau aeratoarele spre mine când merg cu maşina şi n-am nici pe dracu' ) şi exemplele pot contiua. Dacă le explic că nu se întâmplă nimic dacă bate AC în ei ... evident, vine replica: "n-ai nimic acum că eşti tânăr, dar la bătrâneţe?!"

ce fel de curent? electric, new age, yoga ( sa nu zis misa),  vant?

Nu specifica dar, din termenul folosit in articol - "cur-rent", as putea banui ca-i vorba de vanturi.

cred ca numai în limba romana exista expresia "m-a tras curentul".

Ma, sa stiti ca am intalnit si la italieni treaba asta! Adica era lipit pe o usa un carton pe care scria (in italiana, ofcors) ca sa inchizi usa ca se face curent! Fara misto!
Acu' nu stiu daca erau romani veniti in delegatie in biroul ala sau italieni, da' io asta am vazut!

Britanicii aia merg in sandale si piciorul gol la 5 grade afara, asa ca ei chiar au o rezistenta la temperaturile alea (in ciuda celor debitate in acel articol vechi de 6 ani).
Insa daca ii bagi la -30 grade ingheata ca niste carnati, iar daca au +35 de grade cu soare nu mai lucreaza unul, ca de, e moarte curata si-s cu limba de un cot mai ceva decat o iguana dupa muste.
Ia sa o tin eu pe voinica aia in curent de geamuri, intr-un tren personal, sa inteleaga diferenta intre "slight breeze" si curentul romanesc autentic

Am avut un profesor american in liceu care ne spunea ca suntem nebuni,ca ne ferim de briza vantului ca de dracu',a trait experiente neplacute saracul .A fost jefuit,injurat,a dormit prin gara o noapte,trenurile de la CFR i-au lasat o impresie proasta(pentru el diferenta dintre clasa 1 si clasa a 2 a consta in faptul ca la clasa 1 mirosea doar a p1sat si la clasa a 2 a mirosea si a p1sat si a c...t),se simtea ofensat cand i se zicea in autobuz sa inchida geamul ca racesc oamenii

This post has been edited by vallyyy: 1 Jul 2011, 14:28

A fost jefuit,injurat,a dormit prin gara o noapte

Tot e bine ca a scapat neviolat

Eu am o colega mai dili, care desi are 150kg mititica, inchide permanent geamul pentru ca e curent. Desi e DOAR geamul deschis, nu si altceva.
Sa nu mai vorbim ca AC-ul e un fel de nosferatu pt ea. Oribil sa stai in birou cu astfel de oameni.

Io am rezolvat problema cu AC-ul la noi in birou: m-am mutat io exact sub el! Tot "curentu" imi bate mie in freza! Marfa!

Babaiatule, pai "cole" simte briza AC-ului desi sta diametral opus fata de el la vreo 5m, ventilatorul e dat pe minim, si palele intreptate de mine spre coltul camerei.
Problema psihica e patologica la subiectul descris mai sus. E vorba de mentalitatea "inchisa" pe care o are in general, nu doar in problema asta.

This post has been edited by ageana: 1 Jul 2011, 14:44

Englezoaia e cam bulisoara. Ea vrea in disperare sa fie cur-rentata dar toti o refuza. A descoperit mearea problema a romanilor.

Kum, mai da cur-rent si la altii! Nu fi egocentri, numai tu, numai tu...

cred ca numai în limba romana exista expresia "m-a tras curentul".

ti-a tras-o curentul ?

Ironice, a mai fost ma. Foloseste functia sarci!

mai uita omul, dupa atatia ani..

Cred ca mi-a fost afectata memoria de la curent ...

Baieti, nu stiu de voi, dar engleza folosita in articol mie nu-mi pare a fi a unui bastinas englez, ci mai degraba a unuia mioritic. Evident, vreo NF cronica ...

De cand urla babele :
- Inchide geamul ca-ti raceste bebelusul.
- Pune-i caciula desi afara sunt 27 grade.
- Pune-i 6 paturi pe el
- Gogule imbolnavesti copilu!
De-acolo ni se trage, de mici.

Baieti, nu stiu de voi, dar engleza folosita in articol mie nu-mi pare a fi a unui bastinas englez, ci mai degraba a unuia mioritic.

fac, o fi naomi...

bun ,fenomenul acela cand incep usile a se misca singure cum se numeste? cutremur?
la inceput am ras si eu, insa nu e cam asa
problema se pune in felul urmator, nu cand esti treaz/treaza deschizi un geam etc,
ci in timpul somnului. lasi usa inchisa, si geamul deschis, e dat fiind faptul ca usa e defecta si permite parcurgerea unui curent de aer pe langa desi e inchisa, tu fiind in C..U G.L nu siimti ca muschii se racesc, bun trece noaptea, dai sa te trezesti, si incepi .B......S P..A in ia de usa si in si in .., si mai ridicate din pat daca mai poti. injurand, ,asta e cur-entul

asa indreptati si AC in portret sa ramaneti surzi

bine nu toata lumea e la fel de sensibila la acesti factori dar trebuie tinut seama

This post has been edited by ct-03-tvy: 1 Jul 2011, 17:09

baga si tu vata in toate gaurile.

Nu chiar in toate...

bun ,fenomenul  acela cand incep usile a se misca singure cum se numeste? cutremur?
la inceput am ras si eu,  insa nu e cam asa
problema se pune in felul urmator, nu cand esti treaz/treaza deschizi un geam etc,
ci  in timpul somnului. lasi usa inchisa, si geamul deschis, e  dat fiind faptul ca usa e defecta si permite parcurgerea unui curent de aer  pe langa desi e inchisa,  tu fiind in C..U G.L  nu siimti ca muschii se racesc,  bun trece noaptea, dai sa te trezesti,  si incepi .B......S  P..A in ia de usa si  in si in .., si mai ridicate din pat daca mai poti.  injurand, ,asta e cur-entul

asa  indreptati si AC in portret sa ramaneti surzi

bine nu toata lumea e la fel de sensibila la acesti factori dar trebuie tinut seama

Patroane, nenea cred ca e conational cu matale ca io n-am inteles nimic.

e makidon din cta, nu-l cunosc.

Sa-l intrebam daca stie ceva de dragoselu?

întreaba-l tu, nu ma bag. vreau sa ies cu bicicleta.

nu e curent pe bicicleta? te risti?