Carpetblogger has done it again, taken the words right out of my mouth— this time about the common folk belief in Turkey that air conditioning, or indeed any free-flowing air, will make you sick. I’ve noticed this when I ride the bus; even in 100-degree weather, if I try to open a window people scream at me to close it. “Do you want us all to get sick?” they ask with accusing eyes as sweat pours down their faces. Well, I don’t want us all to die of heat exhaustion, no.
Even my housemates, who are university-educated adults, believe that every illness they contract can be traced to a few minutes they spent in an air-conditioned room three weeks ago on Thursday. And every time I cough or sneeze, they say, “Melissa, it’s because you sit in front of that fan all day.” The worst part is, doctors here don’t seem to be any more well-informed— the last time one of my housemates was sick, the first thing the doctor asked him was “have you been in front of any air conditioners or fans?” Of course, said housemate brought this back to me as proof that I was playing with fire by having the fan on constantly. Never mind the fact that I’ve only had one illness this year, and it was after international travel (I often pick up bugs when visiting new countries). And let’s not forget the 25 years I lived in Texas, the whole of which is air-conditioned 24 hours a day, and we Texans somehow managed to survive that. I understand there are still a few Texans left to tell the tale, even.
Anyway, Carpetblogger’s post is as informative as it is snarky. Go read it. Link
Just started reading your blog and got a laugh out of this entry. My wife is from Brazil and they too don’t use AC or fans out of fear of getting sick. I spent quit a while in Brazil and even though the heat became somewhat bearable, it was still so smothering that I was always in search for a fan or AC. I remember sitting in peoples’ houses there (concrete houses) and it was at least 100F and the women were cooking in the kitchen which must have been 120F and not a fan anywhere. The air just stagnated to the point where I wanted to walk just so I could feel some resemblance of a breeze. I often wonder, if after you subject yourself to years of being in that heat, that maybe having a breeze or cool air does do something to you. Who knows, but something else I find interesting is after my wife has lived here in Houston TX for 10 years, she has become somewhat accustomed to AC and when we go somewhere that its hot, she starts panicking like most Americans do. When I was in Brazil I always liked to play “spot the American” in Brazil. It would be well over 100F and looking through the crowd no one was sweating except the Americans. I remember one especially hot day we were walking around a outdoor mall and one store had a sign in the window saying they were air conditioned. I didn’t even care what they sold, I was going in. But when I got inside the place was only about 5 Deg cooler than the hell that was outside. That was not AC!
Just started reading your blog and got a laugh out of this entry. My wife is from Brazil and they too don’t use AC or fans out of fear of getting sick. I spent quit a while in Brazil and even though the heat became somewhat bearable, it was still so smothering that I was always in search for a fan or AC. I remember sitting in peoples’ houses there (concrete houses) and it was at least 100F and the women were cooking in the kitchen which must have been 120F and not a fan anywhere. The air just stagnated to the point where I wanted to walk just so I could feel some resemblance of a breeze. I often wonder, if after you subject yourself to years of being in that heat, that maybe having a breeze or cool air does do something to you. Who knows, but something else I find interesting is after my wife has lived here in Houston TX for 10 years, she has become somewhat accustomed to AC and when we go somewhere that its hot, she starts panicking like most Americans do. When I was in Brazil I always liked to play “spot the American” in Brazil. It would be well over 100F and looking through the crowd no one was sweating except the Americans. I remember one especially hot day we were walking around a outdoor mall and one store had a sign in the window saying they were air conditioned. I didn’t even care what they sold, I was going in. But when I got inside the place was only about 5 Deg cooler than the hell that was outside. That was not AC!
In Florida (Miami in particular) life is not possible without AC. Well, there are one or two weeks in the dead of winter when you can open a window and not have the flesh melt from your bones. We have a word for buildings without AC or open windows: tombs.
In Florida (Miami in particular) life is not possible without AC. Well, there are one or two weeks in the dead of winter when you can open a window and not have the flesh melt from your bones. We have a word for buildings without AC or open windows: tombs.
Hehehe.
When I was a small child it was the done thing for most English mothers, including mine, to stick their kids outside in the garden all year round for Fresh Air, unless it was actually raining. My sister and I were made to play outside in the garden from breakfast until lunchtime, and then again until teatime, even in December. I can still remember the sound of Radio 2 coming through the open kitchen window, and the song ‘Sealed with a Kiss’ always brings this memory back to me. I hate listening to the Radio to this day.
I also remember my mum would stick my baby brother in his pram out on the porch for at least an hour every morning (well wrapped up, of course) and again in the afternoon. Other mums did the same. They don’t do it now because of other people nicking babies.
My mum was fanatical about this thing Fresh Air and its ability to prevent illnesses. She may have been right, I don’t know; we still got all the usual childhood ones. The overriding emotion which comes back to me now is the feeling of being stranded. We used to say we needed a wee even when we didn’t, just so we could go back inside for a few minutes.
Incidentally, in India people were fine about bus windows being opened, though it didn’t make much difference as it was so hot regardless. I don’t recall anywhere in India having air conditioning.
Hehehe.
When I was a small child it was the done thing for most English mothers, including mine, to stick their kids outside in the garden all year round for Fresh Air, unless it was actually raining. My sister and I were made to play outside in the garden from breakfast until lunchtime, and then again until teatime, even in December. I can still remember the sound of Radio 2 coming through the open kitchen window, and the song ‘Sealed with a Kiss’ always brings this memory back to me. I hate listening to the Radio to this day.
I also remember my mum would stick my baby brother in his pram out on the porch for at least an hour every morning (well wrapped up, of course) and again in the afternoon. Other mums did the same. They don’t do it now because of other people nicking babies.
My mum was fanatical about this thing Fresh Air and its ability to prevent illnesses. She may have been right, I don’t know; we still got all the usual childhood ones. The overriding emotion which comes back to me now is the feeling of being stranded. We used to say we needed a wee even when we didn’t, just so we could go back inside for a few minutes.
Incidentally, in India people were fine about bus windows being opened, though it didn’t make much difference as it was so hot regardless. I don’t recall anywhere in India having air conditioning.
@RaggedEdge: Yes, they do this in Turkey, also – the places that have air conditioning are hesitant to turn it on all the way, partially from fear of illness, and partially from fear of electric bills. That said, like you mentioned before they seem to be immune to the heat. None of my housemates have a fan, and they never sweat. I sweat even with the fan on high and pointed directly at me.
@RaggedEdge: Yes, they do this in Turkey, also – the places that have air conditioning are hesitant to turn it on all the way, partially from fear of illness, and partially from fear of electric bills. That said, like you mentioned before they seem to be immune to the heat. None of my housemates have a fan, and they never sweat. I sweat even with the fan on high and pointed directly at me.
@mkh: same in Texas… in fact it’s illegal now to build a new domicile without A/C, and all new cars must have it as standard, by law.
@mkh: same in Texas… in fact it’s illegal now to build a new domicile without A/C, and all new cars must have it as standard, by law.
@Sara: in Scandinavia they bundle babies up in the winter and put them in those old-style white prams and wheel it outside and the child sleeps out there in the cold. I thought that was the most wonderful thing I’d ever heard of, I love being bundled up when it’s cold outside. But I don’t think they make kids stay outside when they don’t want to – is that an English thing, or just your family?
@Sara: in Scandinavia they bundle babies up in the winter and put them in those old-style white prams and wheel it outside and the child sleeps out there in the cold. I thought that was the most wonderful thing I’d ever heard of, I love being bundled up when it’s cold outside. But I don’t think they make kids stay outside when they don’t want to – is that an English thing, or just your family?
Melissa,
This had me in stitches. I refuse to go to Turkey in August for this very reason. My goodness, open a window at least!
That, and my wife’s family also suffer from the “can’t spend longer than 2 minutes on the telephone” syndrome. Or is it a disease as well?
Melissa,
This had me in stitches. I refuse to go to Turkey in August for this very reason. My goodness, open a window at least!
That, and my wife’s family also suffer from the “can’t spend longer than 2 minutes on the telephone” syndrome. Or is it a disease as well?
@Geoffrey: we’ve since had a conversation about how (apparently) cold drinks cause throat cancer or somesuch, and a few days ago in my house I discovered quite violently that Turks believe leg cramps need to be “bled” and they stab the cramp with a needle. So then they have tetanus as well. Yikes!
@Geoffrey: we’ve since had a conversation about how (apparently) cold drinks cause throat cancer or somesuch, and a few days ago in my house I discovered quite violently that Turks believe leg cramps need to be “bled” and they stab the cramp with a needle. So then they have tetanus as well. Yikes!