The Demon Of Draft
While growing up in Romania for 33 years I got to assume certain beliefs as being undoubtedly right and incontestable. It took a wife from the American continent to pull these things out of me and bring things into the light sometimes with a good laugh. Hope these will at least ease your day.
Draft can kill you!
You are traveling across Romania’s plains in a train on a VERY hot summer day. There is no air conditioning existent in the train cars that are packed with happy people traveling between villages for various agricultural missions such transporting a flock of gees packed in bags, or chicks, etc. Strangely enough, the train car compartment windows are all shut, despite the fact that the inhabitants are sweating left and right. Being the nice person you are (or rather one who’s close to being asphyxiated) you get up, go by the window and try with all your might to pull it sucking in the air with each inch.
But all of a sudden, you are being yelled at by the little 85 year old lady sitting next to you, so you have to leave it shut and resort to either go out in the hallway to be chocked by cigarette smoke or to stay in the compartment and hope for an imaginary oxygen mask to drop down from the ceiling.
In Romania it is believed that if you are between two open (or even cracked windows), the draft that’s being formed as a result of that can get you really sick. Like you’ll get a serious cold.
Note, Ladies and Gentleman that the wind (or draft) you get on say traveling on a motorcycle is harmless compared to the evil demon of draft that somehow emerges between two open windows.
photo: matthewlees’ photostream on Flickr
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October 12th, 2008 16:47
Someone got sick once and this old story is the result. Nice, you’ll have to give us another soon!
October 16th, 2008 09:33
Thanks James!
There are tones of them. Need to pick out the best!
October 16th, 2008 11:38
Gabi, Greeks believe the same thing about “the draft”! LOL
October 16th, 2008 13:44
Sam, that’s crazy! Hehe. Thanks for the comment!
October 16th, 2008 17:45
I’m laughing at this because Italians are the same way! Always worrying about every little draft.
November 19th, 2008 16:01
OK, guys, don´t you think it might be something in it if so many people (and different nations) believe in it? It’s not a myth, sorry, some people really get affected by draft and some aren’t.
And don´t you dare laughing, yes, I am grown up in Romania too ;P
April 26th, 2012 00:37
I’m an expat Brit and I read about this in an excellent little book on Romanian culture, traditions and superstitions which I bought before moving here two years ago. It mainly referred to Western Europeans who might be working with Romanian colleagues in an office in summer and said “No matter how hot the office might be, if you open a window someone will invariably close it again within minutes, shaking their head as they do so.”
I have travelled on local trains within the Tarnava Mare region in summer and didn’t find it to be a problem, in fact the end doors were kept open. If I’m giving a lift to Roma friends from the village they do open the car windows wide when it’s hot, even though my car has aircon! Could this possibly be because rural Roma are used to having the breeze in their faces when driving their horses and carts around the valley?
May 2nd, 2012 11:09
Thanks for the comment Laurie! the Romas have it right. And yes it might be because of the open air means of traveling. thanks for writing!