Tuesday, June 23, 2009

A foreigner in America would probably think that the entire nation suffers from a collective water deficiency. Water in bottles are sold everywhere. Water is a necessity at any dinner. Hard pressed is the person searching for a university student without a water bottle. Dehydration plagues the American, we all know this.

Draft – of cold air – is the silent killer in Germany. When you think of a draft, the first thought is the window. But ever more present and dangerous in middle Europe is the air conditioning unit – A/C. My coworkers are likewise dead sure our A/C unit puts us in danger. There are weekly laments about the peculiar machine, and serious discussions about why somebody would build such a thing. Further compounding the issue, the unit is centrally controlled. The diligent gumshoe I am, the last couple of months have been unraveling the mystery of why blowing air so dangerous for this folk. Conclusion: cold air unequivocally leads to sickness. So do cold feet, noses, hands – anything – regardless of outside temperature. After a thorough whining when the unit unexpectedly goes on, coworkers proceed to bundle up in thick winter jackets. I usually get a look or inquiry because I do not pipe up about the horrible draft. This overreaction to drafts would seemingly help prevent colds. Contrarily, after a round of Googleing, Germans take more sick days per year than Americans.

To cogitate a fear of the A/C does not take long. Germania lies north, in cold weather for most of the year. Cold wind probably means cold weather, which assumedly leads to more sickness. Case closed. It is just funny to think that Americans have unfounded fears (dehydration) and the Germans theirs (drafts). It makes you wonder what silly superstitions other cultures have.

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