Done with the Current.
My patience for this particular gem of Moldovan culture has worn out, 2 years and 1 month into my service.
People NEED clean, fresh air. Even if it is cold, breezy air. Take that back. Especially cold, breezy air. It recycles germs, invigorates people, and keeps you from falling asleep. WIND DOES NOT MAKE YOU SICK. And yes, I'm sure of that.
Last week, a bus driver and two of my Moldovan friends somehow managed to make me feel utterly stupid for believing that cold air does not make one sick. How did they do it? "We drive around with windows open in America and don't get sick... " but you have "different air there" claims the bus driver. Really? I didn't realize that there was a border in the sky surrounding your country...
I'm not entirely sure where this "current" theory comes from. Maybe from the Greek "bad air" idea. I know my grandma used to tell me not go to out of the house with a wet head or I would "catch my death;" but this is a wives' tale on crack. I understand - being cold can make you more susceptible to germs. But being cold is not equal to catching a cold.
What made this episode the turning point in the Sharon vs. the Current battle? The fact that the driver was smoking. I don't want to breathe in his disgusting fumes, I don't want lung cancer. "Smoke is bad to breathe in," I said. "Just for me," he claimed, "you aren't smoking." "Studies have been done showing that second hand smoke is very bad for your health..." "How did they prove this?" he asks. "Through tests, of course." "Well I have proven myself that the current makes you sick. Many times. Why are your American tests better than mine?" ARGHTHIWOER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What I wanted to say was - "How come the rest of the world thinks second hand smoke is bad, and ONLY Moldovans think that wind makes you sick?" Fortunately what little patience I had made me bite my tongue. And my friend just looked at the driver, and at me, gritting my teeth, laughed and consoled him (not me)-- "We've been trying to convince her for TWO YEARS, there is nothing you can say to change her mind. Stubborn American."
I told her the same thing I've been saying for 2 years - when she shows me a science book saying that wind causes sickness, I will re-open the topic. I'm not that stubborn. I just need some solid convincing, not popular knowledge.
People NEED clean, fresh air. Even if it is cold, breezy air. Take that back. Especially cold, breezy air. It recycles germs, invigorates people, and keeps you from falling asleep. WIND DOES NOT MAKE YOU SICK. And yes, I'm sure of that.
Last week, a bus driver and two of my Moldovan friends somehow managed to make me feel utterly stupid for believing that cold air does not make one sick. How did they do it? "We drive around with windows open in America and don't get sick... " but you have "different air there" claims the bus driver. Really? I didn't realize that there was a border in the sky surrounding your country...
I'm not entirely sure where this "current" theory comes from. Maybe from the Greek "bad air" idea. I know my grandma used to tell me not go to out of the house with a wet head or I would "catch my death;" but this is a wives' tale on crack. I understand - being cold can make you more susceptible to germs. But being cold is not equal to catching a cold.
What made this episode the turning point in the Sharon vs. the Current battle? The fact that the driver was smoking. I don't want to breathe in his disgusting fumes, I don't want lung cancer. "Smoke is bad to breathe in," I said. "Just for me," he claimed, "you aren't smoking." "Studies have been done showing that second hand smoke is very bad for your health..." "How did they prove this?" he asks. "Through tests, of course." "Well I have proven myself that the current makes you sick. Many times. Why are your American tests better than mine?" ARGHTHIWOER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What I wanted to say was - "How come the rest of the world thinks second hand smoke is bad, and ONLY Moldovans think that wind makes you sick?" Fortunately what little patience I had made me bite my tongue. And my friend just looked at the driver, and at me, gritting my teeth, laughed and consoled him (not me)-- "We've been trying to convince her for TWO YEARS, there is nothing you can say to change her mind. Stubborn American."
I told her the same thing I've been saying for 2 years - when she shows me a science book saying that wind causes sickness, I will re-open the topic. I'm not that stubborn. I just need some solid convincing, not popular knowledge.
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 11:28 AM.
