Foreigners visiting Romania often worry about health hazards implicit in visiting what was until fairly recently a Communist dictatorship. I tell them not to worry about it, since in the cities the water and food are all perfectly clean by European and American standards. However, there is a serious health hazard that stalks Romania, one which foreigners rarely think of. If the reports are true, then this epidemic is responsible for numerous illnesses, hospitalizations, and even deaths. It is little publicized in official sources, but nearly any Romanian on the street will be able to tell you all about it.
I’m talking about curent.
Curent in this context means "draft", as in a drafty door, or opening a window to let in a draft. People from outside Romania may believe that a draft is a nuisance (if you’re cold) or a welcome relief (if you’re too warm), but the Romanians will set you straight. If you catch a draft, you are in mortal peril.
The early symptoms of catching a draft include a headache, toothache, soreness of the neck, stiff joints, stuffy nose, sore throat, coughing, or sneezing. If untreated, the draft will continue to worm its way into your system and metastasize into pneumonia, arthritis, polio, and dementia. People have died from catching drafts. Especially vulnerable are the elderly and small children, which is why members of both demographics are traditionally dressed in the warmest clothes that they can find all through the summer—the best defense against the draft is a set of wool stockings and a scarf, even if it’s 40 C outside.
I had been in Romania for a while and heard about curent a few times, but the true seriousness of curent only struck me when the summer began. At the school where I was teaching I wandered into the kitchen, where a group of six women were preparing a meal for some guests. It was hot outside, and several pots of boiling water were on the burners around the kitchen, turning the crowded little kitchen into a sweltering sauna. After a few minutes I went over and opened the window, only to be immediately shouted down by the women. I was letting in a draft.
But weren’t they hot? Indeed they were, and I could see the sweat and discomfort on several of their faces. But the health dangers of cool moving air were far too great to risk for mere comfort.
I observed similar things on several other occasions. On crowded public buses during the summer heat, any attempt to open a window would be countered by immediate protestations about the draft. Friends and neighbors would close the windows of my room for me if they noticed them open, to protect me from the draft’s depredations. I heard a young woman complaining of a persistent headache and nausea which was blamed on sleeping with her head too close to her computer’s exhaust fan. It was a small draft, but it was enough.
Curiously, a draft’s lethality seems to be greatly reduced outside of Romania, to the point where many foreigners don’t concern themselves with it at all, and even claim to enjoy having a window open on a warm day. That doesn’t mean that it’s not real, however. Indeed, it’s as real as Korean Fan Death, another silent killer whose victims lie largely in a single country.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
J.S. Bangs 
How in the world did Walden survive his cabin by the pond?!
Lol. As I started to read, I was just constructing a comment about fan death, and here you are, mentioning it. Living overseas is great XD
First of all, Romania is the land of Jews. Greater Israel, that’s even shaped like the Star of David. It’s six corners hold the star of david, and that’s why most of the romanians are actually more jewish than those from Israel, Britain or the New World.
Sad but dangerously true (for the white minorities here). Secondly, I’ve ignored romanians with their draft threats (te prinde curentu’, maica), for all my life. And I am in much better health than they could ever be. It’s just a case of simple person’s paranoia.
Romanians are under a dictatorship of fear. Their family and friends and most social(ist) formations train all it’s children to Fear, even when there is no real cause to be worried. It’s a case of cronic paranoia, spread by social Dogmas, that have replaced the wise “superstitions” of actual folklore.
Either that or there’s some dangerous source of Plutonium or Uranium near the center of Romania, somewhere in Transilvania’s mountains where the russians mined it from, or even in other open regions, and this gives an unseen level of air contamination, that destroys health, if systematically exposed to it’s currents. And somehow only these paranoid simpletons are able to “sense” this unmeasurable radioactiv danger of large open currents of air.
I’m on the opposite side of the scale, I always try to open up all doors and windows, to let all the possible wind and fresh air inside, but most people protest. They’re so annoying and pathetic, I wanna just throw them out the window into the cold, or something.
You are taking this too seriously. Clearly this is only a joke. Second of all, how can you say that Romania is the land of Jews? You must not know very much about Romania or its shape! You are also hypocritical because you are bashing the very thing you are doing–being superstitious.
I said that Romania was the land of Jews? Where?
I wasn’t bashing folklore, I was saying it’s actually worth more in intelligence value, than all of the urineducation Romania’s had since ’45.
This is why I used “superstition” with quotes, because I don’t believe folklore is superstition, but actually useful.
Where was I bashing superstition? And where was I using superstition myself? You must be one of those stupid “romanians” of amerikan or siberian descent, who has no pale skin, thus Intelligence, and knows nothing about the European Traditions or Values.
Yes, Romania’s shaped like a six pointed star now. Which is only a small part of the real romanian speaking people, which are also found in the balkans and crimeea.
Yes, there’s a lot of Hebrews who moved here from the Ottoman Empire after it’s fall, or Austrian Empire or USSR or even Great Bright’ian. Why do you think crime, mobs, drugs, stealing, corruption and other illegal subhuman ‘trades’ are so widespread? If it weren’t for these Jews here, Romania would have been greater than Germany in WW2. Conquered Russia, reintegrating the white races there into Europe, since the basic White Races of Russia and Romania were one and the same, before their three Varengian / Ruthenian dyansties separated them into separate principalities. Easily surpassed the Lithuanian commonwealth, after the enslaved the lowly polish serfs and defeated the mighty Teutonic Kights of the Arian Roman order.
You have the honour of being one of those many, many Imbeciles living in Romania, at the moment.
Enjoy it while it lasts, because soon you will burn along with Amerika in a sea of fiery chaos.
Bahahahahahhhahaaaa (I am Adolf Hitler and I approve this message)
Dude you went full retard.Never go full retard 🙂
He sure did. lmao
Allegory, I am romanian and I have a PhD in Sociology and I can tell straight down that jews in Romania, even more so after 1990 don’t even figure as a minority. This is all data you can access yourself, through the web and from several institutes. Hell, I think even the CIA has accessible data on this. I must also tell you that not having enough romanian jews is kinda bad for the country in my opinion. I can tell you that in WW2 despite Romania’s initial political interest that allied us with nazi Germany, we had the lowest jew related problems. Also, I would like to mention that I think you are most likely a bit insane and fuck you for being so badly retarded. The shape of my country has been close to what it is today since ancient times, when it was occupying the geographical space named Dacia.
Wow, you guys never heard about trolling.
Never heard something more ridiculous. Romanians are ancestors of Romans and Dacians. I grew up in Romania and I only met one Jew in my life. You are easy to judge what Romanians are. Show some respect!
This pathetic subhuman “allegory” thinks Romanians are jews Not only did we take part in exterminating them in WW2 because we were on the Axis side, but were also not even genetically close to being Jewish. This guy has no clue where Jews are from. Romanians have daco roman genes as well as ottoman , slavic, germanic, and macedonian. Go crawl back into your hole. Youre too stupid for this world.
I’ve got to admit, this is the first I’ve heard of a draft being the illness. I’ve heard of exposure to sudden cold being a way for the “buggers” of the body to get all itchy and want to wreak havoc on people but that’s something that happens any where. Extreme weather changes can do wonderous terrors to the body, especially when you have seasonal allergies.
But to simply let in a breeze of cool air, well, that’s certainly different.
Angela, visit us, and you’ll find out even more about strange butterflies effects (e.g. NEVER put your bag directly on the floor, otherwise poverty and misery will follow). We have a funny country, just visit us and enjoy!
This is so true and funny! I’m a pharmacy Student and tried explaining that the current is not a valid etiology for what they might be feeling. Haha it’s funny and my Romanian family members are soooo funny.
Ahhhh…so true, it’s creepy!!!! I was in Romania this past summer and was warned about the complications resulting from catching this dangerous and ruthless killer.
I had my wisdom teeth pulled out and was in pain as a result of it, well what do you think I was told??? “You caught a curent”….huhh??? So I was given a hat the size of Suceava and was told to make sure I am not around open windows, doors or anything that would allow this killer to enter. Mind you, I was at that point fearful for my life and no longer worried about the possible infection that I can develop from the sutures in my mouth. How do I tell these people that uuhhmm my pain can simply go away with an advil or tylenol ( I wasn’t going to be picky) ? Instead, I sat in a room with; a hat on my head, a sweater on, all windows and doors shut in 90 degree weather. I suppose I conformed to these home remedies because I no longer had my wisdom teeth!
Hahahhaha!! Good one. The last joke was brilliant.
Magdalena, you gave me a good laugh. Thank you.
@Marta Horvath, it’s a but long over due but I’m glad you got a kick out of that story:)
Magdalena, I re-read your comments and had a good laugh again, tears rolling doen on my face. Thank you!. Priceless!
Hello, I am a Romanian and I can confirm the draft issue:-) It sounds crazy, it really is in fact, and it’s hilarious for many of us as well. But it is not even close to crazy vs. what Allegory has to say about Romania (unless he/she is hopefully joking; if he/she isn’t joking – I am speechless as to what he/she has to say about our country).
Heh. Well, Allegory is our local nut-job here… I let him leave his comments, but for the most part they’re just crazy.
Anyway, the article on the draft is as good as it can get (actually a friend forwarded the link to me knowing how passionate I am about the topic). I tried on various occasions to explain to freinds outside of Romania the “curent makes you sick” concept and it’s complicated to even begin. A US friend, about 3 weeks into his trip to Romania, asked me – desperately – whether I have the same problem (he actually had an encounter with someone that did not keep any 2 doors in the house open at the same time as this facilitated the formation of the killer draft; to be honest, my mom was like this). And don’t get me started on the AC problem – I think about 70% of the people I know would not stay anywhere close to the AC equipment because, of course, the cold air blowing straight to them would make them sick.
U should not let him leave comments! What he says it’s a disgrace!! Please remove him!! It will make this page more serious and dignified!! To what good is it to accept someone’s insanity and utter lack of manners??
He actually was banned a little while ago, but I’ve left his old comments up for the amusement and edification of posterity.
Honestly, there are many immigrants of non-european stock who’ve invaded Romania, after ’45. Among them the 6 million Jews who survived the Holocaust, Arabs, Khazar Jews posing as “Gypsies or Romas”, Muslim Mexicans, and Mexicans from other imperialist colonies, like France, Spain, Britain. Most of the Filth of the World moved here, to ensure Romania doesn’t have a White Majority, to keep Democracy only in the Interest of White Europe.
Because these subhumans, these negroid semitic pigs, do not have superior White genes, they are completely unadapted to the harsh “Crivats” or Siberian Cold Winds blowing over Ukraine, from the Russian steppes, through Moldova and the Wallachian Plain. Less so in Transilvania or Banat which are shielded by Carpathian mountains and forests and valleys.
A true white romanian, with ancestry of White Races in Europe, is used to siberian wind “crivat” blowing from the NE, into Romania here. But a non-white Meltisches weakling, sent by Mossad agents to undermine White Nationalism in Romania, the Former Axis Ally of Nazi Germany, will fear going outside “underdressed”, or leaving more than one or preferably none, windows open in their hideouts.
WOW! I feel so sorry for you 😦
Those derogatory words you use to describe human beings? Not okay. The draft superstition, an real belief acted upon in Romania, was being discussed here not the conspiracy theories you hold.
Wishing you the best, because it seems “ca tea prins curentul, maica” and your mind will forever be lost.
It’s funny because it’s true :))
Very funny! It’s true to some level. However, I am Romanian and I like to open windows :). I lived in the US for 10 years before moving to Switzerland and I have yet to meet an American who opens their window. They all rely on the AC system – which is many times not on in winter or spring and should not always replace the air coming directly from the outside is better in my opinion. If the AC system is in-existent they buy a fan, but still don’t open their window. Also, Americans almost never wash their hands and find it OK to eat after their dog or to have their infant be licked on the mouth by the family dog. So, you can create stereotypes on both sides. Anyway, I enjoyed reading your post and I am glad you visited Romania.
Oh my Gosh, Amerikans certainly are disgusting ! How can they not wash their hands ?! And their babies hygiene sounds deplorable.
I knew Amerikans were subhuman for a reason …
Also the blog author, didn’t “visit” Romania. He’s still here, having moved here. For some unexplainable reason I cannot understand.
Why would a westerner want to move to East Europe? I also saw a lot of english people moving here as well as amerikan tourists.
What the hell is it with those Meltische Westerners that they have the nerve to move here !! In my beautiful White Country !!
Just to clarify, I don’t actually live in Romania at present. I lived there a few years ago, though, and I visit fairly frequently. But it’s been a little while, and I don’t expect to come back for another visit until some time next year.
Ah, Thank Goodness !
If there were no more British agents moving or spying here, it would be a much nicer place.
Basically this is the European version of “There’s too many Mexicans here”.
You said here…. “the blog author, didn’t “visit” Romania. He’s still here, having moved here”. Are you some chauvinistic hungarian asshole spewing lies and hatered, spliting communities that historically got along into nationalistic retards? In some sad way I expected you to be residing in Romania but I can’t imagine what the fuck is going on in that small brain of yours.
Lol are you serious. I am an American and we are germ freaks. Most every American has bacterial gel on them all the time. We usually take two to three showers a day…and yes the dog part may be true…but we have dogs that are dewormed and bathed every few weeks. I have been living in Romania for three years and can say no Romanians wash their hands. They touch nasty street dogs and the buses and eat shwarma at the same time…and hopefully the shower is once a year or at least a brushing of teeth…because they stink every time I am near someone.
excellent written – by the way the habit/fear/phenomenon is not 100% romanian… the habit was borrowed from Turkey – seen it described by Orhan Pamuk in one of his books( “Istanbul” )
Funny enough they call it “kurentum”
Have fun,
Nice article. 🙂
The good thing about ‘curent’ is that it drastically simplifies a differential diagnosis. Just imagine a Romanian ‘House M.D.’ looking at the symptoms of someone who might have pneumonia:
‘Hmm, I’m sorry to say this but all of these point to one thing – you got “pulled by the curent”, and you’re probably going to die soon’.
Our Med schools should start teaching ‘curentology’ before it’s to late.
Fantastic article! I was raised in Romania and was very aware of the notorious “Draft” villain. Moved to Canada in my teens and all of a sudden the draft issue went out the window. Just recently moved in with my mom who lives in England and wouldn’t you know it… the draft is alive! My mother bundles up so much during a breezy spring day that she sweats like you wouldn’t believe. She is convinced that her body will start aching at the slightest draft. Anyway, I read some of the comments and disagree with those who think the article says anything offensive about Romania. Its plain, simple and true what is said.
Btw, sebi! Hilarious comment 😛
Brilliant!!! Actually, there are even people in America who know about “the draft” and the terrible dangers thereof.
And then there’s this article:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/4197177/Where-draughts-are-truly-dangerous.html
And then there’s a testimonial by film director Cristi Puiu who told medics in Switzerland that he was harmed by the same draft and… nobody knew what in the world that is, so he was sent to see a Czech/Polish medic, who said something like “I have had other idiots tell me about this so-called issue.”
And then there’s the story of a Romanian-Israeli lady who spent some time in Israel, where the draft scare reportedly doesn’t exist. Then she came to Romania and refused to care about drafts anymore (against social pressure, of course) and so she said she stopped “suffering” from draft-osis. Fellow commenter Kristina mentioned a similar situation :))
And then there was an American who was glad to find someone who spoke fluent English (a friend of mine) and the first thing he asked was: “Dude, what’s coran?” After a lot of debugging, it was finally revealed: “curent.” The American had a different story. He had traveled by minivan through Romania and tried to open a window. Wouldn’t you know it, an old lady immediately protested. He tried to be politically correct and close it half way. Nope, that wouldn’t do for the old lady. He closed it a little more and then a little more and more and more, but nothing short of fully closed would make the old lady happy. Of course, the American dude was speechless.
Hahaha, good one J.! it is a joke, right?! draft, also known as wind…get it?
The “current” has always been a threat in my life. Born in Yugo and having Romanian parents I was truly blessed in so many ways, but the draft was an always present danger that was vigilantly guarded against. As a child I was impervious to it; however as an adult I have become very sensitive to any temperature change and can sense a draft immediately. It drives my American husband crazy, and am happy to say that so far my children have no draft sensitivity . I often wonder if it’s because I never vocally warned them against it (as babies, avoiding the draft was my primary focus in keeping them healthy, of course, and it worked).
Not only has it become my constant enemy it’s literally a pain in the neck! or ear, or stomach or anything else that hurts : )
I don’t think I’m crazy, but obviously the power of suggestion and our minds can merge into negative or positive physical reactions. Be careful in what you say!
Hello,
Yes, if something is well rooted in your society, and is generally accepted as a fact you will too accepted. Your “curent” article is really funny, and quite accurate. But I’m sure you also know about “Deochi” – Evil eye in other cultures. This is even more ridiculous.
My grandparents, and maybe a little bit my parents, believed that I cannot be “Deocheat” because, as an infant, in the infant care hospital room (when I was 2-3 days old), when my mother didn’t hat enough breast milk, i had some from a “Gypsy” lady, who was also there in the infant care room with her new-born baby. And so i was protected by the magical powers of this lady’s breast milk (who was by the way a very nice lady). So I was the only one in my family who could not be “Deocheat”, unlike my little brother who would be very often “Deocheat”, and had to undergo “Deocheat” treatment.
Or about the sign of cross, who you mentioned in another article.
I was, as a child, thought to fear the wrath of god, mostly by grandmothers again.
Apart from all the church trips, and religious related rituals I had to go through, one small but apparently important ritual was that I had to make the sign of cross when I passed by a church.
As I was growing up and making my own idea about religion and spirituality and as a result becoming an atheist, one by one this rituals would go away, like the prayer before night sleep, like the church trips. But the last thing and the hardest thing to give up was the sign of cross. I remember that I was in my first year at the university, and every morning as I walked from the hostel, were i was living, to the classrooms I passed by the campus Church (Yes there is a church on campus, known as The Holly Five – I actually don’t remember the real name) I had to make the sign of cross. I was convinced until this time that my parents will die if I don’t do it. It took me months until I force my self not to do it anymore (and yes, my parents are fine). But I had a roommate who would still do the prayer before sleep, for the entire period we were roommates, and I’m sure he still does it.
There are many of these stuff in the Romanian culture, mostly in the rural areas.
I hope you take my story as it was intended, lighthearted and with humor.
A. Stanciu
Hello,
Yes, if something is well rooted in your society, and is generally accepted as a fact you too will accepted it. Your “curent” article is really funny, and quite accurate. But I’m sure you also know about “Deochi” – Evil eye in other cultures. This is even more ridiculous.
My grandparents, and maybe a little bit my parents, believed that I cannot be “Deocheat” because, as an infant, in the infant care hospital room (when I was 2-3 days old), when my mother didn’t hat enough breast milk, i had some from a “Gypsy” lady, who was also there in the infant care room with her new-born baby. And so i was protected by the magical powers of this lady’s breast milk (who was by the way a very nice lady). So I was the only one in my family who could not be “Deocheat”, unlike my little brother who would be very often “Deocheat”, and had to undergo “Deocheat” treatment.
Or about the sign of cross, who you mentioned in another article.
I was, as a child, thought to fear the wrath of god, mostly by grandmothers again.
Apart from all the church trips, and religious related rituals I had to go through, one small but apparently important ritual was that I had to make the sign of cross when I passed by a church.
As I was growing up and making my own idea about religion and spirituality and as a result becoming an atheist, one by one this rituals would go away, like the prayer before night sleep, like the church trips. But the last thing and the hardest thing to give up was the sign of cross. I remember that I was in my first year at the university, and every morning as I walked from the hostel, were i was living, to the classrooms I passed by the campus Church (Yes there is a church on campus, known as The Holly Five – I actually don’t remember the real name) I had to make the sign of cross. I was convinced until this time that my parents will die if I don’t do it. It took me months until I force my self not to do it anymore (and yes, my parents are fine). But I had a roommate who would still do the prayer before sleep, for the entire period we were roommates, and I’m sure he still does it.
There are many of these stuff in the Romanian culture, mostly in the rural areas.
I hope you take my story as it was intended, lighthearted and with humor.
A. Stanciu
Been there, heard that…what I know, from being born and raised in Romania is that the air pollution was extremely high… we lived near a city called Copsa where the factory eliminated dark particle in the air… we had to wash our windows and window coverings very often, the water will be completely black, the rain water was very dark as well….there were more than 20 factories in our city that had no pollution restrictions… can you imagine in the whole country put together? All the mines and factories? I am not surprised about the “Draft” discussion at all! It could be all the pollution moving around when you open windows and doors… So do not think people are insane… most factories closed down unfortunately instead of reducing pollution…Give people the benefit of the doubt…romanians are known to be bright, having a lot of inventions, and guess what ?! The Eiffel Tower’s steel and craftsmanship all came from a city in romania and with the help of a romanian engineer… FYI “Eiffel himself documented Pănculescu’s contribution in his work titled ‘Communication sur les travaux de la tour de 300 m’ written in 1887.[2] The same technology was used by Eiffel in building the Eiffel Tower.[3] Gheorghe Pănculescu became the General Inspector of the CFR SA, the Romanian national train operator.”
Hi. I am from Serbia. In Serbia draft is dangerous same as it is in Romania. Does someone knows cure for it? I’m immune, but my wife suffers from draft. She gets ill all the time because draft. Sore throat, irritated eyes, flu, pain in her back, pain in har neck, pain in anyplace… and other terrible health issues that i can’t remember right now. All from draft!
Please, help me! Waht do you westerners use for protection from draft?
I am from Bosnia, and I can confirm that the draft is a big danger in that country too. I have heard the same from my Croatian friends and I am pretty sure that In Bulgaria and Macedonia they have the same problem too. Seems like this illness is common for all Balkans. If you ever open windows on both sides of the room in any of these countries, you will immediately be warned to close one, otherwise you will end up with serious health issues, which Mladen has already numbered. The problem is, they have been educating me like that all my life, so now it’s hard to be immune to this illness. E.g. when I am driving in a car with windows opened on both sides, I will immediately get a headache – and I am not kidding. Now the question is: is it an autosuggestion or a real danger? 🙂
And the answer is “Yes.” If you believe it, it is a real danger. I for one do not believe in “the draft” despite efforts by my Italian grandmother to educate me on the dangers. Therefore, I do not suffer from the effects, but I have surely witnessed it in others.
So, best not to take any chances. I don’t think this is limited to the Balkans. My grandmother was here in the US when she was trying to teach us. However, just like a belief in fairies, I think belief in “the draft” is fading, so maybe someday it will be a thing of the past.
Good luck, and in the meantime don’t open windows on both sides of the car… just to be safe!!!
sadly, children in Romania are being overprotected. i am mesmerized to see children wearing winter garments under 16C. if that’s how you grow up and that is what you hear daily, you are bound to become sensitive to the matter. it’s not just the draft, there’s also cold water or anything cold really that gives you a sore throat ‘rosu in gat’, or simply having your mouth open while you ride the swing. children are repeteadly told they are too small to do simple things they can actually do just fine, be careful not to fall, don’t jump, don’t run, don’t shout and so on and so forth. there are many parents who keep passing this ‘lore’ to their kids, but there are many, like myself, who chose to free themselves from it. cab drivers look at me like i’m crazy when i tell them they can leave the window open because my 2 year old is not affected by the draft 🙂 they might even make a cross sign
Bless you, Ioana. I’m an American woman married to a Romanian man, and my mother-in-law, a truly estimable woman whom I love, drives me and my daughter CRAZY with this stuff. Truly, draft is the least of it; the overdressing, overwarning (I had no idea that sitting close to the TV could make you go blind. Headache, perhaps, but blindness was a new one.), and nagging (oh mealtimes…and woe to my daughter should she refuse a taste of paine proaspat) all are much more common, daily points of culture clash. My husband just shrugs while I try to simultaneously teach my daughter to obey and respect her grandmother while shielding her from the crazier stuff. And there are the best of intentions on all sides! Sigh.
P.S. I also got chewed out by my MIL for not praying over my infant son when he cried. I’m an American Protestant, I don’t know “prayers,” so I was instructed that The Lord’s Prayer would have to do.
I wonder which prayers she was referring to. I routinely pray over my kids when they’re crying (in either English or Romanian), but I don’t know of any prayers specifically for this purpose. I wonder whether she has something specific in mind other than Tatal nostru or Cuvine-se cu adevarat (the Lord’s Prayer and “It is truly meet and right”).
However, I do use this prayer a lot, particularly when they’ve had nightmares: http://www.saintgregoryoutreach.org/2010/01/let-god-arise-holy-cross.html. Maybe you could use that one to mollify her :).
Seriously now, I don’t believe in draft but I have a horrible “rosu in gat” since I slept with the window and the door opened :). Next time I’ll know better… you only open one of them!
But here’s a bigger problem than draft. My partner, who is not Romanian, otherwise we won’t have these discussions, whistles in the house!!! This is so annoying! I’m continuously waiting for something bad, really bad to happen…
I’ll put my 2 cents in too. No one mentioned the cotton balls used as a deterrent for catching the draft. For those with little faith, I encourage them to put the ceiling fan on slow/medium and sleep under it overnight. If you do not develop a slight cold or a sore throat you are “immune” to the draft. Repeat the same scenario, except this time utilize earplugs. In most extreme cases, even with earplugs you might wake up with a slight headache.
And somehow it makes one wonder how so many Romanians ended up reading your article xD! Draft brings ppl together I say. :p
I love “Magdalena'”s comments or story. I’ve read it twice now, two different days and still laugh out loud reading it.
I am also romanian, and I can say I’ve heard enough about “te trage curentul”(you’ll catch a draft) and tried not to pay too much notice. The temperature difference might be a point and some people are extremely sensitive to those sudden changes, whether in a building or a car with two open windows, a tunnel, etc.
I am a truck driver and recently my AC broke down, so with temperatures near 40 degrees Celsius, I had to open both windows while driving. Last night I got a horrible toothache with pain that spread on the whole half of my head now, thus me looking up this article.
Is there a better explanation for this, cause Austria can’t be that polluted?
Reblogged this on A Romanian Adoptee and commented:
When I first heard about the curent, I knew that this made a lot of sense for me and helps to explain why my ears hurt so much! Great post!
G.M.
Yes, the infamous ‘curent’. I didn’t know about it until I met my Romanian in-laws. My Mother in Law use to tell us all the time about the curent and to respect her wishes we had to keep everything (windows, etc) closed, we just put the air conditioner on. Her defense was putting cotton balls down her ears and a scarf around her head. I don’t know how you can find a ‘curent’ down in the Florida sun but she found it.
Yes, the infamous ‘curent’. I didn’t know about it until I met my Romanian in-laws. My Mother in Law use to tell us all the time about the curent and to respect her wishes we had to keep everything (windows, etc) closed, we just put the air conditioner on. Her defense was putting cotton balls down her ears and a scarf around her head. I don’t know how you can find a ‘curent’ down in the Florida sun but she found it.
This concept The “Draft” concept is not unique to Romania at all, you’ll find it all over Europe (and wider). As noted above, Turkey is big on it, it’s very common in Germany, France, SPain, Greece, few posters pointed that ex-Yugoslavia believes in it too.
The concept was common here in the States too, yet we gradually forgot it as air conditioners moved in (you might want to ask your grandparents about it…
Here are some examples – going over comments would probably discover another country or two (there are some references the the USA as well)…
Italy: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15987082Serbia: http://www.laura-dennis.com/?p=3073 and http://mybellavita.com/2010/01/dodging-the-draft/
Germany: http://www.toytowngermany.com/lofi/index.php/t21607.html
France: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2013/08/le-courant-aire-draft/
Spain: http://erikras.com/2012/08/26/deadly-spanish-air-currents/
Bosnia: http://www.theapricity.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-61316.html
Poland: http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=506768
Macedonia: http://www.madmacedonian.com/2009/08/you-know-you-are-macedonian-when.html
Middle East: http://carpetblog.typepad.com/carpetblogger/2007/08/ask-carpetblogg.html
Serbia: http://www.laura-dennis.com/?p=3073
China: http://thetaobums.com/topic/15118-muscle-pain-caused-by-draft-how-does-it-work/
This is great info. Thanks for the links!
it seems we are like Italians. Look an article about delicate Italians written on bbc http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15987082
I believe in curent and I’m proud of it. Do not mess with the curent!
😀
Americans are finally discovering “curent” but still in denial.
So…why not reinvent the wheel?
To have them all agree might take another civil war.
Romanians instead are definitely and deafeningly UNIFIED…they
must be 2000 years ahead (on that subject)
http://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/91907/a-draft-makes-people-feel-cold-how-can-that-be-measured
The draft is real. Now, old people overhype it of course but it is a thing so stop being in denial and make fun of others.
Americans have cold AC everywhere. There’s AC in stores, in the bus, home, bar, school, hospital, car, everywhere. Eastern Europe doesn’t have AC almost anywhere outside malls, fancy stores and new cars. Most of them don’t even use it in their cars to save gas.
My point is Americans are born with AC on. Their body is used to it and it develops a resistance from temperature swings and drafts.
There’s a good comment somewhere here that explains how to test this out: – leave a fan blowing on medium close to your face and sleep with it, in the morning or at most the next day you will develop a cold or some sort of earache, neck strain, watery eyes, or a terrible headache that will last a few days.
If you don’t, congrats, you are probably American that lived with AC their entire life, if you ask your grandparents they might know about it since they didn’t have AC everywhere back then.
I can confirm the curent is real, if you are on the highway and open your windows on both sides and let the breeze straight in your face for 20-30 min you are going to have a bad time for the next couple days.
I always get a major headache/ear ache/sore throat/cough when I stay for too long in a draft or wind (either of the 2). I’m neither crazy, nor primitive, and I know most cultures don’t recognize draft as a potential harm, but here in Romania we do 🙂 Maybe our parents taught us how to avoid it and our bodies didn’t get used to it, I don’t know, but we certainly don’t like draft 🙂