OK, I have to admit, I have read about this nightmare scenario before, but I had not realised that some Koreans take it very seriously…
What am I talking about? The silent killer – Death By Fan! Yes, some people do believe that if you sleep in a room, with shut windows and a door, and leave a desk fan on, you risk suffocating… In the same way that Kazakhs will warn you not sit on concrete (you’ll get piles) or drink a cold drink on a hot day (you’ll damage your throat? you’ll get a cold? can’t recall the dire warning exactly, apologies), this old wives tale still circulates in some society circles!
If you would like to know more, check out this site.
This post is NOT sponsored, I just found it interesting to compare and contrast different society’s strongly held beliefs.
May 30th, 2007 5:21 pm
But what’s the problem with fan? It doesn’t consume oxygen at all.
BTW — a cold drink in a hot day will inevitable make you catch cold. :p
May 30th, 2007 5:35 pm
I’m guessing you didn’t check the whole site, although he discounts the oxygen issue, the other problems remain scary. http://www.fandeath.net/menu/fanskill.htm
If you believe everything you read 🙂
And yes, OK, I’ll bite… cold drinks on a warm day have NEVER made me ill. Less grumpy, less hot’n’bothered, certainly, but the idea that something cold on your throat leads a cold is bunch of bollards.
However, coughing without covering your mouth, spitting on the street etc. DOES release germs in the air, and can help spread diseases… why I might think of that living in Kazakhstan, I’m sure I don’t know ;>
May 31st, 2007 5:50 pm
Obviously my English isn’t good enough, pity. I tried to make a jocular statement by using the word “inevitably” and putting a smiley afterwards.
May 31st, 2007 6:07 pm
No, your English was fine…
By using the term “I’ll bite” I was attempting to infer that I understood you didn’t believe it yourself, but were perhaps hoping to provoke a reaction from me 🙂
So it would appear that my English skills aren’t as refined as yours ;P