Hello, lovely readers! Today I want to share one of the most dramatic cultural contrasts I've experienced: the eternal battle between the North American obsession with air conditioning and the Italian fear of a colpo d'aria.
When it's summer outside and winter inside
In Canada, summer arrives and with it, the sacred ritual of turning every indoor space into a giant walk-in freezer. The office? 18°C. The mall? You need an Arctic expedition. The cinema? Bring a parka. The supermarket was the worst — you'd walk in wearing shorts and flip-flops and within minutes start questioning all your life choices.
My first summer at university in London, Ontario: 25°C outside, North Pole inside. I practically needed thermal underwear to make it through my classes!
How to risk your life by turning on the AC
My first Italian summer: I set the AC to 19-20°C like I always do. Ten minutes later I was surrounded by horrified stares. "Are you crazy? Do you want to get sick?" "The temperature difference will give you a stiff neck, stomach issues, and probably ruin your digestion for a week!"
The science behind the Italian colpo d'aria is fascinating. Apparently, any movement of air when you're hot can cause digestive problems, shoulder pain, instant neck paralysis, or general life malfunction. Just one draft is enough to spark panic among grandmothers.
The final paradox: Italians complain about the heat all summer but blast the AC only as a last resort. Canadians do the opposite — they blast it so hard they wander around the house with blankets and mugs of steaming coffee to survive the indoor chill.
In the end, a Canadian learns not to freeze everyone to death, and an Italian learns not to fear every breeze. And if you really don't know which side to pick… always carry a scarf and a fan.
- Draft = an unwanted cold current of air
- Chill = that cold feeling when the room temperature drops
- Freeze = extreme cold state, near zero temperature indoors