an-american-in-france

The Killer Draft – every American expat married to a French person has, at some point early in their relationship, had at least one argument about the Killer Draft, the name I’ve given this absolute fear that the French have of drafts. Open a window and you will hear the shrieks from your French partner about how the draft will give you a neck ache, a backache or some other ache of your body, as well as make you deathly ill with a flu, cold or pneumonia. I have French friends who will wear scarves around their necks in the dead of summer when it’s 85 degrees outside to protect themselves from ‘the draft.’ And I can’t count how many arguments my husband and I have had about opening a car window, a window at home, or turning on a fan (which is not only a draft but an unnatural draft which is the worst kind). So I have spent many a drive sitting in a hot car with the windows rolled up and without air conditioning. It is like riding in an oven. You see, the French hate air conditioning too. It’s right up there with the Killer Draft but for different reasons. The Killer Draft has even become a fashion statement. Browse the windows of stores in France and you find the mannequins, male and female, standing proudly, displaying their multi-colored, multi-textured scarves wound tightly around their necks. Perhaps the French think the mannequins may get neck aches too.

The thing that I truly don’t understand however is that while the French hate drafts, everyday they walk around the house opening all the windows for an hour or so to ‘change the air.’ Apparently, it’s healthy for you. So someone please tell me what the difference is between a ‘killer draft’ from open windows, and ‘a changing the air draft’ from open windows! Good grief! Anyway, my Frenchman and I have moved beyond the Killer Draft arguments to turning it into a big joke. Whenever he comes up with another French theory that has no rational basis for me, I ask him if it’s in the same category as the Killer Draft. Fortunately, he has a sense of humor about it and now we just have a good laugh. Well, usually…..

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