Simon says: -There are many wonderful things about living in Asia (in fact most of the things are wonderful) BUT... there are some things that drive me potty...one of them is "Old wives tales" that are considered as gospel truth and based upon no fact or science whatsoever. I'll give you a few weather related examples, the first one is my favourite: -
"You can't swim when it's raining! (I'm talking outdoor pool)" and I'm not talking about thunder/lightening, just rain - what do people think, I might get wet!!! In fact the theory is that you'll catch a cold - Mmmm! The combination of rain and swimming must develop some mysterious virus or bacteria that is triggered by rain water hitting pool water - Goodness me, it's not Gremlins you know!
"You shouldn't run when it's raining (See attached article from Mohan the Great)" Again some mysterious virus or bacteria somehow undetected by medical science manifests itself when it rains - POPPYCOCK! In fact there is nothing more pleasurable than running in the rain in hot, humid Asia, it cools you down and somehow adds a wonderful fresh perspective to the world.
"You shouldn't cycle in the rain" - If this relates to slippy roads and poor visibility then there is a point and a good one. If its the mysterious virus and bacteria theory again then BALDERDASH! Sure, riding in the rain ain't much fun but get over it, what happens if it rains on race day?
"You shouldn't drink cold water on a hot day" - YOU WHAT? Cold water is ingested by the body far quicker than warm water. Did you know that in the Tour d'Langkawi the team that suffers most from the heat is the Malaysian team because they are banned from drinking cold water. The theory is that it will give them arthritis when they are older!!!!
I could go on and on but so far there are at least three or four people that I know I have deeply offended by writing this. My intention is not to offend anyone but rather to get people to think a little more carefully about what their belief's around such things are based on. Nothing wrong with a little healthy superstition but science is a good starting point, that's all I'm saying. .jpg)
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2 comments:
Wow, what different world's we live in. People here (Minnesota) used to ask me if my lungs would freeze running in Winter! In rainy season do you bike much in the rain? If so, are you constantly re-lubing chain? That seems to be the only side effect of rain riding I know of (besides slippery roads). --Ree_ti_ree.
Hi Simon, it is very interesting how different people have different ideas of dos/ don'ts. I grew up in KL and now live in London. I love running in the rain here in the UK - the park is empty of people and I really get the feel of being outside in nature with the rain pattering down. As a kid in KL, we used to swim at the RSGC in the rain too - until a siren would warn us of lightning.
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