So here is another weird German belief that many Americans find strange: Germans like sleeping in cold rooms. I've never really been able to figure out why, except that they somehow find it healthier to do this. Many times I've met Germans who don't heat (or barely)their bedroom in winter or, worse yet, sleep with an open window. . Ok, Germany might not be Siberia but still, sleeping with the window open when it's below freezing can be summed up in one word: Nuts!Now, if people would just say "That's what I prefer." I would still find it rather strange, but would accept it with a whatever floats your boat kind of attitude. Unfortunately it's more likely that you'll hear "Of course we do that!" or "Everyone knows that you always (fill in the blank)" and suddenly be filled with a room full of people who look at you like YOU'RE the crazy one!
I've always prided myself on the fact that my husband does not have these sort of very German ways of thinking about things and is not at all anal. This morning, however, I realized he might just not be talking about them. I discovered this when I went into our daughter's room and made a remark about how cold it is in the morning (when the curtains are shut, the block off the heat.)
"It's better that way," he said. "Sleeping in a cold room prevents swelling."
Swelling???
"That's just weird German talk," I said. He immediately got a look on his face like my poor clueless darling and told me "You're from California. You just don't know about these things." So today I ask a friend of mine from Michigan who also lives here if they keep their
rooms cold during winter. She started laughing her head off. "Of course not. We're not crazy!"Point taken.....
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