Here in Indonesia and the greater Southeast Asia (well, at least in Singapore), there is an idea that if too much “wind” enters your body, you will start exhibiting all sorts of physical symptoms which in turn can harm your physical well-being. For instance, one of the first signs that the wind has entered your body is when you start burping. This indicates that your body is struggling to let the cold air out from its system. Embarrassingly enough, farting is another symptom.
In order for you to prevent the wind from entering, you need to be creative and utilize all means of defense at your disposal. In Indonesia, motorcycles continue to be the predominant way of transportation; however, when you’re not cocooned in the comfort of a car, you are obviously exposed to the outside air, or “the wind.” This means you need to layer up with a shirt and/or jacket with long sleeves even in a 35-degree heat.
When I moved to Jakarta nearly a year ago, I couldn’t fathom the idea of putting that many pieces of clothes on, let alone understand what the wind can do to your body. I would often ask my friends why motorists keep torturing themselves in such excessive heat, only to get the same exact response, which did not make sense.
To be continued…
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