you think what?

I never considered myself a superstitious person, and I've always rolled my eyes a bit at people who are. This is something I need to stop doing if I want Bulgarians to not hate me.

Most of the the superstitions here are pretty harmless. Things like women shouldn't leave their purses on the floor because they will lose their money, make sure you make eye contact when toasting drinks, ect. But then there is the techaynea.

The basic idea is that if you are inside you cannot have two doors/windows open at once because if you do you could get very sick. This would seem to make sense if it were the dead of winter, but not when you are on a packed public bus in august. Or anywhere in august. We asked our language trainer about this.

Us: So why are people superstitious about the techanynea?
Her: It's not a superstition.
Us: Oh.

Us: So a draft through the house makes you sick. Does the wind outside make you sick?
Her: No.
Us: Oh.

from there it proceeded to get awkward.

And apparently this death draft only effects Bulgarians. We have been told that the reason is because they have another superstition that for the first six months after a baby is born it isn't supposed to go outside or come into contact with people other than the family. This somehow is the reason that moving air makes sickness. Therefore Americans are immune.

It is also unclear whether the draft causes you to get sick or whether it is the sickness itself. Another volunteer worked with a woman who had a stroke on a bus. When he asked his coworkers, they told him that the doctor said she had the techaynea. Apparently she fell asleep on the bus, and then someone opened a window. In her sleeping state she was unable to fight off the draft. He asked "so the techaynea caused her to have a stroke?" they replied "no, she HAS the techaynea."

All I know is, it's 96 degrees out today. I'm throwing a techaynea party.