I learn how to fish, amongst other things

Today, I learned how to fish.  No, I didn't have a fishing pole, but the theory of how to fish was explained to me and it really didn't seem all that difficult.  I inquired of where I might buy a fishing pole but my trainer laughed, "I teach people how to fish," he said, "I don't actually help you, you know, fish."

Slightly nonplussed, I began to ask around at the various merchants.  "Oh no," one of them said, "Fishing poles are expensive things, why no ordinary merchant like me would ever carry one of those.  You'll have to go to Stormwind for that."  Stormwind.  Again.  "And while you're there," he added, "You might as well learn how to skin an animal and how to mine for gold.  I can see by the cut of your clothes that you don't have much money and how better to get it than to simply dig it out of the ground!"  I heartily conquered and ran over to the griffin master with a much lighter heart.  These clothes are really rather revealing and although I prefer heavier armor, I don't much fancy the cold breeze that occasionally blows across my stomach as I run about.

So there I was in Stormwind, fishing up a storm.  I caught many fish and even learned how to cook one of them.  Apparently there is more to cooking fish than simply spearing them on a green bough and turning them over the fire until they're done, so I have only been able to cook one species of the fish I bought.  I hope to someday soon learn how to cook the other fish I'm carrying about with me.  I asked how long they would keep and I received some funny looks.  "Keep?"
"Yes, you know, how long is it safe to keep them in the sun?"
"Uhm, sorry, I don't follow you."
"Well, how long does it take them to spoil?"
"Why would they be spoiling as long as you aren't dragging them around in the dirt?"
"I, well, never mind, thank you."

The concept of rotten food seems foreign to these people.  As I traveled back to Goldshire, I stopped by various inns and looked around -- there were no ice facilities anywhere.  Nothing is kept cold and nobody seemed sick.  I don't understand it, and I'm really not sure where this concept of rotten food came from, my memory seems to be playing more tricks on me than usual.