Japanese people are still wearing masks inside and out.
( Yokohama station, Saturday )
But three years in, I can’t do it any more.
The government is set to relax the regulations next month.
I have been told in my company it will probably be two more years
The Black Narcissus 
I feel for you. Indeed a flower trod upon!!
Especially someone whose nose is the most cherished of the senses.
I can’t offer you anything but sympathy.
There are obviously millions ( actually billions ) of people around the world deserving of your sympathy more than me ( obviously ), but I must admit to feeling, these last few days, extraordinarily suffocated
Luckily I can still choose upon whom to bestow my sympathy
PS have you seen ‘Living’? I saw it twice.
Slow and intense. Very moving.
My family went to see it on a cold rainy day and liked it : films take a year to come out here though : so frustrating !
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/02/02/asia-pacific/asia-covid-mask-habits/
this rings true
Here in DC, I still choose to wear it closed in places like the supermarket and public transportation, but not when I’m just walking down the street.
This is called common sense.
I wish there were more of it about.
This blog will attest to the fact that I have been the opposite of an anti-masker/vaxxer from day one, but after a while you just can’t breathe any more and I worry about the society here just making it the norm – which it absolutely already is. I feel suffocated!
I totally get you. I still wear it to err on the side of caution, but after three long years I feel suffocated too. They’re going to officially lift the public health advisory here in May, so I guess that’t when I’ll decide to completely let go of the mask. I already have a million vaccinations so we’ll see how well they work then, sigh.
Sigh indeed.
But glad we are still here x
Two years! My goodness. No wonder you feel claustrophobic. I really do feel for you. Xx
I will continue to mask when I need to go out for appointments. I am a completely different situation, though.