With some lockdown restrictions lifting on Monday 11th May here in the Green Zone of France, there is a rush to ensure everyone has at least one face mask to their name. I am very grateful that our local councillors will be doing the rounds over the next few days, popping them in our post boxes (I've had to leave a number on the letter box so they know how many to leave!). And yet...
Well for a start, there is this conundrum for those of us who wear glasses.
I gather wiping the inside of your glasses with shaving foam helps.
But practical issues of steaming up aside, I have a whole bunch of issues with face masks.
Disposable ones - after all the hassle we have been having over the past years about reducing waste, reuse, recycle etc, suddenly people are using disposable face masks that have to be put in the main garbage, and some are using several a day. That's not going to help the planet, is it?
Washable ones - except you "have" to wash them on a 30 minute, 65°C wash with detergent, no softener, but you can put them in with other stuff you are washing. Hmm - so my washing machine is a bit old and doesn't have a 30 minute cycle, I don't wash anything at 65°C, and certainly nothing with elastic, which doesn't like that sort of temperature, and a full 2 hour cycle for our 3 (or 5 after our delivery) face masks? Plus anything else we want to shrink of course. Plus the cost of the electricity to power heating the water that much. So that annoys me.
Then there is the politics, with a small p, of wearing a face mask. The people I've had issues with over social distancing, or keeping a decent amount away from me, are those wearing masks who seem to think it makes them suddenly cleaner than clean and able to get up close and personal. Think people who crane past you to see what is available from the fish monger, or little old ladies who want to get to the cashier more quickly so get up close and personal. I remonstrated with one this morning, and she asked me if I had the virus to be so concerned. As her mask only covered her mouth, me pointing out that I didn't know about me, but I certainly didn't know about her went over her head.
I am waiting to see how easy it is to have a hair wash, cut and blow dry while wearing a face mask, or indeed my visit to the beautician....
And of course the reason for wearing one, is if you have symptoms, you keep them to yourself, it doesn't stop you from picking up the virus from others, as it doesn't include eye cover. Aaaargh.
Moving swiftly on, here is a pretty flower from bulbs I planted last autumn and I've lost the list of what they might be. They were a nice surprise this afternoon.
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