The Adjusted Normal, 17. The Masked Man has Conquered.

Yesterday I went to Santiago to bring down my daughter and the last of her things from her rented apartment. This has not been a good year for her, ending with the lockdown of a couple of months. At least the roommate she was with was a nice person; they were comfortable in their companionship, and they weren't at each other's throats.

After bringing everything downstairs and filling the car well, we drove into the center of town, where I parked in a parking garage, and she went on to do business with the real estate office and the internet provider. I went walking down to one of my favorite book stores.

Follas Novas in Santiago is a pretty big bookstore, though not on a Barnes and Noble level. They do tend to have hard to find books, and if not on the shelves, you can order them. The reason for this is that they tend to cater to the university crowd. They also have a nifty little English language section that I like to peruse every now and then, both for books to use in my classes and for my reading pleasure.

Walking down from the parking lot, Santiago seemed to be as busy with pedestrians and cars as ever. I had to pull up my mask several times since I couldn't keep my distance from some people, as I was walking along the sidewalks. In fact, most people yesterday were wearing a mask. Surgical, 90 cent pharmacy masks, homemade cloth masks, designer masks, everyone was sporting their style. Very few had them around their neck, like me, or on their wrist. Everybody was being conscientious.

However, that still doesn't mean they don't cut off my air. My daughter was in a rush, so from the parking garage, down a street, she was hurrying, and I was trying to keep up with her, wearing my mask. I had to stop, take it off, and breathe deeply. She stopped, and told me to breathe. So did a guy walking by. I am not made for extreme heat, and the heat trapped by the mask is extreme for me. 

After that, we parted ways, and I walked with the mask down. The bookstore was cool enough that I could sift through titles with a certain leisure while wearing it, though, in the end, I felt I had to get out of there. I paid for the books I chose, though not completely sure of one of them. Then, I went back to the parking garage, keeping my distance, only entering a sushi bar that I normally find closed when I walk by, and bought my supper. It's a shame (hah!) no one else in my house likes sushi. 

Along the sidewalks, yellow arrows have been painted, to show the direction pedestrians should walk in on that side of the street. I assume they were painted when people first started coming out, to ensure they were all breathing in the same direction, and not in each other's faces. They can get rid of them, now. With the masks, everyone walks on whichever side they want, in whichever direction they want. 

This morning, summer classes have begun for me. I wiped down the table and the pencils with rubbing alcohol because the sanitizing sprays are toxic to cats, and our cats are sociable and tend to visit. In fact, Anton came and lay down on a bookbag that had been plunked on the floor. I have a clear plastic screen to wear instead of a mask. It's not as effective, because it is open at the bottom, but it's a compromise. The band is tight, and my forehead is uncomfortable, but it's what there is for a while. Both my students at the first hour wore masks, and they used the hand gel I placed by the front door. From time to time, we couldn't hear each other well, and the plastic in front of my eyes is slightly wavy, so it costs me a little to see words on the pages, but it will do. Second hour isn't coming today. In the afternoon, I have one student, but next week I will have at least one more. It's not the amount of students I had last year, but at least it's something.

Life continues.