Hello and nice to meet you! My name is Syahirah and I’m a writer for HHWT. ? With the announcement of the mask mandate being lifted we cheer, “No more masks!”. It’s been a long two years of consistent mask-wearing since Covid-19 and looking back, the masks have definitely changed the way we live even if we won’t admit it. As a writer, and as someone who LOVES the idea of wearing masks everywhere, I reflected on 10 things I realised after two years of wearing masks! Can you relate to any of these?
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1. No more mask shopping
Old habits die hard, and I’m the first to admit that I’m a shopaholic! If there’s a cute product in the market, it will be mine - no questions asked. ? And so the same can be said for buying masks. Whether you’re looking for one that serves as the best protection or the next most adorable design, there won’t be a need to stock up anymore! That makes me a little sad, but I suppose I can save that budget for something else! ✨
2. It’s safer under the mask (literally and figuratively)
Credit: Syahirah
Remember the saying, “It’s safer under the blanket”? After two years of strict mask policy, I feel safer wearing a mask and it’s not just because it protects me from the elements and lowers my chances of getting Covid (spoiler: I already caught it once before ?). Perhaps it’s a psychological thing where I assume that since no one can see the bottom half of my face, I’m in my own ‘bubble’ so no one can disturb me when I’m in the said ‘bubble’.
3. I wasn’t as friendly as I thought I was
Credit: Syahirah
After wearing a mask for two years, it’s become somewhat of a muzzle. I’m usually a very chatty person by nature and I can talk about anything and everything under the sun, but after two years of wearing a mask, I realised that I don’t talk very much anymore! ? It’s a fascinating thing to hear my friends tell me I’m almost like a different person with the mask on.
But on top of that, people tell me that I look unapproachable even when I’m not wearing a mask! ?Two years of having my face covered may have caused my facial muscles to relax way too much.
4. Having a mask was more important than having a phone
When the mask mandate was first put into place, I remember an instance where a school boy had to hurry off the bus because he forgot to wear a mask (fortunately, my mom had spare masks in her bag so we were able to give on to him). ?If you left home without a mask, the looks you would get from the public would be so frightening! Leaving home without a mask had more dire consequences than forgetting your phone.
5. What is “Mask-fishing”?
Credit: Syahirah
I didn’t know this term existed until a friend of mine mentioned to me how it worked. The term comes from the word “Catfishing” which means to present yourself as someone that you’re not (often to appear more attractive to the other party). ? Because we’re wearing masks, only our eyes are visible to other people so they can’t exactly see more of our facial features. Therefore, we may look different when the mask is off!
6. Makeup and cosmetics are rendered useless
Credit: @opkuma on IG
Many feel the same way I’m sure! ? I’ve only been wearing minimal makeup since the pandemic started and somehow, it’s become a norm in my daily life to only put on some sunblock, lip balm and draw on some eyebrows. When we start taking off the masks for good, I’m going to have to watch YouTube makeup tutorials again to get the hang of things once more!
7. I forgot how to smile
Credit: Syahirah
Okay, I’m not very proud of this. ? Wearing a mask, I realised I didn’t have to hide my facial expressions when out in public. That means I can frown as deeply as I please or scrunch my nose whenever I want to without coming off as rude as long as I have my mask on. As a result, my smile has become a little lopsided (but now I'm wondering if it’s always been that way ?).
8. Can’t wait to get the mask off
Credit: Syahirah
I have mixed feelings about removing the mask completely, and writing this, I realised I didn’t really have many photos of myself wearing the mask (most of them are un-glams! ? While I do have reservations about completely removing my mask in public, I admit that I don’t really like taking photos with my mask on. It seems a bit stiff with the mask on in my opinion! ?
Did you relate to any of these thoughts? Let us know what you think of the further easing of the mask mandate in Singapore! Remember to stay safe and take care of yourself and those around you too. ?