The Discreet Charm of Face Masks
I have become a fan of face masks; they make me look younger and when I have my sunglasses on, I think I am incognito. My friend Marianne is right: I own more face masks than bikinis, obviously an age thing even in beach-loving Rio. I have also more masks than panties and bras in my closet. I vividly remember when I wore my first face mask. It was early March 2020 when the first Covid cases landed on the Brazilian shores, apparently imported from Italy. We were going to the opera and Silvia, who uses masks at work, gave each of us a humble surgical mask. Our small group looked odd because few in the audience were masked then. During the early days of the pandemic, rich countries like the USA and those of Europe were consumed in toxic arguments on the merits of recommending face masks for the hoi polloi. As experts from these countries were arguing Brazilians, who expect little from their government, made their own decisions and adop...