“Pandemic's over, uh”, sings Psy on his latest hit single “That, That.”
Honestly, he’s probably right. Life have largely returned to the pre-pandemic normal. We can even look at international travel plans again, without any quarantine restrictions. General indoor mask usage have decreased dramatically, though that largely depends on where you go. Costco is about half masked. Whole Foods I would put at 80% masked. H Mart is about 99%. Us Asians don’t mess around when it comes to masks! We’ve had a masking culture long before the world met COVID 19.
Of course, my readings are of the Bay Area. I suspect if I leave this enclave, the amount of people masking falls closer to zero. I’ve certainly seen this when heading up north. My friend just returned south from Monterey, and she was practically the only person with a mask on.
Since summer is the best time to take vacation for those of us who works in education, my supervisor asked me about any potential PTO plans. As much as I desire to go to Asia -South Korean and Japan is and will be open, respectively - it’s probably best to avoid the crowd of people who also have similar thoughts of finally escaping on a holiday. All these Koreaboos who got into Kpop during the pandemic will be dying to go to Seoul.
Glad I already made that pilgrimage back in 2017.
I think I’ll stay put during this summer. Enjoy that San Francisco lifestyle for a bit, free of any COVID restrictions. I have everything I need and want right here.
Why go anywhere else?