Smog returns to Taipei

On Saturday morning, the city woke up to a beautiful, sunny day, but the mountains in the north began to disappear from view around noon. It was as though a dark, grey film were hanging outside my window. The return of smog could mean only one thing: the mainland’s factories had resumed production.

Life in Taipei, in the meantime, has been carrying on as usual, with only barely noticeable adjustments for the majority of the populace. Besides the omnipresent facemasks, which are now mandatory at school and on public transport, as well as temperature checks at the entrances to many important public buildings, little has changed about the life of the city. I suppose people wash their hands more frequently and longer, and err on the side of avoiding public gatherings a more diligently than I remember, but that is all.

My trackpad has been annoying me lately, so I bought a mouse the other day. A few friends and I also went to a boardgame café on Friday, which was very fun.     

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