Mask Envy

Review by William Urbanski

For many years, I thought this whole idea of wearing disposable masks to protect against germs or air pollution was silly. Recently, however, due to a set of unforeseen circumstances, including an injury to my countenance, I was forced to accept that donning a mask for a few weeks was in my best interest. During this time, I noticed a strange phenomenon: A lot of the kids I taught had masks that looked better and were more stylish than mine. This case of “mask envy” not only made me realize I should stop comparing my accessory choices to those of ten-year-olds but also got me wondering about the intrinsic differences between masks. So, over a couple of weeks, I tried out a number of disposable masks and compared them across four metrics in an effort to answer the age-old question: Are all masks created equal? The Ninja Mask At the low, low price of nine for 2,000 won, these black masks were overall not bad, but the place where the mask met the elastic ear bands was not fused together very smoothly. This very small area stuck out and rubbed my face in the exact spot where I had just gotten stitches removed. What I ended up having to do was to glue a piece of cotton on the inside, which greatly improved the comfort but was still a bit of an inconvenience. One might even say I traded a pain in the face for a pain in the neck.

Pros: Great price, ninja-inspired style. Con: Rubs against face.

The Big Grey Playing right into the hands of coronavirus paranoia, I decided to break out the heavy-duty gear. This tank of a mask would stop any germ that was not attached to a bullet, though just barely. Pros: Best build quality, tight fit. Cons: Condensation builds up, not ideal for jobs that require talking, kind of expensive.

Kitchen Towel with Elastic Bands Tired of paying outrageous pharmacy prices and imbued with the DIY spirit, I decided to take matters into my own hands. All it took to put this bad boy together was a few common household items and 30 seconds of my time. The fit was surprisingly snug, and I feel that with a little work and design innovations involving a pair of scissors, it could be extremely comfortable. The other advantage of making your own mask is that you could draw cool pictures on it. Also, if you were going somewhere really crowded, you could add a few more layers of paper towels to keep yourself safe, I suppose.

The Great White At eleven masks for 2,500 won, this was a low-cost leader and probably my favorite. It had three plies and ear bands that were comfortably fused into place. Not unlike an accordion, this mask could be spread out vertically to cover more or less of the face. Breathability was a huge plus for the Great White, and it was the only one I felt comfortable wearing to the gym and working out in. And of course, wearing it all day at work was no problem with absolutely no condensation build up.

Pros: Fantastic price, good build quality, and lightweight. Cons: Does not create a “seal” around your maw like some of the high-end masks; the color white is just so 2019.

The NW94 This is the granddaddy of them all and a status symbol of the bourgeoisie. The ultimate in luxury, it is highly coveted and can sometimes be hard to find. Apparently, these are so popular that unscrupulous hustlers have actually been making imitations and selling them on the black market. Now, normally I would never drop my hard-earned coin on a product so blatantly designed and marketed to perpetuate conspicuous consumption, but it just so happened that my wife, who works in nursing education, was gifted a few. Compared to the other masks, this had a much sturdier feel but without the thickness of the Big Grey. The closest thing I would compare the shape to is the oxygen mask that drops down when a plane loses cabin pressure. And, to be fair, the sense of urgency one would experience while putting on an oxygen mask is probably the emotional response that the manufacturers were trying to trigger in desperate, coronavirus-fearing consumers.

This was not the most comfortable mask, mainly due to the bulging-out shape that resembled some kind of dog muzzle. While not heavy per se, it lacked the lightweight feel of the Great White and the tight fit came with the tradeoff of not being adjustable along the y-axis.

Pro: Gives others mask envy. Con: Four-thousand won a pop.

So which mask is best? To answer this, consider the following idea: quality is not an all-or-nothing proposition. People too often get fixated on getting something of the highest quality because they are special little snowflakes whose needs are so particular that they require nothing but the best. The problem with going for “top quality” products is that once something meets a reasonable standard, incremental improvements that make a product one or two percent better actually do not really change jack squat but certainly boost up the price. The NW94 is good, but keep in mind that it is more than 20 times as expensive as other masks that do pretty much the same thing. Is the NW94 twenty times better than the Ninja Mask or the Great White? Not by a long shot. The point I am trying to make here is that while people may think that they deserve premium quality, what they really need is something of appropriate quality. So, the Great White gets my vote as the best of the bunch. Also, while a person may be tempted to reuse an expensive mask many times, the Great White also has the advantage of being disposable without a second thought, which from my understanding, is how these things are supposed to be used anyway.

There is a lot of mask hype and mask fear-mongering going on lately. Certain keyboard warriors who hold advanced Googleology degrees from Facebook University would have you believe that certain types of masks (read: the most expensive ones) are the only ones that actually protect against germs and that simple and cheap masks are ineffective. Such blithering and unsubstantiated notions have zero basis in scientific fact or reality. It is up to you, as responsible and productive members of society, to cut through the ubiquitous mask misinformation and have the audacity to dream of a world where all those who wear masks, regardless of price and perceived quality, are treated as equals.

Graphics by William Urbanski

The Author William Urbanski, managing editor of the Gwangju News, has an MA in international relations and cultural diplomacy. His preferred appelative is not bro. Instagram: @will_il_gatto

Hello L

Hello L Character Macaron Specialist

Living in Gwangju for almost three years now, I must say I am familiar with many coffeeshops in the city. I have also tried diverse desserts, especially macarons, and drunk many gallons of cappuccinos, coffees, caramel macchiatos, and so on. I think I have become somewhat picky in choosing desserts and coffee. Therefore, recommending a place to eat or drink is not that easy anymore. I first discovered Hello L through their Instagram account. I was searching for a coffeeshop in Seoul but discovered a better one in Gwangju. Seeing from their posts a variety of colorful macarons in cartoon shapes, I thought it was the perfect place to bring my children. We went there on a warm, sunny day and discovered a cozy place in relaxing colors (predominantly yellow tones). Luckily, it was not crowded, so we were able to choose the best spot near the window with a comfy sofa. They had a wide offer of macarons, each one cuter than the next, so choosing was a really hard thing to do. Eventually, we decided on a mango smoothie and character macarons with coffee filling, Oreo filling, strawberry, and vanilla cream. Both the beverage and the macarons were really nice; the mango smoothie was not sweet but refreshing – perfect for a hot summer day – while the macarons were tasty with soft delicious cream. The outer shells of the airy meringue sandwiches were smooth and crisp, and on the inside, the abundant fillings were a variety of fluffy creams. While the taste of the macarons was good, they were not the very best that I have had. We loved the fact that they came in a variety of flavors and characters to choose from. My kids decided upon Doraemon, Rilakkuma, Snoopy, and Crayon Shincan’s baby sister. Hello L also sell cakes, brownies, scones, and other desserts. For those interested in baking or just making their own funny macaron characters or cookies, this coffeeshop Reviewed and photographed by Melline Galani

Hello L inside view.

Mango smoothie and character macarons.

offers baking lessons (the schedule and themes are posted on their blog). These are also provided at the coffeeshop, in a separate room with a wide window so customers can watch the progress of the lesson. I think it would be a very interesting experience, especially for children, to make their own favorite desserts. More information about the prices, operating hours, and reservations can be found at their Instagram account.

Be forewarned that the prices are a bit expensive: macarons are listed at 2,800–3,300 won a piece, while beverages start from 3,000 won. Still, I think it is worth visiting at least once. The coffeeshop is very close to 5.18 Memorial Park in the Sangmu district, so a walk in the park is more than welcomed after a nice dessert. Hello L (헬로우엘)

Address: 3-22 Sangmuminju-ro 32-beon-gil (Sangmu-1- dong), Seo-gu, Gwangju 광주광역시 서구 (상무1동) 상무민주로32번길 3-22 Instagram: @hellol_official

The Author Melline Galani is a Romanian enthusiast, born and raised in the capital city of Bucharest, who is currently living in Gwangju. She likes new challenges, learning interesting things, and is incurably optimistic.

Sweets on display at Hello L.