“Cheese… milk’s leap toward immortality.”

I have often seen Asians wearing face masks such as this one and have always assumed they wore them for protection against disease. I have finally realized that the reason they wear them is to protect their lungs against the pollution and dust that unpaved roads and large cities unfortunately host. It seems like all construction or road workers wear a mask, and many motorcyclists and pedestrians either have a mask or a scarf pulled over their mouth or nose. After spending some time in big polluted cities (such as this one), and cycling on dusty unpaved roads, I completely understand the necessity of a funny looking face mask. Just blowing your nose, and finding your snot completely black, should be more than enough proof that the air here is indeed dirty.