My First Random Quarantine Hobby

For anyone who has kept up with me, it’s obvious Hong Kong is not actually in quarantine. We are social distancing a lot, but not to the point where we’re not allowed to leave our homes for dinner or hangouts with friends. I feel very lucky to be in a place during this time that hasn’t required people to stay in shelters. The biggest changes going on right now are:

1. Many people, like myself, are working from home. This is a huge change to the job of a teacher, of course, so my work schedule is very different than what it would have been otherwise. I look forward to getting back to the office.
2. We are not allowed to go outside in groups of more than four people. Really, people will be fined if they are seen in a group of more than four.
3. Gyms are closed. 😦
4. Bars are closed.
5. Lots of salons and restaurants that cannot stay open during this time are closed.

Compared to other people who cannot even go to a restaurant right now, I can’t really complain. This time has been hard on everyone, in many different ways.

But I’m hoping this time also shows people how much they have to be thankful for when things eventually get back to normal. We’ll be able to go to our favorite restaurants and shops. We’ll be able to see our loved ones. The air will be a little cleaner and the world will feel full again.

Until then, I, like many others, am finding new hobbies to take up while we have the free time. Hobby #1?

Pickling.

Yup, that’s pretty much it. I am going to start pickling my vegetables. I’ve been obsessed with pickles since I was a kid, and they are WILDLY expensive in Hong Kong, so I figure why not do it myself for cheaper? And so I begun.

Pickling is actually a very quick and easy hobby. The recipe I found asked for 1 cup of vinegar, 1 cup of water, and 2 tablespoons of salt. You mix these ingredients in a pan, heat the pan to boiling, and pour this over your vegetables (which should be tightly squeezed in a jar). Add in any extra seasoning or flavor you’d like, seal the jar tightly, and voila! You may just have delicious pickled veggies in 48 hours.

After 48 hours, I’d say the cucumbers I cut up and pickled were good. Next time I would add a little more salt and a little less vinegar, as they came out a little too vinegary. I would also like to experiment with different flavors: hot sauce, garlic, ginger…

And I’ll continue thinking of more hobbies until then!