OleAndre
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On one of my last days in Hong Kong I wanted to stroll around in some of the old neighbourhoods in Kowloon. I started off at Sham Shui Po, a quite tired place with plenty of old buildings (oh by the way, old by hong kong standards refers to buildings from the 1960s). From there on I headed towards Prince Edward and further down towards Tai Kok Tsui and Mong Kok. Let me just emphasise that these are extremely crowded areas. Mong Kok is the most dense area in the world, and I am sure that Sham Shui Po is not far behind.
I highly recommend anyone who is visiting Hong Kong to go to these places, as they offer something completely different than what you would get in the more touristy and commercial areas in Hong Kong island and TST. To me, these areas are the "true" Hong Kong. The areas where you really feel how the Hong Kong people are, and how they do things to make their days go buy.
I started by taking the MTR from Kwai Hing, which is where my in-laws live. Just a couple of words about how that works out. When we visit them we are four grownups living on 35 square meters (roughly 375 square feet). Everything in the apartment is small. The toilet, the shower, the beds, you name it. But everything is also extremely functional - that is one thing I really like about Hong Kong. Functionality is at the center of everything. My mother in law is extremely restrictive on what she buys - everything either has to be something that can be stored neatly, or be something that can store other things in or on it. Buying something just because "it is pretty to look at", is a big no-no.
Moving on, I was on the MTR, which must be one of the best mass transit systems in the world. Trains depart every second minute, and if you need to change from one train to another, all you have to do is cross the plattform. Everything is planned so that people have to walk as little as possible. Time is money - especially in a city like Hong Kong.
I have to say that Sham Shiu Po is not a very nice area, and it wouldn't be unnatural for you to feel a bit unsafe when being there. But I have never experienced anything negative there, not once. And I have been strolling down dark alleys, and walking around with mafia guys around me both day and night. What I like about this area is that its so genuine. You can drink snake wine which is 20-30 years old there, if you fancy that kind of thing. Or how about visiting Golden Computer Centre, which is packed with real and fake electric gadgets. An Aphone anyone?And then there are the markets. Yes, there are plenty of markets in Hong Kong, but most of them are for tourists. These ones are where the Hong Kong people go (at least those who are less fortunate).
A little later I reach the junction between Tai Kok Tsui and Mong Kok. This actually used to be my neighbourhood a few years back. My and my wife (at that time my girlfriend) rented a small studio apartment for half a year in a very worn out building. If I remember correctly, we lived on the 10th floor, and had a view over the local park, and some other equally worn out buildings. Every Sunday there was a big happening at the park. It started with 6am tai chi for the older people, then there usually was some sort of sports gathering for the younger ones, events that usually included lots of megaphones... Oh, how I hated the megaphones...
What strikes me about these incredibly dense neighbourhoods is that they are very local. People to some extent act as if they lived in a small village - they live their lives as if they were there alone, which is quite a contrast to the reality. If they want to cross the six lane street, they do so, even if there are cars coming at them. If they want to sell things illegally on a street corner, they will take their opportunity. Most of the times the police have been ignoring these kind of things, but that is slowly changing now. Sadly, this only amplifies the ongoing tensions between the authorities and the population.
Mong Kok is perhaps the most fascinating area in Hong Kong. There are neon lights everywhere. The only rule that you need to know when being there is that you can not stop walking. If you need to stop, then walk to the side first. People will walk on you, again and again. Mong Kok is also a heaven for photo geeks. There are camera shops everywhere, and malls filled with second hand equipment. I can spend hour after hour just walking around and dreaming while I am there.
All photos (except for the first one) are taken with Sony A7 and Leica Elmarit-R 90.
Ole
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