Flip sides: meet five Hongkongers who lead surprising second lives
Looks can be deceiving and there’s much more to these five Hongkongers than meets the eye, as Vanessa Yung, Kylie Knott and Bernice Chan find out
The Biker
Danny Gohel, 51.
Professor by day, biker at the weekend
Clad in a leather helmet, boots and jacket with a bandana covering his mouth and nose, Danny Gohel pulls up on his shiny 2008 Fatboy Harley-Davidson. “Sorry I’m late, I got stuck in traffic,” he says, peeling himself off his 400kg metallic beast, the copper and black colour marking the brand’s 105th anniversary. “Only 4,000 of these were made for the anniversary and this one is number 555, which is funny because my dad smoked the brand [State Express] 555.”
Hong Kong-born Gohel loves his Harley, an addiction he picked up from his roommate while studying in the US. He spends hours cleaning it – he uses a toothbrush – and has christened it Misty.
“I like to ride in the fog.”
It’s a good thing that his wife is also a fan. “I had a comfortable pillion specially added just for her.”
But while weekends are reserved for the open roads, his week days are spent in a suit and tie at Tung Wah College in Ho Man Tin, where he holds the dual posts of associate vice-president (academic development) and head of the medical science department.
“I ride my bike to work quite often – the students love it,” he says. “They become more open and friendly … I think they sort of see me as one of them.”