ChungkingMan Expresses
Originally from Ghana, hip-hop gear salesman Brian Dollar, 29, is a former resident of Chungking Mansions. He tells us about his "hip-hopping" life in Hong Kong.
HK Magazine: Do you think the urban legends about Chungking Mansion are true?
Brian Dollar: I lived there for a while when I first came here. I don't live there anymore. It's a business-oriented place with a lot of foreigners. People come and go. Guesthouses and food are available at cheaper rates than elsewhere. You can definitely get pretty much anything you want there. I just never pay that much attention.
HK: Have you ever witnessed any crimes there?
BD: I personally never witnessed any crimes, although the place is a legend for crimes, prostitution and drugs. Generally at nights, the building was usually very empty but I felt safe because the police were there on a daily basis.
HK: Do you like living in Hong Kong?
BD: I've been here for over four years now. I see it as my home now because I'm married to a local Chinese girl. Because I have several hip-hop gear shops in China, I always travel back and forth. Hong Kong is a city of opportunities. It is a good base for business. I can make quite a lot of money. I now earn around $70,000 - $80,000 a month by selling hip-hop gear in Hong Kong, China and Africa.
HK: Tell us about your views on the locals.
BD: People are generally very nice and helpful. They will stop and help you when you ask for directions. However, some can be such racists. I've come across people who look down on me only because of my skin color, even though they don't know anything about my capabilities. Some of my friends had pretty bad experiences on the MTR and buses. As soon as they sat down, people just got up and sneaked away. It's not that easy to make friends with them. They keep too much to themselves, compared with people from other backgrounds.
HK: What do you think about the city's nightlife?
BD: It is interesting. I particularly think the way local people dance is cute and unique. The Africans dance like they are performing, but the locals move their bodies like they never care and like no one is watching.
HK: How do you like Chinese food?
BD: It's all right. African food is better in the sense that as we plant our own vegetables so the food is fresher. Local cuisines can never beat that.