Crystal Meth - Chungking Last Days

Oh yea I almost went to bed without writing about my final night... almost forgot. Here is what happened: Lucky was now out of a job, his boss wants him in jail. He's depressed. He's my friend though so we hang out and drink a couple San Miguels. I go back to my room and get another call... He says I can take some interesting photos of him and his friend. I reply, "ok."

I show up to a discrete location inside the mansions and they start their science. When I said science earlier about the heroin addicts I was just saying that. This time I MEAN it. They were like little einsteins with all these pieces of tinfoil with different functions. There was the piece that went around the straw so it didn't melt. The one that you use a card so it curls like wrapping ribbon: you use it to put in the top of the lighter so it makes a finer flame... or maybe it's some how easier to cook the meth, I'll ask next time.

Anyways I watched them do this and took a bunch of photos -- I'm afraid it didn't really fit in my story which can be viewed here:

http://www.robinfall.com

I posted a couple photos though (as you can see). After that we said our goodbyes... they didn't really act noticeably different as opposed to the heroin addicts. I woke up a couple hours later to catch a train to Shenzhen. They had no more beds (or seats for that matter) to Shenzhen. I had the option of standing for 24 hours or staying the night in Shenzhen and getting the train the next afternoon. I took the latter.

Lucky, the Indian Mafia, and the Central Intelligence District

Images (clockwise starting from upper left): lucky's apartment, lucky holding a photo of his boss, his watch shop or what's left of it, his broken drawers that held his fake rolexes

I made a friend. His name is Lucky. Lucky sells copy-watches. Lucky called Robin at midnight and told him to meet him. Robin thought this was strange. Robin left his camera and all his belongings in the room where it was safe.

So I saw him standing in the street and he was like, "don't worry man, follow me.." When we got to the end of the alley way there was a tan colored van and they told me to get in. "There is no way I'm getting in that van." I replied. They showed me identification, they were part of the CID of Hong Kong. I should say something prior to this night:

Lucky asked me to find out where another copy-watch location was. I was going around anyway trying to get photos of the places so I didn't see any harm. Ok back to the van:

So I got in. They introduced themselves (i don't remember their names) and said they wanted my help. Lucky told me that he has to help them every once and a while so they don't bust him for selling copy-watches. I looked at Lucky. I looked at the police. They took out a map of the building that I had been earlier in the week... There was no possible way I would be able to tell them with that map -- the place was like a maze. So they said, "Ok I'll go in with you and protect you in case they're there." "Are you really police?" I replied. I looked at Lucky. He was laughing. Lucky said, "Hey man help me out and I'll take time off to get you into an apartment to take photos." I had had some difficulty doing this because of all the illegal refugees living in the building.

These copy-watch sellers are like gang members. In fact they ARE gang members -- they sell illegal goods, drugs, prostitution, work with the police. If one of them saw me I could be in trouble. Although it was really late and I was pretty sure none of them would be out and about. So I said, "ok, but don't come in with me just follow behind and I'll point to the door." We walked in and everything went as planned. But after I pointed they told me to leave quickly. I couldn't get out of the building. The elevator only goes to odd floors -- so I had to take the stairs. The stairwell did not lead to an exit. After a few minutes I found the police again and they asked why I was still here. We ended up going out together.

Anyways the next day Lucky was no where to be found.

The day after that I found him. He had been arrested anyway and taken to prison. One person in the Indian Mafia (as I now call them) took the wrap for the entire group. Lucky found out that his boss had turned him into police in order to save his business. Lucky's apartment was now ransacked, everything was taken from his store but he did let me photograph inside his apartment anyway. The people inside redecorating from the police party were resistant at first but by the time I left they were laughing and even posing.

That pretty much sums up my last couple of days in the Chungking Mansions.

Heroin Addicts - Chungking Final Days

Some people that I often saw in the back alleys were the heroin addicts who happen to be Nepalese. Most of them were sons of ghourkas that were born here in Hong Kong. They would laugh when I sang the only Nepalese song I knew. One day when I was standing there waiting for my friend lucky... who didn't show... one of them came up to me and said, "hey follow me we'll take some photos."

They were really nice guys so I didn't feel threatened in any way although I was kicking myself for not having my digital... I was merely armed with my holga and my waste of plastic diana f+ (totally useless indoors without the flash). We went in to the Chungking stairwells and they started their science. All of them except one said to not get their faces in which I replied, "ok." The thing is i don't even bother looking in the viewfinder with the holga... it's not exactly accurate. When I got the film back I found that I did a pretty good job at cutting out their faces.

There was blood everywhere -- after they shoot up they all dip from a cap in the middle of the floor and clean out their syringes... just squirting it all over the place. I had to laugh because I was trying to take photos with all this blood and syringes covering the floor. After they were "tore up" things got a little strange. They started grabbing my arm and being like, "hey man I want to tell you something..." They'd say something in Nepalese and start laughing like madmen. Anyways I uploaded one of the shots.

The Chungking Mansions Rat

Oh what should I write. Haven't really progressed any the last few days. I've been putting all of my money towards film though -- shooting lomo 800iso, some fugifilm superia 1600, fujicolor natura 1600, and some fugifilm 400.

I am now officially the Chungking Mansions' Rat: going in and out of every little hallway/stairwell/opening etc... People really DO NOT want to get their photos taken. I've made a few friends...mostly from India/Bangladesh that let me photograph them and are even trying to let me photograph their apartment but are unable to come through (they usually live with many people whom they must get permission). There are a lot of illigel immigrants so it is understandable. I really can't think of many things that are legal in this place: copy watches, copy phones, hashish, prostitution, any drug you can think of, rip-off brand clothing. I can't see anything wrong with their tailor made suits for around 20USD -- seems to be legal.

There was a fight today and I had to be sneaky about the photos -- in this situation it was a great time to snap away at all the people while avoiding the police. Didn't get up close and personal with the guy who was injured...just caught the end of the action it looked like. I guess I'm being a little pessimistic about this project but may just be getting a little cabin fever.

Anyway this british guy I've been hanging out with during the day (also a vegetarian) was talking about an interesting concept. He said, "This place has it's own weather -- it's always raining, even when it's nice."

I've been thinking about that because a lot of people refer to Chungking Mansions as Chungking Island: it's self sufficient and you can literally get ANYTHING here -- you don't ever have to leave if you don't want -- there are even frickin banks! The rain he's referring to are the external air conditioners which drip on everybody that's walking down Nathan Rd. On the 3rd floor you can walk out in this central area that goes between all of the buildings and it seriously sounds like it's raining!

Chungking Mansions: the living, breathing, organism.

Chungking Game Plan

Photo Ideas:

Mobile Phone Shops, carrying boxes in and out of the building, businesses on the first and second floors, outside the building at night and during the day, hostel rooms, different nationalities interacting, hotel owners and their hotels, tourists, one family or person living in the chungking mansions (as many as possible)

Sounds: 1st floor playing Hindi music, the chatter on the first floor, people asking me if I want to buy suits, copy watches, and hashish, stairwells, business interactions, interviews

Interview Questions for a non/Hong Kong native that LIVES in the Chungking Mansions:

1. Name/Age/How long have you lived here/Where are you from

2. Why did you come here/ Why do you live in the Chungking Mansions

3. Who do you live with/ How much is rent

4. Have you had any problems living here / Do you have plans to return home

5. How many different nationalities do you do business with in a day / What can you find in the Chungking Mansions

6. How do native Hong Kongers view the Chungking Mansions / Is it a dangerous place

7. What does a typical day look like on the first floor of the Chungking Mansions / What's the craziest thing you've ever seen occur there

8. What are your plans for the future

9. Is there anything else you want to say

Interview Questions for a tourist:

1. Name/ Age/ Where are you from

2. How many times have you stayed here / How long do you intend to stay

2a. Why did you choose to stay here (again)

3. What was/is your first impression of the Chungking Mansions / How about now/later

4. Any interesting experiences / Heard any rumors or interesting facts about the place

5. What do you like about CM/ Dislikes

6. How many different nationalities have you seen here / why is that

7. Will you stay here again/ recommend to a friend

8. Would you say that the Chungking Mansions is a beacon or a hellhole

9. Are the Chungking Mansions a dangerous place

Interview Questions for a Native Hong Konger living in the Building

1. Name/ Age/ Where are you from

2. How long have you lived in the Chungking Mansions / What do you do here

3. Have you had any problems/troubles doing business here

4. How many nationalities do you do business with / why aren't there more native owned businesses here (maybe will not ask this question)

5. How do other Hong Kong people (that don't live here) think of the place / Why

6. Do you intend to stay here / Why

7. Talk about doing business with the other people in the building / any problems

8. Are the Chungking Mansions a dangerous place / What does a typical day look like for you (probably will not be able to get them to understand this question)

9. What are your plans for the future

Chungking Mansions: Facts

from Gordon Mathews' work:

90 Guesthouses

380 businesses: food stands, sellers of mobile phones, watches, electronic items, clothing

4,000 people on any given night stay in the building

100 square meters, 17 stories

10,000 people/existence day pass through the Chungking Mansions from around 124 countries

Built in 1961 - - intended for thw well-off by many accounts

1988 Danish tourist died in a fire

1993: building lost power for 10 days

Africans make for over half of those staying

Sushila Pandey, a 37 year old tourist was killed in the building by her Sri Lankan partner Attanayake Wasala Dangamuwa

1995: 1,750 people were questioned... 45 men and seven women were arrested on suspicion of offences including failing to produce proof of identity, overstaying, using forged travel documents, possessing equipment for forging documents, and possessing dangerous drugs

1996: operation sahara -- 52 men and women were arrested for violating immigration regulations

20-30 percent of all phones in sub-saharan Africa are traded/purchased in the Chungking mansions

Reasons for its in the expensive Hong Kong:

1. Relatively relaxed visa laws (of Hong Kong)

2. Chungking Mansions' rock bottom prices

3. 920 owners -- unified ownership remarkably weak: they can do as he/she pleases -- property developers have not been able to buy the building and replace it with an expensive structure

4. China's emergence as the world manufacturing center --> low-end entrepreneurs flock

People living in the mansions:

1. Traders

2. Owners/managers and their employees

3. Asylum Seekers (around 2,500)

4. Tourists

*80 sex workers (mostly Chinese and Indian -- some from Nepal, Indonesia, Mongolia, Kenya)

*40 Heroin addicts and petty drug dealers

Chungking Mansions Day 1

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/documentaries/2009/07/000000_global_perspective_chungking_mansions.shtml

Chungking Mansions:

I started shooting with a holga but am carrying my digital camera as well. Today walked on every floor from one of the stairwells (block C). In the back there are people that sleep in the ally (on sofas and cardboard). The back has a lot of people selling hash or whatever else you want.

At this point I'm just walking, thinking and deciding to how to go about this project. I want to keep it simple and just find an interesting person that is a good representation of the people that live here. Nothing extreme for the main part of the story but I do want to photograph and record some of the extremities: drug dealers, prostitutes, etc...

The people on the first floor are incredibly helpful... just hanging out there I'm approached and talked to. Today I talked with someone from Pakistan and a Nepalese drug dealer who was born in Hong Kong (his dad was a British soldier.