010_bamboo scaffolding 03

Similarly to Tokyo, the urbanscape of Hong Kong is largely conceived by colourful signs. (Refer to 001_empire of signs at http://urbanomania-jp.blogspot.com) The formation of signs is so dense that they constitute another 3-dimensional layer over the one of buildings. However, one dissimilarity is that the signs in Hong Kong are spanning horizontally across the streets while the ones in Tokyo creeping up vertically on the building facades. Yet again, the erection of these flying propagandas is made possible by bamboo scaffolding.

009_cheapy dvd

Hongkongers sometimes use english in very strange ways. Some of them also have the weirdest names you can imagine such as Popeye, Yummy, Cinderella, Money, Seraphine, etc.

008_maid in hong kong 02

Quiet open spaces away from the city’s rustling movement are favourite spots for these maids. They collectively establish a subculture in subordinate urban niches on every Sunday. The gathering is territorial, usually happens at the same place, around the same time, with the same group members and probably with the same activities. One of the most popular places is the plaza under Lord Foster’s famous building, Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank.

007_maid in hong kong 01

Sunday is an official day off for maids working in Hong Kong. I think the majority of them are from Indonesia. Of course they hang out where they can find Indonesian shops and restaurants. It is quite an impressive urban phenomenon to see some parts of Hong Kong turn into Indonesia for a day in every week. The gathering is so massive that there is no space left for people to walk through, except on the road. For a story about maid in Singapore, check out 018_maid in Singapore at http://urban-o-mania.blogspot.com

006_david

It’s not always bad to have the same name as other thousand of people. You can buy a key chain with your name written in Chinese. This is a great way to check popularity of your name. Though it doesn’t show in the picture, I’m sure you can find a Peter there.

005_bamboo scaffolding 02

Here is a close-up view of the same bamboo scaffolding from below. There are so many connections and tying points. I once watched a documentary on discovery channel. The female scaffolding builder in the show used plastic straps to tie bamboo sticks together. She was really quick and working without any safety gear even though she was hundreds over meters above ground.

004_bamboo scaffolding 01

Local contractors in Hong Kong use bamboo for scaffolding, no matter how tall the building is. It is quite dangerous since bamboo is weaker than steel. The positions of joints are also not uniform because bamboo sticks don’t come with consistent length. Building bamboo scaffolding needs a lot of skill, as it is complicated. The one in the picture even has cross bracing members, the same system used for the Bank of China Tower.