General AMA anything about the Kowloon Walled City

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Leigh

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As I mentioned in Poiupoiu @Poiupoiu's China thread, I grew up in Hong Kong and my dad was born there. There was some discussion about the Walled City, which my dad knows all about, so I asked him if he would answer people's questions and he said yes. I mentioned that SongExotic2 @SongExotic2 wanted to visit and he laughed at that idea.

Some things he said to me about it:
It was very primitive.
Tons of criminal activity, as of course you know.
It was 7 feet below sea level and you'd get floods up to your chest.
The police were hesitant to go in due to political ties to China. When they did raids, people there all got a heads up.

I remember my dad telling me how he would run there if he was chased by police because they wouldn't enter.

So if you have any questions, fire away and I'll put them to him.
 
M

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Ask him why the Big Circle Gang is so much more bad ass than the Triads

brrrrrt brrrrrrt

skeet skeet
 

Poiupoiu

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the structures were just on top of each other without code.

were there ever any building collapses ?
 

Poiupoiu

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when was the last time you went to HK?

i assume youre fluent in cantonese. can you speak any mandarin? can you read chinese ?
 

Leigh

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Jan 26, 2015
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How old was it? Did it predate the UKs rule?
This will give you the best info on that. Kowloon Walled City - Wikipedia

Ask him why the Big Circle Gang is so much more bad ass than the Triads
I will ask him.

the structures were just on top of each other without code.

were there ever any building collapses ?
I will ask.

Your parents doing okay now?
Relatively. My mum has throat and lung cancer that wasn't diagnosed due to covid overwhelming our health system. A life time of smoking and doing other drugs. She was initially considered terminal but she's responding well to treatment and will hopefully be ok.

My dad had the capacity to be successful and could stay clean for a decade at a time, working his way into managerial roles at companies but gets drawn back in to the lifestyle, which sabotages him. He's retired now and seems to be doing well.

when was the last time you went to HK?

i assume youre fluent in cantonese. can you speak any mandarin? can you read chinese ?
I cannot speak Cantonese. I asked my dad why he never taught me and he said I couldn't even speak English. I can sing a kids number song and swear. I was last there in 2004.
 
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M

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Prince Philip once said, "If it has got four legs and it is not a chair, if it has got two wings and it flies but is not an aeroplane, and if it swims and it is not a submarine, the Cantonese will eat it."

Does your dad agree with this assessment?
 

Leigh

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Jan 26, 2015
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How could you grow up in hk without speaking Cantonese?
My parents spoke English, my friends spoke English, I went to an English school. It was quite common for Brits. I was there from the age of 3 to 10, was terrible with languages and didn't really mix with Chinese kids.

Were the elevators in the tall buildings?
In Hong Kong? Yes. In the Walled City? I will ask.
 

Poiupoiu

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Did every building have a massage parlor (brothel)?

Were the girls from mainland china, hk, or elsewhere?
 
M

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You mentioned flooding leading to chest-high water.

Did people die every time there was a flood? Were most people there able to swim?
 

FINGERS

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Well that's interesting. Just looking at the map of Hong Kong and it's actually part of mainland China.

Did not know that
 

Poiupoiu

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Well that's interesting. Just looking at the map of Hong Kong and it's actually part of mainland China.

Did not know that
In life style it is 2 different countries.

Its changing, but even today there is an international border crossing between hk and mainland
 
M

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What would you say is the biggest difference between British and Chinese cultures?

Did you face racism or discrimination after returning to the UK? Did that slow down or stop once you became a UFC fighter?
 
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Poiupoiu

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What would you say is the biggest difference between British and Chinese cultures?

Did you face racism or discrimination after returning to the UK? Did that slow down or stop once you became a UFC fighter?
Leigh fought in the UFC?