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From Fearing Strangers to Embracing the Building as Home

From Fearing Strangers to Embracing the Building as Home

Wong Wai Shan, Resident of Kwun Tong Garden Estate

Having lived in a rooftop squatter hut, Wong Wai Shan understands the importance of mutual assistance. Now in Kwun Tong Garden Estate, she still remembers to “extend a helping hand to those in need”.

Wong Wai Shan grew up in a rooftop squatter hut in To Kwa Wan, where poverty taught her the significance of mutual assistance among neighbours to overcome life’s challenges. She recalls an incident when a neighbour, also a rooftop dweller, had their water supply cut off. Without hesitation, everyone came together to share water resources through hoses, reflecting a strong communal bond. In her sentimental recollection of the event, she described this profound experience as the motivation for her to “always lend a helping hand” even after moving into Kwun Tong Garden Estate. Despite her initial hesitation and fear of meeting new people in a new place, she soon adapted and treated her neighbours like family members.

How an accident broke the ice

In 1993-94, HKHS arranged for Wong to relocate to a public rental estate as the government acquired land for housing. As she was among the last group of residents, the nearby HKHS estate Lok Man Sun Chuen and Chun Seen Mei Chuen were not the available options for her. Instead, she was relocated to Hung Cheuk Lau in Kwun Tong Garden Estate. Despite the significant improvement in her living conditions, she still felt a sense of loss since none of her old neighbours were there. With a smile, Wong admitted she has trouble recognising faces. Several times, she has received friendly greetings like, “Hey! How’s it going, Shan?” while struggling to identify who the person is, thinking, “Oh no, who is this again?” These experiences made her hesitant to interact with new neighbours whom she was not familiar.

During those early years, Wong’s interactions with neighbours were limited to basic greetings and casual conversations. The family applied for relocation to Pak Ling Lau after the birth of her son for the convenience of having lifts. Amidst the hustle of settling into their new home, an incident during the renovation became the catalyst for building stronger bonds with neighbours over the following two decades.

“At the time, there were very few renovation companies, and we made all the furniture ourselves.” Unfortunately, her husband accidentally injured his foot while sawing. Summoning her courage, she knocked on her neighbour’s door and sought their assistance to watch over their son while she accompanied her husband to the hospital. The neighbour agreed without hesitation. When Wong returned to pick up her son later that evening, she not only expressed gratitude, but also felt a genuine bond. This incident broke the ice between them and establishes a lasting sense of community.

The mutual support among neighbours resembled handing out lifebuoys to those struggling to stay afloat. “I was probably the youngest mom in the entire building at the time,” and thus many residents took good care of her family. Due to financial pressure, “at the time, my husband’s job alone couldn’t support the family,” so she started working part-time. Her hectic schedule made it difficult to find time spending with her son, but thanks to her helpful neighbours, she knew her son was well taken care of. The bonds within the neighbourhood were not limited to adults helping each other out, but also extended into the world of the younger generation. Wong’s son, who was introverted with few friends in his early years, had a neighbour’s son stand up for him when bullied in the park. Over the years, the two boys grew up to become fathers themselves, yet their bond remained strong. This shows that meaningful connections are built over time. “We started to feel this way as we got closer to each other.”

Inspired by forerunner, giving back to neighbours

Pak Ling Lau was also a place where Wong met the person who changed her life.

In the early days of Kwun Tong Garden Estate, there were no security guards stationed in the building. Mr Pang Chuen, the founding chairman of the Mutual Aid Committee of Pak Ling Lau, made sure to always sit in the ground floor lobby every day, greeting everyone who passed by regardless. When he noticed Wong and her family had recently moved in, he would often check on her asking, “How are you settling in?” Later, Mr Pang called Wong personally and invited her to join the Mutual Aid Committee. For the first time, she discovered that many people were working together with genuine intentions to improve the estate’s environment. The community members would often take it upon themselves to patrol the neighbourhood whenever there were reports of indecent behaviour. They also shared information, alerting their neighbours to any incidents such as break-ins and thefts. In the absence of security guards at the time, everyone in the building watched out for one another. Over time, Wong became more involved in committee affairs, doing volunteer work and eventually stepping up to become the representative for the 10th floor.

Having taken over the role of the Chairman of the Mutual Aid Committee from Mr Pang and later stepped down from the position, Wong remarks that the real key to sustaining relationships was never the Mutual Aid Committee but the interpersonal bonds built along the way. “Now I’m getting along with the neighbours so well, I feel like it’s even better than before.” From To Kwa Wan to Kwun Tong Garden Estate, while the faces of neighbours may have changed, the genuine connection remains the same. “Some of my To Kwa Wan neighbours and I still stay in touch,” she says.

細遊花園

Kwun Tong Garden Estate
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