Small Trolley’s Vitality
>> trolley, nylon bag, rope, cardboard, TV monitor(25” x 1, 14: x 2), DVD players x 3)
A small trolley carries cartons and nylon plastic sacks. There are some many goods inside, including milk powder, coffee powder, patent medicine, oil, soft drink, beer, potato chips, disposable diapers, films, tapes, shampoo, bath powder, cosmetic, etc. “Carrying Parallel Imports” is a peculiar business which people spend their physical vigour going to Mainland and back to Macau frequently with only a small trolley carrying the goods. Each trade they would make around eight or ten patacas profit that would be part of their cost of living.
Every day, those “human haulage machines” shuttle to and fro on two territories. This business has some kind of tricky significance even though it is not against the law. No wonder why people said teasingly that the government of SAR had signed the agreement of CEPA with Chinaand they were realizing everyday.
This business embodies the vitality of our instinct of seeking to survive, which can be traced to the same origin with the development of Northern District. In many years the original residents and new immigrants who have been moving in unceasingly live together and work industriously in this district. Simultaneously, they share their diverse cultural context mutually. Nowadays, we can see the vivid colours of Northern District, which are painted by the inhabitants with harmonies and adaptabilities, conflicts and incompatibilities, little by little, one brush by one brush, and one layer by one layer.