Foreword 曾蒲川 Tsang Po Chuen Samuel The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Ba (Hons) in Design, Visual Communication stsang.carbonmade.com
“Is there anything currently on your body that you consider as a priceless treasure? Why?” will be the first question as I approach these strangers. This project aims to explore the object, item or subject that Hong Kong people cling to dearly as they step out from the comfort of their home. The fact that they carry this “thing” with them at every moment or anywhere they go, deems its importance up to a personal level. The most interesting part of this project is that every answer is unique and has their own stories. As I venture into the streets, chatting and sharing with different people of different age groups in Hong Kong, I received completely unexpected and intriguing answers.
“My Lucky Ring” I was looking for a way to get to Star Ferry Pier when I chanced by her. After I asked the question, she took out her ring without hesitation, “Here, my lucky ring”.
“My Source of Entertainment” He was on his way to meet his mum for lunch. You simply cannot miss his floral-patterned shirt and techy earpiece. I stop him and asked him the question. He though for a little while and said, “This is precious, I can’t live without it.”
“Communication” I decided to approach him as his hands were empty. He looked at himself and claimed that he has nothing expensive on his body. After prompting to him that the “thing” that i was looking for as not necessary has to be expensive, he took out his phone and explained, “I skype with my Daughter overseas almost everyday with my phone,”.
“My Baby” I noticed him this group of three chilling at Central Pier as I approached them. This guy jokingly pointed to his genital after I asked the question. Well, it is priceless, to an extend. After a round of serious thought, he flashed this card and said, “This is my baby, my company.”
“Childhood Memories” Amongst the three, he was contemplating the most. He flipped through his wallet several times and finally, took out a photo potraying a young boy. I asked him why was that so priceless and he replied, “This is the only photo that I have of myself when I was little, I seldom take pictures when I was young.”
“My Friends & Memories” Out of the three, she was the fastest, reaching out to the photos that were freshly taken and happily showed them to me, “These moments and memories with my friends are most priceless to me”.
“Darling” He opened up his wallet and there was a picture of a girl in a dining resturant. He took it out and smiled, “2 and a half years”.
“My Grandparents” I approached this young teenager and asked her the question. She took out this picture from her purse and shared about how much her grandparents have taken care of her since young. “They even wiped my backside!”
“Mummy!” This cheerful girl dug into her purse and seemed to be searching for something. I tried to peek into her purse when she backed off jokingly, “No, your can’t peek! Anyway, this is my loved one!”
“Special Moments” She took out a movie ticket. I was puzzled and asked her what was so special about this ticket. “I went for a movie with a special person!”
“Yummy!” She was holding to a packet of french fries as I approached her. Immediately she took out a piece of french fries, “Here, you can have this, I love food!”
“God” I chanced by this lady sitting in a quieter area. She took off her necklace and said, “The word of God is priceless”
“24 Carat” No one can miss his shiny golden necklace on the street. Upon asking, he took of his gold necklace saying, “This was a present from my mum since I was eight”.
“More than just a 20 dollar note” I was expecting another picture as he searched his wallet. He then carefully took out a heart-shaped 20 dollar note, smiling, “This is the first gift from my girlfriend.”
“A Motivational Quote” He pulled out a bunch of keys from his pocket and showed me his keychain. “This quote has been helping and pushing me through my tough times.”
“A Sentimental Gift� Watches often have sentimental value. When this girl cheerfully lifted up her hand, showing off her watch to me, what else is needed to ask.
“An Item from USA” He took off his watch and shared his experiences during his trip in New York. At the end he said, “What is priceless is not about the price of this watch, it is about the experience and memories that I had.”
“A Gift from the Heavens” I noticed a buff man carrying a baby and seemed to be waiting for someone. I asked him the question and without hesitation, he stretched out his baby boy and said “He is the most precious item that I have”.
“Grandson” I was expecting some other precious items like antique watches or rings when this grandpa carried the boy beside him and claimed in a proud voice, “My grandson is of course most precious to me!”
“My Job” As I was about to leave and call it a day, I noticed a man in a striking uniform. I approached him and asked. He was hesitant at first but after a while, he pointed to his shirt saying, “The uniform I am wearing now is priceless! I am thankful to have this job!”
What is considered as a priceless treasure to you?