清道夫
STREET CLEANER
Fong (芳 - “fragrant”)
Shau Kei Wan ( 筲箕灣)
07:00 - 17:00 (10 hours)
“I start work bright and early and follow our assigned routes to collect rubbish on the streets every day. I empty the bins, sweep up leaves and take everything with my trolley to the refuse centres. It’s always the busiest in the mornings; the bins are always overflowing, garbage strewn everywhere on the streets - cardboard, plastic and now masks, of course. Like many street cleaners, I was so worried during the heights of the pandemic - we are so highly exposed and yet our protective gear is so limited. Not much I could do though given that I needed my job - there is no option of working from home! I just wear a mask and wash my hands more frequently. It’s tough manual work, especially in the sweltering summers. Although maybe office cleaners have it even harder. We at least can be outdoors and work at our own pace, as long as we get our job done! I do think that Hong Kong is a clean city though because of our work - don’t you think?”
「我天光就開工，每一日我都會跟住幾條指定路線收垃圾。我要清咗啲垃圾桶，掃走啲樹葉，然後將所有嘢推去垃圾站。朝早通常係最忙嘅，啲垃圾桶永遠係滿瀉哂，掉到一街都係，紙皮呀、膠呀，而家當然仲有好多口罩啦。我同好多清潔工一樣，疫情嚴重嗰排真係好擔心，我哋喺條街開工，但又冇乜保護裝備。我都冇咩可以做，需要份工嘛，邊有得在家工作﹗唯有戴口罩同埋洗多幾次手囉。呢份工作係好辛苦嘅體力勞動，尤其是夏天嗰陣。不過寫字樓清潔工可能仲辛苦吖。我哋起碼可以喺出面行，快有快做，慢有慢做，總之搞得掂就得。我覺得我哋打理得香港好乾淨㗎，你覺唔覺呀？」
“I grew up in Tai Po ( 大埔), in the New Territories. My family were fishermen and not well educated. For people like me, you know, people who are not cultured or well-read, there are limited options as to what we can do. This job allows me to see how wasteful we can all be - we just throw all sorts of things out and create so much waste. But then on the other hand, we also cling on to stuff for years even when we have no real reason to. How much stuff do you really need anyway? Sometimes it’s good to let go when it is time to! I live in Shau Kei Wan, so during my lunch hour I can go home to eat and have a little break. People are generally friendly in this neighbourhood and it’s lovely to hear people say “good morning” to me or smile at me. There are of course others who are rude and look down on us, maybe because they think that this line of work is “dirty” or not respectable. I just ignore them; it’s better to focus on the positives!”
“If you take ownership of your work and do your job with dignity, the results will speak for themselves. It’s a nice perk that my friend and I have been partnered up to do the rounds together, as there are often large items that I simply cannot move on my own. Having good company makes it so much more pleasant - we can chit chat a bit whilst we work. I can say all I want about working hard and being busy, but if my boss sees that the streets are still filthy, then it’s just ‘all talk no action’! With this job, we get 4 days off a month. During my down time, I like to go yum-cha with my family, play with my adorable baby granddaughter or go with my husband to take a dip at Turtle Cove Beach - it is so peaceful and lovely there.”
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「我喺新界嗰邊大嘅，喺大埔。我屋企以前係做漁民，冇乜讀過書。你知啦，好似我哋呢啲沒乜文化嘅人，冇咩工作可以揀。呢份工令我睇到我哋可以有幾浪費。我哋乜鬼嘢都掉，製造咗好多垃圾。但另一方面，我哋又會唔知點解死攬住一啲嘢唔放。其實究竟需要幾多嘢呢？有時放手都係一件好事﹗我住喺筲箕灣，所以放飯嗰陣我可以返屋企食，抖下。呢個區啲人都幾友善嘅，佢哋同我講早晨或者對我微笑嗰陣，我都好開心。當然都會有啲冇禮貌嘅人，會睇低我哋，可能佢哋覺得我哋嘅工作好污糟又或者呢行係啲唔好嘅工作。我唔理佢哋㗎，諗多啲好嘢會開心啲﹗」
「如果你俾心機做，尊重自己做嘅嘢，自然會有人睇到個成果。有一樣嘢好就係我同我朋友係拍檔，會一齊開工，好多時有啲垃圾好大件，自己一個真係搬唔掂。有伴，做起嘢上嚟都舒服啲，我哋開工都可以傾吓偈。我可以講到自己好勤力好忙，但如果老闆見到條街仲係污糟邋遢，咁我就係得個講字啦﹗返呢份工，我哋每個月有四日假，放假嗰陣，我鍾意同屋企人去飲茶，同我粒乖孫女玩吓，或者同我老公去龜背灣游水，嗰度好靜好舒服。」
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