[[About]] # Why Gwailo? From a life once lived, a long time ago in a land far, far away. ![[characters.webp]] ## Gwailo vs Gweilo Both are interchangeable, romanised representations of Cantonese. ‘Gweilo’ is the most commonly used term for informal writing, whereas ‘Gwailo’ has a more academic origin, more closely representing the pronunciation. ‘Gwailo’ was the version that I was accustomed to. ‘Gwailo’ has mixed connotations ranging from neutral to insulting, depending on context. Much of the derogatory overtone has faded since the days of colonialism; as a 'ghost man' I never felt insulted. The Hong Kong courts have ruled that ‘Gweilo’ is not racist (South China Morning Post, 2022[^1]). I witnessed Hong Kong transition from a 'colony' to a 'territory' and, for better or worse, the countdown had begun, its fate sealed. ## Colonialism A fact in Hong Kong's history, there's no getting away from it: without the unwelcome trade in opium, Hong Kong may not have become the economic powerhouse of Southeast Asia. I'll leave others to that debate. > When you leave Hong Kong it ceases to exist. > When you have passed the last Chinese policeman in British ammunition boots and puttees, and held your breath as you race sixty foot above the grey slum rooftops, > when the out-islands have dwindled into the blue mist, > you know that the curtain has been rung down, > the props cleared away, > and the life you lived there was all illusion. > > *The Honourable Schoolboy, John Le Carré* ![[figure.webp]] [^1]: South China Morning Post (2022) Cantonese slang ‘gweilo’ not racist, judge rules in rejecting HK$1 million lawsuit, scmp.com. Available at: https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3166759/cantonese-slang-gweilo-not-racist-judge-rules (Accessed: 6 June 2025).