[[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’ 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). I witnessed Hong Kong transition from a 'colony' to a 'territory' and, for better or worse, the countdown had begun and its fate was 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]] --- 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).