Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ Seriously ... Big White Guy?

The nickname was given to me in Canada and was subsequently shortened to BWG ... because this wouldn't be the Internet if we didn't make an acronym of everything.

I love Hong Kong. Read Tales of the BWG to laugh at my progression from FOB to local. Visit Photo Albums and my photography site to get acquainted with this crazy place.

Here are answers to the most common questions I receive.

Where are you from?

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Why did you move to Hong Kong?

Because I love my wife.

What do you do?

I'm a photographer and writer. I also give photography lessons, as well as provide useful products and services to Hong Kong residents.

Currently I write a monthly article for The Peak Magazine.

Do you make a lot of money doing that?

Yeah, tons. Oh, you wanted an amount. That would be none of your business.

Why did you start this site? And when?

Because travel brochures suck. The site was born October 1, 1998.

Isn't this just another blog?

No. Notes began as additional content for this personal web site long before the term blog was coined.

Notes doesn't follow typical blog conventions: articles have no time stamps or comments; there is no blogroll. I don't talk about everything, preferring instead to focus on life in Hong Kong.

Notes is also not the sole content. The site map is packed — packed I tells ya — with tons o' yummy goodness.

So is it a blog? Hey, if you prefer to call it that, g'head: knock yourself out.

Why do some articles have bunches of question marks?

If this is happening to you, it means you don't have a Traditional Chinese font installed on your computer.

For those using Windows, this font pack will solve the problem. Simply download and double-click the executable file and the fonts will be installed automatically (but even though the file is coming directly from Microsoft, to be 100% safe you should first scan it for viruses).

Once the font pack is in place, Chinese text will appear as it should.

I love the header images. Where did they come from?

The vintage postcards were donated by reader Ann Haswell. Thank you, Ann, for your wonderful gift.

The scans of vintage Hong Kong currency are used with the gracious permission of Numismondo. Thank you, Garry.

The black and white photographs were purchased in Hong Kong at an antiques shop; other duotone photos are my own work.

Will you answer other questions?

As a matter of fact, I have.