My husband and I were both born in Beijing, but we became permanent residents of Canada in 2006. My husband still spends most of his time in Beijing to oversee his business, and renewing his Canadian permanent resident card is always time-consuming. In 2013, his application was returned twice because his photo didn't meet the requirements. Fixing it should've been simple, but my husband is exceptionally stubborn. He didn't think he should have to drive two hours from our home in the Beijing suburbs to the designated studio in the city. I couldn't persuade him, and we shelved the discussion.
Around Christmas 2013, we visited Hong Kong. On Mong Kok, Hong Kong's busiest street, we found a hole-in-the-wall currency exchange. While we were buying Hong Kong dollars, I noticed it shared a wall with a tiny photo studio. After our transaction was settled, I dragged him straight next door. Though it was cramped, it offered photos for a wide variety of purposes: Chinese, Hong Kong and Taiwanese passports, Canadian permanent resident cards, American green cards...you name it. Ten minutes later, the owner stamped an official seal on the back of my husband's photos. Below the shop owner's contact information, it read, "I guarantee the true likeness of the person to this photo."
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