The Guardian
I hoped my children would have epiphanies while visiting my homeland; my father suggested we go swimming instead
I brought my children to Penang to immerse them in the places of their grandparents’ stories. When I stopped lecturing them about gratitude and privilege, we enjoyed our final days doing as locals do As I stepped out of Penang international airport, the humidity hit me like I was peering into a just-opened rice cooker. The air carried whiffs of exhaust fumes, fried food and something earthy. It…
Gleaming marble floors and wood panelling; locals once dared not enter.