This relationship at first seems to be somewhat mutual but soon is clearly shown to be driven by money as Thong accepts every monetary gift doled out by the narrator.

The narrator now leaves Thailand to visit family in Malaysia (Penang), the country in which his father was born.

For instance, the narrator's father had a terrible relationship with his family in Malaysia as well as his own son and wife, whom he later left for an American woman.

While in Malaysia, the narrator also devotedly thinks about Thong, whom he very much misses and completely ends his relationship with Jim by first reporting him to the authorities as a drug smuggler and then sending him a postcard that reads, 'Keep everything' (89).

Post a conversation with his grandmother's spirit, the narrator finally decides his trip is completed and he is ready to return to Thong in Thailand.

The narrator never identifies himself as gay, yet he practices all of the social applications for being a homosexual (i.e., having sex only with men).

For example, when the narrator arrives in Malaysia, his family asks if he can still speak, implying that language is his connection to his culture and roots.

The lack of an 'authentic' space in each of the regions (Thailand, Malaysia) that he visits despite familial and personal ties complicates the narrator's search for identity in his homeland.

The narrator's tie to each of his various ethnic backgrounds often becomes devalued by others due to language, cultural, and social barriers.

The summation of these attributes create a nostalgic feeling for an identity and homeland that is both distinctly unique yet not clearly defined.

This is further complicated by the lack of any other individual, including any family members with similar identity issues.

Before partaking in sexual intercourse, the Dutch man pulls out a pair of rubber shorts and shirt.