Time for Comedy to Bloom in Penang
By Kristina Khoo-Rhodes
June 2022 FEATURE
“HI EVERYONE. My name is Juliana Heng. I have autism. Because of autism, I’m a bit slow. When you listen to jokes, you’ll laugh immediately. I’ll laugh a bit later… tomorrow. If you aren’t laughing right now, don’t worry. You’re just like me.”Autistic, non-binary (they identify as they/them/their), Malaysian and a stand-up comedian, Juliana faces many challenges from struggling to read audiences’ emotions and non-verbal cues to lacking spontaneity on stage during performances. While many would have stopped toying with...
Kristina Khoo-Rhodes
is a former journalist with an interest in new media and social justice. A university lecturer by profession, she is happily married to her English husband, and is always planning for their next spine-chilling adventure. She does not take life too seriously, and occasionally daydreams about living the van life.
