But what WOULD my Pakistani father say?

From The Daily Mail:

Yasmin Hai is an acclaimed journalist who has worked on BBC2's Newsnight and Channel 4 documentaries. In a wonderfully honest new book, she describes the challenges of growing up as the daughter of Pakistani parents - and a father who yearned for her to be accepted as English.

Grasping the door handle, I steadied myself against the walls of the moving railway carriage.

"Now!" my father called out. "Squeeze it hard, go on, squeeze it!"

Despite the urgency in his voice, I held back. The train didn't look as if it had dropped enough speed for me to open the door.

The faces of the passengers standing on West Hampstead station platform were still fuzzy blurs.

"What are you waiting for?" my father shouted impatiently. "Come on, come on."

This time, I clasped hold of the lock and with gentle pressure attempted to slide it to the right. Despite my clammy hands, it gave way.

I had done it - the train door was open! A small achievement, but for me, at the age of 11, a significant one.

This was the third day in a row that my family had made the train journey from our home in Wembley across London to Camden.

The mission: to familiarise me with the new school journey that I would be making from next Monday. Nothing could be left to chance.

More here. (Note: I just finishes reading this moving book and recommend it).