He was clearly excited with the new gadgets. He held it close, so close that he clutch it so hard no one could grab it from him. When he arrived home, he immediately tore out the packaging, revealing the treasure.

I sat from the dining table, watching in glee. I smiled. Moments of such is priceless. Watching my nephew in excitement and from the corner of his eyes, he knew I was looking. Then, his daddy walked in. My brother, in his brown T-shirt and torn jeans, he marched into the house. He’s no longer the dude I wrestled with when I was 8. He’s no longer the dude that pulled my hair. Yet at times, I wish I could relive the moments, where I could just be a spoilt brat and cry to mummy so I could watch mum spank my brother for no apparent reasons. Yes, I’m the evil sister.

Anyway, back to my nephew. As his father footsteps brought him close enough, my nephew started yelling for attention. “Babi … Babi … Babi…” endlessly he yelp. I burst out into laughter. My nephew is half Mexican. “Babi” means daddy. In the Malay language, “Babi” means pig ! My brother was confused. For a moment, he forgot his origin – Malaysia. I had to remind him of the language. And so, we started giggling hysterically. Soon, everyone was curious because we were laughing like idiots in the household. Like a little child, I went on to tale-tell to my sister-in-law about the commotion. I was retorted by surprise. Defending her husband, she said “Did you know in Espanol, “Kucheh” means “pig”? My face went blank. It was not funny. “Kucheh” in Chinese means “pig”, where my niece calls me.

Exactly that moment, my brother burst out even louder. Apparently, my brother and I are snorters.

Lesson learnt. Diversity. As one defines a word, it is interpreted in a different manner. Even if we speak the same language, one can still be misunderstood.