One funny moment I remember: I once tried to text my aunt in English because I thought it would be “easier” for typing. I meant to say, “I’ll come later, don’t cook too much.” But I accidentally wrote something closer to “Don’t cook, I will eat you later.” 😭She got super confused, we did have a good laugh about it later though.

We mainly text in Sinhala. Back home, a lot of people—especially older family members—aren’t comfortable with English, so Sinhala is just the natural way to communicate. Even when someone knows a bit of English, it usually turns into a mix of Sinhala words written in English letters, which can get pretty chaotic.

Honestly, if a messaging app had perfect auto-translation, it would help—but I don’t think I’d fully switch. A lot of meaning, tone, and emotion gets lost in translation, especially with family. The way you joke, show respect, or even tease someone just hits differently in your own language.