Some of you may know that my cousin, who is 21, is living with my family right now. We're very close, and agree on most things. The thing is, she's taken on this attitude like she knows everything about the entire world and we don't.

First off, we love fresh fruits and veggies just as much as the next person, but they are expensive and spoil easily. On most weeks Mum just buys canned [which, for my cousin's information, is just as healthy as fresh] vegetables because they're cheaper and easier to cook. All my cousin does is rant to me when they're out of earshot about how unhealthy it is to eat canned vegetables, and how she feels so unhealthy, blah, blah, blah. Then, when I started cutting up some fresh veggies we had in the fridge to take for lunch today she said something like "Since when have you been concerned about being healthy?" Seriously? My family does their best. We eat as right as we can and exercise when we can.

Then we got on a totally different discussion at supper last night. I was talking about the movie "Persepolis", which is set in Iran. Somehow we got talking about the book "The Kite Runner" which is set in Afghanistan and Pakistan. My dad and I had been saying "Pakistan" through out our entire discussion, but as soon as my sister said "Pakistan" my cousin jumps on her and says "Darling, it's pronounced PakiSTAHN in Asia. At least all Asian people say it that way." Sure, it's nice to be politically correct, but she makes it sound as though she's Asian and not British. She also had the nerve to shake her head and say something about our education when I said we hadn't studied much of Malaysia and Indonesia [where she lived for 8 years].

In short, she's beginning to drive me crazy. She has every right to hold on to those customs and things that she learned in Malaysia, but I don't appreciate being put down every time I say something. We can't all live in Asia and go to private schools.