A Day for a Funeral...or the Royal Wedding

Yes it is true. Instead of watching the royal wedding i was at a funeral for my host dad.
So many people have been at the house it is completely overwhelming. I had to sleep downstairs with Havva on the couch that almost up to me knees were hanging off of.
Yudum asked if i wanted to go to the funeral and of course i was! Its my obligation to be there for Zeynep and Yudum to show i care for them and I want to be a part of this family. Also how many people who study a culture get to go to a funeral which is a big part of any culture! So here is how the day went...I got up, got ready, and took a shuttle into the city to the mosque where the funeral was to take place. Luckily i had brought my black dress which proved very useful for today. Another aupair Claire was sweet and offered me her clothes if needed since she has alot of black clothes. Zeyneps aunt also offered me a skirt if needed since a funeral is not exactly something you plan and pack for.
We were going to be outside and there were all these round wreath things that were plastic of different colors and with different words on them. later on they posted across them different names of achievements of his. I was trying to keep the kids entertained and talk to the family and friends who i knew. There were people videotaping and taking photos. I thought that this was a Turkish custom of recording the event like a wedding since we did have a caterer in our house but Dinese, a young girl who I had met told me that it was the news and they are only at  funerals with famous people, it was not a custom. Apparently i dont understand alot about my family. She said that his death was all over the news and the papers! Crazy! There were tons of people at the funeral! Yudum stood as people waited in a line to give their apologies to her like a wedding line but much more depressing. After they talked to Yudum some would come over to Zeynep talking to her in Turkish, pinch her  cheeks and kiss her. She didnt like it but put up with it all, She once turned to me and asked if there was lipstick on her face and there was a bunch left from the last lady who kissed her cheek. It was funny to me. Poor girl, she was a good sport. So i guess this is what happens at Turkish funerals. At the mosque the "religious man" comes and says some stuff and the men go and pray on mats on the ground, The women stay apart and morn. The women of the family 9Zeynep and Yudum) were given bouquets of fresia and these smaller lilly like flowers which i forgot the name of. (sorry Brother Romney) they would then places them on the casket. We also all pinned a picture of Arman and the years of his life on our shirts. They had big funeral flowers made mostly of gerber dasies. I didnt get to see the burial since Yudum didnt want Zeynep to be there. We took her with two other moms and a couple other girls to this American store where they sold american products that they illegally brought from the US. A girl said they have Dr Pepper there but when she asked they said they were out. Just my luck. suck. Everything was so expensive. a pack of oreos was like 25 lyra which is like $18!!! A big jar ok skippy peanut butter was even more! I didnt get anything there but the little one got a bunch of jawbreakers (which are her favorite) and some juicyfruit and orbit gum. I always give her only half a piece and so she was enjoying having her own pack to flaunt that she can have a whole piece lol.
We went to her friends house and Kelly came with Erin!! we had about 5 girls to watch and take care of. Zeynep has been randomly acting up and crying over the most random things. She is not talking at all about her Dad dying so i think this is her way of coping with it for now until she completely breaks down later. I am not a fan cuz she usually freaks out on me. We got into a pickle yesterday cuz we were planning on her and me staying at Kellys house or if she didnt I was going to. She heard us trying to figure out what the plan was and everything with the moms and she called her mom freaking out saying that she wanted me to stay at home and me sleep with her. Of course as soon as we got in the car on the way home she changed her mind and didnt care about me sleeping with her, she just wanted to get her way and i was stuck on the crap couch.

Today I have been basically stuck at the house all day with family and friends who mostly dont speak English or dont speak to me. I took a nice walk today by the big pond which was great and read sitting in the sun, finally getting some Vitamin D after my long winter in Rexburg. I loved it cuz there are tons and tons of frogs that i liked looking for and watching plus lizards. When i was reading i suddenly heard the frogs stop croaking and i looked over to see a stray cat having a grand old time racing after the frogs, snapping at them as they jumped from the shore into the water, it was so funny!

So i was stuck in an awkward house, Zeyneps older half brother asked me to come out back and sit with him and his friends but it was basically me sitting there and them all talking away in Turkish, randomly offering me sweets, or sitting there in awkward sad silence. Finally i just left. I just wanted to get away but I couldnt. Oh and i finally got my phone to work today but i didnt have anyones number so i couldnt talk to anyone. lame.
Yudum told me that Aley invited us to play and for dinner. She said that Zeynep didnt want to go but that i could still go and have a girls night with Aley for a while. Of course when Zeynep heard this she changed her mind and wanted to go. So I spent the night watching them, cleaning up after them, and playing games with them. It was fun, exhausting, and crazy with 6 little girls screaming and all wanting attention while making all sorts of messes. It was fun and good to get out of the house. There was this little 3 year old girl who was just too freakin adorable! as Jill would say it "I want to eat her face!!!". It was good having Aley to talk to and hang out with for a bit.

When i got home Yudums parents started teaching me Turkish! It was so cool! they were super nice and i really got on their good side, not i just need to study and remember the words they gave me.
ekmek is bread
patlican is eggplant
tavuk is chicken
tabak is plate
tuz is salt
biber is pepper

those are just the ones without accents that i can type without them being wrong lol

They are going ot teach me more tomorrow! :)
They said i was really pretty too :) It was fun

oh there is this dessert that I had one time with Seyda and Kelly but apparently it is a big part of funerals. It is like thick, sweet cream of wheat with toasted pine nuts. Its really good.. The tradition is that when you make it you pray and then you give it to your neighbors and when they eat it they pray for you. She gave 50 plates of it out to her neighbors.
Well i am sure there is more but i have written alot
 I will try to make them shorter lol sorry
its been a busy week.
Take care!!


ps sorry no pictures but i forgot my camera charger in a box that i accidentally left in the states, and i didnt think it would be good to take tons of pictures while i was surrounded by everyone i knew morning.