Ups and downs

On the first week on the holidays i had to go to a tangi/funeral for my 96 year old Nana Dawn she died over night and stayed at Maturi marae.then on Tuesday all of my whanau from my papas side came down to stay and say there last good byes at the funeral we had over 50 cuzzies and uncles and aunties.While we were there every morning we had to wake up at 6 or 5 o'clock for cooking breakfast and getting prepared for lunch,when we got up all the kids had to come inside and set up all the tables then go back outside and play sooner the Komatas gathered every one in the marae and started talking in full Maori about my Nana,the talks were about 5 to 7 hours because every one had to say something about my Nana Dwan (but not the kids because you have to speak in full Maori) after all that we had some  lunch and the kids get what they are given and then the parents get to helps themselves.in the afternoon we just walk around the marae or for the people who arrived have to be welcomed in to see Nana Dwan,(when we enter a marae we have to take off our shoes because it disrespectful)as it was getting dark the kitchen people were cooking up for dinner and all the kids played in the front of the food court because we cant play in front of the marae,plus all the kids were playing bulrush and we all got muddy but at night we all played in the dark and jump over people pull each others hair talk and play ruff.after playing we had dinner and sayed prayer to bless the food then eat we the kids or adults finished we had clean and take off all the left over food that we didn't want and take them up to wash then dry.Then at 7 we had to go back in the marae to go to sleep and i felt cold every time when i go to sleep because they never close the door and the windows to.Then after two days we all woke up and sayed one more goodbye because she was getting buried on Wednesday in the afternoon,while we waited till the afternoon the adults in the kitchen were getting ready for after when every one comes back up from the cemetery while we were prepping up we cooked up fire bread,punas and cream,pork,chicken and etc. Then we did dessert and made chocolate fudge,ice-cream,And cake when we finished doing all the kai we gathered every one and then put the kids in age groups for table setting the ones that were 9 and under had to line up and then the other big kids that were 10 and up seated down at the back and the parents are at the front when we all seated my cousin tane said pray (the Maori one).Then we talked had food then desserts,and after all that we sayed good bye to all the whanua that left and then that was my holiday