Children, phonecall and chocolates

Next year I will do everything right. At Ramazan Bayrami (end of Ramadan festival) I mean. What went wrong this year? Well, nothing serious, but still. I remember my first bayram in Turkey, which was, I think, three years ago. I knew nothing, really. Children in the street wished me a happy holiday, and I liked that so much. Then the mother of the family where I was staying asked: what did you give them? What did I give them? The whole family laughed, and explained that children expect some sweets or a bit of money. So did I prepare myself this year by getting a bag of sweets? No, I forgot. So when children rang my doorbell this morning, I knew what to do: just give them some small change. Small change? Three twenty lira notes (20 lira = a bit more then 10 euro) and a few tiny coins are not considered small change! So I had to disappoint the children again. Something else happened, or rather did not happen. As a younger person you are supposed to call the older person to wish him or her a happy bayram. But I was a bit reluctant to call my lovers parents, as I always am when I have to have a phone conversation in Turkish. So I sent the family an SMS, coward that I am. An hour later, boyfriends mother called me, we talked a bit and we actually understood each other. Next year, I will be the one to call, I promise! Next year I will also be on time sending them a big box of chocolates. Now only yesterday I thought: hey, wouldn’t it be nice to send them chocolates? Yes, very nice, and I put a note on it: happy Ramazan Bayrami and afiyet olsun (good appetite)! I’m afraid they will only receive the box this Friday…