Question for the catholics

I was raised in a protestant home, and went to a catholic school (I don't go to a catholic church, I just consider myself Christian). Whenever there was prayer to a saint or to mother mary, it seemed logically wrong. "Now that we just finished talking about how there is one God and worshipping anything else is idolitry, let us say 10 hail marys".

I understand using saints and such as examples of faith, triumph and such, I understand that Mary was particularly faithful (as well as gave birth to the messiah and all). But I never understood praying to them, unless I spent my 12 years in a catholic school misunderstanding / them not properly clarifying on it.

I feel like it violates the whole "no other gods before me" thing on top of the fact that I could just pray to him direct. Why call my brother to tell my friend something when the friend is sat next to me? The rosary feels particulary as well as we pray / "pray" to mary 10x more than God himself.

It feels like one of those things that people call a contradiction in the church and I can't disagree with them. What are your thoughts on this? And am I misunderstanding it?