This joke -- brought to you by Jeff -- goes over big here on the Aegean:
A university student is late to class and his teacher says, "Where have you been?"
"Sorry, hocam, I didn't get up until 9," the student replies.
"But class doesn't start till noon," the teacher says.
"But, hocam, I had to have breakfast."
* * * * *
While having breakfast at a restaurant in our neighborhood the other day, Jeff and I mulled over the menu options, trying to choose orders that wouldn't take too long to prepare as we had other engagements that morning.
I chose an omlette, which I knew them to make rather quickly, and Jeff chose sahanda yumurta and also a simit tabağı, or a plate of simit with a side of tomatoes, cucumber and beyaz peynir (kind of like the equivalent of ordering a bagel, cream cheese and fruit in the US).
For a relatively quick breakfast, I noted to Jeff that it still seemed to be a lot of food.
After we gave our order, the waiter looked up and said:
"So you don't want a normal breakfast then?"
* * * * *
That same morning at breakfast we watched as dozens of people lined up outside in the cold but for what we didn't know. The line wasn't moving, and yet people kept coming and the line ended up snaking around the corner.
We posited multiple theories as to what they were all waiting for: a social security payment, perhaps? (Many of the people in line seemed to be of retirement age, hence this theory.)
Then we thought maybe they were all waiting to see a judge, as we also have a theory that the building they were lining up in front of is municipal housing for judges. Where we first got this idea, I have no idea. It's possible we just made it up.
Finally, we asked the waiter what they were all waiting for.
"Ah," he said. "Every day, a truck comes from a Foça co-op with farm-fresh eggs, milk and cheese. Every day people wait there to buy their eggs and milk. They are very good quality eggs."
* * * * *
