Lazy Letter: Hey, Hey

Lazy Letter: Hey, Hey

Woke up to the sound of simit seller man. He must’ve been in one of the alleys nearby. “Hey, hey” he was shouting out loud, although everyone knows “simit, simit” is what he’s saying. Or sometimes just a very long “hey” is what you might hear. It must be a part of their deal that they all disappear after ten in the morning. You don’t really hear them after.

It’s summer now, but it somehow reminded me of that foggy morning back when I first moved to this city. It was early, and the apartment was quiet. Perhaps someone had left the window open the night before–it was cold inside. Nine years ago, I think, long time ago indeed. Although I’d been living in my new home for a couple of months already, things were still pretty new. Every day was full of new discoveries of the world outside, and fighting with the tornado hurling from the inside. I remember going to the living room, and standing by the open window. I remember how amazed and fascinated I was by the thick white mist, so strong and deep that I could barely see the houses across the alley. I starred at it for one good minute, listening to the echoes of “hey, hey” somewhere in the neighborhood. I put on a sweater. It was a cold autumn day. Winter comes early to this city. I wanted to watch the mist fade away with the rise of the sun. “Hey, hey” someone was still shouting.

It was another day, perhaps a Sunday morning, that we woke up feeling hungry. Simit seller man was wandering in the alleys. And we must’ve been very hungry. I guess we didn’t know how to spend money back then since we were always hungry, and our pockets always empty. Too young to know a thing about money management or eating healthy. We put together whatever we had in our pockets to buy two simits. That would be the breakfast. And they were delicious. They always are. It’s probably the most popular food in the whole country. I’ve been to many places around here, from big cities to the smallest villages, none of them make their simit as crispy and tasty as they do in this town.

Jun.17 – Ankara, Turkey