A new kind of small talk

One of my favorite ways to take a break during the day is to stop at villages I pass through and have a cup of çay.

Here in southeast Turkey the small talk during those breaks is often some variation of “tell us about federalism.”

So on many days now “break time” means sitting around drinking tea and, in my Tarzan Turkish, fielding questions like, “In America, are the state governors appointed by the President, or are they elected by the people?”