The well-tested Yard. Doç., part 2

Couple of things I forgot to mention when I posted about yesterday's big German test:

1. It came the morning after the time change ("spring ahead") – which I almost missed! And I might indeed have missed it were it not for soccer. Yep, Saturday night the Turkish national team was playing against (European champions) Greece in Athens, and wiping the floor with them 4–1 I might add. I only had a dim recollection of this fact, but since the game was going so well for Turkey people around the city were setting off fireworks. Hearing the fireworks boom, I remembered that there was this game, so I checked the Internet for the score – and only then saw a headline about the time change. Whew! I can just imagine showing up an hour late for the exam and getting turned away. Wonder if that happened to anybody.

2. More distressingly, I had to sacrifice my mighty beard. Before the exam, Meltem's brother Hasan passed on his strong recommendation that I shave before showing up, since it is a distinct possibility that the person at the door could object that my face didn't match the photo I had submitted for my ID. Sure enough, the exam rulebook also said much the same thing. (And in fact, as far as I'm aware it's technically illegal for a civil servant, such as a teacher, to wear a beard, much as female civil servants can't wear headscarves.) So, with a deep sigh, I got rid the beard. All that hard work, down the drain! Oh well, at least I look 19 again.