Angelika Even though the esteemed Mr. Trump claimed last week that the virus was a foreign one and could be stopped by imposing a travel ban on EU countries, no one can deny that the virus is also spreading in the USA. However, since there are still not enough tests, no one knows exactly how many people are already walking around with the virus. The number of unreported cases is probably extremely high, leading experts to suspect that the situation here will be similar to Italy in the coming weeks. Now, there is finally an attempt to decisively slow down the number of infections. This is a Herculean task in a country that is not only vast but has always valued individual freedom and minimal government intervention. Not to mention the unbalanced and outrageously expensive healthcare system.

Angelika Since today (March 17), we are in a state of emergency in San Francisco and the Bay Area, and we have been asked to stay in our apartments and houses and only go out if it is absolutely necessary. The government aims to slow the spread of the coronavirus with this measure. This currently affects almost seven million people in the Bay Area. Our mayor in San Francisco, London Breed, announced a measure called "Shelter in Place" yesterday. In the evening, we then received an automated message by phone, spoken by our governor Gavin Newsom, stating that the order is effective starting midnight.

Michael Turkish fast food in America cannot be compared to Turkish fast food in Germany. Here in California, there is even a considerable number of establishments that prepare and sell Turkish food, but somehow it tastes completely different. Most of the time, it is not purely Turkish specialties, but more Mediterranean or Middle Eastern influenced dishes. So it is not unusual for a Turkish restaurant here to sell Greek "Gyros" or Middle Eastern "Falafel" without batting an eye. Unthinkable in Germany, political unrest would ensue!

Michael When filling out a form, one typically checks either "male" or "female" under "gender." However, gender roles have recently been more fluidly defined, and anyone can be anything or neither. Trendy companies and left-leaning authorities have been offering a third box called "non-binary" for a while now, for those who do not want to identify as either male or female. The term is familiar to computer experts, as "binary" refers to a value that has two possible states and assumes either one or the other.

Michael California regulates in Chapter 8 of the "Health and Safety Code that no dogs are allowed inside establishments that sell food, such as restaurants or grocery stores. However, Californians are absolutely infatuated with their dogs and don't take laws very seriously. Lately, I've been noticing more and more that dog owners are simply ignoring the health department's regulations, and the present store staff don't have the courage to reprimand the violators. Apparently, there are no consequences for the stores either, otherwise, they would be as strict as they are with the serving of alcohol or the sale of cigarettes, where they go to absurd lengths to comply with all the regulations that prevent minors from buying beer or tobacco products.

Michael During the year-end holidays, Angelika booked a short vacation for us in the desert city of Scottsdale, Arizona. Upon arriving at the airport in Phoenix, we initially stood somewhat perplexed at the car rental area, as the usual wide selection of Japanese and American vehicles was not available. Instead, there were only uniform cars: five Ford Mustang convertibles and one regular Ford Mustang. Since convertibles are the ultimate tourist traps that criminals also like to slash open, we reluctantly opted for the 2020 Mustang with a regular roof. The little car turned out to be relatively decent, accelerating quickly with good cornering, and despite its 310 horsepower, it consumed only about 8 liters of regular gasoline per 100 km. I'm not a fan of American cars, but this one drove quite well.