Michael Parking tickets in America are much more expensive than in Germany, but if any of you want to experience a really hefty fine, I have two tips for you here: parking at a bus stop or in a disabled parking space - that costs almost a thousand dollars in fines. Even if you only stop briefly and an official, i.e. a policeman or meter maid sees this, you'll be hit with a monster ticket.

Angelika After five years at the Burkard School located in San Mateo, south of San Francisco, I thought it was time for something new and applied for a position in special education at the German International School of Silicon Valley (GISSV). I got the job and have been working there since August as an inclusion specialist, which means I look after children who need additional support. I'm working in both the preschool and kindergarten areas, as well as in primary school. The German School has been around since 1999 and has grown steadily over time. There are now two locations: one in Mountain View on the Peninsula and another in San Francisco's Castro district, very close to our neighborhood. I'm working at both locations alternatingly, with four days a week spent in Mountain View, and one day in San Francisco, where I can easily get to by simply walkng to work over the hill.

Angelika Unfortunately, I'm now facing a long commute and spend long hours on most days driving to and from my new workplace. Traffic is now almost as bad as before the pandemic, especially on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, because that's when most Silicon Valley companies like Facebook, Google, Apple require their employees to be in office. Politically speaking, little moves when it comes to traffic in this country, even in California. For decades, people have been arguing about a high-speed train between San Francisco and Los Angeles without any progress. Even plans to expand BART, the subway system of the Bay Area, aren't going anywhere due to high costs. It's all moving way too slowly.

Michael Germans like us who have lived abroad for a long time no longer have a German residence. For this reason, the extension of our passports is not the responsibility of any local government office in Germany, but rather handled by the consulate in San Francisco. However, this particular consulate does not only serve the residents of San Francisco, but also the entire upper west coast of the USA, including Hawaii and Alaska!

Angelika In May of this year, our longtime family doctor informed us that he was retiring. We had been anticipating his departure for some time now, as our doctor was over 70 by our estimates. That he even managed to deal with the crumbling American healthcare system for so long is commendable. He was a doctor of the good old school: careful, experienced, but not prone to panic or ordering unnecessary tests. On the other hand, he acted quickly and surely when it was necessary. He was the one who diagnosed Michael's pulmonary embolism, which the emergency room had unfortunately missed. We will be forever grateful for that.

Angelika If you're still one of these people who like shopping trips to the city center, you may have already noticed that in Europe, stores sometimes advertise tax-free shopping. How does this work? The value added tax, which Germany levies on most goods, adds 19% to the purchase price. But people from non-EU countries can get a refund on the tax paid on purchases during their trip. The prerequisite is that the goods are only intended for personal use and are brought abroad in unused condition and carried in the traveling luggage.

Michael Actually, have you noticed these people who carry bicycles on a rack mounted on the back of their car on the Autobahn? They're really annoying! But since I have bought one of these bicycle carriers myself, I see the situation in a whole different light.