Angelika Even German newspapers have written a lot about the decline of San Francisco this year, and especially Downtown San Francisco was characterized as an apocalyptic place where only homeless and drug addicts wander through the streets. It's not quite that bad yet, although it is true that San Francisco's downtown has been struggling with horrific problems that have exacerbated during the pandemic, and then continued into a downward spiral.

Michael Driving eastward from San Francisco, i.e. towards Oakland, you'll find yourself on the busy freeway I-80 that leads over the Bay Bridge. The bridge consists of two sections: the western section that leaves San Francisco and the eastern section that connects it to the other side of the bay in Emeryville. Almost exactly at the center of the bridge, which spans an impressive five miles total, it is propped up on an island in the bay, called "Yerba Buena Island". This mini-island is also connected to another, larger island named "Treasure Island" via a short road that leads over the water at sea level (Figure 2).

Angelika Michael always calls me Christmas Mouse. I stand for that, I find Christmas great with everything that belongs to it. That has actually always been like that. I love decorating the apartment for Christmas. Even in the bathroom we have Christmas decorations. I always make my own Advent wreath and there is a candle here and a candle there. That's how I want it, that's how it has to be. And of course, a real Christmas tree cannot be missing.

Michael Unfortunately, the city of San Francisco's administration has been unable to prevent illegal campers from occupying the sidewalks of the city for years with their tents. Sidewalk camping, of course, is illegal, but timid city supervisors are hesitant to take action to address the issue.

Angelika Many of San Francisco's problems are self-inflicted and have accumulated over years. This happens because there is no opposition on the city council. All members belong to the Democratic Party, and their stances on policy only differ in terms of how progressive they are. At first glance, one might think that a council that is firmly in the hands of one party would get a lot done, but unfortunately, this is not the case. On the contrary: The most absurd ideas are being implemented, and there are no opposing voices to insist on checking whether the measures actually work or are just a waste money.

Francisco with no less than 31 different neighborhood branches? The system of borrowing a book from the shelf of a musty public institution has been familiar to me since my childhood days in Germany. In San Francisco, I had not managed to obtain a library card in over twenty years, but now that I have some breathing room, I thought: let's try it out.

Michael One day I will write a comprehensive guide on typical AirBnB accommodations and their lack of home accessories. Clothes hangers, for example. Where do you hang your jacket besides the apartment door when there is no appropriate hook available? Or in general storage space. According to my planned compendium "Now we are setting up our AirBnB rental unit," there should always be a small table or cupboard in the entrance area, or perhaps a shelf that provides space for utensils that one should always have at hand in a foreign residence: keys, wallets, phones, and their chargers.

Michael The blue mailboxes of the United States Postal Service differ from the yellow ones in Germany in that one could insert letters and even small parcels by opening a relatively large flap at the top, placing the mail or parcel on top of it, and then snapping the flap shut, launching the postage item into the interior. Sadly, this is now history!