Fitness

Angelika As you may know, California is considered an absolute fitness hub. People here like to be health-conscious, which has not only led to smoking being banned almost everywhere and supermarket shelves being filled with "nonfat" (completely fat-free) or low-fat products, but also to fitness centers popping up like mushrooms. Michael, who is known to see himself as an "All Californian Boy," has been a member of a fitness center for a long time (Rundbrief 11/1999) and since then, he's been nagging me to do something for my health.

After months of persuasion, during which Michael didn't shy away from using psychological tricks--for example, I received a book titled "Fitness for Dummies" for Christmas and a voucher for a personal training session with Turbo Trainer Michael--I finally gave in and went with Michael to the 24-hour fitness center. Anyone who has known me since my early youth and knows how much I hate sports (especially any form of school sports) will mark this event in red on their calendar.

For those who haven't known me that long and need an idea of how much I am at odds with the concept of "sports," I'll quickly share a true story that took place during a report card conference in the eleventh grade, which I attended as class representative. When my grades were being discussed (strangely, I wasn't sent out of the room), they were puzzled by my only D on the report card. You guessed it right, it was in sports. This led my teacher, Mr. Pohl, known for his insensitive comments--he once called me a "poisonous tongue" (but I digress)--to remark that he was glad I apparently had more in my head than in my legs. This and a few other unpleasant experiences made me swear at a very young age never to participate in the Olympic Games or ever set foot in a fitness center.

But, you should never say "never," because for the past three weeks, I've been a member of a fitness club, running on treadmills, pedaling wildly on bikes, and stepping like there's no tomorrow. I also have personal training sessions because, as a sports grouch, I need guidance on how to use the equipment properly without ruining myself ("Sports is murder!"). The trainer ensures that I know how many muscles I have and how to strengthen them. But you don't need to worry and think I'll soon be coming along as Mrs. Schwarzenegger. I'd have to train daily for 10 years for that, and there's really no danger of that happening.

Even earlier today, we've already been to the fitness center, and as I was running on the treadmill and staring into the distance, a book suddenly came to mind that I once had to read in school (I seem to be reminiscing a lot lately). It was called "The Papalagi - The Speeches of the South Seas Chief Tuiavii from Tiavea" and it's about how this chief came to Europe at the beginning of the 20th century and marveled at and made fun of some of the achievements. I couldn't stop thinking about what remarks he would have made about a fitness center:

The Papalagi (as the chief refers to the European in his speeches) loves to exert himself in enclosed spaces which the sun cannot penetrate. He uses all sorts of things that resemble torture instruments. He forces himself into these machines and seems to seek pain, as his face is petrified and covered in beads of sweat. Although the Papalagi is otherwise very keen on getting from one place to another without using his own legs and feet, instead relying on various machines with strange names like automobile, airplane, escalator, elevator, he is completely enamored with the moving belts in the sunless houses that do not transport him from one place to another. It seems to bring him pure joy to keep his legs and feet in constant motion to stay on the belt. It is also puzzling that music, like that at festivals, plays from rectangular boxes, yet no one dances, drinks, eats, or speaks. No Papalagi nods in friendly connection to his neighbor but instead stares at other boxes from which smaller Papalagis flicker...

And since I'm already riding the fitness wave, I've also started doing yoga. My friend Anne was looking for a partner, and I didn't need much convincing. You know, yoga is the ancient Indian practice where you contort yourself into all sorts of possible and impossible body positions to strengthen the organs, stretch the muscles, and relax the body and mind. Proper breathing is also very important in yoga. There are now a ton of different styles and schools of yoga (I still don't quite understand them all). It's not just physical exercise; it's also very philosophical and has religious undertones. However, Anne and I were not so much interested in the latter, and since Americans are known for being very practical, there are, of course, courses everywhere that focus more on the fitness aspect of yoga. Interestingly, Madonna (for those of you not so familiar with the music scene: Madonna is an American pop singer) has contributed to a real yoga boom. Madonna has been swearing by yoga for quite some time and talks about it in every interview. I read on the internet that there are now supposedly more people practicing yoga actively in California than in India. I'm not sure if that's true, but it would fit with health-obsessed California.

What I actually wanted to tell you is that last week we couldn't attend our usual yoga class. Since there is now a yoga institute in our neighborhood that looks quite inviting from the outside and also offers so-called "drop-in classes" (classes you can attend without any prior registration) for $8, Anne and I decided to try it out. However, we were quite surprised when we entered the entrance area of the building and were surrounded by incense sticks, photos of Indian gurus, and votive candles. After we paid at the reception and the girl there also mentioned that our class would take place in the temple, we rolled our eyes a bit and were very glad to be together.

Nevertheless, we bravely climbed the stairs to the so-called temple, passing countless "guru pictures" along the way. Well, the whole thing continued in an esoteric style. Before we began our exercises, the yoga teacher first lit candles and then worshiped the guru picture that was set up like an altar in the room. When we also had to sing something like "Om, Om Shanti Shanti Shanti," and I could barely suppress a fit of laughter, I decided that this type of yoga wasn't quite right for me.

New TV show "Survivor"

Angelika We have often reported on American media events, and this time it's happening again. As we read in the Süddeutsche Zeitung, the reality show "Big Brother" is surprisingly popular among younger audiences in Germany. However, in the USA, "Big Brother" has surprisingly had little success and has been overshadowed by the reality show "Survivor" from the television network CBS. What is "Survivor" about?

Sixteen contestants of varying ages, genders, and personalities are stranded on an island with the melodious name "Pulau Tiga" near Malaysia. The "survival battle" is set for 39 days, broadcast over 13 television episodes. The players are initially divided into two rival tribes (Tagi and Pagong Tribe) and must not only manage daily life with the most primitive means (everything from making fire, catching fish, building huts, etc.) but also compete against each other in various challenges. It's almost like "It's a Knockout." The challenges include rowing races, spear throwing, and holding one's breath underwater the longest; they even have to eat worms. The team that loses must vote out one of their members, who must immediately leave the island. This happens at the end of each show in a ceremonial tribunal. After several episodes, the tribes are merged. A competition takes place on each episode, but now the winner receives a talisman as a prize, which prevents them from being voted out. The very last "Survivor" receives a prize of one million dollars and is chosen in the final episode by the seven people who had to leave the island last.

You might be wondering what is so special about the show and that it probably has nothing to do with reality. I admit that running cameras and TV crews hardly create a genuine Robinson Crusoe feeling, but there is something about the show. Everyone knows it, everyone talks about it, which is not surprising considering that an average of 24.5 million viewers tuned in. When the last episode of Survivor I was broadcast, there were "Survivor parties" everywhere. Ironically, the contestant who won was the one who played coldly and strategically from the beginning and was not particularly popular with the audience. That might also be part of the fascination. The whole thing resembles more of a social-psychological experiment on human behavior in groups. To win, you have to form alliances with individuals and also try to strategically eliminate stronger players. However, you must not behave too badly and upset the other team members, as the last seven choose the winner. Luck also plays a part, as you can gain immunity by winning competitions. No wonder the American media was full of psychological analyses about why Richard (the lucky winner) won and the others did not, etc. And, of course, philosophical questions arise, such as "Is man inherently evil or good?" "Does it depend on the situation, environment, upbringing, or a reward being offered (1 million dollars)?" Well, you will surely be able to form your own opinion soon. The show is bound to come to Germany. Survivor II is already in the planning stages. This time, the survival challenge will take place in Australia, where there is also quite a bit of dangerous wildlife.

The Mobile Phone Plague

Foreigners

The Lassen National Park

Michael In the small town of "Mineral," which, according to the town sign, has 90 inhabitants, we checked into a motel for three days. During the day, we hiked through the mountains--20 kilometers in one day! We were on the move for about seven hours because we had to photograph every tree stump, every pretty piece of bark, and every growth of moss on trees. From these pictures, one could put together the most boring exhibition in the world under the motto "Trees and Mosses." We're working on it!

A special hiking trail leading to the park's hot springs had been reopened recently, even though (at this time of year!) a lot of snow and ice still made the path quite difficult.

Most people were only wearing sneakers or sandals, and quite a few hikers took a tumble. I casually snapped a photo of a Frenchman who fell backward into the mud and had to walk around with brown pants afterward.

The bubbling water holes in the national park are formed, according to the signs, because water at an altitude of 2500 meters boils at just 90 degrees, and the steam, which is created by volcanic activity down in middle earth under high pressure, is even hotter. When the steam comes into contact with the water, it boils immediately and starts bubbling. The physicists among the newsletter readers are left speechless by the power of this scientific proof! Soon, I will elaborate on this in the Süddeutsche Zeitung magazine in the section "Children Ask, Nobel Laureates Answer." Ha! The warning signs around the springs advised against directly touching the springs, as many have suffered severe burns from doing so. One person is even said to have once put his leg into a bubbling water hole! According to travel guides, not much was left of it. However, the water of the streams that then rush down the mountain has a pleasant temperature, similar to that of a bathtub at home. Snow was still lying all around, and the water steamed quite a bit.

Moreover, it smells quite strongly of sulfur there, or, more precisely, sulfur dioxide. The first impression one gets--and which I, of course, never tired of mentioning--is that someone here, after consuming plenty of eggs, onions, and beer, let out some, um, emissions. We laughed so much!

And we also hiked up to a dormant volcano. After the half-hour ascent, we walked around the rim of the crater at the top. To give the curious newsletter readers a glimpse into the farthest corners of the world, the intrepid newsletter reporter even descended into the crater, all the way to the center. There, he lay down and stretched out for a photo. But, oh dear, a misunderstanding occurred! I thought Angelika, who had stayed up at the crater rim, had already taken the photo, but she was still busy working with the hefty professional camera while I was already climbing back up. Once I reached the top, I didn't have the strength to go down again. Now, in the photo (see arrow!), you can only see a tiny figure walking at the bottom of the crater. I was furious!

The top of the mountain, looks like the surface of the moon, completely surreal. With each step, you sink a little into the fine-grained brown gravel that lies on the surface of the mountain. By the way, volcanoes in the USA are by no means all dormant; ten years ago, Mount St. Helens in Oregon erupted and turned square kilometers of forest into rubble and ash. We were there six years ago, and it looked like a mess. But back to civilization!

Tips for Making Phone Calls

What do you do as a tourist visiting the country? You can call from the Michael In our series "America for Tourists," today we will cover how to make phone calls in this country. First of all: How do you call into the country? You have an American phone number that looks like (415) 642-4321. The digits in parentheses are the so-called area code, the prefix. The last seven digits represent the phone number. The hyphen mainly serves as a visual separator, and sometimes you can also deduce the neighborhood from the three digits before the hyphen.

By the way, according to scientific studies (the Bild newspaper always writes "American researchers have found out"), seven digits are the maximum that the human short-term memory can retain--ideal for hearing the number and writing it down immediately. When asked for their phone number, people quickly recite the numbers, with a short pause instead of a hyphen.

Every American phone number looks like this. It doesn't matter whether the person lives in Hawaii, New York City, or somewhere in the mountains. To the smart ones among you who might argue that in large cities, numbers might run out, I firmly respond: Then there are simply two or more area codes, as is the case in New York City, where 212 and 646 are common.

We were at the phone number (415) 642-4321. From Germany, you dial 001-415-642-4321, as the international dialing code for America is 001. If you are in the same city as the person you are calling, you can omit the area code and just dial 642-4321. But be careful: This doesn't work in some rural areas where an area code often covers large regions.

What do you dial if you are in the USA but not in the specified city? Correct, you include the area code. But, be careful: you must prefix it with a 1. Whether from a payphone or a private phone, the area code must be preceded by a 1, otherwise it won't work. In this case, the number is 1-415-642-4321. It's actually crazy, but that's how it is. Only the newer mobile phones can do it without the 1. By the way, 'Handy' is a German word that no one here associates with phones; here the word simply means 'practical'. Mobile phones are called 'cell phones' in the USA.

The equivalent of the toll-free 0130 numbers in Germany are the so-called 1-800 numbers here. These are numbers with the area code (800), which, as explained above, must always be preceded by a 1. Recently, 1-877 and 1-888 numbers were also introduced, which are also toll-free. The equivalent of the German 0190 number in America is 1-900, which is known for high charges. By the way, the 1-800 numbers do not work from abroad. If there is no additional "normal" number, the only option is to call one of the American telephone companies (such as AT&T) and pay with a credit card.

A typical American invention is the telephone number letters. As shown in Figure 14, each number key on American phones is assigned three letters of the alphabet, with only the keys 1 and 0 remaining free. The purpose of this exercise: Companies can choose numbers that form meaningful words, making them easier to remember. If a radio advertisement, for example, said "Sign up for a tandem parachute jump today! Call 1-800-759-3483!" no one would likely remember the number. Instead, it says "1-800-SKYDIVE," which even the dimmest person can recall.

hotel, but they charge an arm and a leg. Most of the time, they not only demand a service fee before the call even starts, but the rates are also much higher compared to what you would pay with a private phone. Especially the luxury hotels sometimes charge astronomical prices that leave you speechless.

The other alternative, making calls from phone booths using coins, is advisable at best for local calls, which usually cost 35 cents (although local calls in the USA are free if you have your own phone!). I still clearly remember my first vacation in America: When I tried to call Germany this way, a telephone operator intervened and kindly informed me that I would need to insert something like six dollars and eighty cents in coins for the first three minutes. Just imagine: The largest commonly used coins here are quarters, so you would have to carry around 28 of them! Outraged, I hung up. Incidentally, this led to me not calling home for 13 weeks, which later caused tumultuous situations, but I digress.

When using a public phone booth and wanting to make a local call, you pick up the receiver, insert 35 cents (the phones accept nickels, dimes, and quarters), and dial the seven-digit number -- that's it. On the other hand, if it's a long-distance call, you dial 1, the area code, and the number after picking up the receiver. Then an automated voice will prompt you with something like "Please deposit 80 cents." Once you insert the required amount, the call goes through. Sometimes, you even have to dial the area code (and pay the long-distance rate) when you're in the same area code region. You quickly figure this out by first trying it as a local call; then an automated voice will explain how to do it correctly.

By the way, here in America, there is always an "operator," a telephone operator, in case you don't know what to do next. If you dial just a 0, a lady from the local telephone company answers, offering friendly advice or connecting calls.

In public phone booths, the most amazing things can happen: Christian Huber and I once experienced something in a phone booth at the airport. Shortly after a call -- the receiver had been back on the hook for some time, and we had sat down on a bench -- the phone suddenly started ringing. We laughed, but when it still hadn't stopped after the tenth ring, we answered it out of curiosity. It was the telephone operator, who informed us that a few cents were still owed for the last call -- which we then, quite shocked, promptly inserted.

But, as I said, I advise against making phone calls with cash from a public phone. It's better to buy a so-called prepaid calling card (for example, from MCI) at a supermarket or a small convenience store. You pay around twenty dollars and nowadays you get phone units that allow for about 200 minutes of calls to Germany--unbeatably cheap. You take the card to the nearest phone booth, pick up the receiver, and dial the 1-800 number without inserting any money. Then a friendly voice asks for the card code, which you also enter, and you can start making calls. As mentioned, you don't need a "card phone," as such a thing doesn't exist in America. This way, you also outsmart the hotel phone scammers, because the 1-800 number usually doesn't cost anything there either. In exceptional cases, a connection fee might be charged, so be sure to carefully read the brochures lying around in the hotel room, otherwise, you might face unpleasant surprises, especially in expensive business hotels (e.g., Hyatt). And usually, you have to dial a number (e.g., 9) from the hotel room before you can make an outside call.

To call Germany from the USA, by the way, you need to omit the "0" in the area code after the international dialing code 01149. So if you want to call the Munich phone number 089/523540, you simply dial 01149-89-523540, whether from a public phone or a private line.

For help in an emergency, you can call the number 911, which corresponds to the German 110 number. You don't need any money to call 911, and you can report traffic accidents, fires, and assaults.

If you don't have any money or a calling card on you but absolutely need to call someone, you can make a "collect" call, which means the recipient pays the charges. This only works within the USA and goes like this: At the payphone, you dial 1-800-COLLECT (or 1-800-CALLATT, which stands for "Call AT&T," the telephone company), and the automated voice will prompt you to enter the desired phone number. You can also record a short message that will be played to the recipient (e.g., "Hey, it's me, Michael, don't leave me hanging!!"), so they can decide whether to accept the call and cover the cost. If they say "yes," the call goes through.

If you ever get stuck, you can always call the "operator" by simply dialing 0. This doesn't cost anything, even from a payphone. However, if the operator offers to dial the number for you, you should decline, as that would actually incur an additional charge.

Phone booths, by the way, usually have their own number, which is displayed on the device. This way, you can make a brief call to someone with little money, give them the number, and ask for a callback. You can reach directory assistance by dialing 411 for local area numbers. For other area codes, it's 1 + area code + 522-1212, but be careful, as this may incur charges.

If you have a private telephone line, you distinguish between the local provider and the one for long-distance calls. In our area, the local telephone company is called Pacific Bell. You pay them about 19 dollars a month as a basic fee, which includes all local phone calls. So, if we make calls within the city or connect to the internet via a modem, it costs nothing. Nada. Njet. Zilch. This naturally leads to a different attitude towards the internet here -- you are online all day long.

For long-distance calls, you choose from a range of providers, known as long-distance providers. The official ones are AT&T, MCI, and Sprint. When you register a phone, you have to choose one of these three. These companies compete in ways you can hardly imagine. Since we are with AT&T, we often receive calls from MCI, who repeatedly try to entice us to switch to them. In America, companies are allowed to call private phone numbers to sell things. This usually happens in the evening, around 8, when most people are at home. You then hear things like: "Did you know that we can offer you a much better deal than AT&T? With us, it only costs 17 cents a minute to call Germany!" Conversely, AT&T sends letters to customers of other phone companies, offering $100 in cash if they switch to AT&T.

But be careful: If you don't watch the fees like a hawk, these companies will gladly rip you off. Paying the regular rate is considered amateurish. You always have to negotiate a special rate with the telephone company. Calling Germany for one minute costs about a dollar with AT&T's standard rate--a sky-high price. We negotiated a special deal where we pay an additional $3.95 per month as a fixed fee but only 17 cents per minute to Germany, and 9 cents on Sundays! Not to mention the discounts during a full moon and low tide in the ocean.

The local magazine "Money" (comparable to the German magazines "Capital" or "Der Geizhals") recently conducted a test where three people with monthly phone bills of $25, $50, and $70 were asked to call their phone companies. They were instructed not to mention any specific offers but simply to ask if there was a way to make it cheaper. Promptly, they were offered plans that reduced their phone bills to $9, $15, and $32 per month. It's all a matter of negotiation.

The phone bill always breaks down exactly how much you have saved through all the special deals (you can be in X different savings programs at the same time; I believe we are currently enrolled in two). For us, it says: Your bill is $44.16. You have saved $457.63. No joke, in Figure 15 you can see a copy of the bill! Those were, of course, highlights of negotiation skills -- don't try this at home, kids, we are trained professionals!

By the way, American phone bills are meticulously itemized, showing when you called which number, how long the conversation went on, and how much it cost. The bill is usually four to six pages long, includes dozens of opaque taxes and fees, and you need at least a high school diploma, if not a doctorate in business administration, to make sense of it. For example, a basic hookup costs about $19 per month. Exactly eleven (11) different items are itemized: The largest portion is the "Residence Flat Rate Service," the basic fee that includes all local calls at a fixed price. Then there are things that, to be honest, I don't quite understand, as I am not a certified business economist. Perhaps one of the appropriately educated newsletter readers can help me out: From "Number Portability Svc Charge" ($0.34), to "CA High Cost Fund Surcharge" ($0.27), to "State Regulatory Fee" ($0.01), I file the whole thing every month under "Clear rip-off, but I'll get it back from you elsewhere.

California Wine Tips

Michael So, now to a new section in the newsletter: Each time, we will examine two wines from a California wine region. We have always enjoyed driving to Napa or Sonoma Valley on weekends and sampling the abundant wine varieties offered there. Since I am not a professional wine taster, it is, of course, possible that my recommendations do not follow the strict guidelines of the professionals. Paula Bosch, who always writes the wine recommendations in the Süddeutsche Zeitung magazine, would surely be outraged by my amateurish efforts, but hey, everyone has to start somewhere! Furthermore, it should be noted in advance that the whole thing is a very, very subjective matter -- but perhaps that's what makes it so appealing. After all, I've never been objective!

A wine that I discovered at "Costco," our mega-supermarket, I consider to be a special bargain: the "Sonoma Creek" Cabernet Sauvignon from 1998. Anyone who has never tried a Californian red wine will be surprised at how robust and developed most of these reds are. I would categorize the "Sonoma Creek" as medium robust, with light but very, very pleasant tannins. In the "nose," there is a highly pleasant fresh oak aroma, making you want to keep your nose in the glass for hours! The taste offers an abundance of fruits, ranging from the Cabernet-typical dark cherries to blackberries, all with a crisp acidity! Pleasant and long-lasting aftertaste! An exceptional find for only 10 dollars. 9 out of 10 points, no kidding.

Oh, I forgot to mention, the second wine that is always presented here, just for fun, is a sorrel. Today: The "Woodbridge" Cabernet Sauvignon from 1997. The "Woodbridge" brand is one of the more well-known ones, and the wine is available almost everywhere. It's the budget brand from Robert Mondavi. Recently, the "Zinfandel" variety (red Zinfandel, not to be confused with the pink stuff that many Americans like to drink) from "Woodbridge" received a high score in the Wine Spectator, and because I forgot which grape variety it was, I bought the 1.5-liter bottle of "Cabernet Sauvignon" for about 13 dollars. What a mistake! The wine tastes a bit like a trash can that hasn't been emptied for three days, with rotting apple peels, and has a strange, slightly bitter aftertaste. Just the smell gives me a headache! 2 out of 10 points. In the desert, I might drink it, but here, where there's a choice, I won't. The bottle is still three-quarters full, so if anyone wants to visit us in San Francisco and finish it, they're welcome to, I'm done with it.

Earthquakes

Michael By the way, we recently had an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.2! On Saturday, September 3rd, we came home late because our friend Anne had locked her key inside, and we had to wait for some time in the bar of the Fairmont Hotel. I was still reading in bed, while Angelika was already asleep. Suddenly, the apartment started to shake, and it went on and on, certainly lasting a total of 10 seconds. Nothing broke, as the epicenter was in Yountville in Napa, where we often go for wine tastings. I calmly continued reading my book (Go West, East Germans in America, Andreas Lehmann).

With this funny story, we'll call it a day for now. Warm greetings to all of you, and tune in again when it's time for: It's Rundbrief-Time!

Angelika und Michael