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.

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?

Angelika Since Michael will explain to you in his section how to make phone calls in America, I will write, somewhat fittingly on the topic, about the cell phone plague in America. On a current note: Michael has been provided with a cell phone as a bonus from his boss because he solved a software problem so elegantly. Well, of course, the underlying reason is that he should always be reachable, and that's exactly why I have a bone to pick with cell phones, or rather with their owners who feel the need to use them everywhere. Since I know that cell phones are also generally popular in Germany and I don't want to risk receiving angry letters, let me note right away that I acknowledge that a cell phone can be very useful in emergencies. But does it really have to be used everywhere? I do enjoy talking on the phone for long periods, but I don't want to share my conversations with the whole world.

Angelika Before I hand over to Michael, I would like to thank you for the numerous responses regarding my inquiry about the growing xenophobia and right-wing radicalism in Germany. We have read and discussed your opinions with interest. Many of you pointed out that right-wing radicalism is not only present in Germany but also in many European countries and, of course, in the USA. It was also repeatedly mentioned that there is racism in the United States as well. We have never denied this and find any form of racism and right-wing radicalism--regardless of the country--alarming and extremely dangerous. On the other hand, I believe that Germany, due to its history, has a very special responsibility to nip xenophobia and right-wing radicalism in the bud. The thought "never again" must, in my opinion, be predominant in Germany. What true acceptance means became particularly clear to me in my interactions with some Jewish people I have met here. None of them rejected me or wanted nothing to do with me just because I am German. Many of them had bitter experiences with Nazi Germany. For example, a young student I befriended in one of my Berkeley courses had lost her grandmother in a concentration camp.

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!

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.

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!

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).