Angelika Hooray! It's finally my turn. First, let me quickly remind you that during our stay in Germany, I was not only in Southern Germany but also in Northern Germany (specifically in Oldenburg). Just so that doesn't get overlooked. Michael has already shared one or two German adventures with you, and this time, I generously had let him take the lead, as he hadn't breathed German air for four years. Nevertheless, I will delight you with a few remarks. You'll just have to bear with me.

Berlin is on everyone's lips; even the American AAA magazine (the AAA is somewhat like the ADAC in Germany, and the magazine corresponds to the "ADAC Motorwelt") dedicated several pages to the German capital. During my Sturm und Drang period, I often visited Berlin for love. Of course, that was still during the time of the Wall, and even then, this city fascinated me. I had long wanted to visit again, but as is often the case when you only come to Germany for a short visit, there is no time for such excursions. However, since Berlin can be easily reached from Oldenburg in four hours by train, my mother and I followed the example of Americans traveling through Europe in 14 days and went to Berlin for two days.

I can warmly recommend Berlin to every newsletter reader. It's not only in motion but also in transition, as evidenced by the numerous construction sites. Naturally, we also completed the standard tourist program: the Reichstag (the new dome is a delight for anyone who enjoys photography), the Brandenburg Gate (currently wrapped in T-Online advertising because it is being renovated), Unter den Linden, Friedrichstraße, Berlin Cathedral, Museum Island, Hackesche Höfe, Potsdamer Platz, and the New Synagogue. But we also simply strolled through random streets. I was particularly drawn to the contrasts. Often, a freshly renovated building stands next to one that is on the verge of collapse. Precisely because much in Berlin is so questionable, one approaches it similarly to New York: either you love this city or you hate it.

The newly designed Potsdamer Platz, which appears hyper-modern like something out of a science fiction film, is, for example, a project worth discussing. It is also worth questioning whether it was right that no piece of the Wall remains standing directly behind the Reichstag. I really struggled to remember exactly where the Wall once ran. However, I am full of praise for the colorful variety of restaurants, pubs, and cafes. And since the weather in Berlin wasn't exactly warm and I still had a bit of San Francisco weather in my bones, constantly feeling cold, my mother and I made extensive use of these offerings.

The highlight was the hotel "Künstlerheim Luise" on Luisenstraße, where we stayed for one night. Each room was designed by a different artist. Ours was called "Baustelle Deutschland" by Oliver Jordan. We slept like logs, surrounded by the predominant colors black, red, and gold, and the portraits of Dutschke, Böll, Grass, Brecht, and Anna Seghers (the ghost train of German literature! Note from Michael). It's also amusing that the hotel is located right next to the railway tracks, allowing you to watch the S-Bahn, ICE, etc., pass by. Now you might exclaim in horror: "Oh no, then you can't sleep because of the noise!" But that was really not the case, as the windows were triple-glazed, and for those sensitive to noise, earplugs were provided as a precaution. The breakfast was also lovely, waiting for you in a communal kitchen in the morning. If you want to take a closer look at the hotel, just click on https://www.kuenstlerheim-luise.de.

What amused me greatly in Germany, by the way, are the Anglicisms that you encounter at every turn. German advertising seems unable to do without English idioms anymore. When you enter a bookstore, you feel like you're in an English-speaking country, as titles like "Fit for Life" immediately catch your eye. Now, you shouldn't think that I'm as extreme about language purity as the French, who even have their own word for "computer," but there's no need to overdo it, especially just to give the impression of being cosmopolitan. That ends up feeling really forced.

Michael has already written that we were shopping diligently while in Germany. We stocked up on everything: Cliff shower gels, Kneipp baths, German books, Milka chocolate. We just didn't think of the good old Tempos. And that immediately came back to bite us, as both Michael and I caught a cold right after our return. When it comes to tissues, America is really behind the times. Perhaps some of you who have traveled to America have noticed that tissues are usually only available for purchase in boxes. But it's extremely impractical to carry a box around when you're going somewhere.

In the meantime, the US market came up with packages that look like Tempo, but the tissues are so bad that they make you want to cry on top of having a cold. Not only are they scratchy and hard, so that after blowing your nose three times you end up with a sore nose, but they are also so thin that you might as well take three at once to prevent the snot from suddenly spreading on your hand. It really can't be that hard to sell decent tissues that you can easily slip into your pocket! The solution to the mystery, of course, lies in a cultural peculiarity: Americans stay home with a box full of tissues when they have a common cold. In these cases, all appointments are canceled, because nothing is worse for Americans than going out with a cold and spreading their germs. By the way, it's also considered impolite to blow your nose at the table in a restaurant -- for that, Americans go to the restroom. That's why you don't need tissues to take with you, it's as simple as that!

My latest story deals once again with one of my "favorite authorities," namely the American Immigration Office. They are always good for an adventure. As you all already know, we had to renew our visas some time ago. That went relatively smoothly, so we can now safely stay until October 2002.

In the USA, there is a somewhat absurd regulation that allows you to apply for a visa extension while in the country and receive all the official documents, but you can only get the stamp (which is now a self-adhesive label) in your passport while staying outside the USA. Without the stamp, you can leave the country, but cannot re-enter. You might remember that during one of my visits to Germany, I had to go to the American consulate in Frankfurt for this reason. There is one exception: under certain conditions, you can send your passport and the original confirmation of the visa extension, along with some other paperwork, to the State Department in Washington, wait 10-12 weeks, and if you're lucky, you'll get the stamp in your passport.

We decided this time to choose the Washington option, as we hadn't had time to visit the American consulate in Frankfurt. And what a miracle, it even worked: The mail didn't get lost, and even my first name was spelled correctly (with a "k" and not a "c," as is common in America). Happily, we boarded the plane to Germany and had no worries about returning. Upon our return, we stood a little tired in the long "immigration line" at the airport in San Francisco and ended up with a female immigration officer whose correctness would have made any German official turn green with envy.

After she looked at our passports and asked Michael where he worked, she actually wanted to see the original Form I-797. This is the document that confirms how long we are allowed to stay in the country, and according to the rules of the immigration office, it must be kept at the company, in this case, AOL. I knew this and immediately started to argue, earning disapproving looks from Michael, who already saw us spending the rest of Saturday surrounded by immigration officers at the airport. As I said, it was Saturday, otherwise, we could have quickly called AOL to have them fax this stupid form. Michael was diplomatic, confirming to the woman that she probably knew the legal situation better than we did and that we were sorry we couldn't show her the said paper. Grumbling, she let us go. As it turned out after consulting with our lawyer later, the immigration officers at the airport do indeed have the right to ask to see the paper. Unfortunately, the lawyer had forgotten to inform us of this (grumble!!!). However, the lawyer was also a bit confused, as the paper is usually not requested. It was probably the stamp issued in Washington that threw the lady off in our case. I tell you, without the immigration office, my life would be downright boring.

Until the next newsletter!

Angelika und Michael

P.S.: As always, the newsletter is available live and in color on the internet -- with images that can be enlarged. Just visit https://usarundbrief.com !

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• More topics you might be interested in:

  	Guided Tour Through Chinatown
  	Newsletter Top Product
  	Movies and Movie Stars in San Francisco
  	Wine of the Month
  	Photo of the Month
  	Once every four years: Germany