Angelika: We have been living in San Francisco for almost 8 years now and have never moved apartments. This was partly due to the unaffordable rents in San Francisco and partly because of Michael's refusal to move--he dreaded all the work involved. Way back in Munich, I managed the move to America all by myself, as Michael had left seven weeks before me, armed with only two small travel bags!

Americans are often accused of producing excessive waste. This is somewhat true when you think of the plastic bag madness in supermarkets and the practically non-existent waste separation in rural areas. However, there is a recycling process here that I was not familiar with from Germany. (Informants from Berlin have, however, told me that it works similarly there.) You put old junk out on the sidewalk, stick a note on it that says "Free Stuff", and wait an hour or two.

It was a completely normal workday in June when I routinely rode my bike into the Netscape parking lot at ten o'clock in the morning. I was just about to open the door to the building when the security guard, who always makes sure everyone is wearing their "badge" (company ID), indicated to me that there was a snake in the parking lot. And indeed: just a few meters away, a patterned snake about 2 meters long and three to four centimeters thick was slithering through the bushes!

At the county and state level, there is a vibrant system of referendums in California. Busy individuals constantly introduce proposals for changes in the law, known as "propositions." For example, a recent proposal in the city of San Francisco debated whether to give homeless people food stamps instead of money. In such cases, interest groups hire young people to approach local eligible pedestrians on the streets and persuade them to add their address and signature to a list. If a certain number of valid signatures are collected, the proposal can be publicly voted on in the next election.

The regular readers will remember, in Rundbrief 10/1998 we already reported on the "Lost Coast," the stretch of coastline near Mendocino that is cut off from Highway 1.

Angelika: Even after almost eight years in the USA, I am still fascinated by how much the country's language reflects its culture. I am surprised when the children in the Tenderloin shout a hearty "I love you" at me, even though I know that these three words are used quite liberally in American English. Americans, it seems, love everything and everyone. In German, however, the declaration of love "Ich liebe dich!" carries significant weight. It is used sparingly, as one can fall back on the famous "Ich hab' dich lieb!" as a milder expression.

Angelika: Although the convention of the American Republican Party, during which Bush's official nomination as the presidential candidate will take place, is still pending, everyone already knows: Kerry is running against Bush.

Michael: Back in the Rundbrief 12/2003 issue I was boasting that American consumers would never put up with copy-protected CDs, and bam! Reality slapped me with a wet towel: The new CD from the "Guns 'n Roses" offshoot "Velvet Revolver" can't be listened to as an MP3 on the computer, and consumers apparently don't mind. What sheep! For "Velvet Revolver," this means they're banned--at least from my record shelf. For life!

Moving boxes around is no fun and can be hard on your back--unless, like us, you've bought a handcart at the "Home Depot" hardware store. In American English, these rolling helpers are also called "dollies," but when I asked the store clerk, "Where might I find a dolly?" he responded with, "A what??" Maybe it was my pronunciation, but I had to briefly describe that I wanted one of those things you can use to cart stuff around. Ah, he understood and informed me that "hand trucks" could be found in the last aisle on the shelf next to the trash cans. I chose the top model for $39.99, which can handle up to 600 pounds. That's quality! It even withstood the heavy moving goods and now stands on the balcony. Unfortunately, it won't fold!