Angelika We have, as is well known, set ourselves the goal of eventually visiting every state in the USA. We had so far neglected New Mexico, probably because it doesn't have the spectacular national parks that you usually find in the Southwest of the USA. But after several friends and acquaintances raved about New Mexico and especially Santa Fe, and immediately added that it was "completely different" to the rest of the USA was, there was no stopping us.

Angelika Anyone who has ever studied American history cannot avoid the tragic chapter of the extermination and oppression of Native Americans. To this day, Native Americans fight for recognition, equality, and the return of their land. The hunger of white settlers for land and natural resources in the 19th century led to the systematic displacement and relocation of Native Americans to reservations, which were mostly established in completely remote, less fertile areas (in other words: in the desert).

Angelika But I digress, because I actually wanted to talk about the still-inhabited Native American village "Taos Pueblo." By the way, the term "Pueblo" comes from Spanish and means "village." The Spanish colonial rulers brought the term to New Mexico.

Michael We have often mentioned that it won't rain a drop in San Francisco between March and October. This raises the question: Where do the city and the surrounding areas get enough fresh water to survive?

Michael During my youth, I famously spent countless hours playing street soccer in Germany. And during my studies in Munich, there was a soccer game every day at the so-called ZHS (Central University Sports), where you could just show up without registering and play.

Michael When an American man needs a haircut, he goes to what is called a "barber." These are usually tiny shops, and inside there is a red upholstered leather chair with a footrest. An ancient, life-worn man holds scissors and a razor in his hands. In San Francisco, there is one who even plays the saxophone in his shop when there are no customers. Of course, you don't make an appointment with the barber; you just drop in.

Michael Recently, someone asked on an internal Yahoo mailing list what the best vacuum cleaner currently available might be. Don't laugh! This kind of question comes up often, and it's actually very helpful to get everyday tips from reasonably educated people. The popular answer: the Dyson. It's one of those modern, futuristic-looking vacuum cleaners that supposedly unleashes such infernal suction power that it outshines every device that has come before it. One Dyson model even has the fitting name "Animal." However, it comes with a price: $400 and up.

Angelika Last week, our electricity bill from PG&E (Pacific Gas and Electric) arrived, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was significantly lower than usual. Then I noticed the attached note, which kindly explained that every customer would retroactively receive a 15% discount called the "Heat Storm Bill Credit" for their July gas and electricity bill. It went on to say that an unusual heatwave had gripped California in July, leading to higher electricity consumption (keyword: air conditioning) and therefore higher bills for many households. Huh? I had always thought that we live in an era of global warming and that saving electricity, not wasting it, should be rewarded. PG&E had generally adhered to this principle in the past. During previous heatwaves, consumers were encouraged to reduce their power usage, for example, by turning down the air conditioning, to receive a discount later for significant savings.

Michael When you buy a bottle or can of Coca-Cola in the USA, you get a different product than the Coca-Cola that was sold as such 20 years ago. This is because the powerful distributors of corn syrup (a sweet sludge made from corn) have ensured that their American product is used for sweetening in soda-like drinks instead of sugar across the board.