Angelika Firefighters are highly regarded in the USA. They are generally celebrated as heroes who do not hesitate to risk their lives. This perception was further reinforced, especially after September 11, the attacks in New York and on the Pentagon, because it was firefighters who bravely entered the World Trade Center to save lives, and some of them lost their own lives in the process. In contrast, many Americans have a more conflicted relationship with police officers.

Michael The reason there hasn't been a new newsletter in ages is partly because I have discovered a new hobby: to play the German card game Schafkopf with other people online on sauspiel.de Almost at any time of day or night, you can immediately find an open table where only one player is missing, and you just join in. And bam, you get the first four cards and the fun begins. For example, if Angelika announces that we are going somewhere in two minutes, I quickly sit down at the computer and play another game of Schafkopf.

Michael In the USA, political parties do not receive money from the state; instead, they finance their election campaigns entirely with donations from party supporters. To prevent powerful industrial magnates from directly bribing parliamentary representatives, the party donation law limits contributions from individuals to individual representatives to $2,500.

Angelika Michael did not miss the opportunity to participate again this year in one of the oldest and most famous street races in San Francisco. The yearly Bay-to-Breakers took place on the third Sunday in May, and this year marked its hundredth occurrence. We have reported on it several times before ( Rundbrief 06/1999 , Rundbrief 08/2000 ). The famous footrace received its venerable name due to the race course, which has changed only slightly over the years. The run starts at the San Francisco Bay near the Embarcadero, and continues across the city to the Pacific Ocean. The second part of the name, "Breakers," refers to the well-known breaking waves there.

Angelika Everyone knows San Francisco's famous "Chinatown" neighborhood, either from television or because it's a must-see for every tourist. Even though much of this district, located right in the city center, now screams "tourist trap," vendors still offer exotic spices, fruits, and tea in all varieties, and the restaurants provide some culinary delights. However, true connoisseurs head to Clement Street, which is considered the alternative Chinatown among locals.

Michael The so-called knock-knock joke is a form of humor that is largely unknown in Germany, but it amuses people not only in the USA, but also throughout the English-speaking world as well as in France and Belgium. The joke consists of five lines, which are spoken alternately by the joke teller and the listener.

Michael Americans sometimes deliberately speak incorrect English either to joke around or to appear youthful and cool. This is not the gangster English often displayed by beneficiaries of social housing. Anyone who says "He do" immediately reveals themselves as an outsider without a high school diploma, which is generally only considered cool among hopeless youths.

Angelika Americans generally have a rather relaxed attitude towards their cars. A car is a utility item that reliably and comfortably gets you to work or from point A to point B. Most people don't mind if their car gets a few scratches and might even bump into the bumper of the car in front or behind of them while parking. Renting cars is widespread because, to cover the large distances in the country, flying is often the fastest mode of transportation, and then people simply rent a car from one of the major car rental companies on site. Additionally, there are often no real alternatives, as public transportation leaves much to be desired in many areas. Since there is significant competition among car rental companies like Hertz, Alamo, Avis, or Dollar, customers can often enjoy good deals. Small cars often cost less than twenty dollars per day.