Angelika Dear newsletter friends! Hooray! Today I am starting the letter and will be immediately plugging my photo exhibition at the San Francisco City Hall. Don't be confused, Mayor Willie Brown has nothing to do with it. Instead, three of my photos are currently adorning the sacred halls of "City Hall" (that's what "Rathaus" is called in English) as part of a group exhibition by my photography group, which I have been a member of for a year and a half. We call ourselves the "Bay Area Photographers Collective" and the group consist of about 30 people. "Collective" might sound a bit communist to your ears, but in America, it's a completely normal term, and you have to admit that it sounds more elegant than "club." The idea behind our association is as follows: We support each other in our photographic ambitions.

Angelika You have probably already read in various newspapers that the American economic boom has significantly slowed down. Now, it's one thing to read about it in the newspaper and another to sit at the gates of Silicon Valley and witness it live. Michael and I were quite surprised at how quickly the whole situation changed. As late as the end of 2000, high-tech companies were desperately looking for people, and three months later, there were mass layoffs, and newly founded and highly praised dot-com companies closed their doors. It was foreseeable that the party couldn't continue indefinitely, as everyone knows that lean years follow fat ones. Additionally, many of the young dot-com companies (where "dot" means point and "com" means commercial, both referring to components in an email address) received millions in investor money but made absolutely no profit. And even millions eventually run out.

Angelika Recently, television reported that many laid-off H-1B holders are unable to find a new employer willing to go through the visa formalities again, and therefore, they actually have to leave the country. One of them was almost in possession of a Green Card, was laid off, and now has to throw his Green Card application in the trash. That made us a bit uneasy, as we are also waiting for our Green Card. We had felt secure not long ago because Clinton, just before leaving office, gave us a new law with the promising name "American Competitiveness in the Twenty-first Century Act of 2000." Interestingly, the title does not mention "Green Card" or "immigration" -- intentionally, because even in the immigration country of America, there is not an entirely positive attitude towards immigrants.

Angelika Californians are known for their boundless optimism and inventiveness. In San Francisco and other cities in Silicon Valley, there are now so-called "Pink-Slip Parties." These are parties that serve no other purpose than informal job searching. The term "Pink Slip" is used because a termination notice is typically given to an employee on a "pink slip" (a pink form). At these gatherings, job seekers and employers casually exchange information over a bottle of beer or a glass of wine in a nightclub. The goal is to make connections in a pleasant atmosphere and hopefully be invited to a job interview. Not a bad idea!

Angelika On April 15th, we once again dutifully submitted our American tax return. I had to struggle for weeks through a mountain of bizarre forms, but I found it interesting to learn from the news that the American President and Vice President actually disclose their tax returns. Although they are not legally required to do so, it has been customary since Nixon's tax scandal (Jimmy Carter set a shining example in this regard).

Michael Thank you! Every now and then, something new comes up, and I think to myself: That idea could have been mine. Recently, along with my bank statement, I received a brochure that promised that you could win money by using the bank's ATM. I had this idea back in 1970! But I probably need to elaborate a bit more for the German readers, so I'm making it a main topic in my newsletter: Financial transactions in the USA!

Michael I would be "gung ho", as they say here! Welcome back to our segment "Learn to Speak American with the Pros". "Gung ho" (pronounced Gang ho) is an expression that originated from some US troops stationed in Asia during World War II. It is derived from the Mandarin Chinese 'gonghe' and means that you enthusiastically go along with what everyone else is doing. "I am gung ho with ..." means that you agree joyfully. No kidding, it's quite a common expression!

Michael On July 8th, I will be participating in the San Francisco Marathon. Yes, you heard that right, the speedy newsletter reporter will lace up his running shoes and race 42.195 km across San Francisco city streets with a few thousand other enthusiasts. While I am in pretty good shape, a special training regimen is necessary for such an ordeal: since March 8th, I have been training four times a week following a proven special program. I started with 5-kilometer runs and increased the distance weekly so that my muscles could build up gradually and there is no risk of injury. By the way, the longest training run in the program is one week before the San Francisco Marathon and is 29 kilometers long. So, the full 42 kilometers are only being run on marathon day itself, and then probably not ever again.

Michael And here again is the popular section: Now-let's-drink-another-bottle-of-wine! This time, a delicate little wine that was on the shelf for 13 dollars at the giant supermarket Costco and apparently only caught the eye of the speedy newsletter reporter. When you stick your nose in the glass, something wafts towards you that the American wine connoisseur would describe as 'liquorish', almost a brandy-like note. Also not unlike the scent of Mon Cheri, a popular German pre-christmas snack. Very delicious. On the palate, nicely balanced, fine, unobtrusive tannins. A wonderfully heavy red wine that is best suited for snuggling into a heavy Italian leather armchair in the evening and reading an excellent Perl book. Aaah ....

Michael And here is this month's newsletter's top product: the TiVo box. In Germany, you have the problem that only crap is on TV, which is constantly interrupted by commercials. In America, it's even worse, and that's why the company TiVo came up with a box that contains a small computer that continuously records the TV program onto a hard drive while you're watching.