Michael We went on vacation again. Since we already know Hawaii inside and out, this time we flew in the other direction. First across the continent to New York and then another two hours, further east. There lies the English colony of Bermuda, a tropical island only 2 miles wide and 20 miles high, with turquoise water, and long, secluded sandy beaches.

Michael We have previously reported in Rundbrief 07/2005 that there is no German TÜV (Technical Inspection Association) in America, but there is a biennial emissions test. And since everything is available on the internet nowadays, the authorities in California thought: Let's put all the results online, including the license plate and the vehicle identification number of each car.

Michael Have you ever been to America, bought SPF 20 sunscreen, laid on the beach, and ended up with a patchy sunburn? Ha! That happened to us too. Obviously, it wasn't a "real" SPF 20.

Angelika A while ago, Michael rated the Sudafed PE throat patch as a junk product in Rundbrief 11/2006 . Back then, we thought the poor quality was due to its administration as a strip instead of the proven pill form. Recently, however, a colleague of Michael mentioned that he was getting tired of always having to show his ID when buying the original "Sudafed" to combat his chronic sinus problems. Hmm, that made us suspicious, and I went to the drugstore chain "Walgreens" to get to the bottom of it.

Michael Riding a bicycle through San Francisco requires the utmost attention. According to my personal statistics, 70% of the driving population lacks the technical skills to safely operate a vehicle. These are people who hit the curb while turning, can't keep their car in the lane, and run red lights because they can't accurately judge the timing of the traffic lights changing. If such a person is also on their phone, double caution is advised.

Angelika The Californian winter of 2006/2007 brought us too little rain, and our water reservoirs were not sufficiently filled. In the summer, this can lead to water shortages, especially in Southern California. That's why we recently received a Brochure from the water utility company in the mail, which contained tips for saving water.

Angelika In the last issue ( Rundbrief 04/2007 ) I reported that San Francisco was the first city in America to ban plastic bags. But San Francisco is not only ahead in terms of environmental protection, but also when it comes to social achievements. Since February of this year, everyone working in San Francisco must get paid on sick days. San Francisco is once again the first city in America to legally mandate paid sick leave at the local level.

Michael When you walk through our Mexican neighborhood "Mission" just around the corner from us, you often hear a kind of oom-pah music coming from passing cars or open apartment windows, which is not unlike German folk music. If you look closer, these are just regular people who enjoy this seemingly totally crazy music. You never know! I thought that kind of thing only existed in Germany at the Musikantenstadel TV show.