Coming to USA

A Complete Guide for USA Travelers

Table of Contents

Introduction

Usually, before anyone comes to the USA for the first time from India he/she will start talking to people who have been here before and get information from them about what to expect, what to do etc. The guide will give an idea about how one should get prepared before travel to the USA. We felt the need for a small, informal document, which anyone could carry along with or read on the plane before he/she gets to the USA. The objective of this document is to make you aware of things, situations to expect and enlighten you with facts so you can be comfortable once you get there.

This friendly document will guide you during your stay in the U.S. You will be better prepared for the trip if you read this document before going or just after reaching. It tries to give information on preparing for the trip, food, travel, stay and culture in the U.S. This is just out of our experience and should be considered as an advice rather than final authoritative statement, which may be arguable. We want you to enjoy your trip to the U.S. as much as possible. You bet. All the best!!

Carry Luggage

The carry baggage is the biggest problem while coming to U.S. What to carry? How much to carry?. Do I carry more woolen clothes 'because it's cold out there? Well, we all think, it depends!

Don't carry too many heavy utensils, cooker etc. You can buy most of the utensils there. They are not costly and you don't have to carry much. You can carry some spices with you if you want to, because after going there you may start missing the Indian food taste. All the Indian spices are available in Indian stores and you can find good Indian restaurants.

Don't carry too many warm clothes (unless you are going there in winter), or sports shoes etc. It would be better if you buy them after going there. That way you can buy the latest style. But you should carry leather shoes from India, since leather items are costly in the U.S. Rest all depends on you and your needs.

The Arrival

Enjoy your flight. Try to learn more about other nations from the co-passengers. There can be international stops on your way to the U.S.

International stops: Generally passengers are required to get down at an International top, which might be for Security checkup or cleaning of the airplane. You will be given a 'transit card' or say 'transit visa'. Normally the halt is for a couple of hours. Listen to the announcement, which is always made before the international halt. You will hear the information about departure time, gate number etc. After getting down at Intl. Airport, you can move around in the airport. But be at the gate within 45 minutes of your flight's departure for the onward journey. 'cause they may require to check your tickets etc. Once you get in., you are all set to take off for the final destination.

Immigration:The first thing you need to go through at the port-of-entry U.S. airport (international airport where you first land in the U.S.), after landing is the immigration and customs clearance. After which you may board a domestic flight to reach your final destination. Before getting down at your port-if-entry final international halt, inside the plane, you will be given a form to fill up called I-94. SPECIFY Friend's CONTACT NUMBER, ADDRESS AND OTHER OFFICIAL INFORMATION AS YOUR CONTACT NUMBER, ADDRESS WHERE YOU ILL STAY etc.

On alighting from the plane you may ask people or signs will guide you to the immigration. Keep your passport, H1-paper (Blue form) and the form you filled inside the plane, handy. At the counter you might be asked some questions. TALK ABSOLUTELY TO THE POINT. DON'T TRY TO LIE. MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER YOU SAY IS WRITTEN ON THE PAPER. You will be given the counter foil of I-94 form. Keep that very carefully. And say to yourself "WELCOME TO USA".

Baggage claim: Try to acquire some 25 cent coins (called "quarters" ), which you may need for getting a trolley cart for baggage and also for making telephone calls etc. Thereafter move toward the baggage claim carousel assigned to your flight, simply follow the signs directing you to the place. Collect your luggage and look for signs directing you to customs clearance. At the customs clearance they may ask you to open your bags for a security check/verification.

Domestic Flight: Since the Port-of-entry may not be your final destination in the U.S and you have to proceed onwards, locate the counter for the domestic airline you will be taking to your final destination. Above all don't hesitate or feel shy to ask to help from airport support staff (at international desks) or police officers, if you need anything. Follow signs directions you to you domestic flight because you will need a boarding pass. If it is far away, take the Airport shuttle (bus) service, which is free. If you don't know where to get down, tell the driver in advance and he will drop you off at the proper place. At the counter (podium) check-in your baggage and get your boarding pass issued and ready. On arrival at the final destination, collect your baggage once again and look around for that someone who may be there to receive you. If you don't find anyone or you already have specific instructions, follow those, otherwise call up (telephone) the friend whose tel. Number you should be carrying. Therefore remember to keep phone numbers handy. Get information from the friend area-coordinator on the stay arrangements made for you. Finally, if no one comes to pick you up, try to locate the information counter from where you will get all the information regarding how to call for also the Public Transport section of this guide will help you in understanding the travel facilities available in the U.S.

Using Telephones

The first thing you might do when you come to USA is calling someone. So this is a good time to tell you about telephone usage. Telephone calls within U.S. are considered "local" (within the area of the caller) or "long distance" (outside the area of the caller). Local calls within a short region are free unless made from a public pay phone, which is a coin operated machine. Long distance calls are charged at varying rates, depending on how you make the call (which long distance carrier/company you use), for how long you speak and the time of the day. Note that the telephone companies in the U.S. are private. Each local region is assigned an "area code". So the phone numbers are denoted as (area code)-123 4567, Where 123-4567 is your actual phone number. If you are calling a number within your "area" then you should dial only the phone number. If the call is outside your area you need to dial 1-(area code)-123-4567 which is the long distance call. Again, sometimes when the area code is the same as yours, you may still have to dial a "1" before the number without the area code e.g. 1-<7-digit phone number> To make an international call i.e., to India you need to dial 011-91--. e.g. 011-91-22-1234567. Here 011 indicate an international call. 91 are the country code for India. 22 are the "area code" for Bombay and 1234567 may be the actual phone number you want to dial.

Other important facilities provided are:

Most of the 1-800-numbers are toll free. You will not be charged for the calls you make to such numbers. e.g. The toll free number for Mr. Ravi is 1-800-969-1127. This is a toll free number and you can dial it from anywhere in the U.S. without having to pay for it, even from a public phone. Some telephone numbers have alphabets in them such as 1-800-BANKING. To dial this number, just press the digit on the telephone pad which has the corresponding alphabet you want to dial on it, simple!

Most people use answering machines, which are connected to their telephones or some kind of voice mail system. It has a standard pre-recorded greeting, which is played when you call up and then after some beeps, it records your messages. Initially you will feel like you were talking to a dead person, but soon you realize the importance of owning an answering machine. We bet you'll buy one too! In US, when people are in the meeting or driving or when they are not able to take the call, the calls will go to voice message, once you record the message, people will keep checking frequently and return the call.

Most of the 1-800-numbers are toll free. You will not be charged for the calls you make to such numbers. e.g. The toll free number for Mr. Ravi  is 1-800-969-1127. This is a toll free number and you can dial it from anywhere in the U.S. without having to pay for it, even from a public phone. Some telephone numbers have alphabets in them such as 1-800-BANKING. To dial this number, just press the digit on the telephone pad which has the corresponding alphabet you want to dial on it, simple!

Most people use answering machines, which are connected to their telephones or some kind of voice mail system. It has a standard pre-recorded greeting, which is played when you call up and then after some beeps, it records your messages. Initially you will feel like you were talking to a dead person, but soon you realize the importance of owning an answering machine. We bet you’ll buy one too!  In US, when people are in the meeting or driving or when they are not able to take the call, the calls will go to voice message, once you record the message, people will keep checking frequently and return the call. 

Using the PUBLIC “pay” phones: The important difference is, you need to insert the money first then dial the number. To operate a pay phone you need 25 cents. This pays for one local call. If your call is not connected your money is returned in the “coin return” slot.

Collect call: If you want the called party (person whom you are calling) to pay for the call then you make a collect call. To make a collect calls pick up the receiver and press 0. Let the operator know that you want to make a COLLECT call, the operator will connect you to the phone number you need. But before that the operator will check with other party if they want to collect (pay for) the call. An easier way is to dial 1-800-COLLECT from any phone and just follow the recorded instructions.

Time zone:  There are four important time zones in the U.S

appointment. You will not find them waiting in the street corners but you do find them waiting in a queue at the airport. Taxis are listed in the yellow pages under the name “Taxi” or “Taxicabs”. When you call, tell the “dispatch” operator where you are and where you want to go. The dispatch operator will tell you how long it will take for the taxi to arrive at your starting point. He or she will ask for the telephone number, so they can call you if the taxi driver cannot locate you. You should ask for the estimated cost of the ride. When you enter the taxi, the meter will read flat rate. This is the minimum charge. You will be charged the flat rate for each mile you travel.

Mind your language

For successful conversation, in the US, it is advisable that you speak slowly and pronounce properly. Well, the first part you really need to practice otherwise what you will hear from the person opposite is “pardon me”, “come again”, “I am sorry”, “I didn’t get you”. e.g. The changes in pronunciation are like ‘schedule’ pronounced as ‘skedule’, ‘route’ pronounced ‘raut’ etc. Also some words are totally substituted like ‘petrol’ by ‘gas’. Here is a table from Gary Nobel of HP SanDiego, which he created when he traveled in India. Thanks to him. The dictionary is very remarkable.
The following is a simple dictionary for translating between American English and Indian English. This dictionary should be useful for the new corner to either the U.S. or India. The words are in no particular order. 

INDIAN ENGLISH AMERICAN ENGLISH
Food related:

Coriander Cilantro
Cold drink Soda pop
Curd Yogurt

Café (“kayf”) Café (“kaf-ay”)
Nes-coffee Instant coffee
Filter coffee Brewed Coffee
Milk powder Cream
French beans Snow Peas
Hotel Restaurant
Jelly Gelatin
Garam masalla Curry
Lady fingers Okra
Small pastries Lady fingers
Toffee Hard candy
Brinjal Eggplang
Biscuit Cookies/Wafers
Bun Biscuit
(Potato) Wafers (Potato) chips
Finger chips French fries
Groundnuts Peanuts

Education Related:

Public school Private school (tuition charged)
Private school Public school (free)
School High school
College School
University School
High school School/Junior High
Take a class Teach a class
Be a student Take a class
2nd standard 2nd grade
High marks Good grades
Invigilator Proctor
Canteen cafeteria
Clothes:

Windcheater Windbreaker
Vest Undershirt
Waistcoat Vest
Half-pant Shorts
Purse Wallet
Swim trunks Swim suit
Swim costume Swim suit

Transportation Related

Traffic signal Traffic light
Boot, dikky Trunk of a car
Bonnet Hood of a car
petrol pump Gas station
Petrol Gas
Diesel Fuel
Pavement Sidewalk
Footpath Sidewalk
zebra Crossing Crosswalk
Take a lift Get a ride
Motorcycle Motorbike
Cycle Bike

Others

Football Soccer
American football(rugby)Football
Solid Substantial
Ltd Inc.
Transistor Radio
Two-in-One Boom box
Goggles Sunglasses
Cooling glass Sunglasses
Toilet Restroom
Guest house Motel
Current Electricity
$20 Note $20 Bill
Cell Battery
Torch Flashlight
Rubber Eraser
Snap Picture
Photograph Picture
Mixee Miser
Dustbin Trash can
Beggar Panhandler
IBM-Compatible IBM-Clone
Inflammable Flammable
Mess Dorm cafeteria
Hotel Restaurant
Restaurant bill Restaurant check
Picture Movie
Talkies Movies
Lift Elevator
To fix To install
To repair To fix
Pram Stroller

Idioms

To post (a letter) To mail(a letter)
To submit To tun in
To be out of station To be out of town
A place to park Driveway
A place to drive Parkway
Anticlockwise Counterclockwise
Bunk school Skip class
Passed out Graduated
Fainted Passed out
Ring up Call up
The line is engaged It’s busy / I got a busy tone
Push the accelerator Step on the gas
Give the car some race Speed up the car
Get down Get off
Let’s push off Let’s go
Convince someone Talk someone into
Black money Tax free, undeclared income
Standing from a constituency Running for an election
Issue a book. Checkout a book
How are you? How are you doing?
How is everything? How is it going?
Intimate Inform
Very close relations Intimate Relations
Too good Cool

The Anti-Universe phenomenon

When you come to the U.S you will notice the opposite everywhere. You will get the feeling “These guys are crazy” …almost everything you try to do will fail even if it is a small thing like switching ON the lamp!!!

This is just to make you get a hang of it. The cars are driver on the right hand side instead of left-hand side of the road. So you should look left first while crossing roads. You may have to insert the key upside down and rotate it in the opposite direction to unlock. You will also notice that switches work in opposite direction i.e. UP is ON and DOWN is OFF. The date is written with the month first, then day, followed by the year.

FOOD, I’m hungry

Of course you must be hungry, when you arrive. God knows what you ate on the plane. You don’t remember the item’s name or its contents. It may be one of the weirdest things you ever had for dinner or lunch. So you must be apprehensive about what you will get for lunch or dinner. The best thing you can try is PIZZA, which is pronounced as “PiTza”. You get both Veg. And non-veg. pizzas. But to be on the safer side order a veg. Pizza that way you won’t be left hungry at least.  Order a small pizza if you are alone or a medium size is enough for two or three (well it depends on your appetite actually). You can order pizza by phone and it will be delivered at you doorstep in a few minutes. Refer to the yellow pages or consult the motel receptionist you are staying in, for information.

For breakfast, have ‘Continental breakfast’ which is cheap and the best. To be sure about veg. Items always ask for items with “NO MEAT” rather than “WITHOUT MEAT”. Be sure to say “NO ICE” if you prefer to have your drink without ice. And remember that a CHEESEBURGER contains meat besides cheese, so be careful! Here is a guide for vegetarian dishes:

Mexican: Bean Burrito, Enchiladas, Bean Taco, Cheese Taco, Bean Tostadas, Mexican Pizza
Italian or Greek: Eggplant (brinjal) sandwich, Sphagetti with tomato sause, Lasagna (pronounced Laza-nya), Italian pitza, Italian pasta with tomato sauce, Falafal, Veg.Gyro (pronounced Yero).

Denny’s : Vegetable omlete (with eggs) vegetable lunch/dinner (salad, potato smash, garlic sause) Broccoli soup.

American Restaurants (Zissler, Olive Garder) : Best bet is salad bar & French fries

McDonald’s : Mac cheese sandwich, Milk shakes, ice-cream sundaes.

Pizza Hut: Veggie Lover’s delight, veggie pizza with a choice of toppings such as Jalapenos (pronounced Hala-pin-yose and are green chilies), pineapple, tomato, onions etc.
Burger King: Vege cheese whooper, Garden burger.

Office and the work environment

Before you start your first day, get a hang of how the work environment is at the client’s place from any person working there or read on for some typical environments you may find.

Project Leaders are very understanding and friendly. And do not unduly pressurize you to perform. They will definitely give you some time to come up to speed on their work environment.

There is a lot of individualistic approach. Every person’s input are given a lot of importance. Independent views are respected. Before discarding any of your ideas, they will give you a good enough reason for doing so.

For the smallest of decisions they will sometimes hold a meeting and get the entire team’s inputs/comments/suggestions before proceeding. One feels important when this is done. But sometimes it can get boring.
Nobody double-checks what you are saying; they take you for your word.

There is no suspicious feeling and managers don’t fear subordinates.

Managers will openly discuss about their meetings with “their” bosses with the team.

There is no hide and seek as far as information/feedback is concerned.

People are dedicated to their area of work and develop expertise in it. But they do not talk about work related topics, which are not in their area of expertise; they immediately refer you to the right person.

People enjoy their work and leisure. They plan their weekends well in advance. Very few people stay back late in the office or come and work during weekends. Such things are not related to performance. As long as you do your work well and within time, nobody cares what else you do and when.

Most companies allow you to compensate by working during the weekend if you take time-off from work on a regular weekday.

The work hours is most companies are flexible. Come anytime and go anytime but you do need to put in a minimum of 8 hrs/day or 40 hrs/week as contractors. Regular time sheets “may” have to be filled, in some companies.

Americans and their behavior

Its helpful to know how Americans typically will be. Otherwise you will start feeling “These people are great dramatists…” Here are some tips:-
Americans are very friendly and helpful.
They don’t make you feel like a foreigner. (Though you feel!!!)
It is very easy to adjust with them. But they don’t like people getting very inquisitive or trying to get too personal in the initial phase of the acquaintance.
They dress casually and nobody bothers which dress you wear etc.
They are fun loving creatures and enjoy their free time. Most of them like to keep themselves physically fit by regular outings, hiking, exercise, biking, jogging etc. They love the outdoors and natural surroundings. They look forward to weekends and plan their weekend activities in advance. This usually consists of some outdoor activity.
They are frank about their opinions.
They respects individual views and allows everyone to voice their own ideas on a subject.
They have a lot of patience. Especially when standing in queues or while driving, nobody will try to jump before you in queue. Most of them are very disciplined drivers. However this differs from state to state.
If they happen to come in your way or you happen to come in their way, you will promptly hear an “Excuse me” or “Excuse us”.
They need a lot of feedback while talking. You have to acknowledge/nod continuously. Otherwise they feel you are not interested in listening or are confused.
They gesture a lot and shoot some funny (at least so it seems initially) phrases at you. It is a matter of “getting used to it”.
They are “very” proud of their country. To them, the Universe is the United States. So never ever make fun of or speak lightly about them or tell them that they do not have any social/cultural background. You will make more American friends that way.
Most Americans think of India as a poor country of beggars, snake charmers and swamis only shows the poor Indian villages and cows on the streets. Hope you will be able to prove that India is a country of INTELLIGENT people like you and not just ELEPHANTS and SNAKE CHARMERS.

Initial package from your Company

NOTE: The first official thing you should do without being asked to, is to apply for your Social Security Number-details are given in this doc. After arriving in USA one gets a package from your company. This package consists of different types of forms. The most important one being the Medical Insurance from. Don’t be careless about this, make sure to fill and return it soon.
After receiving this package one should sign all the forms and send it back to your company as soon as possible. This package consists of following documents.
Personal details: In this form you need to fill up all your personal information which is required for official purposes.
Passport details: In this form you are expected to furnish all your passport details.
Away from business expenses form: One is supposed to fill up this form at the end of every month. We get our salary in two parts. One is Salary or Allowance and the other part is the reimbursement of the expenses incurred. Your area coordinator will inform you about what amount you can claim etc. It depends on the position and the class of city you are in.
Couple of memos: These memos inform you about certain rules.
Medical insurance registration form: (MOST IMPORTANT FORM) This form you are supposed to send to the medical insurance company. It needs routine personal information. In two weeks of time you will receive your medical insurance card, which will cover most of your medical expenses in the U.S. But be sure you understand what is covered under this scheme and what is not.
You are supposed to send all these forms and memos asap. Couple of these forms require your Social Security number. If you have not yet received your social security number then leave that place tentatively blank in your forms and you can inform your company about it later, when you get one.

Getting Social Security

You must go and get your social security number and driving license done immediately after you come.

Social Security Number
Each individual in United States is required to be registered with US government by law. The way we have registration in India through Ration Card it is Social Security here. This number is very useful for the government as well as the for the individual. Government can keep track of the individual from this particular number. You will need the SS number for any official paper work or dealings eg. While filling Tax forms or while opening banks accounts or while getting a membership in the public library. A person’s entire credit history can be traced from this number.

As soon as one arrives in US he/she is required to get Social Security number immediately. It is a very simple procedure.
Every town or a city has a Social Security office. You have to go there with your passport. First thing you need to do is collect the application form for new social security number. These forms are available in various languages. Find one in English and fill it completely. It will ask you for your local postal address details besides other information. The officer will check your application form and passport. After checking everything you will be informed when you will be receiving your Social Security number, which will be by postal mail. Generally within three to four weeks time you will receive your social security number which appears printed on a small card, which you should carry/preserve safely.

Driving License/Photo-ID

Getting Driver’s License

Driver’s license is one of the most important documents required in Unites States. Apart from driving needs it is required at almost all the places where you need to show your ID. Mainly because this is the only valid Identity card which is required and approved at all the places. Here is US most of the money transactions are done via checks or credit-cards.Initially when you don’t have credit card, check is the only practical and recommended way of payment. Nobody keeps cash.People generally issue checks even for a small amount of less than $5.00.checks are as good as cash and can be deposited at any ATM (Automatis Teller Machine) center. These checks are accepted only with a valid PHOTO-ID at most places.Actually a photo-id could also be a simple identity card issued by the DMV(Dept.of motor vehicles),which is not a driver’s license.At most places Driver’s license is the only valid PHOTO-ID.So after getting Social Security number,Driver’s license is another very important thing one should acquire as soon as possible.

Getting driver’s license is not very difficult here.Before appearing for a driving test behind the wheels one has to clear a written test conducted by DMV(Department of Motor Vehicles-similar to RTO in India).Each state has their own laws for driving a vehicle.DMV issues a book on the rules which are required to be followed very strictly.This book gives detailed information about all the laws and is written in a very nice manner.It is very easy to follow all the rules as they are nicely explained and if necessary, supported by good photographs.

After understanding the contents of this book you can appear for the written exam.You can appear for the test on any working day.You can call up DMV and take an appointment with them or you can even go directly.

They will check your Passport and will give you a question paper.Questions are objective type and you have to choose the best answer for each question.Time is no limit for the exam.After you are done with it, the person on the counter will immediately check your paper and will tell you your score.Upon Passing this test you will get temporary driving license which is valid for two months.DMV also issues an ID card.This is issued by the state government. You can use this Id card as as Photo-Ids, that time it is very useful to have this photo-id you can even go for some driving lessons.For driving lessons you can go to driving school or to private teacher.Private teachers are little cheaper as compared to driving school.Once you are ready for the test, again you will have to take an appointment with DMV for the driving Road test.

On the day of appointment you have to go there with your learning license.The car in which you will give your driving test should have proper Insurance papers.Also check all the controls,including signal lights and brake lights.If any of these is not in shape, you will not be allowed to appear for the test. This test will be of 100 marks.After your test, driving inspector will immedately tell you your result.Generally they

explain to you your mistakes so that you can work on them and rectify.If you have passed you will get your license immediately in most places.
If you fail there is no minimum period required between the time you appear again.So you can practice again and appeaf as soon as you can.

Note: Some states like NewJersey accepts Indian four wheeler license and give American driving license by taking only written test. You don’t need road test. So, it is advisable to practice and take Indian 4-wheeler license before your travel. If you know driving, you can rent a car from some major rental companies like ‘Enterprise-rent-a car” with Indian 4-wheeler license. You can manage sometime till you get your US Incense.

BANK ACCOUNTS / CHEQUE WRITING

They are basically of two types-Saving a/c (with interest)
Checking a/c (with NO interest)
Genearlly most people open a Checking a/c at first.
To open an account you need a social security number, however since it takes a week or more to get the social security number one can request the bank to verify the passport and open the a/c .Later do remember to inform the bank once you receive your SS number.
Then there are concepts like
minimum balance-which is either NO or YES(It is better to open an a/c with NO MINIMUM BALANCE otherwise you have to maintain the specified minimum amount always in the account).
Overdraft facility – Agin NO or YES (This allows you some amount of overdraft.This might be benefical in some cases, such as when the monthly salary is not received on time and the house rent, phone bills etc. have to be paid.)
There are various kinds of check/cheque books available that one can choose from, such as the kind of colored paper and printed background design on paper etc. Usually a set of 200 checks bound together in books of 20 each is sufficient for 6 months.But it depends on how many checks are issued by you and at what frequency. The first check book is given by the bank immediately on opening an account, the other 200 checks are mailed to you at the given address.
The next thing is to ask for an ATM card. This allows you to withdraw money 24 hrs. from any ATM  machine of the bank or related ones.
Some banks charge money to issue an ATM card and the first set of check/cheque books.
Something like $10.00 for the ATM card and another $10.00  for the first 200 checks (10 books of 20 pages each).But most banks do not charge anything.
The whole procedure of opening an account takes about 10-15 mins.
A few shops/gas stations etc. ask for a valid  photo-id when payment is made by check.This is just for verification.(A photo-id could be a U.S. driver’s license or an actual ID-card which is issued by the local Deptt. Of motor vehicles office.
Small payments such as $1.25 etc. too can be made by check and it is not absurd to do so.people carry very little of no cash on person.Most of them make their payment by Credit card or check. But it is advisable to carry about $20.00 in cash at all times to cover emergency needs. Of course you will have to always carry your check book around.
The following style is used to write the amount in words on the check. Say for e.g. the amount to be paid is $35.47 then you would write:
Amount isn words $: THIRTY FIVE & 47/100

CARDS

It is a fashion to collect cards of all types  and store them in ones purse. The cards here refer to the plastic type e.g. credit cards
So there are cards such as:
Credit card,
Debit card,
Bank ATM card,
Shopping Store cards (e.g. Sears card; “SEARS” is the name of a chain of stores in the U.S.) Medical benefit card, Telephone calling card, Public library membership card.
Most purses have transparent packets to keep these cards in order.
Credit/Debit Cards: A credit card allows you to pay for your expenses without bothering about availability of money at the time of payment. The credit card company pays for you pay the credit card company by check. There are certain limits imposed on Credit cards with regard to the amount of credit available to you, which vary.
VISA and MASTERCARD are the most widely accepted credit cards. The other being American Express card.(called Am-Ex for short).
A Debit card is almost like a check, since it allows you to spend from your available resources only (no credit business). This is generally issued by the banks where you have an account, after you apply for it.
It is not so easy to get a credit card for the first timer in U.S. The application is scrutinized by the Credit Organization/Bank and the credit history checked up (They call up the banks where you have an account, to find out your balance and credit status etc.). Actually it seems the credit history is traced from your Social Security No. Usually the period of stay is also and important criteria e.g. at least 6 month stay  is essential to be considered eligible for a Credit card.
To build up a good credit history, many people take loans from the bank.e.g. to buy a car and repay it in time. This increases the chances of getting a credit card sooner.
The most easiest to get is the American Express card.They ask for a letter from the employer regarding salary status etc. once the initial application is verified.
The Gold Card is the next thing to aim for, once you have at least a card. The Credit limit is higher on the Gold Card apart from other benefits.
The most difficult to get is the DISCOVER credit card.
Most credit cards offer other benefits too, such as mileage accumulation for some airline enabling you to travel free on that airline anywhere in the U.S. once about 20,000 miles have been accumulated, at the rate of 1 mile per dollar. Some others offer Rental Car Insurance coverage and so on.
Most organizations(health clubs etc.) issue membership cards with neat plastic lamination too.

You can open an account in credit unions like Digital Federal Credit Union(DCU) issue minimum credit card for Indians. You can try that through your employer.  They usually give credit card with 500$/1000$ credit limit. Based on your paying history they will increase the credit limit.

Other option is, if you open in any major banks like BANK OF AMERICA, you can ask for Secured credit card. Which is nothing but recharge card. You will deposit some amount (For ex:500$). Use the card in any shopping or online purchase similar to credit card. You can spend more than whatever you deposit.  Each month you have to pay the amount you spend and make it 500$. This way your credit will be built and the same bank will issue a credit card after 6 months. Sometime they will issue soon based on your account balance and paying history etc.

Your bank account doesn’t relate to credit history. You can anytime open or close the account with banks. It is better to keep the credit card or any loan for longer time to have long relationship with the credit companies. This will increase your credit score.

SHOPPING

The American system of sizes and measurement is different from that in India. Most of the shops in the U.S. are the equivalents of super markets in India. You can go around the shop, buy what you want and pay at the counter. The important difference you will notice is, the shops are driven by customer service. So if you don’t like anything that you bought or it doesn’t fit you properly you may return it within a certain period allowed. You should inquire about the return policy when you buy returnable goods. Ofcourse you need to preserve the receipt of the purchase. Most of the time they won’t even ask you why you want to retrun the goods.
When you buy shoes, the size should be ½ more than your size in India. For example, if yu but size 9 in India, you should but size 91/2 in the US.(Or approximate it to the nearest round figure).
Following measurement chart will help you in converting between American system and metric system.
Metric Conversion Chart.
Millimeters X 0.04 = inches(in) inches X 2.5 = centimeters
Centimeters X 0.4 =inches(in) feet X 30 = centimeters
meters X 3.3 = feet yards X 0.9 = meters
Kilometers X 1.1 = yards  miles X 1.6 = kilometers
grams X 0.035 = ounces ounces X 28 = grams
kilograms X 2.2 = pounds pounds X 0.456 = kilograms
milliliters X 0.3 = fluid ounces fluid ounces X 30 = milliliters
liters X 1.06 = quarts quarts X 0.95 = liters
liters X 0.26 = gallons gallons X 3.8 = liters

RENTING AN APARTMENT

Now that you have started your work you would like to move into your apartment rather than stay in the motel. Here is what you should know about renting an apartment. You can get information  on how to rent an apartment from the “Apartments” section of the yellow pages, newspaper or “Rental Guides” which are available at the stores . To lease (rent) an apartment you should consider following points:

Lease period and deposits: Usually there are two types of lease depending on the period of lease: 6 months lease & 12 months lease. ( In some places the allow 3 month lease too, but the rent increases in that case). Most of the cases you get 1 months rent free in casse you select 12  months lease and you get half months rent free if you select 6 months lease. You have to pay 1 months rent as security deposit and some amount around 10$ to 15$ as key deposit. Rent for the apartment in basements is less than other apartments. Very few people prefer to stay in basements because of security reasons. So when you ask about availability of apartments it is possible that the manager will say only basement apartment is available. Hence insist for apartment on first or second floor if you don’t want a basement apartment. Otherwise after renting a basement apartment you will realize that apartments other than in basements were also available.

17.2 Utilities: Check whether your rent includes utilities such as hot water, Cable etc. Otherwise you end up spending around 100$ to 150$ for electricity bill if you have to pay for hot water.

17.3 Lease Terms: Understand the lease terms properly because most of the times you need to break the lease in case your project terminates suddenly. If you want to break the lease a.  you have to give 30 days notice.b. you lose your security deposit c. In some cases they (the apartment management) try to find somebody who wants to rent your apartment. If they don’t get anybody within 30 days period you have to pay I1 month’s rent extra. In this situation you lose your security deposit plus one months rent. Get these terms clarified before signing the lease papers.

17.4 Lease Breaking : If  you are sharing an apartment with somebody. Suppose 3 people are sharing an apartment and all three have their names on lease papers. In case one of the three wants to leave before the lease period is over, you need to take a letter from him saying that all further paper work can be done by the other two people. This letter is required when your lease period is over or even if you want to break the lease before that period is over. If you don’t have such a letter you won’t be able to break the lease unless all three have signed the lease break paper. In such case you also end up losing your deposit. This is true even for normal termination of lease period . Be careful and understand these terms and conditions fully.

17.5 Damages: After renting an apartment carefully observe if there are any types of damages in the apartment. If you see any;, ask your property Manager to make a note of it. Otherwise they will deduct some amount from your security deposit when your lease period is over.

17.6 Downgrading and Upgrading: If you want to move to 2 bedroom apartment from 1 bedroom apartment you have to pay some 100$ to 200$. Many cases downgrading i.e. moving to 1 bedroom apartment from 2 bedroom apartment is not allowed. Get clarification on all such points while signing lease papers.

17.7 Electricity and Telephone connection: After you rent the apartment you need to inform your local Electricity supply company that you will be staying in that apartment from so and so date and that they may bill you from that date. Ask your local telephone company for a telephone connection by calling them up. Most of the business takes place on the phone. Surprisingly all work gets done and promptly too.

17.8 Maintaining an apartment: In most of apartments you have cooking range,oven,dish washer, refrigerator etc. Use aluminum foil to cover part of the cooking range (other than coils) so that it remains clean and in the end you don’t need to spend time in cleaning it. Dish washer soap is available in liquid or in powder form. Dish washer inner surface starts becoming blackish after some days. The cleaning liquid can be used to clean it. This can be done once in a month . Clean your oven once in a month using oven cleaning liquid. Use plastic  garbage bags in trash cans so that you can just take the bag and dispose it in the central trash, usually provided in the apartment complex.

17.9 Laundry: If the apartment itself does not have a washer/dryer, there will usually be a common laundry room in the complex where you can do your weekly washing/drying. Such common machines usually are coin operated machines so you’ll need a few quarters and also your own favourite detergent powder.
Decorating, Furnishing YOUR house: Ofcourse this is not an advice for interior designing but to make your APARTMENT look like a HOME. Home is not a place with four walls, but where you have furnitures alsoJ. The greatest place to get the things you need for your house is Garage sales. You can get things like sofa sets to Wall paintings very cheep from this surce. Everyoune will be amazed if you have a full furnished house in a fex months. Garage sale is a second-hand, used things sale which includes household items such as furniture like couch etc, appliances such as T.V.,stereo,clothes/jackets, other used items.This is held in peoples garages or backyards generally on weekends. They are a nice place to buy furniture from, which is usually in good shape. Anybody who wants to sell old used things, can hold a garage sale and put up a sign near the house announcing such a sale. The prices are negotiable. Generally people advertise through local newspaper ad columns. The early morning time on sat. and sun. between 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. is the best to hunt around for used things in garage sales.

BUYING A CAR

If you are going to stay at a particular place for quite some time say more than three months, then its better to buy a car rather than rent one. Buying a car involves quite some work. Its better to be cautious while buying a car, cause owning a car brings you freedom and you own a vehicle but you need to maintain the car and take care of any problems. The main concern while buying a car is its maintenance cost should not be high, otherwise you will loose a lot. So here is what experience tells us.

Buying a car in America is very easy, there are lots of used cars for sale and there is never a shortage. It is just the question of deciding the budget and type of car to be bought. Most people prefer Japanese cars over American make simply because of the easy resalability. The most popular Japanese car makes are Honda and Toyota.Types of models? There are two categories of cars, 2-door, 4-door. The 2-d are cheaper. Then comes the type of transmission. Such cars are very easy to drive. (Almost all Indian cars are of the stick-shift variety).

Where to look? The local newspapers carry a lot of car sale advertisements everyday. You should see the paper and decide on the ones you are interested in. Next call up the owner at the tel. No.given, as early in the day as possible and fix up an appointment to visit see the car. Test drive it, if you like it and the price is ok, tell the owner that you’d like to get it checked up by a mechanic. This will save you a lot of money later after purchasing the car from unforeseen problems that some used cars land up into.

Look up the yellow pages in the local tel. Directory to get the list of car mechanics of just ask colleagues to recommend one .If that doesn’t work out, ask the local AAA (American Automobile Association) office to recommend someone to you. For a fee of about $25-30 the mechanic will check up the car and tell you the problems or possible problems if any.Some people do it for free. It is good to tell the auto mechanic to check up the following things with additional care in addition to their regular:-
1) Brake cylinder, drum and worn out pads
2) Transmission.(this is the costliest part in an automatic car)
3) If it is a 4 speed never buy it.5 speed is ok.

Ask the owner to discount the price of the car by the amount required for the repairs suggested by the mechanic. Or else ask him to get it repaired for you. The rates of the used cars have some standard values which are generally not exceeded. These values can be checked up in something called “Blue Book” which is a text available in the public library or with car dealers. So car models classified as per Year of make have their value listed in the Blue B OK. There is a cost deduction to be applied for the mileage that the car has been driven for, which is mentioned in most Blue Books. That gives a fair idea about the standard cost of any used car. Moreover there is sample scope for price negotiation.Generally private owners who sell through ads can give better discounts athan use care dealers. Generally car dealers stick to the Blue Book Price but usually ask more. Mileage is also a consideration while purchasing a used car. Lesser the better. The ideal average is 10000 miles per year . So a car manufactured in 1987 may have a driven mileage of about 70000 miles in 1994 and not more than 80000. These are approx. figures.After buying a car you need to fget it insured. You cannot drive a car in the U.S. without proper Insurance . The car has to be insured against collisions etc. There are various vehicle Insurance companies having various deals. Look up the yellow pages and call up some of them and ask for their rates. Then decide on one. The Insurance coverage period and the type of Insurance chosen and your age (more for less than 25 yrs.) decides the amount to be paid. The “comprehensive”, “collision” are terms used by the Insurance companies to describe the type of insurance coverage. Get everything explained propery.

There is sometimes a windscreen coverage too, for a nominal additional amount per month, this insures you windshield against damage (a windscreen replacement may cost about $200.00 approx. otherwise).

You have to get the emission testing done on your car befor it can be registered. In case the previous owner has got it done and the test is valid still, then there is no need to do it again for the specified period. The valid test papers are required for Registration. The local vehicle registration office will issue a temporary registration for 45 days and meanwhile process and prepare number plates. The documents required to get a registration are – car ownership (title) papers, Emission Test papers,Car Insurance papers. After proper registration is done you can drive your car. However you should have a Driver’s License. Actually each state in the U.S. has different laws. Most states allow yu to drive with an I.D.P.(International Driving Permit) for a year or so. But others require that you get a local Driver’s License. The driver’s license can be obtained from the local DMV office after a written and driving test. Refer to the section onobtaining a driver’s license for details.

RENTING A CAR

Car is a necessity in most of the places here in U.S. Either you buy a car or you can rent a car. You can pay either a monthly rate or daily rent. Though its expensive to rent a car for a month or so, it might be required if you are going to stay  at that place for a small period of  time . Here is some information you will need OR should know when you want to tent a car.

PS: Personal Checks are a Debatable Issue. Some say Indian Banks charge a fee while they mention the opposite. However, DELAY is involved in all cases.
The problem is where is the Money???

TOWARDS A MORE AMERICAN CONVERSATION

U don’t open conversation (on telephone) with a “Hello” but with a “Hi”
The telephone is never “engaged”, it’s always “busy”.
U don’t “disconnect” a phone, U simply “hang-up”.
U never “mess-up” things, U only “screw them up”.
U never have a “residence” tel. No., U have a “home” no.
U don’t stop at the “signals”, but halt at the “lights”.
U don’t “accelerate”, U “step on the gas”.
Your tire never “punctures”, U may have a “flat”.
The trains have “coaches” or “boggies’ no more but “carriages” or “boxes”.
There R no “petrol bunks or pumps”. But “gas stations”.
“ I don”t know nothing”, 2 negatives don’t make a positive here.
U no longer meet a “wonderful” person, U meet a “cool” guy
U don’t pull the “switch down” to light a bulb, rather “flick it up”.
U don’t “turn on the heat”, U “turn on the juice”.
There’s no “Business Area” only “business districts”, and no “districts” but “counties”.
No one stays “a stone’s throw away”, might “a few blocks away”.
No one stays “a stone’s throw away”, might “a few blocks away”.
There’s no “Town  Side”, it’s “Down Town”.
In hotel U no longer ask for “bill” and pay BY “cheque”, rather ask for “check” and pay with (Dollar) “bills”.
There R no “soft drinks”, only “sodas”.
Life’s no longer “miserable” it “stinks”.
U don’t have a “great” time, U have a “ball”.
U don’t “sweat it out”, U “work U’r butt off”.
Never “post” a letter, always “mail” it and “glue” the stamps, don’t “stick” them.
U no longer live in “flats” or “blocks”, find and “apartment”.
U don’t stand in a “queue”, you are in a “line”.
U no longer “like” something, U “appereciate” it.
“#” is not “hash”, it’s “pound”.
U R not “deaf”, U have “impaired hearing”.
U R not “lunatic”, U are just “mentally challenged”.
U R “disgusting” U R “sick”.
U can’t get “surprised” U get “skejule” it.
U never “joke”, U just “kid”.
U never “increase” the pressure, U always “crank” it up.
U never ask for a pencil “rubber” U ask for and”eraser”. A “rubber” is a “condom”.
U don’t try to find a “lift”, U find an “elevator”.
U no more ask for a “route” but for a “RAUT”.
U don’t ask somebody “How r u?”, U say “What’s up dude?”
U never go to see a “game or a match”, U go to watch a “game”.
U never go to a “theatre” (theatre is a place for dramatic presentations), U go to the “movies”.
If U see “World” champions(or Series), read “USA” champions(or Series).
There’s no “Zero” but “o”, no “z” but “zee”.
There’s no “FULL STOP” after a statement, there’s a “PERIOD”>
If someone gets “angry” at U, U get “flamed”.
You don’t say “How do you do”, you say “How you doin”
U don’t call UR boss “sir”, U call him by his “first name”.
In short, U don’t speak “English”, U speak “American”.
Wll u don’t say life is borng u say “LIFE SUCKS!!!!!”

LAST WORD

Stress is a part of professional life and more so when you are living in an alien country; the sooner you understand and accept it, the more easily you will adapt to your new environment. Depression and home sickness are symptoms that you should look out for. With this we all feel you will be confident and may be able to come out with your own User Manual. But before we leave, we would like to tell you about “The Culture Shock” that you may feel.  

Enjoy your US stay!