Usually, before anyone comes to the U.S.A for the first time from India(or abroad) 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. Though this gives some idea it doesn't make one confident or better prepared and moreover how much can one absorb at once.

So this document was written which anyone could carry along with or read on the plane before he/she gets to the U.S.A. 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 statements, which may be arguable. We want you to enjoy your trip to the U.S. as much as possible. You bet.

All the best!!

One of the delights to visit to America is the convenience of its telephone system, unsurpassed for its scope and efficiency. There are over 200 million telephones in the country and many families have several extensions around their homes. More and more families are getting multiple connections in order to talk and surf the internet simultaneously. Some people have them in their cars and it is not unusual for the children of affluent families to have telephones of their own, with numbers different from those of their parents. The instruments come in a bewildering assortment of sizes, shapes and colors. All are push button telephones and it is now rare to find rotary dial telephone. With either system, it is possible to reach any number in country within seconds - without the assistance of an operator: for example, you are automatically connected to any home telephone in San Francisco simply by dialing 10 digits. You can dial telephones beginning with '800' free of charge. Mobile phone are now increasingly used, some having a capacity to send fax, e-mail and even see a picture of the person being called.

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 message. 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!.

You should be able to dictate domestic telegrams and overseas cable grams on the phone, or you could go to the nearest office of Wester Union. Most hotels have fax connections. You can ask what the message will cost before it is sent. The hotel will add it to your bill. E-mail is also widely used now a days for information communication at offices and homes. If personal computers are unavailable, people go to cybercafe to use a Community PC, at fee, to send emails. You could also go to places like Kinkos, Sir Speedy etc for Fax/Email/Xerox etc.

Posts are handled in US by United States Postal Service. Every address in the US belongs to a specific zip-code district, and each zip code has five digits. Some addresses include a second sequence of four numbers following the first five numbers, but although this speeds mail delivery for large organizations, it is not necessary to use it. Each zip-code district has at least one post office, where you can buy stamps and aerograms, send parcels, or conduct other postal business. Occasionally you may find small stamp-dispensing machines in airports, train stations, bus terminals, large office buildings, hotel lobbies, drugstores or grocery stores, but don't count on it. Most Americans go to the post office to buy their stamp,s band the line can be long. Mailboxes are either the stout, royal blue steel bins on city sidewalks or mail chutes on the walls of post offices or in large office buildings. A schedule posted on mailboxes and mail slots should indicate when the mail is picked up.

Post hours in the US vary from 24 hours a day in central, big-city branches to the 9.00 am to 5.00 pm schedule, normal in smaller cities and towns. On Saturdays, post offices only open half a day, if they open at all. Postal services only are performed here: for telegraph facilities, you could go to the nearest office of Western Union, an organization which specializes in telegraphic communications worldwide. One service helpful to foreign visitors is General Delivery. If you do not know where you will be staying in any particular town, simply have your mail addressed to your name, c/o General Delivery, at the main post office there. You must pick up such mail personally. Stamps can be purchased in hotels, drugstores, terminals, etc., as well as post offices, for a small extra charge. Red, white and blue mail boxes are prominent on city streets. Sample current postage rates:

• Airmail letters to India: 60 cents (1/2 oz), $1 (1 oz)

• Aerogrammes to India: 50 cents

• Letters within the USA: 33 cents (1 oz or fraction and 23 cents for each additional ounce)

• Airmail post cards within the USA: 20 cents

• Aerogrammes/Airmail post cards to India: 50 cents(1 oz = 28.35 grams)

When it is noon in New York City, is only 11 am in Chicago, 10 am in Denver and 9 am in San Francisco. Like Europe, the continental US is divided into time size. There are four time zones in the continental U.S.

• Eastern Standard Time(EST)
  Example : Massachusetts, New York, Florida etc.
• Central Standard Time(CST, lags EST by one hour)
  Example : Iowa, Kentucky, Indiana, Texas etc.
• Mountain Standard Time(MST, lags EST by two hours)
  Example : Colorado, Utah, Wyoming etc.
• Pacific Standard Time(PST, lags EST by three hours)
  Example : California, Oregon, Washington etc.

As the name suggests, the time is set in such a way that maximum day light could be used. e.g. during summer, the sun rises at around 4-5 o'clock. So the clock is set forward by one hour. This forces all activities to start one hour earlier so that maximum day light is used till late in the evening. Therefore, the clock is set back by one hour on the first Sunday of November 1 (Fall Season) at 2:00 am. Clock is once again set forward by one hour on the first Sunday of April at 2:00 am(Spring Season).

The easiest way to remember this is FALL BACK, SPRING AHEAD. By the way, Arizona is the only state which is not affected by day-light-saving. People there do not ever change the time in their clocks.

Banks are generally open weekdays 9am - 3pm, post offices weekdays 8am - 5pm; many branches operate Saturday morning hours. Business hours tend to be weekdays 9-5, a little later on the East Coast and earlier the farther west you go. Many stores may not open until 10 or 11, but they remain open until 6 or 7; most carry on brisk business on Saturday was well. Large suburban shopping malls, the focus of most American's shopping activity, are generally open seven days a week, with evening hours every day except Sunday. All across the country, so-called convenience stores sell food and sundries until about 1 pm.

While you are coming here, you may bring some American currency(US Dollar). For that you can go to any bank or to the private companies like ThomasCook or American Express. An Indian citizen can buy US $3000/year when he/she is going abroad. If you are married and your spouse is not going to work in US, you can get extra $2500/year. So bachelors can get $3000 and married persons can $8500 while coming to US. (Of course, only if you have that much Indian Rupees and you really need to bring them. ) While you go there, take your passport, air ticket etc.. When you go to Exchange, get USD in all denominations like $1 notes, $5 notes, $10, $20, $100 etc.. If possible get some quarters too(25 cents). You may need this if you want to make calls from the airport to someone else immediately. You may also need that at airport to get the trolley.

Some companies give settlement allowance of $1000 or $2000. Some other companies give $1000 to $2000 as pay advance and they will deduct it from your pay.

Dollar : 100 cents
Quarter: 25 cents
Dime : 10 cents
Nickel : 5 cents
Penny : 1 cent
Initially there is some confusion since the quarter is exactly of the same size and shape as the Indian 50 paise coin.

Although all denominations are the same size and same green color, the amounts are clearly printed on the bills(currency notes are called bills in US). The designs are also similar. Pay careful attention when counting out paper money. It is easy to confuse the denominations and to make a mistake, giving a $10 bill, for example, when you intend to give $1.

Public conveniences in America must be sought out. Do as Americans do and seek out facilities at airports, restaurants, museums, libraries and department stores. You may also walk into any hotel and take advantage of facilities tucked into an inconspicuous corner of the lobby. You never need to be a guest at the hotel; nobody will question your right to be there. One reason for the difficulty in finding public conveniences is the American fondness for concealing their purpose with a mystifying variety of euphemisms. The words MEN and WOMEN or LADIES or GENTLEMEN sometimes appear on doors, but women's rooms are often called POWDER ROOMS and theaters and transportation terminals may have signs that read LOUNGES or REST ROOMS. At other times, the words COMFORT STATION will be your clue. There are even restaurants that use no lettering at all, and your only guide to the right room may be a girl's face painted on the door. But no matter how the doors are designated, you will always be understood if you ask for the men's or ladies' room.

1. Always have a dime handy when entering a public facility. You may need it to open the door, at some places.

2. Try to avoid facilities at railway, subway and bus stations which are seldom as well kept or well supervised as those in other places.

All major cities have some sort of public transportation not necessarily very good or frequent or well connected. Therefore most people prefer to travel by their own cars. It is better that you own a car in the U.S. so that you are independent. But till you get to buy a car you can use the public transportation system or depend on your friends/colleagues for a ride.

• Trains and Buses
  In most cities, you may purchase daily tickets from the conductor or the driver on the train and buses each day. For more information on routes, schedules and fares, see the publications and maps published by the city's local authority. You can locate them in your telephone book.

• Taxi Companies
  In some areas you must telephone for a taxi and make an appointment. You will not find them waiting in the street corners but you do find them waiting in a line 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.

English, being a common language between Indians and Americans, has benefited the communication process and mutual understanding between the two nations. Nevertheless, there are certain American terms and slangs which one needs to know to avoid misunderstandings.

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 simple dictionary for translating between American English and Indian English. This dictionary should be useful for the new-comer to either the U.S. or India. The words are in no particular order.

When you come to the US, 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 driven 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.

As one of our American colleague pointed out jokingly, "its logical, if you see that India is exactly opposite in location on the globe, to U.S.!!!"

Overseas visitors will need to bring adaptors to convert their personal appliances to the US standard: AC, 110 volts/60Hz, with a plug of two flat pins set parallel to each other. Television system is NTSC I/II and is not compatible with PAL and/or SECAM systems found in Europe and Asia. Foreign appliances are generally unsuitable for American use. Many Indian stores keep electrical appliances or electronic items that are suitable for use in India, in case someone wants to take those home for their relatives. Many indian stores also have a NTSC to PAL and vice versa conversion facility available for the video cassettes. Many people find useful to get their marriage etc. cassettes converted.

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 nor 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 NonVeg 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 your doorstep in a few minutes. Refer to the yellow pages or consult the motel receptionist you are staying in, for information. Some of the popular pizza companies are Pizza Hut, Domino's Pizza, Papa John's Pizza.

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 is a misnomer. It contains meat besides cheese, so be careful!

Here is a guide for Vegetarian Dishes:

• Mexican: Bean Buritto, Enchiladas, Bean Taco, Cheese Taco, Bean Tostadas, Mexican Pizza

• Italian or Greek: Eggplant (brinjal) sandwich, Spaghetti with tomato sauce, Lasagna (pronounced Laza-nya), Italian Pizza, Italian Pasta with tomato sauce, Falafal, Veg. Gyro (pronounced Yero).

• Denny's: Vegetable omelet (with eggs)Vegetable lunch/dinner (salad, potato smash, garlic sauce) Broccoli soup

• American Restaurants (Sizzler, Olive Garden): 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 chillies), pineapple, tomato, onions etc.

• Burger King: Vege cheese whooper, Garden burger

One of the nicest things about the US is the fact that, no matter what hour of day or night you feel like eating, there is some sort of establishment ready to serve you.

Eating in your hotel: You will pay the highest prices for meal served in the main dining room or sent up through room service, and the food you get is not like to be inspiring. The hotel's own coffee shop will be more reasonably priced and if there is one, the hotel's drugstore lunch counter will be the most economical of all.

Eating outside your hotel: For simple food quickly served at low prices, try one of the many types of counter restaurants. You perch on a padded stool and order from a menu that lists an amazing variety of sandwiches and hamburgers as well as some complete meals. The coffee is usually fresh and often very good. You may see the food prepared before your eyes with amazing speed by a specialist called a short-order cook. Using a complex array of shiny equipment, he can fill a half-dozen shouted order without wasting a moment or missing an ingredient.

Cafeterias: These self-service restaurants generally offer the least expensive meals. In the Northeast they are, with rare exceptions, utilitarian eating places, but in other parts of the country, many are charming and pleasant place to dine. There may be attendants to carry your food tray from the serving counter to a private table, and others to whisk away the plates and bring coffee or tea when you are finished.

Coffee shops: Despite their name, they serve complete meals as well as coffee. Nearly every hotel has one, but you will find many more in the business district of every American city. They usually offer both table and counter service. Although you may have to queue for tables, you can often bypass the queue and go straight to a counter seat. You probably will not be able to obtain wine, but you sometimes can get beer with your meal.

Delicatessen: As you walk in, past glass counter filled with tempting sausages, cold cuts and salads, your nose will be assailed by the aroma of spicy cooked meats. The table in the back are usually small and cramped, but somehow the waitresses are able to manoeuvre among them. You will be offered, in addition to more routine fare, well-packed sandwiches of flavorful ingredients, such as corned beef or pastrami on slices of hard-crusted sour-ry bread, and soft drinks as unexpected as cream soda, root beer and celery tonic.

Drugstores: They are open from early in the morning until late at night, and some of them include lunch counters.

Drive-ins: If you don't feel like getting out of your car to eat - and many Americans don't - you have only to drive into what appears to be a large parking lot with a small building in its center, and park in a designated place. In the new drive-ins, each space has a small pillar containing a two-way communication system. You select what you wish from an attached menu, utter the proper words into the microphone and a uniformed girl, called a car hop, appears. Your food is served on a special tray, which is attached outside the car, below your car window. When you have finished, the car hop removes the tray and you speed off. There other kind of drive-ins also where you just order, they pack the food for you and then you go home/office and eat.

Working-men's bars: Many offer hearty cafeteria-style meals at unusually low prices as a service to their almost exclusively male patrons, who are expected to wash down the food with quantities of alcohol that provides the profit.

Its worth knowing: Before you confront the mysteries of the American menu, you should be aware of these facts:

Bread is served free with all meals, except in a few expensive places. In most cases, dinner will be accompanied not by much-maligned white bread(sandwiches) but one or more types of a pleasant variety- French or Italian-style while bread, hard-crusted rye, hard rolls, soft rolls, fruit-filled muffins, biscuits, cornbread or San Francisco sourdough bread.

Brunch is a combination of breakfast and lunch that many Americans enjoy on Sundays. It is a Sunday tradition at many fine restaurants, where it is served from around noon until mid-afternoon.

Charge for Service is never included in your bill(call a "check") although taxes are automatically added on. You must work out the tip yourself. Note that drinks from the bar are sometimes tallied separately.

Doggie bags are containers for taking home leftover food which are available on request at many restaurants. You really aren't expected to give your dog the extra chicken wing or piece of steak you can't finish; many people take the doggie bag to make a nice snack for the next day.

Eggs cost less before 11 am than at any other time of day because they are the main ingredient of the "breakfast specials" that make the morning meal a good buy. You can often get such a "special" - fruit juice, eggs, toast and coffee - rather inexpensively. But don't be dismayed by a breakfast menu that appears to list nothing buy hearty "specials", you can order just toast and coffee, even if they are not listed.

Lunch at many good restaurants is quite a bit less expensive than a similar evening meal at the same place.

Picnic Food can be bought most reasonably at a supermarket. If you can not find one open, look for a delicatessen or a shop specializing in Italian-style food. You will find excellent meats, cheeses and breads at either places.

White Buttered Toast is a breakfast staple usually served automatically with eggs and omelets. Because the butter is melted before it reaches you, the toast is apt to be limp and soggy. If you like crisp toast, be sure to use the magic works "butter on the side". As alternatives to toast, ask for ROLLS OR TOASTED MUFFINS of the corn, bran or English varieties. The latter is a round, flat affair that is quite tasty when spread with butter or marmalade.

The American Translated: When you site down at an American lunch counter, you may hear your simplest order relayed in a strange jargon. Cries like "draw one" (pour a cup of coffee), "shoot one" (pour a Coke) and "b.l.t. down" (prepare a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich on toasted white bread) are instantly translated and fulfilled. As a patron, however, you are not expected to be so cryptic. Most American menus are straightforward and really understandable. But a few items are known by names that may be mysterious and that even vary from place to place.

Apple Pie: Like most American pie it has crusts on both top and bottom and looks more like a large tart than the pies you may be used to. It is served in wedges and many Americans like it with cream (pie a la mode) or cheese.

Brownie: This innocent-looking brown rectangle is a cross between rich chocolate cake and fudge, sometimes with nuts. It is delicious, but don't count the calories.

Cole Slaw: It is shreaded raw cabbage salad that often appears - unrequested - in a small container at the side of your place.

Corn on the Cob: The Red Indians ate it by grasping the cob at both ends and nibbling the tender yellow kernels. Nobody has thought of better way et. Be sure to spread your ear of corn with butter and sprinkle with salt for maximum flavor.

Cranberry Sauce: This traditional accessory to an American turkey dinner is a deep-red jelly(or preserve) with a pleasantly tart flavor. Much of the cranberry crop is still grown in bogs near Plymouth, Massachusetts, where different Red Indians are supposed to have introduced the tasty berry to the first settlers.

Danish Pastry: The Danes call it Vienna bread - but in America it is really any of a half-dozen or so varieties of light, glazed pastry. "Coffee and Danish" is a favorite New York snack.

Eggs: If your order fried eggs in New York you will be asked, "How do you want them?" Be prepared to reply: SUNNY SIDE UP(fried only on the bottom so that the yoke is still visible on top); OVER(fried completely on both sides); OVER EASY (fried slight on both sides). If you order boiled eggs, you will receive them out of their shells, broken into a cup. Even if you can persuade the cook to serve you a boiled egg in its shell, you may have a problem eating it. Few American restaurants have egg cups.

Hamburgers: The name suggests that they contain ham, but they are actually beef patties. They go by a number of aliases - beefburgers, steerburgers, king burgers, jumbo burgers and, if cooked with cheese on top, cheeseburgers. Whatever the name, they are served up in a round bun and are especially tasty when charcoal-broiled. Many Americans like to add ketchup or a slice of onion for extra tang. When ordering, always specify whether you want yours RARE(virtually raw inside), MEDIUM (the inside cooked to a light pink color) or WELL DONE(completely cooked all the' way through).

Hot Dogs: These humble sausages, an old favorite, acquired status when President Franklin D. Roosevelt served them to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth at at picnic at his country estate in 1937. You will find them sold boiled, broiled or steamed - everywhere: at baseball games, from tiny carts on street corners, along the side of the road, at fun fairs and beaches. They may be called frankforts, frankfurters, franks, or wieners, and they are sometimes served as a main dish on a plate(usually with baked beans). But most Americans prefer them in rolls and topped with mustard, sauekraut or chopped pickles(or all three - if you would like to try one that way, just order yours "with everything".

Potatoes: Their menu names can be confusing, especially to those schooled in British English. FRENCH FRIES are what the English know as CHIPS, while CHIPS are England's CRISPS. SWEET POTATOES are not potatoes, but orange-colored, sweet-tasting roots of a vine that is a close relative of the morning glory. The YAM is similar to the sweet potato, but moister and sweeter.

Sandwiches: They are almost always served on spongy, tasteless white bread, unless you specify an alternative - rye, whole wheat(brown) bread, and rolls are usually available. If you order a HOT ROAST BEEF SANDWICH in the belief that you will receive hot roast beef between two slices of bread, you may in for a shock; you will get a plate with white bread on which the roast beef has been laid, covered with gravy and topped off by whipped potatoes. You eat it with a fork and knife. TRIPLE DECKERS, also known as CLUB SANDWICHES, are three slices of toast with two separate layers of ingredients. A typical example: sliced turkey in one layer, bacon, lettuce and tomato in the other.

Salads: You might expect that EGG CHICKEN, TURKEY OR TUNA SALAD would consist of slices or chunks of the main ingredient plus a green salad. In fact, such a salad contains the main ingredient minced up and mixed with mayonnaise - the whole thing being called a "salad". Such salads are also common as sandwich filling - you simply ask for a "chicken salad sandwich", for example.

Southern Fried Chicken: Done properly, the skin should crackle as you bite into it. Fired chicken is usually served in segments that can be eaten with the fingers.

Strawberry Shortcake: It may be either shortcake or sponge cake filled with strawberries and buried under whipped cream - alas, often of an ersatz variety.

Succotash: The first settlers got the name and recipe for this vegetable dish - lima beans and kernels of corn cooked together - from the Red Indians, three centuries ago.

Veal Cutlet: Don't confuse it with a veal soup. This is a square of breaded veal, and covered with tomato sauce.

Vegetarian travelers can obtain THE INTERNATIONAL VEGETARIAN TRAVEL GUIDE and VEGETARIAN TIMES GUIDE TO NATURAL FOOD RESTAURANTS in the US. Each costs $16 plus $2 postage from the NORTH AMERICAN VEGETARIAN SOCIETY, PO Box 72, Dolgeville, NY 13329 (516-586-7970).

Most American bars (called taverns in many places) are dark and decorous. You will find few barmaids and few games, although some bars tolerate clanging pin-tables. The custom of buying "drinks all around" is unheard of, and you will be thought quaint if you offer a toast to your neighbor.

The Native Drinks: They are all served ice-cold. Be sure to say "no ice" when ordering if you like your drink at room temperature.

Beer: Most American brands are lighter and less alcoholic than those you may be used to. Many bars sell European brands, but these too will be served very cold.

Martini: It has a reputation as a drink for the sophisticated, but there is nothing effete about this combination of gin with a splash of dry vermouth. In each of its several variations, it is a deceptively potent drink and should be consumed warily.

Whisky: American whiskeys tend to be sweeter, fuller-bodied and less expensive that their Scotch and Irish cousins(which are also available in most American bars and off-licenses.) The principal types are BOURBON - distilled mainly from corn - and BLENDED, a mixture of several grains that is often incorrectly called RYE. Bartenders are accustomed to this confusion and will almost automatically offer blended whisky to anyone who asks for rye. If you insist on the real rye whisky, you will be served a much heavier drink with the unmistakable aroma of its rye grain.

Americans like to give colorful and mysterious names to their drinks. For fun, look over the cocktail list and you will find such amusing surprise as Angel's Kiss, Dog's Nose, Eye Opener, Glad Eye, Grass hopper Hesitation, London Buck, Oh Henry!, Rail Splitter, Royal Smile and Stinger. You are not expected to know what's in them; most Americans don't either. Simply ask the bartender(If it's very unusual cocktail, even he may have to look it up.!)

Liquor Laws:
The labyrinthine rules and regulations, which affect when and where you can drink what, vary not only from state from state, but often from county to county. You may find yourself in a "dry" area where only beer can be sold; or you may have to register in a hotel or motel before being served drinks in a special club which requires signing in a guest book. Again, you can order liquor round the clock in some areas, and drink it anywhere you like. On the whole, however, it is never difficult to enjoy a civilized drink in the evening or a bottle of wine with dinner. A convenient way of finding out in advance about local drinking rules is to refer to regional guidebooks.

Tipping as a reward for service is common throughout the USA. Unless tips are included in your package tour price, you will be expected to tip when service merits. It is customary to tip from 15% to 20% of the bill for meals served in hotels and restaurants. Ordinarily, no tips are required in cafeterias where a person serves himself. At hotels, tips between 50 cents and $1 per bag or suitcase handled are in order for bellboys or porters. Tip the doorman, who unloads your car in relation to any service he performs; you need not tip the chamber maids unless your stay is several nights. Do not tip the desk clerk.

Most hotel bills in the US do not have a service charge added to cover gratuities. As stated above, tips are in order for any special service.

On trains, no tips are expected from passengers traveling in day coaches, or second-class, except when they eat in the dining car. Passengers traveling in Pullman cars(sleeping or parlor cars) usually tip the porter of their car when they leave the train, one dollar per night. Passengers who eat in the dining cars usually tip the waiter 15% to 25%. Of course, the porter who carries your baggage at the station receives a tip, usually 50 cents to $1 a bag.

Stewardess(flight attendants or air hostesses) and other airline employees are not tipped. However, the porter who carries your bag at the airport should be tipped. Taxi drivers are usually given a tip of 10%.

In barber shops, men tip for a haircut, a shave and for a shoe shine. A women tips her hairdresser and the assistant who washes her hair. This would be 10% of the charges.

Before you start your first day, get a hang of how the work environment is at the client's place from any person 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 inputs 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 are no suspicious feelings 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 admit if they don't know or have information about certain things. They don't pretend to be all knowing.

• 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 an 'off' from work on a regular weekday.

• The work hours in 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.

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 respect individual views and allow everyone to voice their own ideas on a subject.

• They have a lot of patience. Especially when standing in line or while driving, nobody will try to jump before you in the line. 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 etc. This is due to the insufficient and improper media coverage given to India. Their T.V. 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.

You must get your social security number as soon as you arrive.

Each individual in Unites 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 e.g. while filling Tax forms or while opening a bank account 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.

Social Security Number is given by Social Security Administration. Every town or a city has a Social Security Office. You can find out about the nearest Social Security office by visiting their web site or by calling their toll-free number 1-800-772-1213. 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 2 to 3 weeks time you will receive your social security number which appears printed on a small card, which you should carry/preserve safely.

Please note that they longer issue social security number to H4, L2, Visitor visa holders who are not supposed to work. They can't get SSN just for banking etc purposes. SSN office has a form letter explaining that the bank must file a form I-8 instead. But some states require that the person must have the social security in order to get the driver's license etc. If that is the case, you should pass the driver's license test and bring the temporary (paper) license that SSN is required for driver's license. Take that letter to Social Security Office and then they would give you social security number. But you can not work on that social security number.

When H1B/L1 holders reaches the last stage of applying for green card (Adjustment of Status, I-485), he/she can apply for his/her spouse's I-485 and also for the work permit(Employment Authorization Document or EAD which form I-765/I-766). Once you get EAD card, you can apply for social security number. Take your EAD card and passport with you to the Social Security Office and follow the instructions above.

Download the fillable form in English.

Driver's license is one of the most important document required in United 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 in 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 (Automatic 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(that may vary from state to state). DMV also issues an ID card. This is issued by the state government. You can use this Id card as a Photo-Id till you get your driver's license. At some places you are required to produce two Photo-Ids, that time it is very useful to have this photo-id.

During the period of temporary license one can appear for the driving test. You can practice on a rented car or if you are not very confident then you can even go for some driving lessons. For driving lessons you can go to driving school or to a 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 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 immediately 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 appear as soon as you can.

• They are basically of two types:

  • Savings a/c (with interest)
  • Checking a/c (with NO interest)
  
  

• Generally 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 - Again NO or YES (This allows you some amount of overdraft. This might be beneficial 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 bank do not charge anything.

• The whole procedure of opening an account takes about 10-15 minutes.

• 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 Dept. 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 or 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 in words: THIRTY FIVE & 47/100 dollars

• It is a fashion to collect cards of all types and store them in one's 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 and later sends you a statement every month elaborating the payments made. You can then, 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 MASTER CARD are the most widely accepted credit cards. The others being American Express card (called Am-Ex for short) and Discover Card.
  
  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 an important criteria e.g. at 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. You also may get the departmental store or gas station credit card(Macy's, Sears, Mobil, Exxon etc.). They are easier to get. 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.

Needless to say, the US is shopper's paradise. The 'sale' is a way of life here, occurring in big retail stores several times a year - often at unlikely moments. So-called January sales, for instance, can begin immediately after Christmas, and summer clothes go on sale in late spring or early summer on the grounds that prompt, regular shoppers will have bought their already.

Departmental stores in America are basically the same as department stores the world over - only bigger and more varied in their selection of merchandise. Supermarkets carry everything from melons to sets of encyclopedias. Drug stores sell banana splits, greeting cards, cosmetics, vitamins, clocks and many other items. Shopping centers in suburban and rural areas are vast communities of stores under one roof, sharing one tremendous parking lot. Often special events, such as art shows are held in major shopping malls. Many of these complexes have their own entertainment centers.

Shopping assistance to foreign visitors is furnished by hundreds of big stores across the country. Multi lingual aides, summoned by the Information Desk on the ground floor, help you select merchandise, and advise you how to ship or mail it home( Remember to ask about possible customs charges at Indian embassy or consulate.) Store hours: usually 9.30 am to 6pm all week, with 'late hours' on one or two evenings. Some states permit Sunday openings as well.

There are special stores for vegetables/food(grocery) and departmental chain stores for A to Z general merchandise. They often sell products at discount (concession) on weekends and holidays for which you should be reading daily newspapers. Incidentally, do not store old newspapers as none buy them, as in India.

In the store, if you are buying many things, carts are available in which you put things you want to buy and eventually arrive at the cashier's counter who will put things in paper/plastic bags and give you the bill for the payment. You can pay by cash or check or credit card. To pay by check, you need your US driver's license.

In big multi-Storey stores, it is advisable to visit the bargain store, usually in the basement, for inexpensive goods, if you are looking for them.

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. Of course you need to preserve the receipt of the purchase. Most of the time they won't even ask you why you want to return the goods. But please don't try to abuse the system. We will get this kind of convenience only as long as we don't abuse it.

When you buy shoes, the size should be 1/2 more than your size in India. For example, if you buy size 9 in India, you should buy size 9 1/2 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.

    Conversion Chart
                   
    Distance
        1 Mile                     = 1.6 kilometers
        1 Inch                     = 2.54 cm 
        1 Feet                     = 12 Inches
        1 Yard                     = 3 Feet
        3.28 Feet                  = 1 Meter
    Volume
        1 Fluid OZ(Ounce)          = 29.57 ml
        1 Gallon US                = 3.785 liter
        1 Quart US= 0.25 Gallon US = 946 ml
        1 Pint US= 0.5 Quart US    = 473 ml
    Weight
        1 Pound(lb)                = 0.453 Kg
        2.2 Pound                  = 1 Kg
        1 Oz(Ounce)                = 28.349 gram
    Temperature
        (5/9)*Fahrenheit -32        = Celsius   
    

Now that you have started your work you would like to move into your own 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. You may also find the information about the apartments online at places like Rent.net and All Apartments.com. To lease (rent) an apartment you should consider following points:

1. 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).
   Some cases you get 1 months rent free in case 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 ground floor is less than other apartments. Very few people prefer to stay in ground floor because of security reasons. So when you ask about availability of apartments it is possible that the Manager will say only ground floor apartment(or even only the basement, which is below ground level) is available. Hence insist for apartment on first or second floor if you don't want a ground floor apartment. Otherwise after renting a ground floor apartment you will realize that apartments other than in ground floor were also available.

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.

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

   • You have to give 30 or 60 days notice.
   • You lose your security deposit

   • 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 1 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.

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 cases 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.

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.

6. Down grading 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 down grading i.e. moving to 1 bedroom apartment from 2 bedroom apartment is not allowed. Get clarification on all such points while signing lease papers.

7. Electricity and Telephone connection
   

   After you rent the apartment you need to inform your local Electric 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.

8. Maintaining an apartment
   

   In most of the 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.

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 favorite detergent powder.

Of course 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 furniture also :-). 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 cheap from this source. Everyone will be amazed if you have a full furnished house in a few months.

Garage sale(or yard 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.

Of course, if you are of the other type who doesn't like used things, you would need to buy things as you make and save some money.

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, because 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 makes simply because of the easy re salability. The most popular Japanese car makes are Honda and Toyota. And among them Honda Accord, Honda Civic, Toyota Camry and Toyota Corolla are very popular among Indians.

Types of models ? There are two categories of cars, 2-door, 4-door. The 2-door are cheaper. Then comes the type of transmission (gear), automatic or stick-shift(shifting gears manually). Most people buy automatic transmission. Such cars are very easy to drive. (Almost all Indian cars are of the stick-shift variety).

Where to look ? You may look online at places like Edmunds.com, Cars.com, AutoByTel, CarPoint. 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 and see the car. Test drive it, if you like it and the price is ok, tell the owner that you would like to get it checked up by a mechanic. This is the normal practice. There is nothing to feel shy about asking the car to be checked up. 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 telephone directory to get the list of car mechanics or 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.(Their toll-free number is 1-800-AAA-HELP) 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.

4. Check for rust in bottom, radiators, muffler and tail pipe.

5. Check for vibrations when you brake from 40mph, without down-shifting. if there are vibrations, either break pads or steering pinion is in bad shape. Get 4 people to sit in the car and you can make out if the suspensions are ok, when you make a sharp turn.

6. Most important, check for oil leaks, and whether the car gives you power. speed/pick-up when you try to accelerate. You can feel if it's OK.

7. Last, check for emission whether the smoke is black(thick), which means oil is also burned with fuel and hence the car is beyond its life. The piston rings might be leaving a gap in the cylinders because of wear. In that case, don't buy the car, because you will have to change the cylinder, piston and rings which will come to double the cost.

8. Ask the owner to give the records of the maintenance he has done, like new tires etc. Also, make sure you don't go beyond 3rd hand purchase. There must be something seriously wrong with the car if people have changed owners drastically.

9. Air filter, valve etc. 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 Book. 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 ample scope for price negotiation. Generally private owners who sell through ads can give better discounts than used car 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 get 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 properly. There is sometimes a wind screen coverage too, for a nominal additional amount per month, this insures your windshield against damage (a wind screen replacement may cost about $200.00 approx. otherwise).

Some well known auto insurance companies are: GEICO Direct, Progressive, State Farm, Liberty Mutual, Insurance on Web.

You have to get the emission testing done on your car before 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(varies from State to State) and meanwhile process and prepare the proper 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 you 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 on obtaining a driver's license for details.

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, weekly or daily rate 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 rent a car.

• The driver/co-drivers need to be at least 25 years old. Some companies(like Budget) allow to rent the car to the persons who are below 25 years old, but charge more insurance. Some companies like Avis simply require that all drivers are at least 25 years old.

• Credit Card is required to rent a car. Else a deposit of about $300 etc...Most companies do not allow you to rent a car if you do not have a credit card.

• You need a valid driver's license to drive a rental car.

• Well known car renting companies are - Hertz, Avis, Alamo, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise Rent-A-Car etc.

• Car Insurance has to be bought for the Rental car. It is a separate charge or is included in the total per day renting cost. Some credit card companies pay for the insurance if you use their card to book a car e.g. American Express Credit Card, in such a case you need not buy insurance from the car rental company.

• You have to register the other drivers too as co-drivers of the rental car while booking the car. They should have valid driver's licenses too. Nobody else should be allowed to drive the car other than those registered!

• Unlimited mileage or fixed mileage is also a criteria which decides the hiring charges of a rental car.

• You can make the booking over the phone. But you have to go personally to pick-up the car from the renting agency.

• Generally the gas (fuel) tank is full and you are supposed to return it with a full tank.

• Some rental agencies do not allow you to rent their car for travel outside the state or require you to list the states you would drive in.

• There are various types of cars that can be booked. Generally depending on the seating capacity, such as compact, medium, large, full-size, premium, luxury, mini-van, van etc. One may even choose the make of the car if available. The rental agencies maintain the cars in good shape and generally have new cars.

• The renting charges vary depending on the season, weekend/weekday, for how many days you want the car, how much in advance you are booking, availability, type of car etc.

God forbid, but if something happens to you, here is what you should know:

• The Medical Benefit Card which is sent by the Medical Insurance Company is an important card and should be acquired at the earliest. Fill up the Medical forms given to you by your company and return those immediately to ensure that you are registered with the Insurance Company after you land in the U.S.

• This card entitles you to coverage under certain medical categories only.

• There is a some amount like $50 deductible. Which means if you land into medical problems, you have to pay the first 50 dollars from your pocket. Thereafter the Insurance company takes over the payment depending on the coverage plan etc.

• There are two acceptable ways of payment for the Doctor's services which depends on the Doctor. The Doctor's receptionist is the best person to ask payment related questions.
  
  Some Doctors ask you to pay them (by cash, check, credit card etc.) immediately after the service. The receptionist will then give you a formal bill, which you must send (by postal mail) to the Medical Insurance Company along with the claim form supplied by your insurance company. The medical insurance company will then send you a check after verifying your claim. Other Doctors will note down the details of your medical insurance company from your card. They will then send the bill to the insurance company and receive the payment directly. You need not pay the Doctor.
  
  But in both the above modes, remember that there are certain charges which the Insurance Company will not pay and which they don't cover, such as the first $50. So find out the details from the Insurance Co. about your respective coverage/medical problem etc.

• For certain kinds of medical problems where you have to visit the Doctor repeatedly, only a fixed number of visits per year are paid by the Insurance Company and not all.

• How to decide on the Doctor to visit ?
  
  Ask your colleagues or other Indian friends. You also check in the directory supplied by your insurance company. Many insurance companies have their directory online also. Otherwise check up the yellow pages (phone directory). Look under the "Physicians" heading. Telephone the Doctor and fix up an appointment. Only in cases of emergency, do the Doctors see you immediately, otherwise it is always by appointment.

• You can claim the expenses for any Dr. prescribed medicine that you have to buy from the Drug (medical) Store. Usually there would be $5 or $10 deductible per prescription.

• Pain in the lower back and strain between the shoulder blades and a stiff neck are very common due to the kind of spring mattresses and soft foam pillows available in the U.S. and one just needs to get used to it.

• Beware of Dental problems since they are usually not fully covered under the Insurance Scheme.

  There are three categories in dental problem and coverage for each is different.

  • Precautionary:Tooth cleaning, X-Ray, Oral Examination etc. This is covered 100%.

  • Minor:Filling, Root Canal etc. This is covered 80%. Rest you have to pay.

  • Major:Crowns, Bridges etc. This is covered 50%. Rest you have to pay.

  And for all of these services inclusive, usually there is a yearly limit like $1500. If your teeth are too bad and if you need more treatment, you have to spend out of your pocket.
  
  Usually you can go to any dentist. But some doctors are in the network of your insurance company and some doctors are out of the network of your insurance company. If you go to in-network doctor, the doctor and the insurance company have negotiated a fixed charge for the particular treatment and if there is a difference between what insurance company is willing to pay and what doctor charges, you won't have to pay the difference. If you go to out-of-network doctor, you would have to pay the difference.

The omnipresent American drugstore as chemists are known, which flourish in even the smallest towns, offer a surprising range of goods and services.

What you will find in most drugstores:

1. Drugs.

2. A trained pharmacist. He will prepare your prescription- provided it is of American origin - or sell you a number of drugs that are available without prescription such as aspirin, laxatives, certain antihistamines and cough remedies

3. An astonishing variety of articles for sale viz; batteries, camera film, chocolates, cigarettes, clocks, combs, cosmetics, disposable diapers, flashlights, greeting cards, hair brushes, ice cream, jewelry, luggage, magazines, paperbacks, pencils, pens, perfumes, picture postcards, postage stamps, razors, shower caps, soaps, souvenir, stationery, sunglasses, tobacco, toothbrushes, toys, etc.

4. A counter - still called a soda fountain in some places that serves everything from a cup of coffee or a milk shake to a full meal, including elaborate ice cream desserts. But you will not be served wine or any alcoholic beverages.

5. Several public telephone booths and a set of local telephone directories.

6. Longer business hours than most establishments. You can eat or make purchases almost any time of the day or night since many drugstores are open quite late, and many are open on Sundays. Some never close. However, their prices for some goods are apt to be higher than those in department stores or discount houses.

1. Accept prescriptions by foreign doctors, except in emergencies. (Bring along an adequate supply of any medicine you require.)

2. Sell oral contraceptives, sleeping pills, tranquillisers, powerful antihistamines or any medicine containing a narcotic without a prescription from an American doctor. (Again, bring your own supply of any, you need.)

3. Sell non-prescription drugs of the same strength you may be accustomed to. Most American drugs, including common aspirin, are sold in doses different from their equivalents abroad, so always read the instructions printed on the container.

4. Render medical aid of any kind. You can not expect to go into a drugstore and have a speck of dirt removed from your eye.

Income Tax return filing is very simple in US as compared to India. Here Tax forms are very simple and easy to fill up. One need not know all about Taxation laws, but still can very easily file tax return. Here in US there are two types of taxes. One is the FEDERAL Tax which is something like the Income Tax in India and the other is the STATE Tax. Last day of filing the income tax return is 15th of April. Accounting year is considered from 1st of January till 31st of December. US has a Tax treaty with India. Under this Tax treaty one can file his tax return either in India or in US as per the convenience. But you need to show your income earned in either of the country.

Suppose you come to US in the middle of the year. You must be definitely having some income in India before you came to US in that particular financial year. Also some part of salary is paid to you even when you are in US. This income is taxable and hence you pay tax on that income. Generally you pay tax on this income in India as in most of the cases income tax is deducted at source. So one pays tax on the income in India. So now you are liable only for the tax on the income that you earn in US. Here there are different types of forms for different category of people. For those who are US residents and who have status of Resident Aliens, they have to file the what is called 1040EZ form (form 1040 easy). Any person who is in the US for more than 183 days continuously, gains status of Resident Alien. Any person who is in US for less than 183 days in that financial year is considered as Non Resident Alien.

Non Resident Alien will not have some Tax benefits which any US citizen or Resident Alien will have. Here in particular, Non resident Alien will not get Standard deduction on their income. Also they have to pay Tax as per the Flat rate. So basically when you file your Tax return as NR you land up paying more taxes. But you have to file 1040NR when you are having status as Non resident Alien.

For filing Tax return form one can get help from the government body which is know as IRS ( Internal Revenue Services ). This is same as Income Tax department in India. Also one has to pay tax to the state government. Each state has a different tax law for the State Tax. Booklet of information on this is available on request. Tax forms are available freely at the public places like Post office, Public library where one can get the form that he/she requires. Also, government gives special services for the people who needs the guidance. One can get this information even on phone by calling them.One can even go in person to understand the form.

Apart from these facilities provided by the government one can even go to private Tax consultants. They charge somewhere between $30 to $60. They take care of every detail and one need not bother about anything. Along with the Tax you are supposed to send one form called "W2" form. This form is provided by the employer to all the employees. The form contains all the information based on the salary of the person. Also all the taxes paid by the employer to the State government as well as Federal government. Details about the social security taxes and the medical taxes paid by the employer is also included in this form.

There are three copies of this form. One copy is to be sent with the State Tax form, one with the Federal Tax form and one is for the employee's personal record.

Before sending the W2 form one should check the validity of the information in it. Most important is the correct social security number. If there is any change in any of the information one should inform the employer asap. Employer is supposed to send the corrected information to IRS and also a corrected copy to the employee which is called W2C form.


Many states and cities levy hotel taxes, usually as a percentage of the room rate. For example, in New York City, which already has an 8.25% sales tax, the progressive hotel tax can raise the tariff as much as 13% more to 21.25%. When you make room reservations, ask how much tax will be added to the basic rate.

There is no US value-added tax, but sales taxes are set by most individual states, and they can range anywhere from 3% to 8.25%. In some states, localities are permitted to add their own sales taxes as well. Exactly what is taxable, however, varies from place to place. In some areas, food other essentials are not taxable, although you might pay tax for restaurant food. Luxury items such as cigarettes and alcohol are sometimes subject to an extra tax (known colloquially as a "sin tax".) as is gasoline, on the theory that car users should provide funds used to provide roads.

We wanted to mention this specially because its very helpful for a person who is new to U.S. AAA read as 'triple A' stands for "American Automobile Association" which is an auto club which provides you with all kinds of tour and travel information. (Toll-free number is 1-800-AAA-HELP.)It provides you with all the maps and travel guides which you will need. It also has services like towing, opening your car door lock in case you get locked out, emergency help and so on. Being a member of this club also gets you concession for motel booking and rental cars.

There is a yearly fee for all these services which they provide, and if you believe us, "It's more than worth it".

So we think its a good idea to be a member of this club. It will help you in traveling, which of course you will do once you get here.

What you need to ask your Company?

• Who is the client?
• About your insurance(medical, dental and vision)
• Relocation assistance
• Settlement allowance
• Greencard processing
• Is there any bond!
• Direction to reach your office and guest house/hotel/motel if no one comes to pick you.
• How long you can stay in your temporary accommodation?
• About your vacation
• Hope you get full pay during bench period. All good company give this. And by law, all companies are supposed to pay you full whether you are on bench or not.

Visit all your relatives and friends. Inform everyone. Get blessings of everyone and leave India. If you are very much sentimental, take a few photos of your family.

If you know any bank managers, arrange everything so that you can open your NRI account easily. You cannot open your NRI account sitting in India.

Collect a NRI account opening application form. You can sign and send it once you get your first pay in US.

Americans have acquired their own style of living which is influenced by higher education, modern technology, busy time schedules and independent and to some extent isolationist life-pattern. A foreigner wanting to get the best of America, must attempt to integrate into this life-style by understanding the atmospherics of America and get to know quickly certain and user of technology, gadgetry and communications systems.

An increasingly popular form of in the US is the intimate dinner theater, which combines leisurely wining and dining with stage acts ranging from one-man performances to mammoth show girl spectacular. The transience rate of such theaters is extremely high; fashionable new ones constantly replace those whose attendance is slipping so no listing will be attempted here. Your best source of information will be the weekly entertainment magazines provided free in most city hotel, the show pages of local newspapers or the classified telephone directory.

Gambling is legal in Nevada, Puerto Rico and in Atlantic City, New Jersey. You may merely invest a quarter in a slot machine, or spend days at the roulette wheel(some casinos never close their doors). State and federal supervision of all gambling centers is extremely strict.

Bars in the major cities of the US often stay open into the small hours of the morning, although some states and counties have restrictive liquor laws. Bars which provide snacks and meals are generally styled "cocktail lounges".

Nightclub Tours are arranged by sightseeing companies in major cities. Your hotel will be able to put you in touch with these operators. Often such a tour is the cheapest and most convenient way of seeing the town, since the overall fee can be considerably less than the combined cover charges of all the night clubs visited.

To the outsider, sport in the US often seems like an entertaining but comforting spectacle. Many of the games that thrill millions of Americans every weekend are unique to this country, or at least are played with an exuberance and hoopla - such as organ-music interludes and drum-majorette parades - which is typically American. The best way to discover which appeals to you is to switch on television set any day or night of the week, there will be a game of some sort to view. Enquire about tickets and schedules of current games in town. Warning: major events are usually sold out well in advance, so, if you want to catch a big ball-game or live tournament i's best to plan ahead with your travel agent.

Baseball: It is still America's 'national pastime', although it has lost ground to faster, more physical sports in the last decade. Like cricket, this is an elegant and leisurely summer game, during which tension builds up slowly but steadily. On 'double-header' nights (two matches in a row), play can continue until well after midnight. Most large cities host major league games during the season(April-October).

American Football: Fast, bone-crushing, noisy and tremendously exciting, this is a game for 200-lb, super men strong enough to withstand the tackling of two or three opponents at a time. During the season (September-December) the en tier nation, or so it seems, goes football crazy, every weekend. If you fail to get tickets to pro game, you will find college football equally spectacular if less brutal.

Basketball: Height and speed are the basic ingredients of this brilliant, unpredictable game, one of the most popular spectator sports in the US. Player tower six to seven feet tall or more. Played on indoor wooden courts, October-April. Most major cities have professional teams, or you can attend a collegiate game.

Ice Hockey: It is the fastest game in the world, with the possible exception of jai-alai (now very popular in the eastern states). It is also rather tainted with show-business, but the fist-fights you see on the rink are by no means simulated. Season: October through March in most northern cities.

Other sports widely popular Northern America are horse racing(541 race tracks nationwide)., golf, tennis, yachting and "auto sport". The latter includes such bizarre variations as drag racing, stock car derbies, and cross-country "jeep-ins" as well as classic tournaments like the Sebring, the Grand Prix in Watkins Glen, NY and the legendary Indianapolis "500".

Note: Sporting equipment, from tennis rackets to yachts, can easily be rented in most American cities. Tennis courts and golf courses are often available at nominal charges in City and State Parks, National Parks offer magnificent opportunities to hikes, skiers, riders, and fishermen.

Indoor Games: Many indoor games like Bowling, Aggravation, Mastermind, Dominos etc. are played in families across the nation.

Surely nothing illustrates the bubbling variety of American life more than the thousands of different festivals which celebrate thousands of differen themes all through the year. Some may be serious and scholarly, like the Maribore Music festival in Vermont(world-famous soloists joining incognite in ensembies); others light-hearted and noisy, like the Casper(Wyoming) Rodeo: others decidedly wacky, like the Britt(Iowa) Hobo Convention, and the Missouri World Championship Goose Callin' Contest.

Generally, winter festivals are held in the northern states from December through March; spring brings with it a host of events across the country honoring the blossoming of dogwoods, azaleas, cherry blossoms, rhododendron and other trees and flowers. In the South, tours of historic homes are often held during the spring months. Summer is the busiest time for festivals across the land. There are numerous rodeo events, Indian gatherings, lumber festivals, ethnic festivals, folk festivals, outdoor dramas, water festivals, and special activities taking place in the major cities on weekends. On July 4 the skies over the entire nation are alight with fireworks celebrating America's Independence Day. Over Labor Day weekend(the first Monday of September) and in the months of August, September and October, state fairs are held featuring rodeos, livestock shows, midways, carnivals and top-name entertainment. Both in the spring and the fall, harvest festivals are held to honor important area crops. And from mid-December to January 1, the smallest villages and largest cities alike are decorated with colorful lights, tinsel and Christmas trees for the holiday season.

Literally thousands of festivals take place here each year. When you attend a festival anywhere in the US, you have an opportunity see America and Americans at their best - in a festive holiday spirit. Neighbors from across the world are as welcome as neighbors from across the street. No matter what festivals you visit in any month of the year, you will be sure to get glimpse of an America you might otherwise have missed.

Holidays in America There are 10 federal holidays. The states, however, universally observe only New Year's Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. SOme of the remaining holidays are not observed in some states and others are celebrated on different dates than those listed below. SOme states have additional holidays they observe. On all legal holidays banks and schools are closed, mail is not delivered and some businesses are closed. Listed below are the US federal and national holidays.

• New Year's Day, January 1

• Martin Luther King's Birthday, third Monday in January

• President's Day, third Monday in February

• Memorial Day, last Monday in May

• Independence Day, July 4

• Labor Day, first Monday in September

• Columbus Day, second Monday in October

• Veteran's Day, observed November 11

• Thanksgiving Day, forth Thursday in November

• Christmas, December 25

(Note: Travel is heavy at holiday seasons. If you plan to travel during a holiday time, you should make airplane, train and hotel reservations at least a month in advance.)