Introduction
Usually, before anyone comes to the U.S.A
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. Though this gives some idea it doesn't make one confi dent or
better prepared and moreover how much can one absorb at once.
So 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 U.S.A. The objective of this document is to make you
aware of things, situations to expect and enlighten you with facts s o 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.
All the best!! :-)
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 'cause its 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, 'cause after going there you may start missing the Indian foo
d taste.
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, it all depends on you and your needs !!
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.
Generally passengers are required to get
down at an International stop, 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
an nouncement which is always made before the international halt. You will
hear 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.
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 dest
ination. Before getting down at your port-of-entry final international
halt, inside the plane, you will be given a form to fill up called I-94.
SPECIFY DCI`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, I20
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".
Try to acquire some 25 cent coins (called
"quarters"), which you may need for getting a trolley cart for your
baggage and also for making telephone calls etc. Thereafter move toward
the baggage claim carousel assigned to your flight, simply follow the sig
ns 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.
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 for help from
airp ort support staff (at information desks) or police officers, if you
need anything.
Follow signs directing you to your
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. 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 sect!ion of this guide
will help you in understanding the travel facilities available in the U.S.
The first thing you might do when you
come to U.S.A. is call 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), f or 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. I f
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
are! a 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-
Other important facilities provided are -
1. Yellow pages (Tel. directory)
Advertisements and Telephone numbers of businesses.
2. Emergency Telephone Number
There is one emergency number that you can dial for any type of emergency
which is 911 (Fire/Ambulance/Police).
3. Directory assistance
Local telephone numbers - 411
Long distance - 1-(Area Code)-555-1212
Toll Free number enquiry - 1-800-555-1212
4. Toll free
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. Sriram
Raghavan (DCI California) is 1-800-969-1117. 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-COLLECT. To dial this number, just press the digit on
the telephone pad which has the corresponding alphabet you want to dial on
i t, 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 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!.
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 call pick up the receiver and press 0. Let
the operator know that you want to make a COLLECT call, the operator w ill
connect you to the phone number you need. But before that the operator
will check with the 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.
There are four time zones in the U.S.
1) Eastern TZ
Example : Massachusetts, New York, Florida etc
2) Central TZ ( lags Eastern TZ by one
hour )
Example : Iowa, Kentucky, Indiana etc.
3) Mountain TZ ( lags Eastern TZ by two
hours )
Example : Colorado, Utah, Wyoming etc.
4) Pacific TZ ( lags Eastern TZ 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 maximu m 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.
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.
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 y ou
get to buy a car you can use the public transportation system or depend on
your friends/colleagues for a ride.
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 the m in
your telephone book.
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 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.
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 did n'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
San Diego, which he created w hen he traveled in India. Thanks to him. The
dictionary is very remarkable.
|
Item
|
Indian English
|
American English
|
|
Food Items
|
Coriander
Cold drink
Curd
Cafe ("kayf")
Nes-coffee
Filter coffee
Milk powder
French beans
Hotel
Jelly
Garam masala
Lady fingers
Small pastries
Toffee Hard
Brinjal
Biscuit
Bun
(Potato) wafers
Finger chips
Groundnuts
|
Cilantro
Soda pop
Yogurt
Cafe ("kaf-ay'")
Instant coffee
Brewed coffee
Cream
Snow peas
Restaurant
Gelatin
Curry
Okra
Lady fingers
candy
Eggplant
Cookies/Wafers
Biscuit
(Potato) chips
French fries
Peanuts
|
|
Education
|
Public school
Private school
School
College
University
High school
Take a class
Be a student
2nd standard
High marks
Invigilator
Canteen
|
Private school (tuition charged)
Public school (free)
High school
School
School
School/Junior High
Teach a class
Take a class
2nd grade
Good grades
Proctor
Cafeteria
|
|
Attire
|
Windcheater
Vest
Waistcoat
Half-pant
Purse
Swim trunks
Swim costume
|
Windbreaker
Undershirt
Vest
Shorts
Wallet
Swim suit
Swim suit
|
|
Transportation Related
|
Traffic signal
Boot, dikky
Bonnet
Petrol pump
Petrol
Diesel
Pavement
Footpath
Zebra Crossing
Take a lift
Motorcycle
Cycle
|
Traffic light
Trunk of a car
Hood of a car
Gas station
Gas
Fuel
Sidewalk
Sidewalk
Crosswalk
Get a ride
Motorbike
Bike
|
|
Sports and Misc
|
Football
American football
(rugby?)
Solid
Ltd.
Transistor
Two-in-One
Goggles
Cooling glass
Toilet
Guest house
Current
$20 Note
Cell
Torch
Rubber
Snap
Photograph
Mixee (?sp)
Dustbin
Beggar
IBM-Compatible
Inflammable
Mess Dorm
Restaurant bill
Picture
Talkies
Lift
To fix
To repair
Pram
|
Soccer
Football
Substantial
Inc.
Radio
Boom box
Sunglasses
Sunglasses
Restroom
Motel
Electricity
$20 Bill
Battery
Flashlight
Eraser
Picture
Picture
Mixer
Trash can
Panhandler
IBM-Clone
Flammable
cafeteria
Restaurant check
Movie
Movies
Elevator
To install
To fix
Stroller
|
|
Idioms
|
To post (a letter)
To submit
To be out of station
A place to park
A place to drive
Straight-away
Anticlockwise
Bunk school
Passed out
Fainted
Ring up (someone)
The line is engaged
Push the accelerator
Give the car some race
Get down (from a bus)
Let's push off
Let's make a move
Convince someone
Black money
Standing from a constituency
Issue a book (from the library)
How are you?
How is everything?
Intimate
(Very Close Relations)
Too good
|
To mail (a letter)
To turn in
To be out of town
Driveway
Parkway
Right away
Counterclockwise
Skip class
Graduated
Passed out
Call up (someone)
It's busy / I got a busy tone
Step on the gas
Get off (of a bus)
Let's go
Let's go
Talk someone into
Tax free, undeclared income
Running for an election
Checkout a book (from the library)
How are you doing?
How is it going?
Inform
(Intimate Relations)
Cool
|
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 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 d
irection 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.!!!"
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 atleast. 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). Yo u
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.
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 Burrito, Enchiladas, Bean Taco,
Cheese Taco, Bean Tostados, Mexican Pizza
Italian or Greek
Eggplant (brinjal) sandwich, Sphagetti
with tomato sauce, Lasagna (pronounced Laza-nya), Italian Pitza, 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 chilies), pineapple, tomato, onions etc.
Burger King
Vege cheese whooper, Garden burger
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,
n obody 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 pl an
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 queues or while driving, nobody will try to jump before
you in the 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 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 go and get your social security
number and driving license done immediately after you come.
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 w
hile 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. Most universities will have this as apart of the International
student orientation programme.
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.
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
ap proved 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 D MV (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 drivi ng 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
explaine d 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 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 you can even go for some driving lessons. For
driving lessons you can go to driving school or to a private teacher. Pri
vate 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 yo u 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. Bu t
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 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 ti
mes 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
It is a fashion to collect cards of all
types and store them in one's wallet. 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 wallets 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 c redit 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 stat
us 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 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.
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 w
ill 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 goo ds. 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.
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.
millimeters x 0.04 = inches(in)
centimeters x 0.4 = inches(in)
meters x 3.3 = feet
kilometers x 1.1 = yards
inches x 2.5 = centimeters
feet x 30 = centimeters
yards x 0.9 = meters
miles x 1.6 = kilometers
grams x 0.035 = ounces
kilograms x 2.2 = pounds
ounces x 28 = grams
pounds x 0.45 = kilograms
milliliters x 0.3 = fluid
ounces
liters x 1.06 = quarts
liters x 0.26 = gallons
fluid ounces x 30 = millileters
quarts x 0.95 = liters
gallons x 3.8 = liters
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 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
basements is less than other apartments. Very fe w 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 do n't want a basement apartment. Otherwise after
renting a basement apartment you will realize that apartments other than
in basements were also available.
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.
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 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.
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
tha t 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 un less 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.
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 ov er.
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 le ase papers.
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 cal ling them up. Most of the business takes place on the
phone. Surprisingly all work gets done and promptly too.
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.
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 yo ur own favourite detergent powder.
Decorating, Furnishing YOUR
house
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.
Y ou can get things like Sofa sets to Wall paintings very cheep from this
source. Everyone will be amazed if you have a full furnished house in a
few 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.
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 makes simply because of the easy reusability. 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 (gear), automatic or stick-shift. 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 ? 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'd 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 tel. 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. For
a fee of a bout $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 tailpipe.
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 t urn.
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 = 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 wi ll 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 value s 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 b etter 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. figu
res.
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 th e Insurance companies to
describe the type of insurance coverage. Get everything explained
properly. There is sometimes a windscreen coverage too, for a nominal
additional amount per month, this insures your windshield against damage
(a windscreen replace ment may cost about $200.00 approx. otherwise).
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 fo r Registration.
The local vehicle registration
office will issue a temporary registration for 45 days 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 In surance 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 ye ar 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 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 rent a car.
- The driver/co-drivers need to
be 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 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.
- There are various types of cars that can be booked. Generally depending
on the seating capacity, such as small, medium, compact, large, full-size,
premium, mini-van, van etc. One may even choose the make of the car if
available. The rental agencies main tain 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 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 $100 deductible. Which means if you land into medical
problems, you have to pay the first 100 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 DCI
(which comes in with the initial package soon after you land in the U.S .)
The Medical Ins. Co. 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 $100. 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. 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.
NOTE:
- 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.
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 t he FEDRAL Tax which is something like our Income tax 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 1 83 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 s end 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.
Stress is a part of
professional or student 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, talk to other people coming to the USA. Get to know people going to
study at the same University as you are. Exchange thoughts, info and also
your problems/worries. It just makes you feel good, if you know that
others are in the same boat !!!
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