(An informal document)
Users Guide
Ver 1.0
By : Lincoln Gada & Karthikeyan L.
Index
~~~~~
Introduction
CarryLuggage
TheArrival
UsingTelephones
PublicTransport
Mindyourlanguage
TheAntiUniversephenomenon
FOODImhungry
OfficeandtheWorkEnvironment
AmericansandtheirBehavior
InitialpackagefromDCI
SocialSecurity
DriversLicense
BankAccounts
Cards
Shopping
Rentinganapartment
BuyingaCar
RentingaCar
DoctorsinUS
IncomeTaxInUS
AAAMembership
LastWord
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 confident 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 alongwith 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.
Carry
Luggage
~~~~~~~~~~~
The carry baggage is the biggest problem while coming to U.S. What to carry? How
much to carry? Do I carry more woollen 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 food 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 !!
The Arrival
~~~~~~~~~
Enjoy your flight. Try to learn more about
other nations from the co-passengers. There can be international stops on your
way to the U.S.
International Stops:
Generally passengers are required
to get down at an International 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 announcement 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.
Immigration:
The first thing you need to go through at the port-of-entry U.S.
airport (international airport where you first land in the U.S.), after landing
is the immigration and customs clearance. After
which you may board a domestic
flight to reach your final destination. Before getting down at your port-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 WILL STAY etc.
On alighting
from the plane you may ask people or signs will guide you to the immigration.
Keep your passport, H1-paper ( Blue form ) and the form you filled inside the
plane, handy. At the counter you might be asked some questions. TALK ABSOLUTELY
TO THE POINT. DON`T TRY TO LIE. MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER YOU SAY IS WRITTEN ON
THE PAPER. You will be given the counter foil of I-94 form. Keep
that very
carefully. And say to yourself "WELCOME TO USA".
Baggage
Claim:
Try to acquire some 25 cent coins (called "quarters"), which
you may need for getting a trolley cart for your baggage and also for making telephone
calls etc. Thereafter move towards the baggage claim carousel assigned to your
flight, simply follow the signs directing you to the place. Collect your luggage
and look for signs directing you to customs clearance. At the customs clearance
they may ask you to open your bags for a security check/verification.
Domestic Flight:
Since the Port-of-entry may not be your final destination
in the U.S. and you have to proceed onwards, locate the counter for the domestic
airline you will be taking to your final destination. Above all don't hesitate
or feel shy to ask for help from airport support staff (at information desks)
or police officers, if you
need anything.
Follow signs directing
you to your domestic flight because youwill need a boarding pass. If it is far
away, take the Airport shuttle (bus) service which is free. If you don't know
where to get down, tell the driver in advance and he will drop you off at the
proper place. At the counter (podium) check-in your baggage
and get your boarding
pass issued and ready.
On arrival at the final destination, collect your
baggage once again and look around for that someone who may be there to receive
you. If you don't find anyone or you already have specific instructions, follow
those, otherwise call up (telephone) the DCI area co-ordinator whose tel. number
you should be carrying. Therefore remember to keep phone numbers handy. Get information
from the DCI area-coordinator on the stay arrangements made for you. Finally,
if no one comes to pick you up, try to locate the information counter from where
you will get all the information regarding how to call for taxi and so on. Also
the Public Transport section of this guide will help you in understanding the
travel facilities available in the U.S.
Using
Telephones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The first thing you might do when you come to 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 regoin
are free unless made from a public pay phone which is a coin operated machine.
Long distance calls are charged at varying rates, depending on how you make the
call (which long distance carrier/company you use), for how long you speak and
the time of the day. Note that the telephone companies in the U.S. are private.
Each local region is assigned an "area code". So the phone numbers are
Denoted as (areacode)-123-4567. where 123-4567 is your actual phone number. If
you are calling a number within your "area" then you should dial only
the phone number. If the call is outside your area you need to dial 1-(areacode)-123-4567,
which is the long distance call. Again, sometimes when the area code is the same
as yours, you may still have to dial a "1" before the number without
the area-code e.g. 1-<7-digit phone number
To make an international
call i.e. to India you need to dial 011-91-<STD CODE-<TEL. NO. e.g. 011-91-22-1234567.
Here 011 indicates an international call. 91 is the country code for India. 22
is the "area code" for Bombay and 1234567 may be the actual phone number
you want to dial.
Other important facilities provided are -
-
Yellow pages (Tel. directory) advertisements and telephone numbers of businesses.
- Emergency
Telephone Number
There is one emergency number that
you can dial for any type of emergency which is 911 (Fire/Ambulance/Police). - Directory
assistance
Local telephone numbers - 411
Long distance - 1-(Area Code)-555-1212
Toll Free number enquiry - 1-800-555-1212 - 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. Ashok Agarwal (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 it, simple!.
Most people use answering machines which
are connected to their telephones,
or some kind of voice mail system. It has
a standard pre-recorded greeting
which is played when you call up and then
after some beeps, it records your
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 will 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.
Time zones
~~~~~~~~~~
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.
Day light saving :
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.
Currency
~~~~~~~~
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.
Public
Transport
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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 queue at the airport.
Taxis are listed in the yellow pages under the name "Taxi" or "Taxicabs".
When you call, tell the "dispatch" operator where you are and where
you want to go. The dispatch operator will tell you how long it will take for
the taxi to arrive at your starting point. He or she will ask for the telephone
number, so they can call you if the taxi driver cannot locate you. You should
ask for the estimated cost of the ride.
When you enter the taxi, the
meter will read flat rate. This is the minimum charge. You will be charged the
flat rate for each mile you travel.
Mind
your language
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For successful conversation, in the US, it is advisable that
you speak slowly and pronounce properly. Well, the first part you really need
to practice otherwise what you will hear from the person opposite is "pardon
me", "come again", "I am sorry", "I didn't get you".
e.g. The changes in pronunciation are like 'schedule' pronounced as 'skedule',
'route' pronounced 'raut' etc. Also some words are totally substituted like 'petrol'
by 'gas'. Here is a table from Gary Nobel of HP SanDiego, which he created when
he traveled in India. Thanks to him. The dictionary is very remarkable.
/----------------------------------------------------------------------\
*
The following is a simple dictionary for translating between
* American English
and Indian English. This dictionary should be
* useful for the new-comer to
either the U.S. or India. The words
* are in no particular order. Suggestions
for additions are gladly
* taken at garyn@sdd.hp.com. Gary Nobel 8/20/92
*
* Indian American
* English English
* ------- --------
*
* ====== Food related ======
* Coriander Cilantro
* Cold drink Soda pop
* Curd Yogurt
* Cafe ("kayf") Cafe ("kaf-ay'")
* Nes-coffee
Instant coffee
* Filter coffee Brewed coffee
* Milk powder Cream
*
French beans Snow peas
* Hotel Restaurant
* Jelly Gelatin
* Garam
masalla Curry
* Lady fingers Okra
* Small pastries Lady fingers
*
Toffee Hard candy
* Brinjal Eggplant
* Biscuit Cookies/Wafers
* Bun
Biscuit
* (Potato) wafers (Potato) chips
* Finger chips French fries
* Groundnuts Peanuts
*
* ===== Education Related ======
* Public school
Private school (tuition charged)
* Private school Public school (free)
* School High school
* College School
* University School
* High school
School/Junior High
* Take a class Teach a class
* Be a student Take a
class
* 2nd standard 2nd grade
* High marks Good grades
* Invigilator
Proctor
* Canteen Cafeteria
*
* ===== Clothes =====
* Windcheater
Windbreaker
* Vest Undershirt
* Waistcoat Vest
* Half-pant Shorts
* Purse Wallet
* Swim trunks Swim suit
* Swim costume Swim suit
*
* ===== Transportation Related ====
* Traffic signal Traffic light
* Boot,
dikky Trunk of a car
* Bonnet Hood of a car
* Petrol pump Gas station
* Petrol Gas
* Diesel Fuel
* Pavement Sidewalk
* Footpath Sidewalk
* Zebra Crossing Crosswalk
* Take a lift Get a ride
* Motorcycle Motorbike
* Cycle Bike
*
* ===== Other =====
* Football Soccer
* American
football
* (rugby?) Football
* Solid Substantial
* Ltd. Inc.
*
Transistor Radio
* Two-in-One Boom box
* Goggles Sunglasses
* Cooling
glass Sunglasses
* Toilet Restroom
* Guest house Motel
* Current Electricity
* $20 Note $20 Bill
* Cell Battery
* Torch Flashlight
* Rubber Eraser
* Snap Picture
* Photograph Picture
* Mixee (?sp) Mixer
* Dustbin
Trash can
* Beggar Panhandler
* IBM-Compatible IBM-Clone
* Inflammable
Flammable
* Mess Dorm cafeteria
* Hotel Restaurant
* Restaurant bill
Restaurant check
* Picture Movie
* Talkies Movies
* Lift Elevator
* To fix To install
* To repair To fix
* Pram Stroller
*
* =====
Idioms ======
* To post (a letter) To mail (a letter)
* To submit To turn
in
* To be out of station To be out of town
* A place to park Driveway
* A place to drive Parkway
* Straight-away Right away
* Anticlockwise
Counterclockwise
* Bunk school Skip class
* Passed out Graduated
*
Fainted Passed out
* Ring up (someone) Call up (someone)
* The line is
engaged It's busy / I got a busy tone
* Push the accelerator Step on the gas
* Give the car some race Speed up the car
* Get down (from a bus) Get off
(of a bus)
* Let's push off Let's go
* Let's make a move Let's go
* Convince someone Talk someone into
* Black money Tax free, undeclared income
* Standing from a constituency Running for an election
* Issue a book (from
the library) Checkout a book (from the library)
* How are you? How are you
doing?
* How is everything? How is it going?
* Intimate Inform
* (Very
Close Relations) (Intimate Relations)
* Too good Cool
The
Anti Universe phenomenon
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When
you come to the U.S. you will notice the opposite everywhere. You will get the
feeling "These guys are crazy" .....almost everything you try to do
will fail even if it is a small thing like switching ON the lamp !!!!"
This is just to make you get a hang of it. The cars are 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.!!!"
FOOD, I'm hungry
------------------------
Of course you must be hungry, when you arrive. God knows what you ate on the plane.
You don't remember the item's name 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). 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.
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, Sphagetti with tomato sauce,
Lasagna (pronounced
Laza-nya), Italian Pitza, Italian Pasta with tomato sauce,
Falafal, Veg. Gyro
(pronounced Yero).
Denny's
-------
Vegetable
omlete (with eggs)
Vegetable lunch/dinner (salad, potato smash, garlic 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
Office and the Work Environment
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Before you start
your first day, get a hang of how the work environment is at the client's place
from any PCS 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.
Americans and their Behavior
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Its helpful to
know how Americans typically will be. Otherwise you will start feeling "These
people are great dramatists... ". Here are some tips:-
- Americans
are very friendly and helpful.
- They don't make you feel like a foreigner.
(Though you feel !!!)
- It is very easy to adjust with them. But they
don't like people getting very inquisitive or trying to get too personal in the
initial phase of the aquaintance.
- 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 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.
Initial package from DCI:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTE: The first official
thing you should do without being asked to, is to apply for your Social Security
Number - details are given in this doc.
After arriving in USA one gets
a package from DCI. This package consists of different types of forms. The most
important one being the Medical Insurance form. Don't be careless about this,
make sure to fill and return it soon.
After receiving this package one
should sign all the forms and send it back to DCI as soon as possible. This package
consist of following documents.
Personal details :
In this form you
need to fill up all your personal information which is required for official purposes.
*
Passport details :
In this form you are expected to furnish all your
passport details.
Away from business expenses form :
One is supposed
to fill up this form at the end of every month. We get our salary in two parts.
One is Salary or Allowance and the other part is the reimbursement of the expenses
incurred. Your area co-ordinator will inform you about what amount you can claim
etc. It depends on the position and the class
of city you are in.
Couple of memos :
These memos inform you about certain rules.
Medical
insurance registration form : (MOST IMPORTANT FORM)
This form you are supposed
to send to the medical insurance company. It needs routine personal information.
In two weeks of time you will receive your medical insurance card, which will
cover most of your medical expenses in the U.S. But be sure you understand what
is covered under this scheme and what is not.
You are supposed to send
all these forms and memos asap. Couple of these forms require your Social Security
number. If you have not yet received your social security number then leave that
place tentatively blank in your forms and you can inform DCI about it later, when
you get one.
Social Security
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You must go and get your social
security number and driving license done immediately after you come.
:: Social Security Number ::
Each individual in 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.
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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.
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.
Bank Accounts
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 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 banks do not charge anything.
- The whole procedure of
opening an account takes about 10-15 mins.
- A few shops/gas stations
etc. ask for a valid photo-id when payment is made by check. This is just for
verification. (A photo-id could be a U.S. driver's license or an actual ID-card
which is issued by the local
Deptt. of Motor Vehicles office.
- Small
payments such as $1.25 etc. too can be made by check and it is not absurd to do
so. People carry very little 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
Cards
~~~~~
- It is a fashion to collect cards of all
types and store them in ones purse. The cards here refer to the plastic type e.g.
credit cards.
- So there are cards such as:
Credit card,
Debit
card,
Bank ATM card,
Shopping Store cards (e.g. Sears card; "SEARS"
is the name of a chain of
stores in the U.S.)
Medical benefit card,
Telephone calling card,
Public library membership card.
- Most purses
have transparent packets to keep these cards in order.
- Credit/Debit
Cards:
A credit card allows you to pay for your expenses without bothering
about availability of money at the time of payment. The credit card company pays
for you 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 MASTERCARD are the most widely accepted credit cards. The other
being American Express card. (Called Am-Ex for short).
A Debit card is
almost like a check, since it allows you to spend from your available resources
only (no credit business). This is generally issued by the banks where you have
an account, after you apply for it.
It is not so easy to get a credit
card for the first timer in U.S. The application is scrutinized by the Credit
Organization/Bank and the credit history checked up (They call up the banks where
you have an account, to find out your balance and credit status etc). Actually
it seems the credit history is traced from your Social Security No. Usually the
period of stay is also 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. -
Check out http://www.plasticrewards.com/
for more information on credit cards (sentence added to orignal
document by Umesh)
Shopping
~~~~~~~~
The American system of sizes and measurement
is different from that in India. Most of the shops in the U.S. are the equivalents
of super markets in India. You can go around the shop, buy what you want and pay
at the counter. The important difference you will notice is, the shops are driven
by customer service. So if you don't like anything that you bought or it doesn't
fit you properly you may return it within a certain period allowed. You should
inquire about the return policy when you buy returnable goods. Ofcourse you need
to
preserve the receipt of the purchase. Most of the time they won't even
ask you why you want to 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.
Metric Conversion Chart
*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
Renting an apartment
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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. 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 they 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 few people prefer to stay in basements because of security
reasons. So when you ask about availability of apartments it is possible that
the Manager will say only basement apartment is available. Hence insist for apartment
on first or second floor if you don't want a basement apartment. Otherwise after
renting a basement apartment you will realize that apartments other than in basements
were also available.
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
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.
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. Downgrading and Upgrading
--------------------------
If you want
to move to 2 bedroom apartment from 1 bedroom apartment you have to pay some 100$
to 200$. Many cases downgrading i.e. moving to 1 bedroom apartment from 2 bedroom
apartment is not allowed. Get clarification on all such points while signing lease
papers.
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 favourite detergent powder.
Decorating, Furnishing YOUR house
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ofcourse this
is not an advice for interior designing but to make your APARTMENT look like a
HOME. Home is not a place with four walls, but where you have 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 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.
Buying
a Car
~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you are going to stay at a particular place for quite some time say more than
three months, then its better to buy a car rather than rent one. Buying a car
involves quite some work. Its better to be cautious while buying a car, 'cause
owning a car brings you freedom and you own a vehicle but you need to
maintain
the car an 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 resalability. The
most popular Japanese car makes are Honda and Toyota.
Types of models
? There are two categories of cars, 2-door, 4-door. The 2-d are cheaper. Then
comes the type of transmission (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 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 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 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 = 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 windscreen coverage too, for a nominal additional amount per month, this insures
your windshield against damage (a windscreen replacement 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 for 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 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.
Renting
a Car
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Car
is a necessity in most of the places here in U.S. Either you buy a car or you
can rent a car. You can pay either a monthly rate or daily rent. Though its expensive
to rent a car for a month or so, it might be required if you are going to stay
at that place for a small period of time.
Here is some information you
will need OR should know when you want to 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 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.
Doctors in U.S.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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 sent by DCI and return those immediately
to DCI 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 alongwith 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 In US:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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
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 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, govrnment 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 inforamation 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.
AAA
Membership
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We
wanted to mention this specially 'cause its very helpful for a person who is new
to U.S. AAA read as 'triple A' stands for "American Automobile Association"
is an auto club which provides you with all kinds of tour and travel information.
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 travelling, which of course you will do once you get here.
Last Word
~~~~~~~~~
Stress is a part of professional life and more so when you are living in an alien
country. The sooner you understand and accept it the more easily you will adapt
to your new environment. Depression and home
sickness are symptoms that you
should look out for.
With this we all feel you will be confident and
may be able to come out with your own User Manual. But before we leave, we would
like to tell you about "The Culture Shock" that you may feel. Try to
position yourself on this graph. The graph shows typical phases in the culture
shock.
It just makes you feel good, if you know that others are in the
same boat !!!
(Hope this document has enlightened and not confused
you) |
