Sujay Rathi- (guest from Charlotte, NC, USA)    •   05/13/2003 17:51:52 PM

0      0

At most restaurants, whenever water is served, by default, glass is full of ice and water is poured in remaining area of glass.

For people like me who has hot/cold sensitive teeth, or generally many people in India are not accustomed to drink water with so much ice in it.

If you want water that has no ice, just say 'No Ice' and don't say 'Without Ice' as it can easily be mistaken as 'With Ice'

At most restaurants, it is customary to tip the server. When you get the check(what is called bill in India), that check has got the suggested tip amounts such as 10%, 15%, 20% etc. If you give about 10%, it should be OK.

Many restaurants serve buffet for lunch. You can eat as much as you can for fixed price. However, for cleanliness and hygeine, you should take new plate every time you get food. You should leave dirty plate on your table and someone will come periodically to collect them.

Also, when you go to dine-in restaurant, you should not immediately occupy the empty seat/table yourself. You should wait near the waiting sign and someone will help seat at the right place depending upon number of people you have in your group. Some restaurants have different sitting sections for smoking and non-smoking persons.

At Indian Restaurants, you can either order 'Thali' or 'A La Carte'. Usually 'A La Carte' is individual vegetable dish with some accessory dishes like rice. In 'Thali', there may be South Indian Thali or North Indian Thali depending upon the place you visit.

Ashish Tripathi- (guest from Centreville, VA, USA)    •   05/12/2003 10:50:32 AM

0      0

At restaurants, you don't get a bowl of hot water with lemon in it to clean your hands. Instead you get paper napkins to clean your hands. In some restaurants, you get cloth napking to clean your hands.

However, if you would still like to wash your hands with water, you can go to restroom (toilet) and wash them.

Sanjay Suri- (guest from Atlanta, GA, USA)    •   05/06/2003 09:56:30 AM

0      0

While you are driving your car, never throw any garbage out of your car onto the road. You would be fined for littering and that fine may be as high as $1000.

I know of an incident where a family had recently arrived in US from India. They had small baby. While in car, baby had to do potty. Mother cleaned potty and threw it outside the window. Incidently, police car was coming just behind their car and potty was all over the police car! They were stopped and police officer was very angry. Luckily, police officer figured out that these people had just recently arrived in US and he was very kind to let them go. But this is an exception, and in most cases, you would be fined.

Tarun Saxena- (guest from Clearwater, FL, USA)    •   05/04/2003 10:56:24 AM

0      0

Don't be rushed to always buy something whenever you see sale at some store. Here in US, there is always some or other kind of sale is going on in the name of different festivals, holidays etc.

I have seen sale at barber's shop 'Hair cut sale: $2.99' or when the housing market was not doing good, sale at apartment complexes such as 'Valentine day Special: $100 off/month'.

Ravi Alluri- (guest from Fairfax, VA, USA)    •   04/19/2003 21:50:02 PM

0      0

At many busy road intersections, traffic signals are equipped with video cameras or still cameras.

While in car, if you try to cross the road when the signal is yellow, it may turn red before you reach to other side of the road. As soon as traffic signal turns red and camera senses car at the intersection, it starts clicking pictures. There may be various pictures, one picture with your car and general surroundings, one with just your car, one with just your car license plate. And you would receive the ticket in mail. Usually, there are no traffic violation points associated with this type of ticket. However, you are still expected to pay fine.

Manoj Shah- (guest from Rahway, NJ, USA)    •   04/08/2003 16:44:59 PM

0      0

Gas stations (called 'Petrol Pumps' in India) in most states are self serviced. You can either pay by credit/debit card at the pump itself or alternatively you can also go into the store and pay cash. There is no one available to pump gas for you.

Exception: In New Jersey, it is illegal to pump gas yourself. There are people at the gas station to fill the gas for you. (One more example that New Jersey is closer to India than most other states.)

Sridhar BalaSubramanian- (guest from Reston, VA, USA)    •   03/25/2003 23:40:20 PM

0      0

At the supermarket grocery stores such as SafeWay, A&P, Market Basket etc. (Stores may be different depending upon your geographic locations), if the cashier asks 'paper or plastic?' That means whether you would like to carry your grocery in paper bags or plastic bags.

Paper bags are used at many places because they are easily recyclable. Plastic bags do not degrade and are more harmful to the earth environment. Also small kids may suffocate due to plastic bags if they happen to wrap it around their face. c

Rupal Patel- (guest from Parlin, NJ, USA)    •   03/19/2003 14:35:27 PM

0      0

When you open a checking account with the bank, you get Debit Card that you can use at the bank ATMs to withdraw money at any time and you do not need to visit the bank for it. In fact, some banks with specific types of checking account may charge you fee every time you visit the bank.

When you withdraw money from ATMs, usually you can withdraw only in the multiples of $20 bills. However, some ATMs also have $10 bills. Generally you can withdraw money from your bank ATM at no charge, but if you withdraw money from another bank's ATM, both your bank and the bank whose ATM you are using may charge you convenience fee such as $2 each.

Deepti Sathe- (guest from Billerica, MA, USA)    •   03/13/2003 13:31:58 PM

0      0

Most houses in US have garage door openers that can be remotely opened. You get a remote control that you can put in your car, and you can press the button to open the garage door.

Vivek Grover- (guest from Pasadena, CA, USA)    •   03/07/2003 01:38:00 AM

0      0

As Columbus started going in west direction for search of India and when hit the North America, he thought that was India. Therefore, he called the natives of North America as 'Indians'. But true Indians are in Asia in the country 'India'.

Sometimes, we desis are referred as 'Asian Indian' or 'Eastern Indian'. Natives of America are referred as 'American Indian'. You should never call them 'Red Indian' as it would be offending.

Similarly, you should never call a black person 'black', or 'nigro' or 'nigger'. Proper way to refer to them is to use the word 'African American' as they are originally from Africa and they were either brought to America or came to America on their own.