Life in the States

Today, I am completing my one year of my life in USA. Travelling to America on an assignment has become a casual thing in India, especially for the IT associates. The only difference is the duration of the assignment and the nature of work. Work at onsite will be a lot more active than at offshore in terms of responsibilities where you'll have to run the show at onsite. Apart from work, there are other changes that you'll have to adopt in the American soil.

There are five C's that differ from India to America - communication, culture, climate, cars & cash/cost. Clothing is not a factor of change and is pretty much the same, but is dependent on the climate of your place. Communication is the first and foremost change that you'll feel right from the Airport. You would need time to realize that they no longer speak English but speak American. And the accent does matter, which you'll practice when days pass by. Culture ,includes food & people, is the second change that really bothers someone, especially when he is a Vegetarian. One has to be specific in clarifying the menu in a restraunt before confirming the order. Most American food stuff would have beef or pork by default and they would be happy to substitute Chicken for beef/pork. Vegetarian food stuff is available, but be specific while making the order. The people, on the othet hand, are polite and harmless, and expect the same from us. Don't be surprised if some new person waves at you on a public place or at your work place...

Climate depends on the place of your travel. Northern states are cold and snowfilled during winter. In Minnesota, the state where I reside, the temperature has reached upto -20F. So, be prepared to equip yourself for the climatic conditions. Cars are autogeared and equiped with A/C and heater, to suit the climatic conditions. The rides are right sided and not to the left and traffic rules differ from state to state. This will require some time to settle up and get converted to the right-sided drive. And finally, Cash and cost of living will change and the dollar rupee conversion comparison won't make much sense if you multiply the dollar value by Rs.45 for commodities like food and rent.

But there is more to do in States than just adopting to these changes. How about celebrating life in America? That would be another blog to write