Can you guess where a first time US traveler (especially an Indian) can learn more?
On road, he needs to drive on right side whereas he learnt driving car designed for left-hand drive. He starts using terms like gas instead of petrol, bumps instead of speed breakers, miles instead of kilometers, exits, merge, etc.
At Office he observes how disciplined people are here (if you are not disciplined and don't follow rules, you will face problems). He starts greeting people with whom he is not well acquainted with (people just great you "Hello", "Hi", "Hi, how are you doing?", "Thank you" etc). He learns that there's no ground floor here (0 in lift); instead it's called floor 1. He starts using the term basement, instead of cellar. He starts drinking mugs of coffee instead of having it in small cups (as in India). Learns to hold door for the person behind when he arrives first at the door. Learns to say thank you and allows the first person to go, if he is second at the door. Of course learns many technical things and how the production environment is actually set.
When he is at home, he learns how to adjust the room temperature in Fahrenheit (Celsius / centigrade in India). He starts using comforter (a thick bed cover) not a blanket, in his bedroom. His dressing now has many layers - inners, thermal wears and then the actual dress. He learns a lot in Kitchen. How to use an electric stove; microwave oven, coffee maker, bread toaster, etc. Food... mmm... a new adventurous world. They all appear great to look, only few taste spicy and good (as Indian). He starts using Yogurts instead of curd. He experiments and learns how to use different electronic equipments in kitchen. Let me narrate an interesting incident. I have a machine in my hotel room which I mistook to be a washing machine. I was under this impression for two days after which I was explained that this machine is, in fact, a dish washer. Thank God that I didn't have time enough to experiment this machine. If not I would have 'washed' my clothes in the dish washer and your imagination is as good as mine in how the situation would have been.
There is one more place where a first time US traveler (especially an Indian coming from village / town) learns more. It is in wash room (oh we call it a bathroom). You can't find any outlet on the floor. You don't see buckets / mugs etc. The bathroom is as dry as hall, except the tub where we need to have our bath. We need to pull curtains of the tub, so that water will not spill out of it. You could see driers, exhaust vents, paper rolls, etc. You shouldn’t wash clothes in bathroom. You need to wash them in a washing machine. You need to bath nude and wash all your inners along with the clothes, while you go to laundry. No hanging of inners / towels / clothes any where in the apartment. Get every thing washed; dried and pressed (we say ironed).
So where do we learn more? :-) I hope you got the answer…
Saturday, April 07, 2007
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