So far, we talked about my experiences in the USA. Now lets talks about what I already knew and what was new to me about USA.

There are many things that we know about a country through reading, friends, or other sources. But there are a few things that we experience after we start living in that country. I also knew a few basic, everyday things about the USA which many of you must be knowing. But many I came to know after coming here. Let me share those with you.

 

 

• Driving:

What I already knew: Right hand driving and driving in lanes. Petrol pumps are called Gas Gas stations and we have to fill the Gas on our own.

What I came to know:

-Left most lane(s) is the fastest lane. I used to think that people decide their lane depending upon the traffic.

-People will honk when you have done something wrong, like changing lanes without giving indicator or taking a turn without giving the yield.

-For driving license, parallel parking is a must. You will get the driving license only after you do perfect parallel parking.

-You are allowed to turn right on a red traffic light unless there is a sign specifically telling you not to.This rule does not apply in New York City. Turning on a red light in New York is only allowed if specifically indicated otherwise; it’s illegal.

-STOP sign: If two road intersects, there are four “entrances” and four “exits” to the intersection. In the US, the way it works is that if multiple vehicles arrive at the STOP intersection, priority is given to the first vehicle that arrives.

-This is only the case if it’s an “all-way” STOP, i.e., all the entrances to the intersection have a STOP sign. Sometimes, this is not the case, meaning you have to give way to all through traffic. Sometimes, this can be tricky to tell, and you have to look carefully to see what kind of STOP intersection.If it is a busy four (or even five!) way STOP, it can initially be a little tricky to keep track of who arrived when, but with a bit of practice, you get the hang of it.

-The rules around school buses are remarkably strict. You must stop for stopped school buses with flashing lights and a stop sign. When the bus is stopped, big “STOP” signs will pop out of it (on most buses), and it will flash red lights. At this point, all traffic, including oncoming traffic (unless there is a a separated roadway), must stop and wait for the bus to complete its operation and move on.

• Fruits & Vegetables:

What I knew: The size of the fruits and vegetables is big or even huge.

What I came to know: Not just the size but the variety is also huge.

-Apples –Gala, Red, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Fuji, McIntosh

-We get four kinds of onions -Red, White, Yellow, and Sweet.

-Potato – Russet, Yellow, White, Purple, Fingerlings, and Petites.

 

-Muli (In India) – Here, they call it Diakon. There is one other form of muli which is small (looks like a mini version of beetroot what they call raddish)

-Lauki is called Opo Squash

-Green Chili – Anaheim pepper, Hatch (much hotter than Anaheim), Poblano (dark green color hotter than anaheim), Jalapenos (the most famous for appetizers), Serrano (hot. used for salsa and as flavoring), Red Cayenne Pepper, Habanero (hottest pepper. Orange, red, purple, or brownish), Chilica pepper (similar to pabalano). Guajillo chili (Ghost Pepper,. Lighter the color, hot is it.

-Bhindi is called Okra.

• Variety of Cheese:

What I knew: I knew about only two cheese – Parmesan and Mozarella

What I came to know: Soft, Processes, Blue, Hard, Cream cheese.

-Pepper Jack

-Colby Jack

-Mexican Blend

-Blue Cheese

-String cheese

-Mozzarella

-Parmesan

-Monterey Jack

-Cheddar

-Swiss

-Velveeta

• Accommodation:

What I knew: Flats are called apartments

What I came to know: Loft, studio apartment, garden apartments, convertible, micro, walk-in, comes under the apartment category.

-The Condominium is another accommodation are individually owned. The owner of said condominium (or condo) rents out his or her unit to others. Condos have similar features and amenities as apartments

-A townhome (also referred to as a townhouse or row house) is a hybrid between a house and condominium. Townhomes typically have multiple floors and share a common wall or two with the neighbors. Some townhomes may have a front yard or backyard, or a rooftop deck.

-A house is a freestanding dwelling residing on its own private land or lot, designed to be occupied by one family. Also referred to as a single-family home, characteristics of a house may include front and back lawns, and attached or detached garages or carports.

-Dining rooms don’t have ceiling fans. This I am saying from whatever I have seen so far.

Pronunciation:

-The Tortilla is pronounced as Tortiya. In Spanish, “ll” is pronounced as ‘y.’

-The same goes for Fajitas (Mexican dish). In Spanish, “j” is pronounced as “h.” So Fajitas are pronounced as Fahitas.

 

So, how did it go? Was this information new to you? Or you knew about it? I am sure there is a lot more that I still have to discover. All this above information is from my experience so far. I haven’t copied it from any site. I have shared whatever I have observed here so far.

Previous post: http://mothersgurukul.com/j-journey-far-story-journey-began-new-years-eve/

This post is part of #BlogchatterA2Z. My theme is “Dollar Nation- Are you ready to experience the west through my eyes?”