The Important Trivia

by Monika Patel

Most of us in ISI experienced some form of culture shock when we came to the U.S. a week ago. For me, it was a series of little things I noticed about America that seemed different from home.

One of the first things I noticed was that the electric switches in apartments work the other way around from India. In India when they are pressed downwards it means that the current is flowing and when they are pressed upwards it means that they’re "off." Here, down is off and up is on. The traffic on the roads also goes the opposite way! I remember having to make a conscious effort to look in the correct direction when crossing roads.

Another thing is the excessive use of electricity. Back home if someone suggested rigging up the garage door to a cable, and then using electricity to raise and lower it instead of doing it manually, he would be laughed at! So many things seem to be automated over here, and it's fascinating to see and experience them.

American food has also been an interesting experience. Most of the fast food seems to have cheese in it. The portions are also very big. On the first day in Chicago, I ordered a coffee with ice cream, and it came in a glass twice the size of one that would have been used to serve a similar drink in India. Almost everything seems to be served in bigger quantities than back home. Even the pizza slices in Bombay are smaller! I find this to be a very curious thing, and wonder why it is so.

Americans come across as very extroverted and friendly. On the whole, I think that American culture is easier to get used to than many other cultures, since it, in itself, has been influenced by so many different cultures. For the most part, the "culture shock" has been a pleasant one.