Though I have been in the US only for about a month, there are a few things that I observed that I find profoundly fascinating.

One of the most conspicuous practices in the United States is regarding following traffic rules. Almost every family here owns a car. The town where I live being a college town, we have a good bus transportation system as well. And everyone follows traffic rules to the letter. Where they need to stop, they stop and where they need to slow down, they slow down. It's the pedestrians who get the first preference. When a driver sees a pedestrian waiting to cross the road, he or she halts the vehicle and allows the pedestrian to cross. This occurs invariably. Similarly in the bus, people board the bus through one door and get down through the other. They wait in the line for their turn. The buses are mostly dot on time and usually the driver greets everyone.

Punctuality in America is something that deserves a special mention. Here every event starts and ends (except on rare occasions) as per schedule. If one goes to an event 5 minutes before scheduled start time, then the person would be considered to be on time for the event. If one is exactly on time for the event, then he or she is generally considered to have come late!

Another distinct feature that Indians residing in the US, specifically students encounter is the warmth and hospitality of Indian community. This kind of warmth between people from different Indian states and cultures can't be found even in India. If you face any difficulty, there is always someone to help. Very major university has an Indian Student Association which guides and mentors Indian students. 

To be continued...

Ramprasath Babu | Management Information Systems