As you get into American life, you'll experience numerous cultural behaviors and expressions, some of which may be misunderstood. And at times you will also be misunderstood. Remember, cultural expressions are the leaves of our culture tree, like leaves on a tree cultural behaviors visibly identify the culture. DAVID BROOKS in his book, The social animals says, when you explore a new landscape or visit a new country, your intention is open to everything. Like a baby's one thing catches your eye, then another. When you're out there on the scene, you're plunged into particulars 1000 sensations wash over you.

The mind wants to make instant judgments about all the sensory data Tails it receives. file new data away with some theory. People hate uncertainty and rush to judgment. But the wise wonder relies on patience. It's hard not to make interpretations when we go to a new culture, because our natural tendency is to interpret what is happening. When we interpret without fully understanding, we often misinterpret which leads to frustration, and at times conflict.

It's important that we learn to withhold judgment that we are patient, that we begin to just describe the situation and wait to observe several similar situations to increase our understanding. Well, we first arrived in India in 2001. We didn't have a car will use the law of taxis and autos to get around at the entrance of our colony. There was One particular Odwalla who would always get a big smile on his face when he saw us coming, we'd begin to interpret the smile and make a negative evaluation. He knows where he, he knows what I'm crazy. And he's got to charge us a lot more than assessment true, perhaps, but in retrospect, I don't think it was.

It's important not to jump to conclusions and make judgments that aren't true. There are numerous cultural expressions that can be misunderstood in everyday life. Words can be misunderstood. In the US we say he's as wise as an owl. In North India, will ooh Hey, meaning he's a full it's an owl has two directly different meanings. In the US when two men hold hands as they walk down the street.

They are most likely partners in the Two men who are friends may hold hands. Body language is different. In the US, we shake our heads from left to right. And we say no. And up and down. We express Yes, Indians can wobble their hand in such a way that Americans aren't sure what it means.

Or we may assume that it means no, when actually, you may be agreeing. A friend in New York, Steve had been working for about a year with several Indian co workers. And I was telling him some of the things about India and told him about the shake of the head. And then it can mean I agree with you, I hear you. He replied. Oh, is that what that means?

My coworkers do that all the time. And I always thought that they were disagreeing with me. I was about to confront them about being so disagreeable greetings can vary a lot. India you sometimes greet with a non mistake. In Japan, people bow. Some people greet with a hug or a kiss on the cheek.

A male Indian student from a small town was greeted by one of his female classmates with a hug. How do you think he felt? It's not right or wrong. It's different. We use our furniture differently. In the US we most often sit on chairs or sofas, in living rooms or family rooms when we have friends over.

In India, it's normal to sit on the bed and socialize. Indians use the bedroom for more socializing. Americans use bedrooms, mostly for sleeping and private space. Of course, that's different if you're in a college dorm. We use space differently. In the US clean people keep the bathroom clean, and especially dry.

In India clean people wash with water after use The bathroom, so the floor is often wet. Americans like to have personal space around us. For us, there's about four inches around my body, which is invisible, an invisible wall that you shouldn't enter. Indians are more used to less personal space. I notice in Delhi when I stand in line at McDonald's, if it's crowded, the person behind me may only give me about an inch, or may actually touch me at some point. No one in the US stands that close, unless it's a romantic relationship.

Speaking of which, Americans frequently touch their significant other Indians tend to keep romantic touch private. You may be surprised to see all the kinds of hugging or affection in public. Of course, then there's food and it's how when the way It's eaten has lots of meaning. How would you eat the food on the screen? This is Chinese food eaten with a chopstick. How about this food?

You have a burger. You eat it with your hand, corner of the cob with your hand, and then the salads would be eaten with a fork. Indians often use spoons when Americans would eat forks. How about this picture? I know your reaction. I see that many times in my training.

Culture does impact us at an emotional level. In the US, it's fine to eat corn on the cob with our hands. But eating rice with a hand is rude. In India, many people eat rice with their hands, which is viewed as cleaner than the utensil Which was in someone else's mouth previously. But Americans don't think that way. before ordering pizza and American family asked their Indian friend if he eats meat.

He said yes, we're mightily Brahman, and we do eat meat. So they ordered pepperoni pizza. Now usually pepperoni pizza is what kind of meat? It's pork. It's pig. After taking that first bite, he realized it was pig meat.

He was so disgusted by the thought of pigs that he almost threw up. Why? There is an emotional aspect to culture. And don't underestimate the power of emotion. Many Americans don't have a concept of what being vegetarian is. being vegetarian is growing in popularity in the US, but still others haven't heard about it.

We have many different words for meats that can be confusing for an Indian. Ham is from the pig. As as pork and pepper only hamburger is from the cow as a steak and roast beef. a hotdog is not from a doc. We don't eat. A hot dog or Frankfurter can be beef, chicken or pork.

There are many kinds of lunch meats from Turkey, chicken, pig or beef. Very few people are restaurants cook these days with animal fats. Most are vegetarian oils. If you're vegetarian, you have to find ways to communicate what you eat, and what you don't eat. And to understand what's actually being offered to you. Independent Americans will bring their own lunch and when it's time to eat, they'll open their lunch and eat it in front of others without really thinking about sharing their food.

Indians don't usually eat in front of others unless they share it with them. Americans might assume that you just aren't eating or you're on a diet. Clothes styles are closely tied to culture. Understand that it is normal for a woman to wear shorts or short skirts and to wear sleeveless or spaghetti tops in the summer. Woman have a lot of freedom in choosing what to wear. Men in the US are expected to show respect to all woman.

A woman in shorts or a spaghetti top is no less respectable than a woman in jeans and a blouse. For Indian men going to the US treat all women you meet with respect. And for Indian woman. Remember that the clothes the American woman wear are within cultural norms, in the view of most Americans and women is not less moral because she's showing more skin. Our fashions have developed over the years to accept the show. have skin.

There's a continuum on the scale here of modesty in clothing styles, you'll find some American women who dress more modestly in the American freedom of expression. This kind of range is quite normal. Smells speak louder than many other symbols. What smells Do you think of when you think of home? For me, it would be my mother's chicken pie. For you, it may be some bar.

We're familiar with certain nails and a smell which is attractive in one culture may be overwhelming in a different culture, or whether sensitive topic is body odor. There again are cultural differences. A friend who spent some time in Japan felt that the Japanese breath was very unpleasant, but it didn't seem to bother the Japanese. When in America, be sure to shower and wear deodorant or Every day, Americans are very sensitive to body odor. I recommend using an American deodorant that will that will be familiar to Americans. What does this sign mean to you?

It's placed at a bus stop. An international student who had just come to New York was going someplace by bus for the first time. When he got to the bus stop, he saw this sign. He looked around, didn't see any benches. He couldn't see any place to sit. So he couldn't understand why can I stand here.

Later he found out from a friend that the sign was for cars. The car is considered parked when it is stopped and the driver gets out. A car is standing when it pulls over, but the driver sits inside just waiting. So cars aren't allowed to stand in bus stops. The sign would be clear If it said, cars Can't wait here, there are some things that you shouldn't really be expected to know. How can you know unless you have some experience, it's good to develop friendships with people inside the culture that will be able to help you understand.

People from one culture may seem blind to some experiences that seem obvious to people from another culture. This is because we're focusing our attention on different things. And so there are also some things that are common in our own culture that we never pay attention to. But that will strike people from another culture as being strange or different. You will experience a variety of these things, you'll be looking at the same thing and seeing something very different. That's okay.

Finding the perspective of the American will help you to adjust as you move into the US