Going to the U.S.

In two weeks, I'm going back home to spend a month in Colorado with my family. For the benefit of any MFF folk travelling to my country, this summer, here's a (greatly-abridged) list of Quirky Things About the U.S., in no particular order. Perhaps it'll be of some use to you. Feel free to add your own tips, based on experience in the U.S.

1. Sales tax.
It's everywhere: cafes, restaurants, bookstores, and it's not included in the price on the menu/item. It varies from city to city (and even within cities) and from state to state. You can usually ask the waiter/cashier what the local sales tax is, if you want, before you pay; otherwise, you're in for a small surprise on your bill.

2. "Y'all."
The shortened form of "you all", this expression is used mainly in the South. It's not offensive. It's not always used in the plural, either.

3. Tipping.
If you're in a cafe or restaurant--and this excludes McDonald's and other fast-food places--the norm is to tip at least 10-15% for service, because service is not included in the bill. You can leave change on the table, as you're leaving. (Don't expect waiters/waitresses to tally your bill instantly at your table... My country is not that good at arithmetic.) If you want to pay, in any cafe/restaurant, just ask for the check.

4. For Americans, dinner is the main meal of the day.

5. The drinking age for any kind of alcohol is 21.

6. "Hey, how's it going?" is another way of saying, "How are you?", among people under 40.

7. If you're in the Northeast (Massachussetts, etc.), "wicked" means "good". "Wicked good" means "great".

8. A factoid from Lonely Planet: "In America, the rich are getting much, much richer. 20% of Americans earn 55% of the nation's annual income. The top 1% earns around 17% of all income and controls 35% of the nation's wealth."

9. Buying vegetables or fruit in a market? No need to tag it. And the store will bag your stuff for you. Don't try to bag your own, or the unionized bagger will yell at you. True story.

10. No one jokes about September 11th.

11. The 2000 Presidential election, in which George W. Bush came to power, was decided by the Supreme Court--not by the majority of Americans.

12. Tap water is usually fine to drink.

13. Currency notes are all the same color and size.

14. Check to make sure your ATM/bank card is set up to be used in the U.S. This is a better approach to cash than hauling around stacks of notes/bills.

15. Have fun, and if you come through Colorado, let me know. :-)