so an american invites your to their home...what do you do next?!
this is where things get tricky. when to come? what to bring? what to wear?
so many questions follow...so let's take if from the top.
what time should i show up?
ok, so if you've experienced cultures different from your own, you realize that time is relative.
that means "come at 7pm" means a different in thing in america than it does in india or africa or germany.
americans are generally time conscious. so if you're invited over at 7pm, try to be on time, and don't be later than 7:15pm unless you have a good reason.
what to bring?
if you're invited for dinner or something, it's not expected that you bring anything, though it's always polite to ask if your host wants you to bring anything.
but of course, everyone love gifts! i love the eastern culture of never arriving empty handed, and so trust me, an american certainly won't be offended by your kind gesture.
what to wear?
americans culture is pretty casual compared to many cultures. unless it's specified, you can usually dress casual, though it's always good to ask your host, especially if it is for a party or something. but usually if they want you to dress more formally it will specify in the invitation.
and now what do i do?
so i can't get into full etiquette in this post, but there are a few good general things about americans to keep in mind.
first of all, though in many cultures it is only polite to refuse something when it is first offered to you...not to appear too greedy....but keep in mind that this courtesy sadly doesn't apply in the US.
if someone offers your something, that may be your last chance at it. so if you're thirtsy? don't suffer. take them up on that drink the first time. because they will take your answer seriously.
also, you're likely to hear a certain confusing little phrase...
"make yourself at home."
american hospitality is very casual. in the US, guests are loved and appreciated. but instead of treating guests like kings as in some cultures, here we treat guests more like family.
so to make yourself at home is to treat your friend's home as if it were your own.
this means, take as much food as you want, make yourself comfortable, get some dessert, put up your feet, etc...
as my grandma used to say 'if you can't make yourself at home, then you should go home!'
got to love the USA! :)
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
discover Dallas and Fort Worth: Which rail sites are worthwhile?
This site provides a little more info on the best DART stops and what you might expect if you venture to one of these locations.
Oh, and if you didn't know your SMU Transit pass is also good for the TRE. Catch the TRE to Fort Worth. There you'll be sure to see some home grown Cowboys!
Oh, and if you didn't know your SMU Transit pass is also good for the TRE. Catch the TRE to Fort Worth. There you'll be sure to see some home grown Cowboys!
Friday, August 20, 2010
discover dallas: DART to the Art
In follow up to our last post I wanted to provide a couple of free sight seeing options via the DART.
If you love Jazz or are simply willing to try a new cultural experience, every Thursday night the Dallas Museum of Art hosts a free Jazz Concert in their atrium. Visit the DMA website to find out a little bit more about the performers. The concerts begin at 6:00 and usually goes until 8:00. I've gone to several concerts there and they have always been fun. You can also purchase appetizers and they can be a little pricey, but purchases are not required.
While the Thursday Jazz nights are free at the DMA, I do not believe the admission to the museum itself is free. If you're wanting to go simply to see the exhibits I recommend checking out the DMA on the first Tuesday of the month as admission is FREE.
The Museum encourages visitors to use Dallas's DART rail system. Visitors can ride the DART train to the St. Paul Station and walk north to the Museum's Ross Avenue entrance. Click here to plan your visit to the Museum using DART.
Visit the DMA and then come back to this site and tell us what you thought!
If you love Jazz or are simply willing to try a new cultural experience, every Thursday night the Dallas Museum of Art hosts a free Jazz Concert in their atrium. Visit the DMA website to find out a little bit more about the performers. The concerts begin at 6:00 and usually goes until 8:00. I've gone to several concerts there and they have always been fun. You can also purchase appetizers and they can be a little pricey, but purchases are not required.
While the Thursday Jazz nights are free at the DMA, I do not believe the admission to the museum itself is free. If you're wanting to go simply to see the exhibits I recommend checking out the DMA on the first Tuesday of the month as admission is FREE.
The Museum encourages visitors to use Dallas's DART rail system. Visitors can ride the DART train to the St. Paul Station and walk north to the Museum's Ross Avenue entrance. Click here to plan your visit to the Museum using DART.
Visit the DMA and then come back to this site and tell us what you thought!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
discover dallas: how to have a life without having a car
yesterday we had a big welcome event for the new international students on our campus. we collected some comments and questions from them in the end, and i'm hoping to use this blog to address some of the things that they mentioned.
one question that stood out to me was 'how to you have a life here if you don't have a car?'
in texas...everyone has cars.
in fact, most people have huge gas guzzling trucks.
everything really is bigger in texas. we have a lot of land...so we spread out on it.
nothing is really close enough to walk to, and this time of year you can nearly have a heat stroke just trying to walk across campus!
so the first key to life without a car...
1. DART
that is, dallas area rapid transit. it's going to be your new best friend.
our public transportation system may be skimpy in comparison to the east coast, or european and asian countries...but for texas...it's pretty good!
and if you're a student at SMU it's extra convenient since you're located at the center of the rail system. they've recently been extending the railways across the metroplex, so there are a lot of new lines to take advantage of!
just go to www.dart.org and enter where you want to go, and it will tell you which train/bus you need to catch! also, the DART website usually lists popular entertainment attractions in the area and how to reach them, so you can even find out some fun local events on their site!
there will some more posts coming up soon as well that deal with specific dallas attractions, and reaching them by DART, so stay tuned!
2. make friends who have cars
a key to having a life in the US, is being involved in some kind of community where you can make friends. even if you have a car, if you don't have people to share your time with then you will still end up lonely.
so take advantage of all the opportunities you have to meet new people from new places!
and if you get to know a lot of people, then chances are that some of them will have cars to help give you a ride when you need it. ;)
as a part of chi alpha, we're always looking for chances to hang out with new friends from around the world and to help you find your home away from home here.
our local SMU website for chi alpha internationals is www.smuchialpha.com/internationals. we also are on facebook, so look us up.
if you're not in dallas, but you're looking for a group like this to connect to, chi alpha is a nationwide organization across hundreds of campuses, so see if there's one near you at www.chialpha.com.
3. know what's happening on campus
universities are usually the epicenter of a city. events, excitement, change, and culture pour out from the university campuses. this means that there is rarely a dull moment.
in fact, there are so many events happening from the arts, to conferences, organizations and clubs, free movie screenings, etc.. that you can find a ton of entertainment without even setting foot off campus. so be sure not to overlook what is right in front of you...because these events are also great places to make those new friends!
so get out there, make some friends, and enjoy having a life! :)
one question that stood out to me was 'how to you have a life here if you don't have a car?'
in texas...everyone has cars.
in fact, most people have huge gas guzzling trucks.
everything really is bigger in texas. we have a lot of land...so we spread out on it.
nothing is really close enough to walk to, and this time of year you can nearly have a heat stroke just trying to walk across campus!
so the first key to life without a car...
1. DART
that is, dallas area rapid transit. it's going to be your new best friend.
our public transportation system may be skimpy in comparison to the east coast, or european and asian countries...but for texas...it's pretty good!
and if you're a student at SMU it's extra convenient since you're located at the center of the rail system. they've recently been extending the railways across the metroplex, so there are a lot of new lines to take advantage of!
just go to www.dart.org and enter where you want to go, and it will tell you which train/bus you need to catch! also, the DART website usually lists popular entertainment attractions in the area and how to reach them, so you can even find out some fun local events on their site!
there will some more posts coming up soon as well that deal with specific dallas attractions, and reaching them by DART, so stay tuned!
2. make friends who have cars
a key to having a life in the US, is being involved in some kind of community where you can make friends. even if you have a car, if you don't have people to share your time with then you will still end up lonely.
so take advantage of all the opportunities you have to meet new people from new places!
and if you get to know a lot of people, then chances are that some of them will have cars to help give you a ride when you need it. ;)
as a part of chi alpha, we're always looking for chances to hang out with new friends from around the world and to help you find your home away from home here.
our local SMU website for chi alpha internationals is www.smuchialpha.com/internationals. we also are on facebook, so look us up.
if you're not in dallas, but you're looking for a group like this to connect to, chi alpha is a nationwide organization across hundreds of campuses, so see if there's one near you at www.chialpha.com.
3. know what's happening on campus
universities are usually the epicenter of a city. events, excitement, change, and culture pour out from the university campuses. this means that there is rarely a dull moment.
in fact, there are so many events happening from the arts, to conferences, organizations and clubs, free movie screenings, etc.. that you can find a ton of entertainment without even setting foot off campus. so be sure not to overlook what is right in front of you...because these events are also great places to make those new friends!
so get out there, make some friends, and enjoy having a life! :)
Monday, August 16, 2010
how to survive in the US
one of my friends put together a really amazing pamphlet about adjusting to life in the US as an international student...and it also happens to be available online!
check it out!
How to Survive in the US
check it out!
How to Survive in the US
Friday, August 13, 2010
how to find cheap furniture
do you finally have your first apartment in the US, and are looking for a way to furnish it on the cheap?
a few years ago, second hand would have been the way to go. however, due to recent bedbug epidemics in the US, buying new is now a much safer option. however, new doesn't have to mean super expensive.
mattresses are a big priority. if you get the traditional american style inner spring mattress, they can get a little pricey. in addition, the inner spring style mattresses are sometimes uncomfortable to people coming especially from the east, where harder beds are the preference.
in this situation, the best solution is a futon. futon mattresses are the closest thing you can find here to a more eastern type of bed. and the great thing about a futon, is that they can be converted into a sofa as well. so double duty. they are also usually fairly cheap even brand new.
a good student always needs a place to study as well.
even brand new, it's pretty easy to come by something that will work as a desk for cheap.
and if you order something online, you get the benefit of having it delivered to your door rather than have to find a way to pick it up.
it's a little safer to buy desks and tables second hand as well.
a great resource for buying items second hand...or even finding them for free...is craigslist.
you can really find anything on craigslist. but whenever you're going to buy something, be sure and take friends with you. you don't always know if you can trust people from the internet.
another great resource to find free stuff is freecycle.
to see what is available from this site, you actually have to join a local freecycle mailing list, though it can be worth it. when items are offered for free though, you will have to find a way to pick them up yourself, so be prepared to rent a truck, or find a friend with one.
i hope these tips will help someone.
if you've found a great resource for furniture, then please share it here!
a few years ago, second hand would have been the way to go. however, due to recent bedbug epidemics in the US, buying new is now a much safer option. however, new doesn't have to mean super expensive.
mattresses are a big priority. if you get the traditional american style inner spring mattress, they can get a little pricey. in addition, the inner spring style mattresses are sometimes uncomfortable to people coming especially from the east, where harder beds are the preference.
in this situation, the best solution is a futon. futon mattresses are the closest thing you can find here to a more eastern type of bed. and the great thing about a futon, is that they can be converted into a sofa as well. so double duty. they are also usually fairly cheap even brand new.
a good student always needs a place to study as well.
even brand new, it's pretty easy to come by something that will work as a desk for cheap.
and if you order something online, you get the benefit of having it delivered to your door rather than have to find a way to pick it up.
it's a little safer to buy desks and tables second hand as well.
a great resource for buying items second hand...or even finding them for free...is craigslist.
you can really find anything on craigslist. but whenever you're going to buy something, be sure and take friends with you. you don't always know if you can trust people from the internet.
another great resource to find free stuff is freecycle.
to see what is available from this site, you actually have to join a local freecycle mailing list, though it can be worth it. when items are offered for free though, you will have to find a way to pick them up yourself, so be prepared to rent a truck, or find a friend with one.
i hope these tips will help someone.
if you've found a great resource for furniture, then please share it here!
welcome
so you made it. all the month of visa prep and interviews and exams have paid off, and now you're studying in the USA.
but now what?
it can be a wild ride in a new culture, and we're here to help you navigate through it!
so stay tuned for some upcoming survival tips, stories, recipes and more!
but now what?
it can be a wild ride in a new culture, and we're here to help you navigate through it!
so stay tuned for some upcoming survival tips, stories, recipes and more!
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