18. Shopping


The American system of sizes and measurement is different from that in India. Most of the shops in the U.S. are the equivalents of super markets in India. You can go around the shop, buy what you want and pay at the counter. The important difference you will notice is, the shops are driven by customer service. So if you don't like anything that you bought or it doesn't fit you properly you may return it within a certain period allowed. You should inquire about the return policy when you buy returnable goods. Of course you need to preserve the receipt of the purchase. Most of the time they won't even ask you why you want to return the goods.
When you buy shoes, the size should be 1/2 more than your size in India. For example, if you buy size 9 in India, you should buy size 9 1/2 in the US.(Or approximate it to the nearest round figure).
Following measurement chart will help you in converting between American system and metric system.

Metric Conversion Chart

1 millimeter

=

0.04 inches

1 centimeter

=

0.4 inch

1 meter

=

3.3 feet

1 kilometer

=

1.1 yards


1 inch

=

2.5 centimeters

1 foot

=

30 centimeters

1 yard

=

0.9 meter

1 mile

=

1.6 kilometers


1 gram

=

0.035 ounce

1 kilogram

=

2.2 pounds


1 ounce

=

28 grams

1 pound

=

0.45 kilograms


1 milliliter

=

0.3 fluid ounce

1 liter

=

1.06 quarts

1 liter

=

0.26 gallons


1 fluid ounce

=

30 milliliters

1 quart

=

0.95 liters

1 gallon

=

3.8 liters



1 Introduction 2 Carry Luggage 3 The Arrival 4 Using Telephones 5 Time Zones 6 Currency 7 Public Transport 8 Mind Your Language 9 The Anti-Universe Phenomenon 11 Office And Work Environment 12 Americans And Their Behavior 13 Registering Yourself 14 Social Security 15 Driver's License 16 Bank Accounts 17 Cards 19 Renting/Buying An Apartment

20 Buying A Car 21 Renting A Car 22 Doctors Appointments 23 Tax on H-1 / W2 Form / State, Federal 24 AAA Membership Value 25 Last Word


Contents

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