What no one told me..

This is my first trip abroad.. and that happens to be USA.
From the time it became know that I was going, several pieces of advices started coming in. Some solicited and others not.. I was trying to keep each one of them in mind while preparing to come here. There was even a formal session that my company made me go through.. But there is no way you can know some things or be prepared for them, unless you go through.

I am trying to pen down some of the firsts for me on this trip...
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1. No one adviced how to be prepared for jet lag. Certainly something that would
have helped me, considering the fact that I was travelling across several time
zones. I have already posted something on this. Here is the link..

Some
things I did without really knowing and I guess it helped.
A) Adjusted my
watch to the destination time. On the first leg of the flight from Mumbai to
London, to London time.. and then again to San Francisco time once I took off
from London. Just why did I do it... so that I do not miss my connecting flight
in London. N then I saw it helped.. How did i do it.. There was a flight info in
the entertainment module in BA flight. Shows the departure location time as well
as the destination location time..
B) No liquor: They say it helps. I guess
it did. But let me tell 9/10 hrs in a cramped up seat..a little wine would not
have been so bad i guess
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Edit1:
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2. here is a small thing i should have been very sure before i came here.
Here money comes in
$100, $50, $20, $10, $5, $1 - all notes...oops .. bills
- All of the same shape and size!!!
And here come the coins
0.25 -called
a quarter
0.10 - called a dime
0.05 - called a nickel
0.01 - called a penny
May be a look here would have helped http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coins_of_the_United_States_dollar

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Edit2:
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3. I brought along my cell phone. Though i did not intend to use it here, I needed it because it had all my contact numbers. I also brought the charger along. But it never occured to me, that it wont work with 11oV. Guess my Electrical Engg. degree needs a shake up..

Same problem with the battery charger for my Digicam.
Not that it is a big problem but it is going to take some time to figure out a place where you can get an adaptor/convertor to get these working. N beleive me, those look costly out here. I would have preferred a trip to SP Road in Banglore before i left..

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