Making Small Talk Easy
Is there an easy formula you can apply to make small talk with US Americans easier? Yes!! Let’s Take a Look at A Small Talk Formula After you are asked a question, answer it like this: Yes or No One or two sentences to back up your answer A question to turn […]
Fill Out vs Fill Up
“Fill up the form.” The phrase “fill up” is used in Indian English to describe the process of completing a form or writing something. However, in comparing Indian English to American English, in the US, we ‘fill up’ our gas tank (not petrol), or ‘fill up our cup’. In the US, ‘fill up’ is typically […]
Will I Be Late or Early if I Don’t Spring Forward?
Recently, a good question was emailed to Authentic Journeys, “Will I early or late to work if I do not change springtime in my clock?” While the question’s wording should be changed to, “Will I be early or late to work if I do not move my clock forward for daylight savings time?”, I will […]
Put Our Heads Together – Idioms at Work
Let’s put our heads together to solve this problem! “Let’s put our heads together to think of some good ideas for our new project!” “Putting our heads together” means to “brainstorm” or think of new ideas or solutions with one or more people. Typically, when said in the office, it is a positive way to […]
Can Expats Drive in the US?
Because many Indian offshore team members know there are many rules to follow while driving in the US, and no one wants to get pulled over by the police for breaking the law, many ask , “What are the driving rules in the US? What do you suggest?” How do I get a driver […]
Shooting the Breeze – Small Talk Idioms
In an earlier post, I shared idioms about talking. One of the idioms was “shoot the breeze.” “Shooting the breeze” is an idiom that actually means making small talk. Listen to Andrea from Study with Andrea shares her tip on this idiom. Following the video, let’s look at two examples of using this idiom. […]
St. Patrick’s Day in the USA & Small Talk
Where I grew up, St. Patrick’s Day was a day that everyone had to wear green. Anyone could observe it. You did not have to be Irish to do so. In fact, I doubt there were any Irish people in the small town I lived in! This post will introduce you to St. Patrick’s Day […]
Friday the 13th – Are Americans Superstitious?
This is a question many Indians ask me in the US cross-cultural training programs – “Are Americans superstitious?” They are surprised when I say, yes some are! Americans have various superstitions. While not all Americans believe in all of the below superstitions, many Americans believe they are not superstitious. But, the below cultural approaches do […]
3 Ways Indians Can Fit into US Work Culture
There’s no doubt that working in the US as an expat can provide a fertile plain for professional growth. Pawan Kumar Sharma, an Indian from Mumbai who has been working in Omaha, Nebraska for almost a year shares some his impressions on the US work culture and American’s tendency to draw hard lines between professional and […]
Small Talk Idiom – “On the Rocks”
Understanding idioms used in business discussions is important. Possibly, more important is understanding idioms or phrases used in casual discussions in the break room, in transit, or during lunch. In this series, I’ll share some idiom tutorials by Andrea of Study with Andrea. Today’s idiom is “On The Rocks.” It has two meanings. Take a […]
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