Life in the United States

I was just thinking to myself, how much our lives change after we come here. I do not mean monetarily, but our outlook towards life.
While I was in India, it never occurred to me that I should call my relatives or friends before I walk in to their houses and invite myself to their family lunch or dinner. No such thing as potluck existed. When invited, I remember my mom buying a couple of packets of bourbon biscuits if there were kids in the house , if newly weds a strand of Jasmine and definitely sweets, a dozen fruits if they were older people. And when you enter their home you are there for the day, having lunch and then tea and maybe even dinner.

Here, though we have family living closeby, we have never visited before calling to see if they are available. So when I went back to India on vacation, my dad expected to take us to all his friends and our relatives houses, and yes, unannounced. Though I have done that 28 years of my life, when I went back, I refused to step out of the house unless he called them & asked if it was ok.
Funny , how 5 years of my life has changed a simple act of mine and the list goes on.............