Cooking tips

Onion keeper- to save unused half

Save your tears when cutting onions: Storing onions in the fridge will help you avoid crying while cutting onions and also keeps them fresh for long.
Half onion: Place the half onion in an air tight box  and save in fridge for later use. 

Cilantro\coriander, curry leaves, and parsley: Cut the stem bases, wrap lower end in a paper towel, place in a ziploc bag  and save in fridge for keeping it fresh for many days.

Preventing pantry pests: Drop bay leaves, cloves or dry red chillies in grocery storage containers in your pantry. This prevents many types of bugs and pests.

Green bags keep vegetables fresh

Fast and easy to extract tamarind pulp; Microwave makes cooking easy. In order to extract good amount of tamarind pulp easily, without microwaving, we have to soak the fruit for 1-2 hours. Where as if we microwave then the waiting time shrinks to few minutes.

Tamarind pulp tastes sour and I use it in place of lemon juice. It makes the food taste delicious by adding a special flavor.

Tamarind fruit will be available in oriental and Indian grocery stores. Ready made tamarind paste is loaded with preservatives and doesn't taste as good as freshly made one.

Tamarind pulp from fruit

1. Microwave tamarind and water for 3 mnts

2. Strain tamarind water or pulp

Simple steps to extract fresh tamarind pulp:

1. Take  golf ball size of tamarind fruit in a cereal bowl and add 1 cup of water.
2. Microwave on high power for 2-3 minutes
3. Let it cool for few minutes and then extract pulp

• For thick pulp extract by squeezing with your fingers and strain using a colander. 
• If you want tamarind water then you could add 1 more cup of water to make it cold faster,  squeeze 5-10 times and strain into a separate bowl.

Save the unused tamarind pulp or water in freezer for later use.

Save onions in fridge: Saving onions in the fridge will help you avoid crying while cutting onions. 

Homemade Herbal Facial

When people migrate to a different country, usually skin type changes. My skin changed from oily to dry when I came to US from India. This is very common because of change in weather and climate. Here is one of the savior that helped me adapt- a homemade facial that my mom taught me. I have been using this homemade facial since childhood. I use this as a body wash and facial scrub.

Ingredients: Turmeric, Gram Flour, Olive oil

Ingredients: Available in Indian grocery stores

Turmeric powder -1 teaspoon

Gram Flour(Besan) - 4 teaspoons

Olive oil - 1 teaspoon

Homemade Natural Facial paste

Water - 6-8 ounces

Recipe:

Easy to prepare homemade natural facial for you:

1. Take a cereal bowl and mix turmeric in olive oil 
2. Add Gram Flour to it and add 6 ounces of water 
3. Stir for 3 minutes or till all the ingredients mix well
4. Apply it on face\ body.
5. Keep it for 1 minute and shower

Test it on your elbow before using it on face or body. Some people might be allergic to turmeric powder.

Clean and Green

Rain-washing mats and waste bins is a super green idea. Wondering what is a rain-wash? Just pour some baking soda or detergent on door mats, car mats, trash cans and leave them in the the rain. Free falling water cleans them for you.  Isn't this a cool idea. But make sure that it is not windy otherwise you will find all the cans flew away when you go to collect your stuff.

Clean n green to save earth

Wondering why green: When I came to US, I was overwhelmed by the amount of cleaning I had to do. So, first thing I did to help myself was to shop things that made cleaning easy. In the process, I stuffed my laundry room shelves with tons of cleaning products. In fact, it seemed common because every friend I visited had similar storage. On top of it, we used to discuss, who uses more powerful and faster cleaning product. As if we are racing to demolish the world ASAP, Jeez. After spending money for years on those environmentally nasty and expensive products, I found cheaper greener reagents which are equally good. They are salt, vinegar, lemon, baking soda, washing soda, turmeric, rubbing alcohol, detergent, non chlorine bleach, steam, etc.

 I am a biologist working  in laboratory for the last 10 years. In labs, it is mandatory to keep germ free environment by sterilizing and disinfecting. I am so glad to share my professional knowledge that I use in my daily life with added hype word "green". Actually, I am a nature lover. I rather call myself environment friendly. Green is cheaper so why not save some money and save earth too. 

Safety first: Use long cuffed gloves before coming in contact with any cleaning chemicals.                       

Veggie Wash: Vegetables and fruits are coated with food-grade wax and pesticides. Wax is applied on the produce to lock moist inside and look fresh. Veggie Wash is made from natural ingredients like fruit extracts and lemon juice. Rinse with Veggie Wash to remove all the dirt and wax, and to kill germs. 

Rinse meat with turmeric and salt

Turmeric: Turmeric powder is a herbal antispetic available in Indian grocery stores. Use turmeric to rinse meat, fish and prawns. Sprinkle turmeric and salt in a colander with meat and rinse 4-5 times. Simple, isn't it.

Lemon:
Rinse veggies and meat in lemon juice.
To get rid of the garlic or onion odor, you can simply rub 2 drops of lemon juice on your palms.
Squeezed lemon can be used to clean the garbage disposal.

Baking soda: It is a very good replacement for bleach and also removes all the bad odors. Soak greasy dishes in water and sprinkle baking soda. Leave for couple of hours and then rinse. It works like magic.

Inside fridge: Wet sponge or table cloth with diluted baking soda and wipe the surface.
Carpet cleaning: Spray talcum powder or baking soda half- hour before vacuuming.

Dirty kitchen cloth: Soak in baking soda and wash .

Mixture: Mix vinegar, baking soda and salt in a ziploc bag and tie it to shower head and leave it overnight. Helps to get rid of all the gunk and deposits. Watch this movie for clear instructions.

Non-Chlorine bleach

Detergent: It is needed to kill Salmonella on cutting board, sink and utensils that came in contact with  meat. Other green reagents do not kill Salmonella.

Non-chlorine bleach(NC): Green replacement for chlorine bleach (clorox). NC bleach is safer for the environment but not an effective disinfectant. Oxyclean, Clorox-2, Biokleen, etc., are the non-chlorine bleaches that contain Hydrogen Peroxide as an oxidizing agent. Though Hydrogen Peroxide sounds like a chemical it is quite harmful because it easily dissociates into oxygen and water. It can be used to remove  mold and mildew in shower.

Dilute Bleach: Bleach has chlorine which is not safe for enviroment. I found that bleach is the only quick solution for mold near the kitchen sink and shower. Chlorine is not only effective on bacteria but also on virus, fungi, mold, algae and calcium deposits. Hence, I use it sparingly and use diluted form as much as possible.

Shower: Every time after using shower, dry with squeegee, turn on light and fan\exhaust for 15 minutes. This inhibits the mold formation in wet areas.

Squeege

Hard to clean things: We get sick not because there was any nook and corner that we left for those germs to attack us but because people around us left them free. When we come in contact with those infectious areas, we get sick and in turn spread germs in our mattress, computer mouse, keyboard, cell phones, key chain etc. It is hard to disinfect these areas, here are some easy solutions for you.

Rubbing Alcohol\ Isopropyl Alcohol

Rubbing Alcohol: This is the best cleanser for all the electronic equipment because it disinfects and evaporates. Concentrated rubbing alcohol can be used to clean the cell phone, keyboard, mouse and outer surfaces of the monitor. Be careful though, because alcohol is highly inflammable. 

Alcohol perforates the bacterial membrane and denatures(lose structure) the proteins inside. Proteins required for the existence of bacteria no longer function causing them to die.

Diluted alcohol

70% diluted alcohol: It can be used to wipe the coffee table, glass parts of the furniture, painted metal furniture, toys, key chains, inside of car (wheel, dashboard, doors), pens, and pencils. Preparation: Mix one part water and two parts rubbing alcohol and save in a spray bottle. Diluted alcohol is better than concentrated alcohol because it can penetrate into bacteria better and hence more effective. Alcohol dehydrates the skin, so wear gloves before touching alcohol. Do you know that GermX has 60% ethanol which is nothing but Ethyl Alcohol.

Microfiber cloth

Microfiber cloth: Cleans without chemicals with dense loop-and-rib weave that grabs dirt and locks it deep inside. I use it for dusting laptop, keyboard, monitor, TV screen, music system, etc.,                                                                                                                                                      

UV sterilizer  $60.79

UV sterilizers: UV light kills germs by breaking the bonds in the DNA molecules. It is the most easy and quick way to sterilize the hard to clean things like beds, toys, pillows, etc. There is no liquid chemical involved or left over residue to worry about. Be aware that exposure to UV light causes cancer in human. Keep the UV light away from skin, pets and mainly save your eyes by wearing safety goggles.

Steam vacuuming: Temperature of steam is 100 degrees celcius which is capable of destroying the germs instantly. In laboratories the utensils and media (bacteria food) are sterilized using autoclaves that use steam under pressure for killing any form of life. Steam has the power to penetrate. So, very useful in cleaning bathroom tiles, grout, floors, windows, cracks, drapes, and walls.

Boiled water: All moms know quite well that milk bottles, nipples and feeding spoons should be sterilized at least once in a week in hot boiling water.

Rain wash trash cans & mats

Rain water: I bet rain-washing car is another good idea. You go green.                                            

Natural air fresheners:

Homemade: Vinegar, water, essential oil (Ex: Lavender oil).

1.Take a spray bottle and add vinegar to quarter of the bottle and fill the rest with water. Mix well and spray. Vinegar will not mask the odors but it will absorb and neutralize the bad odors.

2. In a spray bottle add 3 teaspoons of essential oil and fill rest with water. Oils do not dissolve in water so you have to make an extra effort to shake well before use.

Grow indoor plants: But they need regular maintenance to keep the bugs off.

Sandal wood: You can keep the sandal wood as is or buy some sculptures or decorations made of it to make room smell fresh.

Incense sticks: Buy the reliable ones as many of them are made of harmful chemicals.

Natural air: Open the windows and let fresh breeze replace the stale air. There are more pollutants inside the air tight houses than outside. Let the sunlight sterilize your house with natural UV light.

Do you know the name of this plant?

Sandal wood stick

Indoor plant: Mother of millions

White vinegar

Granular Drain Cleaner $23.18

Clogged drain: Use enzyme drain cleaner like Drain Eze which breaks down sludge and grease with the help of enzymes and harmless bacteria. It does not harm pipes or environment. Commercial drain cleaners contain acid or lye. 
If needed use plunger, snake or electric snake. 
To prevent clog use metal sieve (available in Lowe's or Home Depot).

Wood: For countertops, cabinet doors, and varnished furniture use few drops of lemon oil in a glass of water. Use microfiber dampened with solution to wipe first and then dry thoroughly.

Toothpaste: Brush silver and gold ornaments or decorations with toothpaste.
Wash cloth: Use wash cloth instead of paper towel or wipes. Reusing is the best way to go green.

Leather sofa\interior: Use linseed oil to clean. To shine leather, use organic wood polish or olive oil.

Steel Scrubber $1.50

Scrub made of Agave plant fiber

Scrubs: For those hard gunky kitchen utensils I use steel scrubber scrub or Scotch Brite scrubs.

 Green vs Harmful products: All those promising commercial cleaning products which promise to be fast and easy are enticing. But, they do not reveal how harmful they are to the environment. I fell for those commercials and ended up filling my stock room which I never used because I decided to go green. I wasted money but I am glad that I haven't poisoned the environment. The chemicals go down the drain and mix with organic compounds and release volatile organic compounds that are harmful to living beings. Many of them were identified to be cancer causing toxins. What goes around comes around. If we neglect today then tomorrow these nasty chemicals come after us.

I would like to dedicate this post to my friend Jyothsna and thank her for helping me in editing this post.

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References: 
Fruits and vegetables have been coated with food-grade vegetable, petroleum, beeswax, and/or lac-resin based wax or resin to maintain freshness… No fruits or vegetables have been coated with animal-based wax”. 
Lyme disease, Pubmed Health. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002296/

Pseudomembranous colitis, Pubmed Health. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001305/ 

Why wash vegetables and fruits. http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=322317
 UV sterilizer wand, http://www.gaiam.com/product/cleanwave+uv-c+sanitizing+wand.do

MRSA and CRKP - Superbugs. http://health.yahoo.net/experts/dayinhealth/antibiotic-superbugs-crkp-mrsa-risk

Madi, http://en.allexperts.com/q/Hindus-946/f/Hindu-Meal-2.htm

Miracle cloth, http://www.solutions.com/jump.jsp?itemID=1361&itemType=PRODUCT&path=1%2C2%2C4%2C110%2C111&iProductID=1361
 Clean car and interior,  http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1694800/green_ways_to_clean_your_car_inside.html?cat=27Drain cleaners, http://www.care2.com/greenliving/clearing-clogged-drains.html#, http://www.procheminc.com/product_details.asp?ID=99&cat=2

Best website for clean and green, http://eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm

What is Concentration?

Both Bill Gates and Mr.Goofy have same 24 hours per day. What Bill gets done in a minute is not  possible for an underachiever. It is all in the attitude. We recognize that concentration is the key to success.
Definition: Generally in a normal human brain average of 60,000  to 70,000 thoughts arise in a day. If all these random thoughts keep interfering then it causes lot of disturbance. So, actually concentration  means controlling one's brain to stop the unnecessary thoughts from letting you process the information that you would like to read, understand, analyze, comprehend, and remember. We need to train our brain to restrain us from goofing off. In short, "Controlling the unnecessary thoughts and processing only one thought is concentration".

This article is for everybody, mainly students, parents who always want their kids to succeed in life, for working men & women with everyday challenges which get even harder with inflation and competition.

Thoughts turn to actions

Parents always ask kids to concentrate, pay attention and focus. But, do you ever realize that we never explained what exactly does concentration mean and we never taught them how to do it. As a parent, I myself never knew how to explain it to my little daughter. In order to be able to explain it clearly to her, I searched on internet, read articles and watched lot of shows and found out many amazing things which I would like to share with you.

Quick tricks to help improve concentration:
    * SuperBrain Yoga:  Two-minute exercise to make you smarter. Watch this video on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSwhpF9iJSs
    * Draw: Stimulate both left and right brains by drawing a face using two hands at the same time (See the pictures below)
    * Play games: When  brain-tired activate your brain by playing chess or chinese checker or memory games on computer
    * Identify: Find out if your kid is a visual learner or audio learner (explained below).

Goal Poster

    * Nutrition: Eat walnuts for brain health
    * Morning food: Low carbohydrate diet
    * Evening food: Carbohydrate rich diet
    * Direction of sleep: Sleep facing east so that morning sunrays wake you up. Keep head towards south to help those earth magentic waves energize and refresh.
    * Goal poster: Set a goal, write it big on a poster and paste it in front of the study desk
    * Time Management: Learn to value time. A minute that we wasted is not going to come back ever.One who values time will be valued by time.
    * Puzzzles: Activate left brain
    * Short Break: Take quick break of 2-5 minutes between homework but always return promptly. Long breaks will change the flow of learning
    * Accupressure: The accupressure points to activate the brains are in our thumbs. To stimulate - simply press on the inside of the thumb on either side in vertical direction for atleast 10 times morning and evening. Good hands-on remedy for headche.

Accupressure points on thumb

    * Good habit: After brushing teeth you could clean the upper palate with your thumb, moving it in lateral direction going from front to back. This boosts confidence. http://yogasimplified.com/yogasimplified/chapter2.htm

How to identify learning style: A quick activity to identify learning style. I learn't this when I was doing  my Graduate Teaching Assistant training. Tell the other person that you are going to give some directions and he\she has to follow you . Now stand in front of the person and spread out hands at the shoulder length and while saying touch your nose slowly move your hand  and touch nose with your right hand. Repeat the step but this time say touch your nose but touch your ear instead of nose. Observe, if the other person is following your 'actions' then he is a visual learner otherwise he is an audio learner. Some people are visual learners, they learn better with pictures, diagrams, schematics and flow charts. Read this article http://shrikant-mulik.blogspot.com/2010/02/using-mind-maps-made-easy.html .  For audio learners- try reading and repeating the new concepts.
There is a quick questionnaire available on this link  that you can fill out and it gives the result at he end.  http://www.ldpride.net/learning-style-test.html
My experience: As a parent it is our responsibility to mould a kids brain and motivate them to reach heights of success. My mother was my greatest guide and philosopher. She was always there to motivate me. Saying the same thing over and over, "study hard, get good grades, your future will be great".
 I tell my daughter that it is very natural for the brain to think about summer vacation when we are working on lattice multiplication. If you just remember to come back immediately and think again how to get the answer to the math question then we are successful in tuning our brain to concentrate. Well, it doesn't happen overnight, it definitely takes some

 

Slow and steady wins the race

practice.  Talk to your kids, millenium kids are smart, in fact super smart, they will understand if you explain it in a right way.

There are so many modern day examples how people struggle due to stress and lack of concentration, and give up to drugs. I read this article on yahoo on Feb21, 2011.
"Tyson Changed: The hands that once caused so much fear, that once scrambled the brains of highly trained men, which caused elite professionals to cower in fear, now gently, tenderly, caress a pigeon. Mike Tyson, former heavyweight champion of the world, the one-time baddest man on the planet, is now just a working stiff who hustles odd jobs to make a living."

Human brain: There are two lobes- left and right with different controls. Left brain is for logical and analytical thinking and right brain is for creative and emotional thinking. Left side of the brain controls the right side of the body and vice versa. The acupressure points for left brain is in right thumb and right ear lobe. Similarly for right brain the pressure points are in left thumb(accupressure point) and left ear lobe(super brain yoga). Brain is something that will never get full, the more you acquire knowledge the more sharper it becomes. Helpful link: http://www.tastyhuman.com/30-interesting-facts-about-human-brain/

Brainy Food : Have you heard of the expression "use your noodles". It means use your brain but it has nothing to do with instant noodles. Etiology of the word shows that it is a combination of two words- noddle and fool. The type of food we eat  has a major role to play, some foods keep us active and some make us feel lazy.
 "Diet: Protein included or carb free diet before going to school or test. Give carbohydrate rich diet in the night".
Morning- Carbohydrate free diet (Walnuts, almonds, fruits, sprouts, tortillos, no rice, steamed fish, Vegetable soup or chicken soup, boiled egg)
Evening-   Carbohydrate rich diet (Rice, bread, sweets, banana, mango, milk)

Ginko biloba is used as a memory enhancer and for boosting concentration but there are many contradictory opinions about it so I refrain from going for those easy ways and tried the other routes.
Scientific explanation: Before going to school or test, feed carbohydrate free diet to  your kids because protein diet will keep their brain active. At nights give food that has carbs in them because it helps them to fall asleep faster and wake up fresh. High level of glucose stimulates pancreas to secrete insulin that helps in absorption of glucose. Starchy food has high glucose content which demands the body to produce insulin which cause the blood to circulate more in the abdomen area than towards brain. This supply and demand for blood circulation is one reason that is making us feel tired after heavy lunch. It is also proven that rise in insulin level is associated with rise in Serotonin hormone level which is associated with sleepy feeling.

 Draw a face by both hands to stimulate right and left brains 

Useful links:
http://teacher.scholastic.com/clifford1/flash/concentration/index.htm
http://www.aplusmath.com/games/Concentration/Addition_Concentration.html

Part I :How to Find Resume Gap Filler Opportunities

In one of my previous posts I shared some of the sources that you could use to utilize the time at home especially when you do not have any transportation facility. But if you have  transportation, willing to work, have a work permit, and looking for ideas to fill gaps in your resume then some of these ideas are for you:

• Volunteer: :Search for volunteering opportunities within few miles radius like Redcross, church, temple, your kids school, old age homes,  and university. This may not look great on the resume but something that you can show with a proof. I personally think there is a lot that we get to learn from these volunteering opportunities. To volunteer at your daughter or son's school - you have to ask his\her teacher, usually there is an application that needed to be filled out with details. Once you submit that, they have it on their record and when they need help they will inform you based on your availability. Click here to find out Redcross volunteer opportunities

• Internship: Universities and local companies have internship opportunities. Mostly they are not advertised because they give preference to enrolled graduate or undergraduate students. If you have network then it is easy to find these kind of unlisted opportunities. You may not get paid but you can definitely learn skills that will look attractive on resume. It  is mutually advantageous because  companies or universities get the service from you and you get to learn the skills and gain experience.

http://www.coop.ucf.edu/

http://www.career.usf.edu/students/internships.htm

• Part time job: This is same like internship but you will get little more money than interns.
 Search in nearby related companies for the available opportunities. Best way is o personally visit the HR department and inquire about part-time or on-call positions.

• Substitute teacher: If not interested in working 8 days a week but like to be amongst kids with little earning then look into this.  How to become a substitute teacher

• Baby Sitting: If interested in babysitting then you could post  a flyer (pamphlet) with your advertisement and contact information on the leasing office message board. Ask your apartment leasing office people for the procedure to put up the flyer. If  living in a community, you could approach Home Owner's Association for advertising and also to find out the regulations specific to the community.

Flyer can be designed using Microsoft Powerpoint very easily.  Use your creativity to make it attractive and don't forget to put easy to strip 'contact tabs' at the bottom.

Flyer Template

There is so much I can add about this topic, I don't think one post would be enough. If any reader has any specific question please post with your comments or email me at IAmNew2America@gmail.com. Part II of this post is coming soon.

Updated: How do you say this in America?

English is an international language but there are some words that have a different meaning in America. For example, if you go to a restaurant in India then you ask for a bill at the end but here in US use the word check.

Unity in Diversity

I collected a list of terms that are used differently . Are there any words that you found different, please add to the list..
LIST IS UPDATED FROM READERS COMMENTS:

• INDIA                        |    *USA                                   |
•  Advertisement          Commercial
• Space                         Room
• Maroon                       Burgundy
• Flat                             Apartment
• Apartments              Complex 
• Bill    (In restaurant)         Check 
• Headbath                  Hair wash
• Coke \pepsi             Soda
• Football                    Soccer
• Holiday                    Vacation\ day off
• Festival                    Holiday
• Mela                         Festival
• Colour                      Color
• Current                    Power
• Oh common            Shut up (is offensive in India)
• Cockroaches          Roaches
• Mosquito                 Moskeeto (pronunciation only)
• Curd                        Yogurt
• Sweet                      Dessert

List  Continued......................

Indian sweet: Son Papdi

• INDIA           |            USA                   |
•  Dosa                       Pan cakes
• Roti\Chapathi          Tortillo
• Fair complexion      Light skin color
• Capsicum                Green Pepper
• Compulsory             Mandatory 
• Beetroot                   Beets
• Photo                        Picture
• Bathroom                 Restroom
• Class   (School)           Grade
• Shop                        Store
• Blanket                    Comforter
• Fullstop  (Punctuation)  Period
• Maths                       Math
• English (Subject in School)Reading
• Confirm   (mostly used)   Make Sure
• Letter  (Common)           Mail
• Surname                   Last name
• Given name              First name
• Curtains                    Drapes
• Hall                            Living Room
• Bath                          Shower 
• Grinder    (Common)     Blender
• Gravy                        Sauce
• Underground           Basement (In buildings)
• Ground Floor           First Floor (In buildings)  
• First floor                 Second floor ((In buildings)
• Repair                      Fix
• Cesarian                 C-section
• Cycle                       Bike
• Petrol   (Fuel)         Gas
• Punished                Grounded
• Fine     (Cop gives)      Ticket
• Vomitings              Throwing up
• Strike                     Protest   
• Chain with Small Pendant    Necklace  
• Sweater (common)    Jacket, hoodie, sweatshirt, sweater
• Injection (immunization)  Shot
• Jump drive                Flash drive
• Kitchen store room: Pantry
• Tap                            Faucet
• Mineral Water          Bottle water
• Sofa                          Couch
• Forceps                   Tweezers
• Rubber                     Eraser
• Gum                         Glue
• Bubble gum             Gum or Chewing gum
• Pavement\Foot Path: Sidewalk
• Tiffin box                  Lunch box
• Teapoy                    Coffee table
• Comb (Commonly used) Hair brush
• Slippers                  Flipflops
• Torch light               Flash light
• Flame (on a Wood log)  Torch
• Verandah                Front Porch
• Scale                       Ruler
• Cream                     Moisturizer
• Vaseline                  Petroleum jelly
• Blood group            Blood type
• Stationery               Office\school supplies
• Biscuits                   Cookies
• Kishmis                   Raisins
• Milkmaid                 Condensed milk
• Corn flakes(common) Cereal
• Barber Shop          Hair Salon\Hair cut
• Bachelor's Degree: Undergraduation
• Correction(on test paper)Checking\Grading
• Exam pad                 Clipboard
• TV serial                   TV show
• School fee                Tuition
• Tuition                       Kumon\After school learning center
• Lift                             Elevator
• Steps                        Stairs
• Taxi                           Cab
• Plastic cover            Plastic bag
• Plastic box               Tupperware
• Stitching                    Sowing
• we-ta-mins                Vy-ta-mins (Pronunciation for Vitamins)
• Ga-ray-ge                 Ga-raa-ge (Pronunciation for Garage)
• Pamphlet                  Flyer
• Ayurvedic medicine: Herbal medicine
• Cross Roads            Intersection
• Short sight                Near sightedness
• Long sight                 Far sight
• Highway                    Freeway

My friend Uma added

• Coriander              Cilantro

We are all united