Let me not generalize...However, most of us or people around me while growing up used phrase "America" to represent what truly is United States of America. It took me a while to figure what is United States of America ("USA"), similar to what United Kingdom is.
When it was planned for me to travel to UK, I always thought that I am traveling to England. I was surprised when I got a VISA saying "United Kingdom". Again, it took a bit of research, and time to conclude that United Kingdom is a federation of countries. Do not want to put a number here, as things change in days & months, and I am referring to my knowledge which is years old.
Okay, while I understood that 50+ states (to be precise, 52 states. you Google it to confirm) constitutes what is USA. However, when I was in India working on several non-USA projects, and then on Nashville based project; there were people who used to ask questions like which part of USA, north, south, east west, northwest, etc...And, I used to think, why does it matter. Then, thought, may be easier to recognize it this way with 50+ states to remember, and exactly know which side the state is located...Finally, I arrived, in USA in city Nashville located in southern state Tennessee. And, I started to develop an understanding of how each state is different from the other state. Be it language or culture, or the weather & nature, completely diverse from the other state and unique in each state. It is like living in a different country altogether...I visited New york city, Chicago, Atlanta, Birmingham, etc; and was puzzled to see the diversity. Now, when I have moved to California; it is a different world altogether...How have they blended so many diverse pieces of land into one unified under the name "United States of America". Truly amazing.
While, I realize that all of this very much relates to what we see in India. Where north is diversely separated from south, and east is completely different from west. Everything is different from culture, ethnicity, language & nature/ weather...however I think, the four metro cities (Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata & Mangluru) kind of unites the nation...Majority of us would relate to what Mumbai is and what Bollywood is.
Here, the urban cities like New York city, Washington DC, San Francisco are very dis-connected for folks living in the remote places of USA...And they do not care to know or there is no need to travel to these cities for them. Each of these states have their own smart cities, and have the necessary source of employment and job generation techniques, which fulfills the basic need of inhabitants...So, they don't move, and retain their specific culture and ethnicity on the very location.
Don't be surprised when you compare northern aggressive working style with the southern personalized greetings. Howsoever for us, whichever place in USA we land, we need to absorb so much variety & difference in such a quick time, that we are instantly prepared for any change, and welcome it with a smiling face:)
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