Numb(n)3rs

The last post I hit a century or let me put it in a larger perspective - it took a total of 163 hours to get 100 comments. The maximum I have got is 77 for a post before - so this is a first for me.
Got caught up at work and a bad back - so was not able to post for the past week - today I felt like Sachin Tendulkar - who has missed many centuries being in nervous nineties.
I was waiting for that 100th comment - and Anvita nudged the counter.
Now one might say why all this fuss about numbers and statistics - partially cheap thrill and more of what this post is all about. Americans and being here for so long most of us have no choice but to be obsessed with the nitigrities of numbers.
I was going to write about experience with a simple cuppa coffee - but that can wait.
So here more about numbners

- The very first number that one has to be aware of is I-94 card - that is appended to the passport - that one gets upon entering this country at immigration. This number is important for all immigration crap. And it changes everytime one enters or leaves this country.
- I came as a student here almost a decade ago - and one of the first thing that we have to deal with is getting a Social Security Number - if we have got financial aid and are going to receive mullah from the college. It is similar to the PAN number issued in India.
It is described as "Social Security" but it is emotionally and physically draining as one has to contribute towards it from ones pay in a hope that when we are old we will get some benefits from the government, but the way the things are going in this country it looks bleak that most of us will ever reap the benefits.
- The social security number is a must when applying for credit cards, drivers license, bank accounts and any other legalities.
- In the college - the type of courses one takes is appended a number - like Design101, Structures 301....the higher the number determines and clarifies whether you are an undergraduate or graduate student. This is because they have a flexibility of what one can pick and choose and cross register towards getting a degree - a system entirely different from the back home where we are told what to study. (this was when I studied - dunno the situation now)
- Post graduation the next number one is worried about is the : "How many K's job you get". Now K denotes 1000 - so 60K is 60000 US pay package - again with the advent of MNC's back home many are aware of these concepts back home.

America is a consumerist society and every nuance of peoples existence and the country's economy is geared with numbers. They want you to be aware of the Numbers at any given time:
- You buy a car - they have a limit of 12000 miles that they consider normal driving per year - so when you sell it - depending on the mileage and year and the condition of the car - you can get an equivalent price - this price can be determined from various websites.
- They use miles instead of kilometers and inches instead of meters. Both these are smaller denominators. Say 100 miles which is actually 160 kilometers - gives one a peace of mind that he has to drive only 100 miles.
- Driving is really a pleasure here - highways are 4-6-8 lanes wide. On needs insurance to drive and you get points for any violations - again numbers determining the amount you shelve out for insurance and collecting 12 points can take away your driving privileges. There is no Pandu Hawaldar whom you can give some bucks to get off the hook.
- Most of the US when you ask somebody, specially here in New Jersey - where do you stay - they will say Exit # so and so of a certain highway - which again is defined by a number - people recognize this more than the name of the town. So giving directions to someone will be - take exit 4 off route 31 and then bear left and get onto highway 287 - take exit 12 for Jhumritalaya - then finally when you reach Jhumritalaya you will have street names - which are mostly names of trees - spruce, oak, maple.....
- Also zip codes like in Beverly Hills 90210 - are very important - they tell you the school district and the economic status of the town. It is prestigious to stay in certain zip codes than others. Most towns with a certain zip code will have people from a certain economic status - not community or ethnicity. This is unheard of in India - where every place is described by the name and where a person making crores stays right next to someone making thousands - in most cases. (I say school district - cause most Americans goto public schools that are free up to 12th Standard)
- Another big aspect that is here is the rotation of money - savings is a complete no-no. Most people really do live paycheck to paycheck - and even a slight increase in a bi-weekly paycheck is another installment that they can pay.
- The interest rates are also so minimal and then this minimal interest is also taxed high - so there is no point in putting money in savings account - unless you transfer it to retirement accounts - and then you do not see that money till you retire.
- The whole situation nowadays with the economy is based on this concept of over borrowing. Wont go into details as that can be another post in itself.
- This brings to the next important number - the credit score - this is the number that determines your creditworthiness - and if you haven't spent enough or have a rotating loan then you are not credit worthy - they don't know your history of spending and payment and are reluctant to give you a loan even if you have saved a big chunk of money.
I once told one of my friends who was meeting girls to get married - ask what her credit score is more than what she makes or if she knows cooking or blah blah....that will determine your numerical future here.

Other daily aspects determined by numbers:
- Weather - There is an entire channel running weather reports all day long - and people choose to wear clothes as per the degrees Fahrenheit - now they don't use degree centigrade as temperatures could go as low as 0 degrees Fahrenheit - which is -17 degrees centigrade - now you decide what is more comfortable to hear.
- BMI - Body Mass Index - determines if your weight is proportionate to your height - again a comfort with numbers - more than you are fat or underweight. And again they use pounds to determine weight rather than kilos - so 60 kilos is 132 pounds - and losing 5 pounds sounds much better than 3 kilos - thus many Americans are obese and huge.
- Buying a computer or any other electronics is fun - go to a store and you would say "give me that TV" - nah never happens - one has to know size, inches, contrast ratios, number of ports - hundreds of numbers and people will ask you these questions when you tell them you bought something. I say I bought a 10" and high def binoculars to watch it.
- Another BIG thing is the freaking shoes and clothes sizes - we are normal body built people from Asia or I can say puny according to standards here - have seen shoe sizes 14 - 16 which is 47 - 49 in Europe ...man its huge - an entire family of rats can live in that.

These are some of the examples - many can think of many other situations - the basic idea is that numbers are used to make one feel comfortable in any situation.