M - So, today we're gonna talk about SHOPPING !

- Oh, well, Americans love shopping.

M- They do.

- We have a lot of MEGASTORES.

M -Such as ?

- For example Wal-Mart, “monster” Wal-Mart, Best Buy for all your electronics needs, Target which is similar to Wal-Mart (Americans love convenience, they like to have everything at their fingertips) And many are open until 9 p.m. every night, seven days a week. Or some are even open 24/7.

M - What do you mean by 24/7 ?

- By 24/7 I mean : 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

M - Yeah, you're right. When I went to America I was surprised by that, it seems strange to me, I mean I could buy anything I needed in the middle of the night, at least in big cities.

- In big cities, usually.

M - It is also easy to find whatever you need while driving across the country.

- Driving across country is really convenient, as I've done myself and I know you've done yourself a couple of times, exploring United States. It's very convenient because on the main highways you'll find SIGNS listing LODGING, GAS and FOOD just before each exit ramp.

M - That's really helpful.

- Isn't it? When you're tired and you've been driving all day and you just want to stop, you just wait for that sign listing those hotels and find one you like and pull over, very close to the highway you'll find a room.

M - Just as simple as that.

- Exactly.

M- Cindy, is there anything that a foreign tourist should know about prices in the USA?

C- Something unexpected for [bad word] to visit us is that the price you see on the item is not exactly what you will pay. You will pay a certain percentage of SALES TAX on top of that and it varies from State to State. For example in New York City (a lot of people travel to New York City on vacation) New York has a 4% sales tax on each dollar, so if you were to buy an item for a dollar there'd be an extra 4 cents tacked on to it. And it varies from State to State, so you may wanna check that before you go on your trip. For example, California has 8.25% sales tax, Florida is 6%, and where I live in North Carolina is 5.75%. So that could really add up with your larger purchases.

M - Yeah, I mean, if you buy something expensive it makes a difference.

- huge difference, so you wanna be prepared for that.

M - Anything else that is unexpected to us?

- Tipping. Let's talk about TIPPING. Was that a surprise to you the first time you came to the States?

M - The first time, yes. So, actually you give a TIP …

- ...in addition to your bill, it's usually 15%, and it's given to the waiter or your waitress in appreciation for good service.

M - So it's extra-money that you give...

- It's extra-money on top of the bill.

M - Don't waiters get a salary?

- They get a reduced salary, actually.

M - So tips are really important.

- Tips are really important and there's a great incentive in the States to provide good service to the customers, to make your dining experience pleasurable.

M – Yeah, right. Is there any place except from restaurants where tipping is customary?

- Tipping is customary in many places, it's not mandatory but it's polite and it's to show your appreciation of a job well done. For example, a valet that would park your car for you, the porter at the airport, shuttle drivers that would take you maybe to your hotel once you've left the airport, again, customary to tip a few dollars.

M - All right, so watch out, it could be expensive, more than what you expect!

- That's it, start carrying your own bags !

M - Well, actually we're talking about shopping but we are in the middle of an economic crisis, so how is retail responding to that ?

- There are markdowns on everything now. Markdowns meaning the price has been ma