UNITED STATESGeneral Culture

The American Flag

The Flag of the United States of America is a symbol of freedom and liberty to which Americans pledge their allegiance by standing at attention, facing the flag with their right hand over the heart, and reciting:

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.“

The flag consists of 13 alternating red and white stripes that represent the 13 original colonies, and 50 white stars on a blue field, with each star representing a state. The colors on the flag represent:

Red: valor and bravery

White: purity and innocence

Blue: vigilance, perseverance, and justice

Official Language of the United States

There is no "official" language at the federal level for the United States. Although the most commonly used

language is English, there are over 300 languages spoken or signed by the

population. Some individual states list English as their official language.

Museums

Museums collect and care for objects of scientific, artistic, or historical importance and make them available for public viewing. They generally concentrate on a particular subject, and most belong to one or more of the following categories:

Fine Arts or Applied Arts

History—Natural,

Cultural, and Military

Science Technology

Archeology Anthropology and Ethnology

Children's Museums

POPULAR SPORTS

Football Baseball Basketball Hockey

Golf Tennis

TYPICAL AMERICAN FOOD

BUFFALO BURGER Buffalos are similar to cows, but have less fat in their meat.  And comes come from Europe but buffalos are native to America.  Try buffalo burgers and buffalo steaks wherever you can  – they are delicious!

AMERICAN BARBECUEBarbecuing is an American hobby, usually done in the backyard or in parks.  Charcoal barbecues are the best.  We make hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken, kebabs, corn, vegetables and more on the grill – and its so good!

WHITE PIZZAThere are many kinds of pizza.  Usually pizza is made with mozzarella cheese but white pizza is different.  It used ricotta cheese, a whiter, thicker cheese.  You can often find spinach on these pizzas too.  They are really delicious!

CHINESE BEEF AND BROCCOLIChinese food in the US is different than Chinese food in Korea or China – but it still tastes great.  There are so many delicious dishes, but my favorite is beef and broccoli.  You can try them all at the thousands of Chinese buffets across the country.  Almost every city has one!

GYROGreek food is amazing, and the most amazing Greek food is the gyro.  It is a sandwich made with pita bread, lamb, tomatoes, onions, and cucumber yogurt sauce.  Try it with a big Greek salad and you’ll be very satisfied.

PRETZELA pretzel is a bready snack.  You can get little hard ones (sold next to chips in the snack aisle) or big soft ones.  The big soft ones are the best.  Go to any mall and look for the pretzel store Aunt Annie’s.

BOILED PEANUTSThese are peanuts that are boiled for at least 8 hours in different spices like soy sauce or chili sauce.  They are delicious and soft – you can even eat the shell.  But, you can only buy them in the South (Florida, Georgia, etc.) and usually only on the side of the road.

ROOT BEER FLOATSThere is a world of soft drinks beyond cider and cola.  There is Coke, Pepsi, Sprite, Mountain Dew, Dr. Pepper, Club Soda, Ginger Ale, and Root Beer.  Root Beer is one of my favorites.  A root beer float is made with root beer and ice cream.!

BLUEBERRY PIEApple pie, peach pie, cherry pie – they are all delicious, but the best is blueberry pie.