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International Travellers Guide to PAX '08
kropotkin
Forum Badge CreatorLondon UKRegistered User regular
Forum Badge CreatorLondon UKRegistered User regular
International Travellers Guide to PAX
After browsing through the key FAQ and other sticky threads I thought I'd offer up some advice to those that are travelling to PAX '08 that live outside the North American contintent. Yes we are few in number but we are a significant minority. Enough even to warrant this thread methinks.
Now I'm writing this guide with a heavy UK bias so forgive me for this. I will try to encompass as many other nations as is possible and would appreciate any corrections and additions. I would also request the forum admins to turn this thread into a sticky one just to help us foreign types out.
Note that there are some satirical statements written in it that should be taken with a pinch of salt.
So without further ado here is the top 10 tips for those travelling to PAX from beyond the shores of North America:
1) Check your Passport and visa requirement.
We are strangers in a strange land and as such must have a valid pass port to gain entry into the US. Note that there is a Visa Waiver system for people from the UK. The link below will take you to a guide on what's required to gain access to the us without a formal visa:
VISA WAIVER PROGRAMME CHANGES
The visa waiver programme is undergoing a very big change as of August 2008! From now you can apply for a waiver to a visa entry to the US online. This is voluntary at the moment but as of early 2009 it will be compulsory prior to travelling to the US. It is preferred that you do make your application out online at least 72 hours before leaving. The information you need to complete the form is as follows:
1) Passport No.
2) Passport issue date and expirary date.
3) Flight carrier.
4) Flight No.
5) City from which you are flying from.
6) Name and full address of hotel you are staying at whilst in the US.
For access to the online and more information about it click on this link.
Also another tip, if you're going there to do some coverage for a web site and/or podcast do not tell the customs officer in the US that you have come to the US as a journalist. If you do they will ask you for a Journalist Visa which costs a lot of money and you won't have one. So if you don't, you'll be sent back on the next plane. Yes they will refuse you entry to the US, even if you qualify for the visa waiver.
And also to cite another important info from wiki:
Applicants for admission under the visa waiver program: (Can someone help me with point format?)
- Must have complied with the conditions of all previous admissions to the U.S.
- Must never have been arrested or convicted for an offence or crime involving moral turpitude or crimes with a maximum aggregate sentence of 5 years' imprisonment or more, no matter how long ago. National regulations which normally expunge criminal records after a certain length of time (e.g. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act in the UK) do not apply.
- Must not be ineligible for a visa;
- Must not have been previously denied entry to the U.S. in the past five years;
- Must not be intending to visit the U.S. for a purpose other than tourism or a short term business visit. In particular, journalists cannot use the visa waiver scheme to operate in the U.S. and must instead apply for an I visa.
- If entering over the land frontier, must pay a fee of $6. For those arriving by air or sea, the cost of the visa waiver is included in the airline ticket.
Those who do not meet the requirements for the visa-waiver scheme must obtain a U.S. tourist visa from an American Embassy or Consulate.
Check the external links and references for more info and if anyone needs to be sure.
Finally some nations offer a registry for those travelling abroad. Australians can go here for this:
http://www.smarttraveler.gov.au/
2) Travel Insurance
Now granted your stay in the US will be relatively short but you can never be too cautious. The US does not have a National Health system so any medical treatment you receive will be charged to you if you have no insurance so do please take some out before leaving. Also make sure you read the fine print of your insurance docs and make sure you have a copy that you can access easily!
3) Money
The value of the US$ is really very weak right now. At present approximately £1=$2. This makes things very easy when you are buying items as everything is effectively half price, in a manner of speaking. However there are some things to note when handling US currency. First, get a Cash Passport Card which can be charged up with cash prior to leaving. It can be used like a credit card and will allow you to withdraw cash from cash machines. You can also use your credit card to withdraw cash from holes-in-the-wall. Finally buy your currency as late as possible and, if you can, within London as their exchange rates are higher than in other parts of the UK. One final note, if you have never been to the US before you will notice that the bills are all the same size regardless of value. Annoying I know but true, be mindful of this. Click on this link to see what each bill looks like just to help you: US Bills
For more information on Cash Passport Cards follow this link.
Also, If you do plan on using a credit/debit card while at PAX you must inform your issuing bank/company that you will be doing so. Banks have an automated fraud detection device that will block your card from working fully if you don't inform them. The best course of action is to call the number that is located on the back of the card.
4) Mobile AKA 'Cell' Phones
Provided your phone is a Tri-Band on it will work fine. However your carrier (02, Orange & T-Mobile) will have global services but they cost a huge amount of money. You get charged for receiving calls and people calling you on it get charged international rates as the phone is not a local one. To get over this buy a T-Mobile SIM card in the US that has a pay-as-you go deal attached to it. That way you phone becomes a local one and everyone is happy. Alternatively you can buy a $15 (£7) pay as you go phone to tide you over however this may not be an option to those that cannt be seperated from their beloved Nokia N96...
Note that there is an AT&T in Pacific Place that will give you a SIM and not charge you for anything more than the money you put on your phone to use it.
You do need an unlocked tri or quad band phone. Unlocking is easy. Consult the internets.
5) Travel
Some are braving the West Coast Train Trip by flying to LAX and then taking the train from Los Angeles to Seattle. Others (me) are flying direct to Seattle from London. Taking 9.5 hours this is a long haul flight, more so than many other PAX attendees which means we have a lot of sitting around to do. The DS will last longer than your PSP but bring both (assuming you have both) as you'll need to break the trip up. Also charge them before you head off to the airport.
6) Reading material
Whilst a variant of English is spoken in the US and indeed their magazines are written in it (despite the odd spelling issues) you'd be advised to take along the latest copies of The Edge, Retro Gamer and Games TM. None of these fine publications are readily available in the US and reading them whilst on the plane and in queues at PAX will make things a little more bearable. They can also be used as trading items/bribes as they are much sought after in the US.
7) Accent
We all know that the various dialects throughout the UK are numerous and wildly different. Despite this you will be accused of being Australian at least once during your visit to the US. Not sure why this is, it just happens. Best way to avoid confrontation is to simply smile and say 'Do I look like an ex-convict?' That normally does the trick. However this should not be said within ear shot of anyone who is indeed from Australia otherwise that travel insurance you took out will come in to play very quickly. Finally please do refrain from foreign superior smugness as this will also land you in the same situation with the aforementioned Australian.
8) Power
If you want to be able to continue to charge your DS and/or PSP you need to bring an adaptor. The giant UK plugs don't fit too well in US sockets so do buy a power plug adaptor before you head off. Also note that whilst your DS/PSP/Laptop will work fine off of the 110v US power supply it won't work at all for any consoles, should you be even considering bringing one. Don't, its just won't work without some kind of step up transformer to bring it up to 240v. Then there's the PAL output which makes things even more complicated...
Note: UK DS Chargers will need a step up transformer to function. Follow this link to order yourself one: Stepup Transformer and Maplin sell on for £25 here.
Press the Spoiler button to see an image of a UK DS Charger plugged into a Step-up transformer:
9) Drinking and ID
The drinking age is 21 in the US, not 18 as in the rest of the world. This can confuse many and result in some crest fallen British folk when they try to buy some alchohol. Those of you that are 21 and over will be asked for their ID prior to buying any alchohol. This can cause some issues as an ID is normally an Interstate Drivers Licence. Being from foreign climes we don't have such a thing. Suitable alternatives include a passport or your UK full drivers licence (not provisional) provided it has a picture on it. Either way you're going to have to explain to the clerk/barman what it actually is. This can be avoided aslo if you get hold of an International Driving Permit or IDP (see section 13 below).
10) Tickets/Badges
All tickets purchased from outside of the US must be picked up from the 'Will Call' area prior to entry. This will be open on Thursday 28th August at 6pm and remain open until 8pm officially however there are plans to extend this time to midnight. This will also open again at 8am the following day. The exact location of 'Will Call' booth is as follows:
Adjacent the registration and the info desk counters on the 4th floor of the convention center in the South Lobby area.
Once you register you will pick up your badge from there. Just to restate, you will not receive your badge via the mail.
11) Units
As an Engineer this subject is somewhat close to my heart. Our drinks are sold in litres as is our petrol. A hot day is 25 degrees C and freezing is zero. None of this makes any sence to our US residing brethren. They still cling to 'Imperial' or the ironically titled 'English' units which the rest of the world has long since abandonned simply because they made little to no sense. So be mindful of this when talking about the weather (which we so love to do) or indeed asking for a litre bottle of diet coke. You'll get blank stares in response.
12) Party
There are plans a-foot to host a Commonwealth Party at PAX. This will be for PAX attendees that are from a Commonwealth country. This includes UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada. More details on this will be revealed closer to the time.
13) Drivers License
Now, here's something for those of you thinking about driving in the US:
The International Driving Permit
No, having your driver's license from wherever you're coming from is not enough. If you're going to be driving in the US under a foreign license, you will need to get yourself an International Driving Permit or IDP. Basically, it's a formally produced copy of your drivers license translated into 10 languages. It will also help if you need to show ID as the European drivers license normally befuddles people.
Each country has an authorized issuer for the IDP. The AA in the UK offer a service, details of which can be found here:
AA IDP Application form
For all other nations please follow this link: Non UK IDP issuers
14) Jaywalking
In the UK it is entirely legal to cross a road at any point, regardless whether or not it is a pedestrian crossing. The only road a pedestrian cannot cross is a motorway. This is not the case in many states North America, including Washington where PAX is being held. You can only legally cross a road at pre-defined pedestrian crossings, other instances are considered in context. Now whilst this law is generally not enforced you can land yourself into trouble with the local law enforcers if your behaviour is considered to be dangerous. If anything this is a point of safety as US roads are usually much wider than the ones found in Europe so you won't be able to dash across them the same way you do in Central London for example. For more information check out the Wikipedia page on Jaywalking. Best advice is to do what the locals do when crossing the road and you should be fine. Also note that in the US vehicles are driven on the right hand side. This can be a little disorientating at first so be prepared to look in the opposite direction when crossing the road.
15) Tipping and Sales Tax
Sales tax is ~8.9% (just call it 10 to estimate) and applies to most goods and services, but some vendors in the expo hall might waive it if you pay cash. There are additional taxes on certain items (cigarettes come to mind) but they're usually included in the advertised price. Most packaged foods are tax-exempt (specifically those that do not require work on the part of store employees to prepare, usually) but carbonated drinks are not.
The standard amount for a tip is 15%, although some people choose to set their baseline at 20%. These aren't hard numbers, feel free to vary them based on the quality of service you think you got. Most fast food chains don't allow their employees to accept tips, and tips are never expected at those that do, pizza delivery being a notable exception (no, the delivery fee is NOT a goddamn tip), and even then it's not a percentage thing. It is standard practice to add a 7-17% "gratuity" or "service fee" to parties over a certain size (generally 8-10 depending on the restaurant), which really means "mandatory tip". Go ahead and treat that as part of your tip, but go for a number higher than you would - another 2-5% on top of that, at least - because it's split more ways (tips are usually shared with assisting wait staff and bus-people), and a lot more work to serve large parties.
16) Language
The UK and the US are two nations seperated by a common tongue. Here are some examples of why this is:
* Rubber - A pencil eraser in the UK, a prophylactic in the US! Please never ask to 'borrow a rubber' as it could cause some confusion!
* Cockney Rhyming Slang - Any variances of cockney rhyming slang such as 'Butchers', 'Giraffe', 'Ruby Murray' and 'Gone Pete' are surprisingly well known beyond the fringes of the East End of London. Nevertheless they should be used sparingly.
* Colonial Cousins - The collective noun for those that reside in the US. Again not really welcomed expecially since that little spat we had with the former colonies in the late 1700's.
* Megadrive - Called the Genesis in the US for reasons best known to SEGA. There was a rumour that the Mega CD was to be called 'The Book of Revelations' at one point but that was abandonned in favour of 'Sega CD'. The 32x goes by the same name in both the UK and US.
* Off-License AKA 'Offy' - Known as Liquor Stores in the US.
* Chemist - UK equivalent to Drug Store.
* Bog/Carsey - Known as the 'bathroom' or 'rest room' in the US.
* Bum Bag - UK equivalent to 'Fanny Pack'. In the UK the word 'Fanny' has a very different meaning that I will not state here for fear of being banned but it is enough to change the name of the item.
* Hole-in-the-wall - The UK's odd ball name for an ATM.
* 'Knocked For Six' - Meaning shocked and stunned. Comes from a cricketing term relating to the highest score you can get by hitting a ball out of bounds. Could be described as cricket's equivalent to a home run in baseball.
*Draughts - The name given to 'Checkers' in the UK.
*Casualty - Known as the Emergency Room or 'ER' in the US.
For more of these you can check the Wiki page that has a very long list of words that have differing meanings on both sides of the Atlantic:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_words_not_widely_used_in_the_United_States
17) Telephone numbers
To dial for emergency services use 911, not 999. For directory enquiries use 411 or, if that doesn't work use 555-1212 or 1-555-1212.
18) Commonwealth Resident PAX Swag!
Commonwealth resident PAX Swag will be available at this year's PAX!
If you're a resident of a Commonwealth country and are coming to you PAX'08 then you qualify for this rather natty badge for you to wear whilst at PAX. Click on the spoiler link to see it:
To collect it you can come by the Allgames Radio broadcast area at around 3:30pm to 4pm on Friday 29th August where I shall be taking part in the AGR live broadcast which take place near the media room.
19) Names of drugs:
In the UK, it's Paracetamol. In Canada and the US, its called Tylenol or Acetaminophen. Please bear this in mind if you're looking for a cure for that hangover you're suffering from!
I hope this was of use to those of you that are travelling just that little bit further than most to PAX. I will be monitoring this thread and amending it as more advice is added to it and I have carried out yet more research.
kropotkin on
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Plz to note: I'm just a lackey, so I don't know a lot of what's going on yet and can't speak officially. I'll do what I can to find out more.
For paintings in progress, check out canvas and paints
"The power of the weirdness compels me."
3) Cashing travellers' checks is a real pain in the ass in this modern age of ATMs. Get a debit card and you should be good to go. From my experience in Europe, ATM exchange rates are reasonably close to bank rates and my particular bank didn't even charge me any fees. (Your mileage may vary, of course.) Also, vendor acceptance of credit cards is much higher in the US than it is in Europe, so it may be entirely possible to go the entire weekend without greenbacks. By the way, we're working on the color thing, and besides, at least US hard currency isn't nearly as befuddling as British coinage.
5) Yeah, I totally didn't just buy 70% dark chocolate from the grocery store last week. :P At any rate, Seattle is a pretty cosmopolitan city - I doubt anyone will be complaining for lack of variety. (Hint: leave the convention center!)
9) The easiest way to tell if your devices will work is to look on the device or on the part of AC adapter that plugs into the wall. If it says something like "110V - 240V" you're good to go - all you need is a plug adapter. That said, if it says "220V" or "240V", etc., then it will not charge properly, and you may even damage it. Otherwise, you need a step-up transformer, which cost a little more than just adapters. (I did find it curious you mentioned in the DS - the adapters shipped with DSes here are 120V only - when I went to Europe 2 years ago I had to buy a transformer pretty much just for that.)
Traveler's Checks are a huge pain in the ass compared to just using a credit card if you have one. You'll find that no one accepts them. I very strongly suggest a stored value card such as a Travelex Cash Passport card over traveler's checks if you don't have a credit or debit card.
Mobile Phones: Get an AT&T go phone from anywhere that sells them. I got mine from Best Buy when I broke my smart phone. They're $20. If you have a nicer phone you want to use, just swap sim cards. I don't think you can get the sim card on its own.
Money: New bills are no longer the same color. So you'll probably get a mix of the old all green and new bills with peach and magenta.
Accent: If you keep foreign superior smugness in check your accent is generally regarded as sexy over here. Use it to your full advantage.
1) Check your Passport and visa requirement.
Listen to the man because Visa stuff can be dangerous if you do it wrong. I almost got detained due to expired Visa when leaving Japan.
2) Travel Insurance
Very true, we don't have national health but there are plenty of $50 clinics around that can take care of anything up to a broken bone. And really, if you get shot or hit by a car, you need to worry about staying alive not fighting over insurance. But do get it if you can, check to see what your credit card can offer you.
3) Money
Be careful also not to trade in money at the airport because the exchange rate is total shit. If you have a Pulse/ Citrex/ Visa card you might even just be able to use some ATMs. If anything just stop into a bank and they can help you out.
4) Mobile AKA 'Cell' Phones
This is big as so long as your phone is GSM tri or quad band you can hop onto a service here. We do have single sims that you can buy but it isn't as easy as in Europe where they hand them out like candy. Go to a gas station or better yet, Wal-Mart and just ask for a pre-paid sim card and you can get it easily. I reccomend T-Mobile since they support almost any phone from around the world, mine is from Hong Kong.
5) Food
Don't worry we have everything here. Even if you wanted some spotted dick, balut, Vegemite, we have it here. But really if you are scared eat at McDonald's as their core food is the same world wide and you know what to expect. And chocolate, yea we have almost every brand you can think of so really not a big deal.
You will only end up screwed if you are really eager to eat some hakarl. That shit don't fly here.
8) Accent
Just don't be aggresive and most people will A) not care because we have so many people from everywhere here, and
9) Power
Like he stated, we are NTSC here so all PAL devices do not work. Any consumer electronics that are Japanese based will work in America alright since they are 110v and US runs on 120v. Remember this too for your electric razors, GPS units, laptops, anything like that.
metric? what the hell is that? Feet and inches, yards and chains, furlongs and miles, pounds and ounces, pints and quarts, anything but stupid metres!
I bought one of those paper lamp shades a few years ago, for in my dining room. It said 100 cm diameter on the pack. I thought, well, its not like its a yard
We've recently had our weights and measures laws re-changed, so we don't have to use stupid grammes and kilogrammes any more, Yay!!
French MacD? ever tried it? bears no resemblance to USA MacD!
For paintings in progress, check out canvas and paints
"The power of the weirdness compels me."
Not France in particular but really, it looks the same as everywhere else. Same crappy fries and Styrofoam packaging. The point is that the core items are the same. Granted they have a few regional specialties. But they all have that, like how you can get a Texas Double around here or the MegaMac in Tokyo but they both still have the Quarter Pounder with Cheese.
You know what they call a quarter-pounder with cheese in france? A Royale with cheese.
Also, great to see countries going back to the imperial system. Down with metric! (unless you're a scientist)
Taking each point in turn:
Money
Travellers Cheques are used in hotels and thats where I plan to withdraw money from using them. Yes I have a credit card and a Maetro debit card but I'm not keen on using them on cash machines in the US. I must be some kind of old curmugeon. I will update the original post to reflect what has been voiced here though.
Finally on this it is nice to know that US bills now come in different colours. Now just change the size as well and I'll be even happier :P. To be honest this was a little joke but can befuddle us Old World dwellers.
Mobile AKA 'Cell' Phones
Mobile phone SIM cards I was given to understand are sold by T-Mobile. This was the basis of my advice and for now I will stick to it but offer advice that also the $15(£7) phone is also an option. My only concern is that I can't be seperated from my Nokia N95...
Food
This was an attempt at humour with a little cautionary dig to those who really are scared off of US chocolate. We, the denziens of Perphideous Albion hear horror stories of how certain foodstuffs in the US are not very palatable, especially when it comes to chocolate. I'm just suggesting that if you really are a massive fan of Jaffa Cakes, Minstrels, Toblerone, Bovril and Marmite etc then you may wish to bring some with you. It's either that or wandering around Seattle asking for the above only to be met with blank stares...possibly. I'm sure however England's national dish will be easy to come by and no it's not fish and chips. I do believe its a curry of some description.
Accent
This wasn't to be constructive advice at all but me being quite silly plus the fact that every time I have ventured into the New World I have been accused of being Australian. I think it has something to do with me being born and bred in London even though my accent is strictly 'home counties' although I do have cockney twang which is noticable.
Power
Someone raised a curious point about the DS charger. Checking my UK one it has just 230v written on it. No range, nothing. Just 230v. This is somewhat worrying. Can anyone else vouch that a UK based DS charger will function in the US? If not then a step up transformer may be in order as well as a stiff email to Nintendo of Europe.
Thanks once again to all those that have responded. I have amended the original post to reflect these posts. I would also once again request that this thread be made into a sticky one. I'm looking at you Moe Fwacky...
edit: we already have a ridiculous number of stickies on the page and more to come before the end of summer, but this is a valuable thread, so I don't see it dropping off the first page any time soon, if it does, fell free to give it a stiff nudge.
You seem to be ignoring all the input and updates vis a vis chocolate. Toblerones are common all over Seattle. You're thinking of some rural, backwoods US thirty years in the past. Any supermarket in Seattle that's not a complete dump will have tons of "real" chocolate, much of which is imported from Europe, so get over yourself already.
ASimPerson addressed this already and quite clearly. If it's not a range or close to the US 120v standard, it won't work. Don't risk it.
Food section removed. DS charger question I think will remain open until I do some more research into this but I take yours and AsimPerson's point.
Speaking of which, you gotta watch out kids, that you don't make a fool out of yourself will eating some Toblerone chocolate otherwise people will see you and realize you just got Tobler-owned.
1. Being aggressive is what defines us as Americans and as such it is folly to use it against us. It would be
like trying to burn Satan to death with a flamethrower.
2. Dudes love accents too. I am putty in the hands of an attractive British, Scottish, Irish, French or Australian
woman.
3. I took French in High School, but because I never use it I can't speak it well. I can probably understand
what you are saying if you speak slowly and I can definitely sing the French National Anthem. So if anyone
wants someone to sing the French National Anthem with me, come find me. It will be a good time. 8-)
Allons enfants de la Patrie...
PS3: Mentok || Steam: mentok1982 || Diablo 3: mentok1982#1212
Links: GPUReview.com My IGN activity My IGN Blog [H]ard|Forum
Yep, the most popular meal in the UK is apparently now Chicken Tikka Masala (except in glasgow, where its still battered, deep fried Mars Bars!). Although this says its spag bol.
For paintings in progress, check out canvas and paints
"The power of the weirdness compels me."
For paintings in progress, check out canvas and paints
"The power of the weirdness compels me."
uhhhh .. . mc donalds fries are the absolute best . . and they stopped using styrofoam
like over 15 years ago.
{Fondly remembers the PAXTrain}
That's very interesting. I renewed mine back in 2000 and whilst it doesn't have a digital picture it still meets with the requirements as it has loads of ">>>>>>>>>>>>>" in it. Apparently this doesn't apply if you have a passport that was renewed after October 2005 which I suspect what has happened to LewieP's Mummy.
One final note, I miss the old UK passports that were the size of your forearm with which you could swat customs officers with. When ever they asked you for your reason for entering their country you'd simply slap them senseless with your giant UK passport and yell 'IMPERIALISUM!' and march through as they tried to pick up thier nose from the floor.
Sadly all we get now is this measily red thing that's the size of a postage stamp.
If you live near a Flying Saucer, go eat the fries there and then realize you have an instant addiction, I swear they cook them in Meth.
Also for the styrofoam, down in the south some of the podunk places still have it. Rare but can be found.
For paintings in progress, check out canvas and paints
"The power of the weirdness compels me."
figures the backwards south would still have styrofroam .. .. also i have never heard of this flying saucer place . .. *googles it* it appears that this place only exists in the south . . . these fries you say are so addicting, are they steak fries by anychance? . . . this looks like the sort of place that would serve steak fries . . . i fucking hate steak fries . . . so much unfried potatoe center . . . yeck!
{Fondly remembers the PAXTrain}
And I do have to say, the last time I was in Europe, Sweden to be specific, we actually got a better exchange rate with Visa then with both the currency exchange over here and over there.
And I do have to say that it's been over a week since I've touched the money in my wallet... Even the vending machines over here take plastic now.
Just.... no.
Not by a long shot.
Belgian frites, In-and-Out fries, Chick-fil-a waffle fries, Arby's curly fries, and Checker's seasoned fries are better than the soggy, limp-wristed oiled potato products you get at a McDonald's.
Thanks all for the feed back, I'm going to update the original post again to reflect what has been said here, excluding the McDonald's stuff mind you...
If you take "here" to mean East Coast. I've still never seen a plastic-takin' vending machine here in the Great Northwest.
Also McD's sux0rz, but it's not as bad as Wendy's or worst, Kidd Valley. How that local chain continues to survive I'll never know.
They are not steak fries, I agree that they are not good. The Saucer fries are super skinny seasoned fries that are just amazing.
I want to try Horse Fat Fries, I have read that those take frenched fries to the next level all together. I missed a chance in NYC to try them and kick myself everyday.
Not to mention that there are two custom chocolatiers (Dilettante and Godiva) in one of the malls not 2 blocks from the convention center.
Now, here's something for those of you thinking about driving here:
The International Driving Permit
No, having your driver's license from wherever you're coming from is not enough. If you're going to be driving in the US under a foreign license, you will need to get yourself an IDP. Basically, it's a formally produced copy of your DL translated into 10 languages. It will also help if you need to show ID here.
Each country has an authorized issuer for the IDP (in the US, it's the AAA.) You'll want to find out who issues it in your homeland, though.
More info on the IDP from Wiki.
The way I cross streets is by following the example of the locals. From what I observed, people wait at the crosswalk until the light turns green if there are cars present. If no cars are visible anywhere up or down the street, they will cross on red. That's how we observed it, so that's how we were doing it. I don't recall anybody getting ticketed for it, but at the same time, I don't think anybody was ballsy enough to cross in police presence.
On a final note the main driver behind the jaywalking advice is that when I went to the US for the first time I was amazed at how wide the roads were. I could never just run across them as I do here in the UK for fear of being run over!