<< Back August 2005

In a Strange Land
Part III: Finding Your Way
By Larry J. Pitman

It was one of the most exciting assignments in the history of our country. Their charge was to explore and survey a vast new territory purchased from the Government of France. Of course I am referring to the expedition of Lewis and Clark in 1803. It was a dangerous undertaking and all understood that their lives were at risk. Certainly, many factors contributed to their success, but one that was critical was the service of Sacajawea as their guide. Her knowledge and advice were vital to the success of their
expedition.

In our time, especially in business, we have recognized the need for guides. They may be called mentors or serve as coaches, but essentially their function is to guide us through a difficult or complicated task. I had a wonderful coach who helped me through the process of starting my newspaper.

I believe that those of us living in another culture also need a guide. As I used to tell my students, entering a new culture is like entering a room where they are playing a game. You are invited to play the game, but none of the players will come forward to explain what is going on. In order to figure out how to play the game, you have to observe what is happening and find someone who will help you.

When I speak of guides, I mean someone who has information or wisdom that is of immediate use to you. These people may have general or special information that you need. For specialized information, you need to look for a maven. Let me give you an example of a maven. My wife had a colleague in Bakersfield who knew everything about shopping in our city. If you wanted to know where to get a particular item or where you could get the best price, just ask Mitzi.

Another couple we knew was devoted to home remodeling. They knew all about how to fix things in the house and who were the best tradespersons in town.

Mavens have these specialties because it is something they love. Therefore, they are happy to share their knowledge with you.

There are others who have more generalized knowledge. Let us call them wise people. They may know about etiquette or social customs and practices in the society. This is important because we often need to know what is the right thing to do in the context of Peruvian society.

Others may know about the various government agencies and how they work. Or they might just be wise people who make good judgments.

In Peru we have the opportunity to tap into the wisdom of many through the forums on www.expatperu.com.

We need to be aware of one danger that comes up with the guide system, however. Expatriate communities can sometimes be isolated. Information that is shared may not be accurate - yet keeps getting passed around. Therefore it is good to seek mavens and wise people who are from both communities, expatriate and Peruvian, in order to ensure that there is more than one source of information.

Finally, how do we find these wonderful people who can help us so much and make our lives far easier? It is quite simple. We talk to people, listen, observe and ask questions.

And who knows, maybe you are a guide yourself. When someone needs help, be there. Being a maven or a wise person is a very satisfying way to live. Ask Sacajawea.