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In a Strange Land
The Natural
By Larry J. Pitman

Sometimes when we see a beautiful painting or a song strikes right at our heart, we stop and just appreciate the beauty. It is rare that we do that with the behavior of a fellow human being, but I want to tell you about a recent experience.

Oliver came to visit Peru.

He came from Holland. A young man. Very tall and blonde. No possibility of mistaking him for anything other than a gringo.

I met him because we were fellow students of Spanish at El Sol in Miraflores.

Most of us live what could be described as normal lives. We have our ups and downs and it all balances out. Some seem to struggle with everything they do. Others glide through life, enjoying themselves and all goes well. This is Oliver.

He is always smiling. Relaxed. Enjoying himself.

He came to live with a priest from Holland. Having just finished his university studies at home, he wanted to live in Peru, to learn and to seek a direction for his life. He also wanted to help in anyway he could.

The priest lives in Comas, a poor district on the edge of Lima. Oliver came with no Spanish, but he is good in French and Italian. He spent his first weeks observing, talking and playing soccer.

After three weeks in Comas, Oliver went to El Sol, a language institute where they teach Spanish to foreigners. He tested at the intermediate level, an amazing accomplishment when you consider that he came to Peru with no Spanish at all.

To get to class he rode the combi every day from Comas to Miraflores, 90 minutes each way. Since he is very tall, and the busses are crowded, he was often standing bent over. But he didn't complain. Oliver had a map of Lima and was continually studying it. In fact by the end of his stay, Oliver knew how to get around the city better than many Limeños.

What made him so successful here? He is open. He enjoys trying new things. He loves to eat and sincerely enjoys all the Peruvian food that he tries.

Oliver does not make judgments. He never criticizes or complains. He observes, participates and enjoys. As an example, he had never danced Salsa before. One quick lesson and he is moving like a native: "Someone told me that this is just like skiing and it is." So Oliver just gets in and starts making the moves. Why? Because he is completely relaxed and open. Then he moves his body in a way that shows how relaxed he feels.

Always looking for a place where he can help, he learned of a clinic run by some priests a day's journey from Iquitos. There he worked for three weeks. Observing. Asking questions. Meeting people. He found that their filing system needed some work so that they can keep track of their patients. This was a job he could do, and he gets in and does it. Happy to help.

Oliver, after four months, knows Peru from the coast to the mountains to the jungle. Never staying in hotels, he was always with the people, learning about their community and their lives.

Thanks for the visit, Oliver. And come back soon. We'll always have an extra plate for lunch.

Come back and show us again how to live with fresh eyes, enjoying the wonderful things that surround us.

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