264 CultureShock! Bolivia
Telephone or e-mail the responsible party?
Make an appointment and visit the responsible party,
preferably with a letter of support from an influential
person?
Call a lawyer?Comments
The more cynical Bolivians would answer , and in some
cases they would be right. However, , a personal visit
with a further support document, usually gets the job done.
Telephoning or e-mailing () has little impact as personal
contact remains vital in business relations.
Should the case drag on even more, you may need ,
a lawyer. But don’t get a lawyer from the phone directory.
He might be a friend of the guy who has been sitting on
your documents. Your embassy will have a list of lawyers
to choose from.SITUATION 5
You have been invited to a social engagement and are quite
concerned about your patchy listening comprehension
and your thick accent in the Spanish language. On a one-
to-one basis you can function relatively well, but in large
groups with noise and confusion, you become anxious.
Do you: Decline the invitation and wait until you have improved
your Spanish in other more comfortable settings?
Ask the host if you can bring an interpreter?
Go to the event and hope that you will find one or two
people who speak English?
Go to the event and speak with as many people as you
can in Spanish?Comments
In some cultures, a heavy accent or a difficulty in expression
or comprehension of the native language will cause people
to avoid you, but not in Bolivia. In general, Bolivians delight
in the chance to speak with foreign visitors and will go out of