<p>The reality is that regardless of the situation you are in: buying a telephone, returning food in a restaurant, going to a doctor for a pap smear, getting a drivers license, having a traffic accident, reporting a crime, finding a lawyer, driving to the police station, knowing your rights and vulnerabilities… It is MUCH much more difficult when you are in a country not your own. There are assumptions made about what you know, what you don’t know, the acronyms which are used, the power structure. the hidden truths-- which simply you just are not aware of. Cultural adjustment requires flexibility, patience, mentorship, interest, and sustained effort. If you are lucky, you get up to speed quickly and you do not have anything major happen before you do. If you are unlucky, either something major happens quickly, or you really do not have the back up or the information you need to deal with it. I don’t think that the issues described are specific to Peace Corps or State Department or NGO’s. Every expatriate, particularly if you live in a non-Western country… confronts these issues to some magnitude or another… you need a decent bag of tricks and reasonable support.</p>