Middle of Everywhere - Mary Bray Pipher [41]
A cultural broker has information on everything—what schools are the best, where to go fishing or buy lemongrass, where to find work or buy a used car, and how to change a tire. A cultural broker knows whom to call about INS problems and where to get free legal aid and tax assistance. Cultural brokers understand local resources and have a commitment to helping newcomers avoid mistakes that can slow down their adjustment. Below is a list of things that, as a cultural broker, I have taught newcomers.
How to order food in a café
How to use escalators, stairs, elevators, and revolving doors
How to cross streets with traffic lights
How to feed a traffic meter
How to drive—what signs and signals mean, how to start a car, defensive driving as a concept
What is the length of a human life in America
How to use a water fountain
How to tell time and use an alarm clock, a watch, a calendar, and an appointment book
How to work a bike lock and a combination lock
How to put on a bike helmet and why helmets are important
How to check the oil and put gas in a car
How to write a check and balance a checkbook
How to peel an orange and eat watermelon
What to put in a refrigerator
How to bake a frozen pizza and use Shake 'n Bake to cook chicken
How to mix juice
That most Americans shower daily
What a doctor is doing—taking a temperature, blood pressure, drawing blood
What are dangerous situations—don't ride with strangers and don't walk around alone at night
Why we don't give money to phone or door-to-door solicitors
How to use hand lotion
How to swim, folk dance, and go on a picnic
How to read the want ads
How to read the entertainment section of the paper
What to do if the tornado siren sounds
How to shop at a grocery store
How to fill out a job application
What are vitamins
How to interview for a job
How to enroll in school
How to apply for Pell Grants and other financial aid
How to make a doctor's or dentist's appointment
When to call a lawyer and how to find one
Who to go to with INS problems
That cut flowers need to be put in water
How to buy shoes and to learn one's shoe size
How to buy clothes and learn one's waist size or dress size
How and why to take aspirin
How to call Ask a Nurse
Where to find bargains
How to get around town
What a United States map looks like and where Nebraska is
How to drive on the interstate
How to read a map
What elections are
What political parties are
Who is president, mayor, and governor
What happens when people break laws
Where parks, prairies, and state lakes are
The names of animals, trees, birds, and flowers
Where the bike trails are
How to walk on snow and ice
What to wear outside in winter
What animals Americans eat
That many mushrooms are poisonous
Why drinking water in hot weather is important
What a birthday is
What cake, cocoa, and pie are
How to roast marshmallows and make s'mores
What American holidays are
How to carve a pumpkin
That Christmas trees must be put in water
How to brush teeth
What Band-Aids, sanitary napkins, dental floss, and deodorant are
How to do math and how to read
How many weeks are in a year
That the length of day varies according to the season and distance from the equator
How long a fetus grows in its mother
What a time zone is
What a buffalo is
How to check out books from public and school libraries
How to use a cell phone
What a snow day is
That some stores stay open all night
What various slang words and phrases mean, such as noogie, okay, TLC, screw up, and keep your fingers crossed
How to make grilled-cheese sandwiches and toast
How to wear socks
How and when to call 911
What Easter eggs are
How to get a prescription and get it filled
How to play cards
How to put together a