The most unusual assistance we’ve ever provided an expat

There are times when I love my work so much… Angela, an expat living in Montevideo, contacted Guru’Guay for bespoke assistance. She’d been diagnosed with cancer and she wanted us to help her find a really good wig maker in Uruguay.

Wow, that was a request we’d never had to deal with before. But after twenty years being based in Uruguay, we have an absolutely amazing network here in Uruguay so we got to work. Our first point of contact was Claudia, who had dealt with cancer herself in the past. The other an acquaintance who has an amazing network herself.

Claudia got back to us straight away. It had been 10 years since she had been in the market for a wig herself so she put us in touch with a friend. This friend provided the contacts of two wig makers.

Georgina took a little longer to get back to us. When she did, she forwarded us a message from her friend who said to absolutely not use one of the wig makers who had coincidentally been mentioned by Claudia’s friend. She had used him herself and that his wigs prickled, were ill-fitting–slipping from side to side–and that after a day using them, you ended up “looking like a loca“.

This was something totally new on the Uruguayan market

Instead she had a much more interesting recommendation. Her former hairdresser has just moved full-time into creating hair prosthesis, or custom-made wigs specifically designed for patients who have lost their hair as a result of medical conditions or treatments. The hairpiece is essentially glued onto the head using silicon. So the wig goes on and stays on–unless you want to take it off. You can even jump in the shower and wash the hair as if it’s your own.

This was something totally new on the Uruguayan market. Angela would never have found out about this through a web search.

A few days later I received a photo. Angela had gone to get her hair shaved off and the prosthesis fitted. She looked absolutely beautiful. She said the prosthesis was so comfortable that, as an athletic person who also bikes a lot using a helmet, she decided to have another made. So she had “one for exercising and one for the rest of the time”. Several weeks later she sent me an update. She had been out running and when she got home, she looked in the mirror and found herself saying to herself, “I look just like I always do” 😍

This was certainly some bespoke assistance I will never forget and it warms my heart just to think about it.

Can Guru’Guay help you?

Living in a new country is not easy. It takes time to form a network and it’s more difficult when you don’t speak the language. Sometimes the problems to be solved are nice ones 😁 like these…

“I am spending a good deal of time in Montevideo in Uruguay while I maintain my business in the USA. I enjoy playing golf and am uncertain about the protocol for playing golf at or becoming a member of [club]. My Spanish is weak and I could have my PGA professional contact them to play on a one time basis but I am interested in something more regular. I am looking for some “no name” advice.”

The happy outcome: The client and his son are now members of their desired club.

“I am an instrument rated pilot and I fly small planes on a regular basis. I try to stay “current” and would be interested in flying in Uruguay but I am not sure they have a well developed civil aviation industry. I would be interested in flying with an instructor and learn more about how general aviation works in Uruguay. Can you help make an introduction and inquiry here?”

Another happy outcome:  The client is happily flying at two of Uruguay’s most reputable flying schools—one at the international airport and the other in the countryside. Two very different experiences. His instructors all speak great English.