Aside from a language barrier which hindered explanations, there was some confusion about the size and shape of the world and where False Bluff was in it. Or where Bluefields was, or Managua, or Kukra Hill - to say nothing of Richmond, Virginia, USA, or Canada, or Germany. And distances were a mystery.
So a world map from Barnes and Noble got a coat of polyurethane and was then attached to a wall in the kitchen like wallpaper.
It's been instructive and helpful.