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Please tell me about the DOMINICAN REP. compared to Latin Am

 
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wildnfree



Joined: 14 Jun 2005
Posts: 134

PostPosted: Sat Jun 18, 2005 2:59 am    Post subject: Please tell me about the DOMINICAN REP. compared to Latin Am Reply with quote

Hi

I have wanted to go and live in the DR for sometime now (mainly cause of the ease of getting citizenship!). But I have to ask, how 'bad' is it really? I have heard so many horror stories of rejection, ripp offs ect. And of course there are plenty of happy stories, too! But in general, is life in the Republic significantly different from LA? Is DR a hit or a miss?

Thanks!
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grahamb



Joined: 30 Apr 2003
Posts: 1945

PostPosted: Sat Jun 18, 2005 5:51 pm    Post subject: DR Reply with quote

The DR is part of Latin America.
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Alitas



Joined: 19 May 2003
Posts: 187
Location: Maine

PostPosted: Mon Aug 01, 2005 8:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I can't answer your question with any depth, since I am only a visitor to the DR and not a resident, and my only point of comparison is Venezuela. But generally, within my experience, life is more laid-back in the DR. It's essential to have your wits about you in any place. You won't become rich in the DR and you need to be careful about whom you trust. There are a lot of people who have made the DR their home after a lot of research. I suggest http://www.dr1.com/forums; do a search and post your questions. Good luck.
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periodista-masajista



Joined: 13 Jun 2005
Posts: 54
Location: Texas, USA

PostPosted: Sat Jul 22, 2006 7:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The above posts are old, so perhaps no one's reading any more. I worked in the DR during 2000-2001, not as a teacher, but as a massage therapist at a resort.

I loved the country, but my experience of it was skewed because I was at a resort and only got out as much as my work schedule allowed, which wasn't much.

The DR is a third world country, and I mean no disrespect; it just is. I taught ESL in Mexico in 2005 and the difference between Mexico and the DR is as dramatic as the difference between US and Mexico.

It's a great place but if you're North American, the different philosophies about race and gender are profound. I won't say that the DR views on race or gender are better or worse; it's just a different world. Well, maybe the gender situation is worse...I try to be a feminist man when it comes to gender stuff and the DR is very traditional on gender roles, so that part was a challenge for me. As far as race goes, it is the most African of the Latin American diaspora. The Afro-Hispanic thing is very different from the Indio-Hispanic thing you find outside the Caribbean, as you'd expect.

I miss the DR but don't know if I'll ever go back...time and money is tight and there are so many places I haven't been. But bless you, DR...you were a good place. Some only know you as a place of crowded discos and merengue, but I still hear the fishermen playing bachata on a lonely beach...
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I dream of teaching



Joined: 12 Sep 2006
Posts: 12

PostPosted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 8:34 pm    Post subject: the D.R is Great!! Reply with quote

Yes, this is an old post, but I assume people still scroll past and read, so I must stick-up for my favourite South American country! My husband and I travel, with our small daughter, to the D.R a couple of times a year adn have had nothing but positive and pleasant experiences. Yes, the D.r. is a poor country, but it is safe and clean...and very cheap! A dinner for our family of 3, including appatizers, wine and dessert costs about $25, american cigarettes are $1 US a pack and accomodation is $750 US/month for a 2 bedroom oceanview condo. The people are very trustworthy and the city is safe...as in any country, you learn where the 'rougher' parts are and you dont go there!
We traveled to Mexico this past winter and hated it compared to the D.R. Unlike the D.R. Mexico was overcrowded, expensive and we found the locals rude. We were ripped off numerous times and became very sick. We have never had any of these experiences in the D.R.
Although I have not yet taught in the D.R. (I plan to next year), a fiend of mine has been teaching primary there in an International school and loves it! She has even married a Dominican man, bought a home and plans to stay in the D.R.
So, in my opinion the D.R is a great place to travel, live or work!
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Tiger Beer



Joined: 08 Feb 2003
Posts: 778
Location: Hong Kong

PostPosted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 9:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just spent four days in Santo Domingo/Boca Chica last month.

Years ago, I spent 10 months in South America.

Dominican Republic felt quite a bit different. They speak Spanish, but there is a strong Carribbean element that makes it quite a bit different.

I found to feel much safer and look much cleaner than most anywhere I went in South America. The people also have (to me) a very exotic different look. Mostly blacks and whites who have mixed extensively giving sometimes extremely attractive features.

If it the Dominican Republic reminded me of anywhere, it would be Brazil. Even the artwork. Also, in that it is very beach-accessable and beach-oriented.

I can't wait to get back to the Dominican Republic again someday. Hopefully soon.
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slas7713



Joined: 10 Apr 2005
Posts: 19
Location: Oklahoma

PostPosted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 9:11 pm    Post subject: I love it too Reply with quote

I ended up in the DR on a sailboat and never made it past there. That's the story with many of the boaters who, like me, fell in love with the country and people and stayed. I lived there for about a year. During that time I went in on a small business and also taught English at the local language school in Luperon. Conditions were rough and the kids unruly. I did it more to contribute and less for the money, which was only a couple of hundred pesos a week, or around $6.00 US. It helped me get to know the people and also gave me a crash course in the Spanish language. It's been over two years since I've been back in the states but I'm constantly looking for ways to get back. I go back at least two to three times a year to catch up.

Steve L
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periodista-masajista



Joined: 13 Jun 2005
Posts: 54
Location: Texas, USA

PostPosted: Tue May 29, 2007 10:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I was at Punta Cana just as developers were just beginning the process of tearing the place apart. I know that it's good to have more jobs, but I'm glad I got to see the place while that part of the island was still semi-unheard-of.

I wish I'd had the time to go to Puerta Plata and environs.

Whenever I'm "homesick" for the DR, I read Julia Alvarez...
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