Adjusting to life outside the DR.

AnnaC

Gold
Jan 2, 2002
16,050
418
83
I read in one of the threads about the difficulties of adjusting when Dominicans move to another country. I think it might be helpful to others if we can get some insight to the problems of adjusting to life outside the DR.

This question goes out to all Dominicans that have made the move or their spouses.

1. What surprised you the most about your new country?
2. What was the biggest adjustment?
3. What myths did you discover?
4. Was it all you hoped it would be?
5. Have you adjusted to the cold weather ( if you moved to a cold climate)
6. Knowing what you know now, was the move a wise choice?
 

suarezn

Gold
Feb 3, 2002
5,823
290
0
55
Anna Coniglio said:
I read in one of the threads about the difficulties of adjusting when Dominicans move to another country. I think it might be helpful to others if we can get some insight to the problems of adjusting to life outside the DR.

This question goes out to all Dominicans that have made the move or their spouses.

1. What surprised you the most about your new country?
2. What was the biggest adjustment?
3. What myths did you discover?
4. Was it all you hoped it would be?
5. Have you adjusted to the cold weather ( if you moved to a cold climate)
6. Knowing what you know now, was the move a wise choice?

1. Before I came here, my idea of The US was of cities like NY, Miami, etc...I think I really had no idea that most of the population in The US is rural in nature and there are tons of very small little towns, including the one I live in now.
2. All the laws here (can't buy beer after a cartain hour, bars close at 2:00 AM, can't drink in public, can't paint you house any color, can't drive a few miles over the limit...can't freakin' breathe...)
3. Americans don't bathe as often as Dominican (there's a little bit of truth to that, because of the weather)
4. Not really...
5. I can never adjust to the cold weather. Haven't been able to even after many years here.
6. I sometimes wonder. Financially, Yes. In other aspects, No.
 

mariel

Dominisueca
Apr 7, 2004
514
6
0
1. - their organization.
- that doctors, dentists, and some offices have "telephone times" where you can call and ask for info or book an appointment, and if you call outside those times it's highly unlikely that you'll talk to the person in question.
- that they drive with the lights on ALL the time (that's new for me at least).

2. the cold climate, and at first the food and the water.

3. don't know if it can be considered a myth, but i learnt that the nationals/locals are *very* reserved and conscious of their space (as in if they talk to you they take their distance [physically] from you).

4. as of now, yes.

5. i'm on my way hehe i actually don't know if i will ever do it, tho.

6. i'd say yes.
 
Last edited:

deelt

Bronze
Mar 23, 2004
987
2
0
While I do believe there are many adjustments regarding language, laws, educational system, advocacy, culture, etc. I don't think the real horror stories would be told here since I would venture to say that this audience is a little different than the one I often deal with, who are also the majority.

For those that brained drained out of DR, possess Eng. language skills and have validated their credentials in the US, from what I have seen, things are going very well for them. But it comes at the cost of a continued capacity loss to DR.

-D

Anna Coniglio said:
I read in one of the threads about the difficulties of adjusting when Dominicans move to another country. I think it might be helpful to others if we can get some insight to the problems of adjusting to life outside the DR.

This question goes out to all Dominicans that have made the move or their spouses.

1. What surprised you the most about your new country?
2. What was the biggest adjustment?
3. What myths did you discover?
4. Was it all you hoped it would be?
5. Have you adjusted to the cold weather ( if you moved to a cold climate)
6. Knowing what you know now, was the move a wise choice?
 

trina

Silver
Jan 3, 2002
2,550
11
0
Anna Coniglio said:
I read in one of the threads about the difficulties of adjusting when Dominicans move to another country. I think it might be helpful to others if we can get some insight to the problems of adjusting to life outside the DR.

This question goes out to all Dominicans that have made the move or their spouses.

1. What surprised you the most about your new country?
2. What was the biggest adjustment?
3. What myths did you discover?
4. Was it all you hoped it would be?
5. Have you adjusted to the cold weather ( if you moved to a cold climate)
6. Knowing what you know now, was the move a wise choice?


Here's Angel's answers:

1. That we have rice in Canada ;) (okay, that was his cousin who thought there was no rice here, but we thought it was very funny), and how massively BIG this country is!
2. In Canada, we can't go into the neighbor's house, dig through their fridge, and turn the TV on.???
3. Trina had me convinced before I moved that there was no WWF in Canada, that it was only available in the US and the DR, and I would never be able to get it on cable. It was a good two months before I found it!!!
4. Definitely, and more.
5. Yes, we just live inside the house in the winter, with the heat cranked.
6. The move was wise because there are more opportunities for my children and myself. Besides, I have the most wonderful wife in the world (okay, Trina typed that in herself :bandit: )
 
Last edited:

trina

Silver
Jan 3, 2002
2,550
11
0
Anna Coniglio said:
I love that last sentence Trina. ;)


Well, I'm positive that he would've said that if he wasn't so shy in front of all these people.
 

mondongo

Bronze
Jan 1, 2002
1,533
6
38
1. Surprised me the most:

a) I could not comprehend, even though I was only 11.5 years old, how gracious losers were. This especially applied to politics. When a candidate lost a race, he smiled and wished the winner good luck. Losers did not sabotage the winner, they lived to fight another day. This applied to many aspects of American life (Note that this may not be the case anymore in the USA).

b) American students knew very little goegraphy, math, and history.

c) Sliced bread? You call THAT bread? I very, very vividly recall my early mornings in San Juan de la Maguana...going to the bakery...I can still see the worker reaching into the stone oven and bringing out fresh bread. I might move back to the DR just to re-live this memory.

d) You call THIS watery mixture coffee? I am still not used to American coffee.
 

Nina80

New member
Oct 17, 2004
6
0
0
I wanna go back so badly!!!!

1. my surprise was to see how Dominicans that have lived here for a long time do not try that hard to help the new commers.
2.The biggest adjustment was having to start college all over again (that was because of missinformation)
3. myths..that in NY you can't see people directly in the eyes
4. I didn't have all that great expectations about this country, so nothing to hope for.
5. I haven't adjusted to the weather at all...man I can't sleep with socks on, and then my feet get cold!
6. If I had known the person I came here for better, I probably wouldn't come. But life is learning from mistakes.


I wanna go back so badly that it hurts. I miss my family, I miss my friends, I miss that camaraderie, I miss the real salami induveca ( not that **** they sell here in NY).

Sniff, Sniff....
 

Yan-Yan

New member
Sep 22, 2003
96
0
0
Hey Ana, this is a very good thread...

It wasn't my choice to leave the DR (well, maybe it was) but I was asked by the company I worked for then, to do training overseas... I've lived outside of the DR for almost 10 years but I've been moving around the islands of the Easter Caribbean and haven't lived in any of them for more than 2 years, but here is my "life outside the DR" experience:

1. What surprised you the most about your new country? It still amazes me... I can't figure out how people in these tiny little islands can afford these cars!! They have the latest of the automobile industry... Their homes may be falling apart, but a car older than 3 years is immediately changed for something newer.... The contrast with the cars in DR is unbelievable!!

2. What was the biggest adjustment? Being called "spanish"... I got sick and tired of telling these people that I'm DOMINICAN not spanish... But then they tell me : "You are NOT from Dominica." :tired: ... I've given up...

3. What myths did you discover? I had no expectations, since I had no idea how life was in these islands before I came.

4. Was it all you hoped it would be? No. Only because I thought Caribbean people were warm and friendly everywhere... I know better now...

5. Have you adjusted to the cold weather ( if you moved to a cold climate) I love the dry heat of most of the Easter Caribbean islands... Every time I go back to the DR I get knocked out by the humidity!

6. Knowing what you know now, was the move a wise choice? I've learned invaluable lessons of life in these islands and I'll cherish these experiences for ever, and I know now, that I can adapt to life anywhere!!

...But I'm happy to say that I'll be moving back home in January 2005!!! HURRAY!!!
 
Last edited: