The Secret of Santo Domingo

NALs

Economist by Profession
Jan 20, 2003
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The beauty of Santo Domingo is not something that can be easily seen. In fact, when it comes to first impressions, Santo Domingo fails miserably. Santo Domingo is not a metropolis that reveals its secrets to everyone from the start. You have to go beyond the initial shock you get as you enter into the metropolis for the first time, because the beauty of this metropolis is hidden, only reserved for those willing to take the time to truly discover and explore this metropolis.

After all, few people will deny the fantastically beautiful Plaza de Espa?a with the Alcazar de Colon on the right and the Atarazanas on the left. Few people will deny that the few kilometers that makes up Avenida George Washington (i.e. the malecon) is possibly the most beautiful seaside tropical drive in the world. Few people will deny the subdued beauty of Gazcue and few people will ever deny the elegance of the tree-lined Avenida Winston Churchill.

But, the beauty of Santo Domingo goes beyond the physical, beyond the obvious, beyond the easy to see. Santo Domingo reveals its beauty in other forms that can only be seen if they are experience. The beauty of this metropolis is found in groups of school children in their navy blue uniforms strolling through the roads towards their schools. The beauty is found in the women who enlighten the street scene with their seductive physical beauty tempting even the most loyal husband and family man. The beauty is to be found in an early morning chat with a street sentinel at a local colmado while sipping a shot of delicious Caf? Santo Domingo. The beauty is to be found in the smiles that manage to enlighten the urban landscape. The beauty is to be found in the light brown, blue, or green eyes piercing back at you on an intersection from the face of a beautiful woman staring out the window of a guagua as the bus crosses in front of you from left to right.

Santo Domingo reveals its secrets one at a time to those who are willing to accept them. Where else can you find hundreds of people in the mother of traffic jams turning up the volume of their favorite Latin music while they wait for the traffic to get moving again? Where else can you buy your entire delicious and healthy fruit based breakfast from street vendors who come right up to your car for your ?convenience?? Where else can you actually spend a genuine good time with a person you just met, all for the sake of spending a genuine good time?

Santo Domingo?s beauty goes beyond the popular side. Doing business in this city is not simply about the money, the deal, or the business itself. Business meetings quickly dissolve to personal affairs. Talking about business without talking about the family is almost considered a sin. Walking into a small store without greeting everyone who is there (employees and customers) is considered a mortal sin. Attending a fantastic theatrical performance at the Teatro Nacional while being surrounded by the affluent and powerful and yet, they seem so human and normal in person is an affinity of the other beauty of Santo Domingo.

Santo Domingo reveals itself in a surreal, if not gregarious way for those who are willing to take the time to discover it. One of the most beautiful things of this city are not even things at all, but living and breathing people. They make you wonder why you are so worried about superficial problems. Many of the people here have problems that are beyond belief, and yet, they manage to have a smile, you hear them singing and laughing the tune of merengue or bachata. You see them wearing pleasant clothing, taking care of their appearance, and trying to be as sophisticated as they can be all for the enjoyment of everybody else. Santo Domingo is a truly magical place.

Of course, the realities of Santo Domingo are as varied as the different types of human beings that inhabit this metropolis. The truth is that you will hear different people refer to Santo Domingo in contradicting and different ways, that to the person who has yet to step foot in the oldest European metropolis in the Americas it becomes a bit of a tug of war. Who should you believe? Is it paradise? Is it hell? Is it nice? Is it not nice?

The truth is that Santo Domingo is everything to everyone. It?s the most beautiful and ugliest, the richest and poorest, the most civilized and uncivilized, the cleanest and the dirties, the oldest and the most modern, the most eclectic and most boring, the most bothersome and most loveable, and certainly the most expressive of all metropolises. Santo Domingo is the embodiment of the Dominican spirit into an urban reality. Everything that you see, smell, taste, and experience in this metropolis is the Dominican Republic, the Dominican people, and the Dominican spirit in its most tangible form. Sometimes its ugly and cruel, other times its beautiful and loving, but its always Dominican.

To love Santo Domingo is to love Dominicans, to hate Santo Domingo is to hate Dominicans, but one thing is sure and that is that nobody loves and hates this city to eternity. Each feeling takes its turn, sometimes entire days you end up hating this city and then other days you simply love it. Other times its just in the morning that you hate it and by the time the evening rolls through you are loving it again. Maybe when the power cuts roll through you hate it, then you see how life simply keeps going with people acting as if nothing happen and then you end up loving it. Maybe you hate the fact that the people may be trying to depart you from your hard earned money, but then you see them laughing, dancing, and enjoying their lives that totally makes you feel wonderful and certainly grateful of being part of such a great metropolis.

This is a city of contrasts and contradiction. A city of luxury living and grinding poverty, of foreigners and locals, of modernity and antiquity, of the good and the bad. It?s a city of beautiful wide avenues lined with luxurious tropical trees, of glitzy shopping malls filled with world-class stores, a city chockfull of restaurants offering the palates of the world, and certainly a city of sophistication, culture, and glamour. This is a city that is very tropical in all its manners, but very non-tropical in other ways. It?s a city drenched in consumerism and capitalism, but there is always time for a chat and a midday siesta. This is Santo Domingo in its full glory, a city that holds some of the most life impacting and humble secrets about life and humanity and that secret is the following:

It simply does not matter. That car you worked hard to buy, that job promotion you always wanted, that bonus you desired, that vacation to Rome you dreamed about, all of that simply does not matter. Santo Domingo reminds its citizens and visitors that the only thing that matters is the human spirit and life is not what you have, but what you make of it. So many smiles amidst so many things to not be smiling about, only in a metropolis like Santo Domingo can such contradiction become true.
 

trap11

New member
May 5, 2004
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agreed :)

Disagreed with :

"malls filled with world-class stores, a city chockfull of restaurants offering the palates of the world"

There are no malls filled with world-class stores, if you of course don't count Levi's or Mango and Gas as luxury-world-class stores :))
 
May 31, 2005
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trap11 said:
Disagreed with :

"malls filled with world-class stores, a city chockfull of restaurants offering the palates of the world"

There are no malls filled with world-class stores, if you of course don't count Levi's or Mango and Gas as luxury-world-class stores :))
Oh yes there are.
 

Yari

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Aug 18, 2005
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Nal0whs said:
The beauty of Santo Domingo is not something that can be easily seen....

Wow, I swear that you make me feel like I should be in santo domingo like RIGHT NOW. I seem to be smitten by a lot of what you write in these threads. I think I read that you are dominicano, if so, it is soooooo nice to hear one that is intelligent & well spoken. I am from Providence RI. tons of dominicans but most are ignorant womanizers, unfortunately :(. where have you been all my life ;)?

yari,
longing to be in santo domingo right about now..
 

suarezn

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Feb 3, 2002
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Nals: I guess today was one of those days you woke up loving it...Must have had some real nice piece last night..LOL.

Great post BTW!!!
 

miguel

I didn't last long...
Jul 2, 2003
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No surprise!

As I have been saying for many moons now, Nal0whs is DA MAN!.

trap11:

Are you kidding us or are you "peeing on our legs and telling us that it's raining"?.

l.w.f.t.h.
 
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dulce

Silver
Jan 1, 2002
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Great Post Nals!
I had my first apartment in SD and the Dominican people were the most important factor for why I loved the city. Everywhere I went Dominicans helped me learn more Spanish. The owners of the little grocery store, their delivery boys,the attendant at the laundymat,the pharmacy,banks,malls,FedEx,the security guard at the private scool across the street from my apartment and most important of all the family that I rented my apartment from. I felt very welcomed in SD and am greatful that I had the opportunity to live there. Now you have me homesick for my second home. Thanks for the memories
 

jruane44

Bronze
Jul 2, 2004
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A, A
Nals that was by far the best post I've seen written on this board. I guess all that hard work in school paid off.
 

RonS

Bronze
Oct 18, 2004
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AMEN! Thanks Nals!

I just returned from the DR and spent five days in the capitol. I've visited there eight times in the last two years, but this time, I returned after visiting Costa Rica. I could not help but make the inevitable comparisons. As much as can be said of the wonderful environment and apparent better governance of CR, the DR and SD are precisely as Nals has described. If you tap into the heart and soul of SD you'll never want to leave. No doubt I will spend some more time in CR's wonderful rainforests, but, my heart is in SD and I look forward to returning as often as I can.

Thanks again for a great post!
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
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Good one Nals: nicely written and from the heart. It should go somewhere with a longer life than a forum thread.
 

Willie

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Sep 30, 2004
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Well said Nals.

It is refreshing to read a post about the DR and its people that did not involve bashing, name calling and other derogatory remarks. It would seem as though many of these expats and newly minted residents forget that they are guests in the country and that the very things they always complain about are the things they sought to exploit in the first place.

If the DR was like St Barts or the Cayman Islands I bet you that AZB and those who think like him would not be there.

You very well described what the DR is all about.

Willie
 

Criss Colon

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Jan 2, 2002
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What A GIANT LOAD Of CRAP!!!!!!!

Sure all that things can be found in Santo Domingo,but they are all "superficial"! You don't have to scatch deeply to find the "cancer".Even "Leonel" said last week that the DR is in "Caos" and nearly "Un-governable".
Your view is part of your problem,not part of your solution!
Until Dominicans themselves start to recognize the deep rooted problems in their own society,thing will remain as they are,no:Government,education,healthcare,security,infra-structure,economic future for 90% of the population.
If there were any "Dominicans" on the "Titanic",I can gaurentee you that they were dancing,singing,eating,playing dominos,and "screwing",until the water was over their heads!!
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AZB

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
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Criss Colon said:
Sure all that things can be found in Santo Domingo,but they are all "superficial"! You don't have to scatch deeply to find the "cancer".Even "Leonel" said last week that the DR is in "Caos" and nearly "Un-governable".
Your view is part of your problem,not part of your solution!
Until Dominicans themselves start to recognize the deep rooted problems in their own society,thing will remain as they are,no:Government,education,healthcare,security,infra-structure,economic future for 90% of the population.
If there were any "Dominicans" on the "Titanic",I can gaurentee you that they were dancing,singing,eating,playing dominos,and "screwing",until the water was over their heads!!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
One man's paradise = another man's hell.
Perfect example of how people see things differently.
nal, keep up the good work. I love reading your posts.
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
17,850
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In defence of Nals, although he is more than able to fight his own corner!

CC - although the post focuses on the positive, it does not deny the negatives. It is possible to eulogise while still being aware of the DR's shortcomings.
 

Willie

New member
Sep 30, 2004
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I have no problem with anyone objectively discussing or focusing on the many problems of the DR. I have no problem with anyone discussing a particular type of behavior.

My problem is with those who constantly bash certain segments of the society, using derogatory names as if the persons were responsible for their condition and could very well do something about it. Poverty, lack of education, limited opportunity are very powerful forces. It is very easy for those of the privileged class to look down their noses at the underpriveleged.

In many cases these privileged ones helped to create and perpetuate the problem.

Willie
 

linamia

"an unexamined life is not worth living"
Jan 2, 2002
592
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www.pascual5designs.com
Criss Colon said:
If there were any "Dominicans" on the "Titanic",I can gaurentee you that they were dancing,singing,eating,playing dominos,and "screwing",until the water was over their heads!!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC


AHHHHHH but what a nice way to go. I would think you would want to die as you have lived CC. Wouldn't you want to go while having one of your many young thangs. ;)

Since you can pinpoint the problems so well, throw in a couple suggestions from time to time.

Awaiting your suggesions
Lina
 

Narcosis

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Dec 18, 2003
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You must have one hell of a hard-on for Nals

Criss Colon said:
Sure all that things can be found in Santo Domingo,but they are all "superficial"! You don't have to scatch deeply to find the "cancer".Even "Leonel" said last week that the DR is in "Caos" and nearly "Un-governable".
Your view is part of your problem,not part of your solution!
Until Dominicans themselves start to recognize the deep rooted problems in their own society,thing will remain as they are,no:Government,education,healthcare,security,infra-structure,economic future for 90% of the population.
If there were any "Dominicans" on the "Titanic",I can gaurentee you that they were dancing,singing,eating,playing dominos,and "screwing",until the water was over their heads!!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

I guess your mom never taught you the difference between people laughing "WITH" you as opposed to "AT" you..Nice try though for the N'th time at poking fun at Nals.

To those of you who actually think CC's baited breath is at our own expense..get over it, I guess you don't realize what a natural target he really is...Humm Freud had an explanation for this type of behavior..forgetaboutit..

As far as being part of the problem, as opposed to being part of the solution? Are you kidding...The last thing we need is more whore patronizing in this city, maybe thats it, you feel your entitled to a medal? ;)

Good job Nals, Like an old friend of mine used to say, "Gasque es arte", lets hope more and more people become aware of this.
 

Yari

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Aug 18, 2005
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totally agree with ya

It kills me when those who heve been less fortunate in this life are talked about or looked down upon by middle & upper class people...Even those dom york chopos that you all so oftenly bash are just victims of their ignorance. not only are they victims to poverty in dr but also most definately to poverty in the US because not for nothing its harder to live like a king out here.

Willie said:
I have no problem with anyone objectively discussing or focusing on the many problems of the DR. I have no problem with anyone discussing a particular type of behavior.

My problem is with those who constantly bash certain segments of the society, using derogatory names as if the persons were responsible for their condition and could very well do something about it. Poverty, lack of education, limited opportunity are very powerful forces. It is very easy for those of the privileged class to look down their noses at the underpriveleged.

In many cases these privileged ones helped to create and perpetuate the problem.

Willie
 
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