Do you regret moving to the Dominican Republic?

Do you regret moving to the Dominican Republic?

  • Total voters
    86
CG

CG

Bronze
Sep 16, 2004
987
147
63
1. From what country did you moved to the DR?
FRANCE

2. How long have you been living in the DR?
12+ yrs

3. How do you cope with the weather?
No issues, it's tropical, it's the Caribbean..

4. How did you became used to (or incoporated into your diet) typical Dominican food?
Tried everything at first, have scaled down a lot as its all the same everywhere Eat fish, fresh fish can never be too bad..
It helps if you know how to cook..

5. (For non-Spanish speakers) How do you manage without speaking Spanish?
Fine but learned quickly that 'STUFF/EVERYTHING IN FACT' was slightly less expensive as a gringo when one spoke some Dominican spanish..

6. Was getting used to local driving habits easy or hard? How did you cope with it?
Kinda stressy at 1'st.. Bought a big truck and drove like them, (touch wood), no major issues to date..

7. IT'S ALL BEEN GREAT !!!!!
 
keepcoming

keepcoming

Moderator - Living & General Stuff
May 25, 2011
4,793
2,558
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Some days I regret it and other days it is all good... My regret (if it can be considered that) was buying our place in Santo Domingo. Living in the Capital is losing its appeal. We have been talking for awhile about moving to the East Coast, even tossed around the North Coast. Selling as mentioned is not easy, but lesson learned.
 
M

Meemselle

Just A Few Words
Oct 27, 2014
2,845
389
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cobraboy said:
Agree on guandules.

Not a huge fan of yuca or platano (love maduros, though.) Tayota is something I pass on unless that's the only veggie offered.
Click to expand...

Oy! I love guandules! My friend in Los Castillos makes a sort of dirty-rice thing with guandules to which I am devoted. And my ama de llaves makes THE most amazing Dominican dish that's sort of like shepherd's pie, but with mashed yucca on top. I think she calls it a pastelito? Anyway, it's to put a bullet.

I am a HUGE platanos fan. And tayota is sort of like the mushroom of Hispaniola. It tastes like whatever you put it in. J'adore it in chicken soup, or cholent, (most of you probably don't know from cholent. I apologize. If you have questions, google it. I'm trying to stay semi- on topic) or as part of the veg in a huge cous-cous or Persian rice event, or as a roasted vegetable side with roast chicken.

I'll eat mangu. But I have to share it with 2 other people, bc a little mangu goes a long way. I am devoted to the vinegar onions on top, however.
 
C

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
17,850
982
113
The pie is a pastel?n. The rice with pigeon peas is moro de guandules, often made with coconut milk.

I will have to give tayotas a second chance. :)

My mother only visited once, and 15 years on she still raves about the moro de habichuelas negras she ate at my sister in law's.
I haven't managed to reproduce it for her at home, partly because of the type of rice and the cilantro ancho.
 
L

LindseyKaufman

Silver
Aug 21, 2007
3,069
2,042
113
Do I regret moving here?

On the contrary. Every single morning I wake up and thank the powers that be that I am fortunate to be here.


1. From what country did you moved to the DR?

U.S., but lived in Ghana 6 years prior to being here

2. How long have you been living in the DR?

10 - 11 years

3. How do you cope with the weather?

naps after lunch for 30 - 45 minutes. Air cond. at night. I have allergies.

4. How did you became used to (or incoporated into your diet) typical Dominican food?

Like Dominican food, but could not eat it as a daily staple.

5. (For non-Spanish speakers) How do you manage without speaking Spanish?

Speak Spanish well enough to teach children in the language. Learned on the street, with some self teaching and a few lessons last year for verb tenses.

6. Was getting used to local driving habits easy or hard? How did you cope with it?

After Ghana, it was easy.

I am embedded in the Dominican culture, since that is my work. The love that exists here among Dominican family and friends is precious. Those deep connections are becoming extinct in the American culture as the value of materialism supercedes the simple life, families, and love (not romantic love.) I worry that as the Dominican Republic develops and the world becomes more global, that this beautiful culture will succumb to the traps of materialism, causing the values that make Dominicans and the Dominican Republic so precious to fall away.

I hope this doesn't happen in my lifetime. I know it is beginning now. That is why I have taken to the mountains for my work. It will be slower to take hold there.

Lindsey
 
D

Ducadista

Member
Nov 7, 2011
175
0
16
Valeu Cara!
1. US of A, via the great southern state of Georgia.

2. 1 yr.

3. Sun block, AC, lots of water.

4. Grew up with it.

5. NA

6. It was extremely hard at the beginning, but having driven all over the world, I just let the jack a@@(guy) cut in front of me, its better than getting hit by a bondo filled concho.

No regrets yet, just have to adapt and over come.

My two cents......
 
M

Meemselle

Just A Few Words
Oct 27, 2014
2,845
389
83
Derfish said:
84.5 percent of those polled said it hurt like hell and they didn't want to be poled again!
Click to expand...

I definitely understand not wishing to be poled. It must hurt like hell, depending into which orifice the pole goes. Or the Pole....a Pole with a pole....

And I also agree about not wanting to be polled.

Sorry. I could not resist. The pole/poll joke was simply too irresistable. Der Fish, you know I <3 you.
 
M

Meemselle

Just A Few Words
Oct 27, 2014
2,845
389
83
This is one of the funniest wordplay pages ever on this site. I am enjoying it immensely.

It has also given me an overwhelming craving for Polish food. My mother's last husband was Polish, and oy! could he cook it up. We were not such big fans of the food, actually, but we loved Antush, and would gobble up his Polish offerings with gusto, bc we loved him. I do freely admit that my stuffed cabbage improved.

At this point,merge with Polish food on the beach thread.
 
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S

Sylvie Chartier

New member
Jan 14, 2015
23
0
0
1. Quebec

2. 1.5 years

3. Love it even if I spend1/3 of it completely soaked cause Hey... I don't have to shovel snow or start the car at -30

4. I don't eat typical Dominican food but love the fresh fruits and veggies

5. I'm getting there slowly but surely

6. I was driving a passola last year, had a little mishap, 3 days in hospital and 11 fractures... Driving in the DR? NEVER AGAIN
 
D

DRDone

Member
Sep 29, 2014
293
2
18
I'm an absolutely, although I have left.
I was OK with all the questions you're asking, I even liked the food, which doesn't seem that popular, although could do without the parasites. But these are all superficial. The problem I had was with the culture and people. I just found no honesty, sincerity, competence or ability with any of the locals I dealt with, and I dealt with a lot of them.
If you want to be in a culture where no honest discourse can be had and you are a mark for every hustler (which is pretty much everyone), than this would be paradise.
Then the question becomes comparing it to life back where you are from. If you are struggling back in your homeland living paycheck to paycheck, then maybe the higher standard of living in a beautiful climate is worth it. Also maybe you would get more respect than you could in a more educated society with people thinking you are an expert on topics you know nothing about. It makes for some funny stories, but also too many horrific stories. They are more funny after you've left.
I'm guessing I know people that answered No, but all they do with other locals that have been there for a while is complain about the place. Of course when you first meet them, they say how wonderful everything is.
Let's just put it this way, it's not for everyone.
 
R

rfp

Gold
Jul 5, 2010
1,402
137
63
I agree... if you are a total loser in the US you can live here at a higher level. The island is beautiful and despite moving back we often talk about the fun stuff, ie lots of free time, country club, day drinking, domestic help etc... It is fools gold though when you can not even trust your own family, people are ignorant about anything other than making money (at high level of society) and even if your place is nice enough and up to American standards you cant go for family walks without packing a weapon and having a guard. What I enjoy about America is the honesty of the people and the safety. My wife (white anglo saxon ) has dropped her game as well since she doesn't have to compete with young firm Dominicans .
 
Garyexpat

Garyexpat

Bronze
Sep 7, 2012
2,107
743
113
I am from the states.
Been here over 10 years now. (wow does time fly)
No snow to shovel, I am good.
I eat very little fried foods from any country. I pretty much eat it all minus Mondongo and Arranque (I wouldn't feed either of them to my worst enemy).
My high school Spanish teachers would be shocked. I have lived most of my time here outside of tourist areas where you either speak the language or struggle to get by. I only wish I could shed my gringo accent.
I have a large truck and often times, I am tempted to run into/over other drivers. Thus far I have been able to refrain from doing so. It is the ignorance of Dominican drivers that makes me go insane.
I don't regret moving here at all. However, if my son didn't come with me 10 years ago and get married to a lovely, smart Dominican girl, and have 2 children, I may have left for Colombia a year or so ago.
I do NOT like the fact that my country of origin has so much sway here.
 
bob saunders

bob saunders

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
32,580
6,005
113
dr1.com
The Dominican Republic is a great place as long as you don't have to deal with government officials. The frustration and lies would drive a saint crazy. After a year of the immigration/police telling me that my INTERPOL report will be complete any day, my wife finally talked to a higher up to told her Canada doesn't respond to their request and for me to get the police report/good conduct letter myself. All garbage as I contacted the RCMP in Ottawa and they told me they routinely process requests from the Dominican Republic government but hadn't received one regarding me. If I had know that they had screwed up and I needed to do it myself I would have done so on one of my two trips to Canada. Now I have to do it long distance which is more complicated and more expensive. Ah....the price of paradise.
 
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