DR1 = How many Dominican residents

[Criss Colon]

The problem is the "OP" should not use "Normal",but "Average".
As far as advantages to DR residency,only one I can think of,you don't have to pay $10 at the airport,coming and going.
That "JOB" statement is wrong.
I worked here for the DR government for 10 years with no "Papers"!
Most of the time as an "Illegal",by overstaying my tourist visa.
The government wants us here,legal or not!
If you are spending $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ you are welcome.
That comment about your insurance not covering you is you have an accident,is also not true.
I asked the costs of "Residenc",and DR Citizenship, about a month ago at the "Guzman Ariza" law offices in SD.
$1,500 for residency,$4.500 for citizen,thats US Dollars.
I passed!
After 17 years,and 4 raising 4 kids,WHY!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

 

[Tom F.]

Your expertise on the DR should be measured by how many times a week you eat some sort of rice and beans, moro or locrio.

 

[dv8]

what's rice got to do with it? been here 6 years and never ate rice, moro or locrio.

 

[belgiank]

Your expertise on the DR should be measured by how many times a week you eat some sort of rice and beans, moro or locrio.

I eat lots of rice, beans and such. I love Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese cooking...

BelgianK

 

[expatsooner]

I joined the board while we were living in the DR. We stayed and worked and raised our family in the DR for 9 years because it was such a great place to have young kids. We had a super nanny that we hired our 2nd day on the island that was with us all 9 years. Once the kids got older then we wanted to see a new part of the world and moved on but I still am in touch with my very good Dominican friends and students from those 9 years and my son was born there so I have a portable Dominican.

 

[pularvik]

Without residency and a cedula, once you have been in the country for 90 days you are essentially in the country illegally. No one will bother you about this,- but if you get in ANY legal problems, like an auto accident , dispute with neighbors etc. then the fact that you are here illegally will really matter. You need a cedula to get a DR drivers license. I look upon getting the residency and cedula as an insurance policy, costly and emotionally taxing, but I can sleep nights. It's also a commitment to the country that I live in. And I think the last sentence is the most important in this line of thought.

 

[william webster]

Without residency and a cedula, once you have been in the country for 90 days you are essentially in the country illegally. No one will bother you about this,- but if you get in ANY legal problems, like an auto accident , dispute with neighbors etc. then the fact that you are here illegally will really matter. You need a cedula to get a DR drivers license. I look upon getting the residency and cedula as an insurance policy, costly and emotionally taxing, but I can sleep nights. It's also a commitment to the country that I live in. And I think the last sentence is the most important in this line of thought.

It really isn't that costly or is it emotionally taxing.

You are absolutely correct about the comfort level - how could one live otherwise for an extended period here? (Many do exactly that)

The insurance policy is the right way to look at it...... and insurance is always one of the most expensive, underused products that people buy.

You simply pay the lawyer - or do it yourself - and get all of it........ residency, cedula, driver's licence.
The lawyer is only needed for the first two.

This year, I renewed the residency 'solo'.... after reading up on it here on DR1.

 

[CocoBoy]

Considering the Source

Just curious, how many contributing members of DR1 are actually residents of the DR, or living in the DR. welcoming any estimates.....

If the Op is simply asking how many of the contributing members who post regularly on the board actually live in the country (nothing to do with legal resident status), this is an interesting point. Different levels of knowledge are attained as a result of a variety of actual experience. Those that have no more than limited vacation experience have little knowledge and up through the ranks to those who reside here full time and have the greatest number of years with a wealth of knowledge. I have often thought that it would be helpful for those readers truly uninitiated to the DR to have someway of knowing how experienced and knowledgeable the person posting truly is.

It is not uncommon to see posts with advice on specific topics from people not residing here and with little actual experience and knowledge. Even though some of us can pick that up and realize to consider the source(s), newbies sometimes take those posts which are only the OP's opinion based on little or no experience as the gospel truth. Hopefully forum readers are more intelligent than to take an anonymous person's advice on important issues, but I ve seen it happen and it is unfortunate. It kind of makes me cringe every time I see someone who admittedly is living in North America, Europe or elsewhere at the time posting as an expert on Dominican Republic issues. Why they feel so inclined is difficult for me to understand unless it is for their own self-gratification.

 

[Dolores1]

Likewise it is important to note that many times a tourist or a new resident will have researched the DR more thoroughly and know many things that a long time resident, who may take things for granted, has not bothered to find out.

 

[CocoBoy]

Likewise it is important to note that many times a tourist or a new resident will have researched the DR more thoroughly and know many things that a long time resident, who may take things for granted, has not bothered to find out.

I am well educated and feel I could research Thailand and living in Thailand all I wanted and not know as much about it as someone who actually lived there. On the ground experience is invaluable. Before moving here, I read and researched and read some more. Thought I knew quite a bit about some issues and I did. My true learning started after arriving on a one way ticket and actually living here.

 

[Dolores1]

I am well educated and feel I could research Thailand and living in Thailand all I wanted and not know as much about it as someone who actually lived there. On the ground experience is invaluable. Before moving here, I read and researched and read some more. Thought I knew quite a bit about some issues and I did. My true learning started after arriving on a one way ticket and actually living here.

Yes, but we are talking about people who have lived here for some time and thus make their comments based on their experience with living here, even though it has not been all their life. I know many fellow Dominicans who barely know their own country.

To tell a short recent anecdote...

My son was asked to host the Swiss guest of his best friend. They had already seen the Colonial City. He asked me where to take the girl. I suggested the Botanical Gardens that he knew well because his grade school took him on severla school visits.

Well... my son organized a group of his friends -- students at Unibe, which is what you would call the affluent university here -- and believe it or not, of the five in the group only one had been to the Botanical Gardens, and that was when he was a small kid. My son commented it was a wonderful experience because the Dominicans got to visit the Botanical Gardens, too. May I mention that one of the girls in the group is the daughter of the owner of the company that makes the tourism commercials for the DR (that in my opinion are the best ever).

May I also add, that most of the young adults that so frequently visit la Zona (the Colonial City) could not identify what the monuments down there were in the past, probably with the exception of the Alcazar, the Cathedral and the Columbus Park.

Why these two cases are possible... life is good here and people get their fill just with socializing, but they do appreciate when they discover more about their surroundings.

The point is that there are people who are observers and find out things and enjoy sharing them, regardless of whether they are foreigners or have lived here for all of their lives. Just look at the success of TripAdvisor, full of observations from foreign short-time tourists.

What is important is the aggregation of the comments, so there are details posted here and there, from different view points and experiences.

 

[william webster]

:lick CoCo.. #31 about posting from 'Off-Island'

I cannot speak for everybody but many posters/members are 'full time - part time' residents.
Me, as an example.

I have all the residency papers and live here between 5-6 months yearly.
This is where we keep our pets and spend the most time.

The balance of the year is spent in different places - elsewhere.

As you can tell from the responses in many cases, RD is not an easy place to live full time. Along with its positives, it carries many negatives.
I think it was CobraBoy who commented , a few years ago, that the very things that attracted you at the start, were the things that can irritate you later on.

At first the total freedom, lack of regulations/authority, the "Wild West" feeling was exhilarating and fun.
After a while, that lack of structure can become annoying - can even become your enemy.

Power outages - who can you call?
Water turned off - igual
Robbers - you could be on your own... call who ,when? .... If the phone works

The list can pretty long.

And yet, many of us are still here.
We don't argue with the system - thats a ticket to the asylum.......... just roll with it.
Its the Dominican way - fix it with a piece of goma, somehow it all works.

Anyway, I digress.

The point is that some people need to have 'another life' and retreat to it to regroup.
Others have obligations elsewhere..... jobs and such ( UGH!!)

Nobody is abandoning the country, we all return.... from where the post originates is irrelevant.

Some are married to RD citizens but live elsewhere -- these are the ones who REALLY can contribute --- and they often do it from another country. Valuable stuff.

I think your idea of identifying the status of the advisor to evaluate the advice is the most sound suggestion I have ever heard here.
Whether the "Wizards" will take it to heart is another matter. ( See 'rolling w/ it' comment above)

Anyway, keep reading and posting and enjoy the ride.

In spite of appearances, all of us here do enjoy it .... most days :smoke:

 

[Tom F.]

I eat lots of rice, beans and such. I love Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese cooking...

BelgianK

I guess dry humor doesn't translate well on the internet. But, if you have a Dominican spouse, rice and beans (or the bandera if you add some meat and salad) is mandatory. When the nieces and nephews go off to college here in the US, they really miss their mother's (sometimes father's) cooking. I have lived in the DR for 2 years, 2 different times and because I am embedded in the Dominican community here is NY/NJ, sometimes I feel like I never left.

 

[CocoBoy]

@w w #36

I am really not talking about where physically the post originates, of course that doesn't matter. The issue I have attempted to raise is that there are some, who lack true on in country experience about issues that they post about like experts. That's all. Some of them are obvious, some not so much.

Despite a newer account, I have resided here full time for 7 years and still enjoy it very much.

Still love "the total freedom, lack of regulations/authority, the "Wild West" feeling was exhilarating and fun."

Power outages - never w/o power, triple redundancy works miracles for that
Water turned off - our own well, always with power equals never w/o water
Robbers - living properly and our layers of security have prevented any run ins with ladrones so far

Definitely not for everyone, but for us a great fit.

I just feel and have felt that frequently there is a significant gap between the level of experience and knowledge a poster may possess and the level of significance that may be afforded the post by inexperienced readers.

 

[Tom F.]

I don't really worry about that knowing CC and Hillbilly are on the board. They can see through just about anything and can keep those who need it, in order. I have been checking this message board since whenever it started I think. It was fun in the old days with Onions and Carrots and Golo (had another tag at one point but can't remember it). At some point I felt less and less comfortable posting due to others being so critical of almost anything that was said. I am still looking to get to 500 posts so I can enter that special place on DR1. I just find that, if I don't have anything to significantly add to a discussion, I watch and often laugh. I often start typing and stop due not wanting to put myself out there too much. I use the site mostly to keep up with what is going on in the DR because I can't be there right now.

 

[william webster]

@w w #36

I am really not talking about where physically the post originates, of course that doesn't matter. The issue I have attempted to raise is that there are some, who lack true on in country experience about issues that they post about like experts. That's all. Some of them are obvious, some not so much.
I can agree with that, easily

Despite a newer account, I have resided here full time for 7 years and still enjoy it very much.
Good for you, I didn't know that

Still love "the total freedom, lack of regulations/authority, the "Wild West" feeling was exhilarating and fun."
So do I... my wife , not so much

Power outages - never w/o power, triple redundancy works miracles for that
Water turned off - our own well, always with power equals never w/o water
Robbers - living properly and our layers of security have prevented any run ins with ladrones so far
Igual aqui, totally solar, well water and good people on the property......... it ain't that hard

Definitely not for everyone, but for us a great fit.

I just feel and have felt that frequently there is a significant gap between the level of experience and knowledge a poster may possess and the level of significance that may be afforded the post by inexperienced readers.

Agree again, I hope somebody can figure out out a way to'qualify' comments but it strikes me as an impossible task. Life may just continue as it does.

I hope somebody reads our posts here and benefits from them.

Personally, I have benefited immensely from things learned here and ,often, I try to give back when I can -- at least I try when I don't get misled by a few of the more colorful posters here. !!!

 

[jessm]

well i am one that is actually living here in santo domingo and if i can help you with anything you can contact me at

emails are not allowed on DR1, please click on the posted name and send a personal message.
DR1 will not take any responsibity for garbage emails sent to your inbox

 

[frank recktenwald]

well i am one that is actually living here in santo domingo and if i can help you with anything you can contact me at

He's back!!!!!!!!!!

 

[jrmirador@alumni.iu.edu]

He's back!!!!!!!!!!

I thought it was: They're back!!!!!!!!! ; ))