The Current Expat Mood is ...

IamZon

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Sep 22, 2012
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Well, in the US, days after the Presidential election, the mood of the country is ... like living in a slow motion movie that is made up of sepia tones. Whether this is just me, or whether it is a short term effect remains to be seen.

However, as I have read DR1, it is hard not to notice a similar depression in most threads - a general things are getting worse, not better mood. But, this is not limited to the DR! I get the same thing from my friends in Colombia, and Panama too. Prices are raising, government / corruption is more expansive. In many cases, security is beginning to be an issue too.

So I ask you here: What is your current views on the DR?
- Although not dirt cheap, is the standard of living equal / better than what you would have in the USA dollar for dollar?
- Does the exotic location and living in the moment off set the lack of precision / hussel bussel ?
- Do you see a satus quo, a decline, or an increase in the general outlook of life in the DR?
- AND, over the last 4 years, has expat living decreased - to what degree?

Gracias!
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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are you familiar with the phrase "good ole times"? things were always better before, in the past, in our childhood. in our youth. people always compare today to yesterday and today comes out pretty bland and lame :)

personally i can say my life has only been getting better here. miesposo is making more money, our cats have avoided being eaten, our house is getting prettier.

do not ask for a standard of living in DR/USA. it is not comparable. most things in DR are more expensive (from cars to cosmetics) but services are still dirt cheap. i know i live here better than i did in the UK or PL. and better, in many ways, than my friends there: i have a huge house, cars, maid. but they travel a lot while i cannot afford it.

and while some, or maybe even most people complain about recent changes in DR i try to view them positively. i did not come to DR to live without legal papers, smoke pot, drink drive and bang young dominicans :) i see DR is progressing and aims to become more civilized. and it comes at a price.
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
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My mood is unchanged..... perhaps looking up/ahead.

In my area, things are improving.

As for the US view... I am disinterested, but I suppose it's a comfort to some have a 'status quo'..... spend billions on an election and wake up to the same old, same old.
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
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Pensive.

To some it's positive, to others, they're concerned.

It really depends on who you are, where you live, the level of your resources, what you do...and the general nature of your attitude.
 

Castle

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Sep 1, 2012
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Moods are personal decisions. Reality has its own stride. Things will get worse, no matter who is in charge. The world's economy is going to collapse, only we don't know when. Without knowing it, we've all been living off lies, having a borrowed lifestyle that is soon going to catch up with us, or our children. There's no way to stop that. All we need to care about, is what we're going to do when it happens. Are we going to start over following the same path that led us here, or are we finally going to come to senses with what real life is?
 

caribmike

Gold
Jul 9, 2009
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Trying to make the best out of this uncertainty. If an opportunity shows up going to a place where it looks better it is outta here.

Not that life is bad for us. It is more about what the future might bring for my son and if he would not be better off somewhere else... yet I have to think hard and can't come up with a place where things are much better atm...
 
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Aug 21, 2007
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My life in the DR has been and continues to be good. The only times I become depressed are when I read DR newspapers, watch the US evening news, or read dr1.

Lindsey
 

janlindy

Active member
Mar 8, 2011
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my mood here in the USA is also unchanged, however that is only due to our goal to leave here and live in the DR. I want relief from the hussle & bussle, I wish for a much quieter life with my husband and dogs. Our house has been up for sale for 1.5 yrs now. we love our house , our neighbors, our community but go further out than that and we don't enjoy it. I travel across the US and can't understand the rudness, poeple don't smile anymore. Even if we don't make it to the DR, we will get on our boat and go.
 

thomasj

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Mar 31, 2010
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In my 15 years in the Dominican republic driving nearly 300,000km I received only two tickets. One was a few years ago for parking in a prohibited spot. I cost 50 pesos. I had to leave my drivers license with the Ahmet police officer. Then I had to put on long pants go to the Palacio de Justicia, have a copy made of the ticket, get a form filled out and return to th Banco de Reservas to pay the 50 pesos. Then I had to return to Ahmet headquarters to retrieve my license. It took them considerable time to find it. Nearly a whole day absolutely wasted.

Last week I came out of a store started to drive and before I could fasten my seatbelt I was stopped by an Ahmet officer and handed a ticket for not wearing a seatbelt. He told me if I did not pay I could not renew my car license next year. I rushed to the Banco de Reservas, lined up for one hour only to be reminded that I had forgotten to go to the Palacio de Justicia to get a form filled out. I had to wait for 45 minutes for a 3 line handwritten form.
I went back to the Banco de Rservas lined up for 45 minutes and finally was able to pay the ticket. Guess how much.
$RD1,667. Onethousandsixhundredandsixtyseven pesos.
Watch out guys and girls.They are catching on.
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
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In my 15 years in the Dominican republic driving nearly 300,000km I received only two tickets. One was a few years ago for parking in a prohibited spot. I cost 50 pesos. I had to leave my drivers license with the Ahmet police officer. Then I had to put on long pants go to the Palacio de Justicia, have a copy made of the ticket, get a form filled out and return to th Banco de Reservas to pay the 50 pesos. Then I had to return to Ahmet headquarters to retrieve my license. It took them considerable time to find it. Nearly a whole day absolutely wasted.

Last week I came out of a store started to drive and before I could fasten my seatbelt I was stopped by an Ahmet officer and handed a ticket for not wearing a seatbelt. He told me if I did not pay I could not renew my car license next year. I rushed to the Banco de Reservas, lined up for one hour only to be reminded that I had forgotten to go to the Palacio de Justicia to get a form filled out. I had to wait for 45 minutes for a 3 line handwritten form.
I went back to the Banco de Rservas lined up for 45 minutes and finally was able to pay the ticket. Guess how much.
$RD1,667. Onethousandsixhundredandsixtyseven pesos.
Watch out guys and girls.They are catching on.

I posted this earlier........
The PN nabbed me in SD on a seatbelt during - get this -- DURING Hurricane Sandy........ I talked and talked until they finally asked for 200DRP.

It was 12:30........ lunchtime. They were hungry.
 

CaptnGlenn

Silver
Mar 29, 2010
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a couple of thoughts:

In the end, all moods are internal. For any person, they might be edged in one direction or another by circumstances; but I've seen people in (by my estimation) horrible situations who were, none the less, happy and positive. I've also seen others who seemed to have the world in their hands, yet be miserable and negative. The old story of "glass half full vs. glass half empty." Also, moods are transient. On any given day a person can be happy AND / OR sad, and display any number of other emotions.

Right now I'm a little sad, and a little grumpy. Although some of the current events bother me, it's BECAUSE I'm sad and grumpy (right now, and temporarily), not the other way around.

Here are what I believe are two universal realities:

The Sky is NOT falling... no matter what "Chicken Little" says.

Life is one big pendulum ... it swings both ways ... gets a little too far in one direction, and then travels in the opposite direction until it goes a little to far that way..... and then back again.

I tell myself these things over and over when I'm feeling a little sad and grumpy... LOL
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
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Sound Thinking Cap'n.....
We all have a hand in creating our own good luck..... Master of Your Own Destiny


We had a rhyme at school , way back at the beginning of recorded time (all boys at the then)...
Empty Vessels and Empty boys are the ones that make the loudest noise.

When I dislike a party/person/place......... I distance myself - physically -from it/them.

Life's easier that way
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
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you silly people. complaining how the ticket was this and that much and half a day was wasted to pay it? try breaking transit regulations wherever it is you come from. a ticket AND points off your license.
 

yapask1

New member
Jul 23, 2012
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Possibly two groups -

Those that were hoping to make a living in the DR with DR income source , example selling real estate, architects etc. are finding it a little tough.

Those that have an external source of income - working via the internet, pension etc. like the minimum bills ( my electric bill last month was 880 pesos ), like warm weather, like great low cost transport links to other parts of the World, like generally very low cost of living ( 400 $ a month up ), like friendly people, like holiday atmosphere etc. etc. Life has never been better.

yapask1
 

IamZon

New member
Sep 22, 2012
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Possibly two groups -


Those that were hoping to make a living in the DR with DR income source , example selling real estate, architects etc. are finding it a little tough.


Those that have an external source of income - working via the internet, pension etc. like the minimum bills ( my electric bill last month was 880 pesos ), like warm weather, like great low cost transport links to other parts of the World, like generally very low cost of living ( 400 $ a month up ), like friendly people, like holiday atmosphere etc. etc. Life has never been better.


yapask1

Excellent points.
 

william webster

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Jan 16, 2009
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Yappy, what about Ringo's idea for a water wheel driven by the rain falling off the roof.??

Harness nature's munificence.........
 

CaptnGlenn

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Mar 29, 2010
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My electric bill is more than that even when I'm not there... with all power turned off!!! But then again.. in P.C. a power outage is rare and we don't need batteries and inverters.

BUT... my big electric bills aren't what makes me grumpy. LOL