H
hillbilly
Guest
Dear jeff: If you have five or six thousand dollars, three months to stretch out and relax a bit, a desire to learn the language and the gumption needed to do this, come on down. Word!
The Dominican Culture embraces all kinds, and it saves the harshest crtiticisms for its own people. I am going to presume to know that you are a succesful, professional person, perhaps a little stressed by recent events, both economic and political. You are what would normally be called a "good" person. Perhaps you will one day send your son or daughter to Morehouse or Spellman College. And you are looking to enjoy your time here.
Don't sweat it. Santo Domingo-although I dislike its traffic, the heat, the government offices i have to visit-is a very (and i mean very) interesting place. Rich history, incredible variety of eateries, bars, bistros, plenty to fill days and days of your time. When I mentioned below about going to Montecristo Cafe and meeting people, this is what I had in mind.
Most of us old foggies on this board are tired of seeing young guys come down here, 'hook' up with $20 girls from Boca Chica, do the "sights" and say they had a good time in Santo Domingo.
I would hope that you might meet a few nice men and women that are perhaps you pars on a social/economic basis, strike up friendships, get introduced to a wider circle of people and really, really get to know Santo Domingo. For example, you could go to the Dominican-American Bi-Cultural Center for language classes. They have a broad range of social activities, and it is a neat place to meet people. ( DID I say "neat"???)
As for Guatemala? No way! And I am part Guatemalan!! Once out of the city you are really in the boonies...
A final word about "race". In the DR "race" doesn't count for much. If you have oriental type eyes, you are a "chino". If you are of dark complextion, you are "moreno" or "negro" (pronounced neh-gro NOT nee-gro). If you are in between, you are "indio".
If you are sort of plump, with a general look of being well off, you will be called "rubio" without much attention to skin tones!
One of my earliest friends was introduced to me as "Negro". As our friendship progressed, I learned that his father had baptized him "Black", knowing that it meant "negro" the color. He was the darkest of his father's children. His brothers and sisters called him "Negro". As time went on, this young man went to the university, got his degree, went to graduate school and got his degree and finally got his Ph.D. Now he is called "Blas"
rather than Black, but his family and friends still call him "Negro". He moves in the highest circles of Dominican society and neither his nickname nor his 'real' name have hindered him in any way....
Take it easy Jeff, there aren't many "code" words here, certainly nothing like Jackson or Johannesburg.
HB
The Dominican Culture embraces all kinds, and it saves the harshest crtiticisms for its own people. I am going to presume to know that you are a succesful, professional person, perhaps a little stressed by recent events, both economic and political. You are what would normally be called a "good" person. Perhaps you will one day send your son or daughter to Morehouse or Spellman College. And you are looking to enjoy your time here.
Don't sweat it. Santo Domingo-although I dislike its traffic, the heat, the government offices i have to visit-is a very (and i mean very) interesting place. Rich history, incredible variety of eateries, bars, bistros, plenty to fill days and days of your time. When I mentioned below about going to Montecristo Cafe and meeting people, this is what I had in mind.
Most of us old foggies on this board are tired of seeing young guys come down here, 'hook' up with $20 girls from Boca Chica, do the "sights" and say they had a good time in Santo Domingo.
I would hope that you might meet a few nice men and women that are perhaps you pars on a social/economic basis, strike up friendships, get introduced to a wider circle of people and really, really get to know Santo Domingo. For example, you could go to the Dominican-American Bi-Cultural Center for language classes. They have a broad range of social activities, and it is a neat place to meet people. ( DID I say "neat"???)
As for Guatemala? No way! And I am part Guatemalan!! Once out of the city you are really in the boonies...
A final word about "race". In the DR "race" doesn't count for much. If you have oriental type eyes, you are a "chino". If you are of dark complextion, you are "moreno" or "negro" (pronounced neh-gro NOT nee-gro). If you are in between, you are "indio".
If you are sort of plump, with a general look of being well off, you will be called "rubio" without much attention to skin tones!
One of my earliest friends was introduced to me as "Negro". As our friendship progressed, I learned that his father had baptized him "Black", knowing that it meant "negro" the color. He was the darkest of his father's children. His brothers and sisters called him "Negro". As time went on, this young man went to the university, got his degree, went to graduate school and got his degree and finally got his Ph.D. Now he is called "Blas"
rather than Black, but his family and friends still call him "Negro". He moves in the highest circles of Dominican society and neither his nickname nor his 'real' name have hindered him in any way....
Take it easy Jeff, there aren't many "code" words here, certainly nothing like Jackson or Johannesburg.
HB