Hello.
I have asked many questions about DR on this forum, and have gleaned some very useful information as a result. Although I have still not visited the country yet, I just returned from a trip to a different Central American country.
What I found perhaps most striking, in terms of cultural difference, is what seems to be an absolute disregard for doing anything at all in anything that even remotely resembles a timely manner. If the German's are on one end of the spectrum in terms of efficiency and a sense of duty, Panama, Costa Rica, and I suspect other 3rd World/ Developing countries are on the other end.
Now, to the point: is this a Latin thing? In other words, Should I expect the total abandonment of such niceties as returning a phone call/email message regarding important business matters, getting a glass of wine in a restaurant before it turns to vinegar, and so forth, in the Dominican Republic as well? Or is it just Central America that seems to not have gotten the memo indicating that 5:00 means 5:00, as opposed to sometime between 8:00 and three months from now? I spent several weeks enjoying very nice weather, only to return to find the U.S. locked in a death match with Old Man Winter. Time to escape again; different country, very soon...D.R. is in the cross hairs. Would like to know what to expect before taking the plunge...which I will likely do anyway.
I have asked many questions about DR on this forum, and have gleaned some very useful information as a result. Although I have still not visited the country yet, I just returned from a trip to a different Central American country.
What I found perhaps most striking, in terms of cultural difference, is what seems to be an absolute disregard for doing anything at all in anything that even remotely resembles a timely manner. If the German's are on one end of the spectrum in terms of efficiency and a sense of duty, Panama, Costa Rica, and I suspect other 3rd World/ Developing countries are on the other end.
Now, to the point: is this a Latin thing? In other words, Should I expect the total abandonment of such niceties as returning a phone call/email message regarding important business matters, getting a glass of wine in a restaurant before it turns to vinegar, and so forth, in the Dominican Republic as well? Or is it just Central America that seems to not have gotten the memo indicating that 5:00 means 5:00, as opposed to sometime between 8:00 and three months from now? I spent several weeks enjoying very nice weather, only to return to find the U.S. locked in a death match with Old Man Winter. Time to escape again; different country, very soon...D.R. is in the cross hairs. Would like to know what to expect before taking the plunge...which I will likely do anyway.