DISCLAIMER:
I know that writing a post like this opens me up to ridicule from the jaded and those who think that they are funny, but honestly this post is not for anyone but myself. It's 6:30am and despite my having a few drinks (cuba libre) last night, I find myself wide awake FRUSTRATED about recent incidents in what I once thought was paradise. HONESTLY, I just need to vent and as I am a writer this is what I do.
When I first visited this country last April I immediately fell in love with the country as a whole. Granted my perspective was that of one who was coming as a tourist from the US, but I am well traveled and have lived outside of the US and brought more of a world view with me. Obviously the country environmentally-wise is a paradise. Food literally lying in the street ready to eat. The beautiful birds and trees, it's just breath-taking. Then the Dominican culture, a bit slower than what I was used to, even in the south, but people seemed happy. I had never experienced a place where people had so little and yet were so free and happy. Even in my voyages through Africa and Asia I hadn't encountered this. The closest I came was certain pueblas in Mexico, but even there they hadn't reached this level.
Upon doing my do-diligence, I returned to the country a few months later this time to the other side of the island. I absolutely loathed Santo Domingo. Though I found the pace to be much more what I am used to, the humidity and noise, coupled with not being able to walk down the street without being molested by literally everyone was very annoying. I also found the people to be a lot more rude and ungrateful than in the North Coast. I chalked my bad experience to just being Dominican city life. City life is always different no matter where you go. TANGENT: why does noone in the country say 'please' or 'thank you'
When I arrived in POP, this time to live, I felt rejuvenated. A bundle of money in my pocket ready to start a new life. I found a wonderful apartment overlooking the ocean. I found a nice Passola, and I was ready to begin my journey to becoming platanado. Well, that's where things started to go downhill.
I found making Dominican friends to be very difficult. Even to this day i don't have 1 dominican that I hang out with consistently. The ones I had kept in contact with, I quickly realized were using me. Honestly, what man allows another man to always be buying him beer and wanting gas money when you go out. Maybe its just my American way of thinking, but in my opinion that makes you a puta...Just saying. Not that big of a deal, lesson learned, and it only cost a few hundred pesos. Not too worried about it because I can find solace with my fellow gringos at the local hangouts. Much Love the BIG LEE's BAR.
Dating in the DR... I won't even go there.
Recently, the tension has been building up and I'm about fed up. I know that you have to take the good with the bad, and I was willing to do that to live in paradise. But as the bad continues the grow and the good remains consistent, I'm beginning to change my mind. For instance, during the day I park my passola in front of my building. There is a small little store where I buy my drinks and chat with the family that lives there. They are by no means poor, as there vast family owns much of the buildings in the area. They know me by name and I them. Well, the other day I parked my passola and not being able to find any cardboard, placed my dirty, gasoline smelling rag that I keep in my passola, on the seat cover so the sun wouldn't heat up the seat. When I returned I found the rock I used to anchor it on the ground and the dirty rag stolen. Noone was willing to look me in the eyes. I just smiled at them and thought, really you're going to steal a dirty rag not even worth 15 pesos. I know they saw who did it, if it wasn't them, because they were/are always in front playing dominoes and drinking. My Passola was 5 feet from them. Again...why would you steal a dirty gasoline stained rag?
Yesterday, I went for a run. I only take 2 keys with me when I run. These keys will only get you into my private building, nothing more. Upon beginning my run I noticed that I had dropped my keys. I searched the small area where I was stretching near a bench, the only place I could have dropped them, and of coarse someone had stolen my keys. This infuriated me, because I'm thinking "who steals keys?" 1. You don't know where I live 2. even if you did you can't get in (You'll get shot trying to steal from the building) 3. Who the F@#k really steals keys.. I mean seriously.
I understand poor people stealing to survive, but people taking things just to take them. It's annoying to say the least. I've never been lied to with such frequency in my life as I have since moving here. It's like the people are allergic to the truth. They lie so much, that the lie comes out before they can even think of a response.
The lack of motivation/laziness is becoming detrimental to my health. I originally thought that Dominicans just knew how to live life better. Not worrying about the small things in life etc. Now I see it's just laziness. I'm tired of people asking me "regalame su (fill in the blank)" Really?????.... gift you my sunglasses? How about you get off you ass and do ANYTHING for 100 pesos and buy your own. A country full of people with their hands out. I understand that is the culture, but how is that beneficial to anyone. I honestly wonder how this country ever won the war against Haiti. (Though I will say I've never been to Haiti lol)
I was looking to start a business here, and the blatant disadvantageous business practices are ridiculous. I understand that they are uneducated and overall not business savvy, but what makes you think that I am going to build the infrastructure, thus making your land more valuable, pay for all city fees and taxes and labor, pay for water and electricity hookup and everything to put a building in an empty lot, AND give you a year's worth of rent upfront and a deposit. I try to explain to people the benefits of not being a "tigre" and the advantages of making long money instead of short money and they all say the same thing "That's how it is in the Dominican Republic." I have more comments but I will leave it at that.
It saddens me, I really like this place. But the culture I loved is not so endearing anymore. Maybe that's why so many on here have become jaded. I fear living here may do the same to me. So, I don't think I will be investing in the country. Cruise ship port or not, I can and do, make good money elsewhere. I don't know where my next journey will take me, but I don't know if I will be extending my lease in the summer.
I feel like I am about to break up with a girlfriend.
Dear RD,
We had a great run. I really do love you, but I feel as though we have just grown apart. We've had some amazing times, and I choose to end this now before those good memories become polluted with a bitter break up. Believe me, this is for the best. I just feel, well I just feel like I deserve to be treated better. I brought so much hope and love into this relationship and I don't feel like it was reciprocated. I tried and tried to make it work, but you just didn't seem willing to put in the work necessary to make this relationship last. So, I am letting you go free. If you come back to me in the future, then I know you are mine to keep. I love you RD. Farewell
~~~~ I feel a lot better now
I know that writing a post like this opens me up to ridicule from the jaded and those who think that they are funny, but honestly this post is not for anyone but myself. It's 6:30am and despite my having a few drinks (cuba libre) last night, I find myself wide awake FRUSTRATED about recent incidents in what I once thought was paradise. HONESTLY, I just need to vent and as I am a writer this is what I do.
When I first visited this country last April I immediately fell in love with the country as a whole. Granted my perspective was that of one who was coming as a tourist from the US, but I am well traveled and have lived outside of the US and brought more of a world view with me. Obviously the country environmentally-wise is a paradise. Food literally lying in the street ready to eat. The beautiful birds and trees, it's just breath-taking. Then the Dominican culture, a bit slower than what I was used to, even in the south, but people seemed happy. I had never experienced a place where people had so little and yet were so free and happy. Even in my voyages through Africa and Asia I hadn't encountered this. The closest I came was certain pueblas in Mexico, but even there they hadn't reached this level.
Upon doing my do-diligence, I returned to the country a few months later this time to the other side of the island. I absolutely loathed Santo Domingo. Though I found the pace to be much more what I am used to, the humidity and noise, coupled with not being able to walk down the street without being molested by literally everyone was very annoying. I also found the people to be a lot more rude and ungrateful than in the North Coast. I chalked my bad experience to just being Dominican city life. City life is always different no matter where you go. TANGENT: why does noone in the country say 'please' or 'thank you'
When I arrived in POP, this time to live, I felt rejuvenated. A bundle of money in my pocket ready to start a new life. I found a wonderful apartment overlooking the ocean. I found a nice Passola, and I was ready to begin my journey to becoming platanado. Well, that's where things started to go downhill.
I found making Dominican friends to be very difficult. Even to this day i don't have 1 dominican that I hang out with consistently. The ones I had kept in contact with, I quickly realized were using me. Honestly, what man allows another man to always be buying him beer and wanting gas money when you go out. Maybe its just my American way of thinking, but in my opinion that makes you a puta...Just saying. Not that big of a deal, lesson learned, and it only cost a few hundred pesos. Not too worried about it because I can find solace with my fellow gringos at the local hangouts. Much Love the BIG LEE's BAR.
Dating in the DR... I won't even go there.
Recently, the tension has been building up and I'm about fed up. I know that you have to take the good with the bad, and I was willing to do that to live in paradise. But as the bad continues the grow and the good remains consistent, I'm beginning to change my mind. For instance, during the day I park my passola in front of my building. There is a small little store where I buy my drinks and chat with the family that lives there. They are by no means poor, as there vast family owns much of the buildings in the area. They know me by name and I them. Well, the other day I parked my passola and not being able to find any cardboard, placed my dirty, gasoline smelling rag that I keep in my passola, on the seat cover so the sun wouldn't heat up the seat. When I returned I found the rock I used to anchor it on the ground and the dirty rag stolen. Noone was willing to look me in the eyes. I just smiled at them and thought, really you're going to steal a dirty rag not even worth 15 pesos. I know they saw who did it, if it wasn't them, because they were/are always in front playing dominoes and drinking. My Passola was 5 feet from them. Again...why would you steal a dirty gasoline stained rag?
Yesterday, I went for a run. I only take 2 keys with me when I run. These keys will only get you into my private building, nothing more. Upon beginning my run I noticed that I had dropped my keys. I searched the small area where I was stretching near a bench, the only place I could have dropped them, and of coarse someone had stolen my keys. This infuriated me, because I'm thinking "who steals keys?" 1. You don't know where I live 2. even if you did you can't get in (You'll get shot trying to steal from the building) 3. Who the F@#k really steals keys.. I mean seriously.
I understand poor people stealing to survive, but people taking things just to take them. It's annoying to say the least. I've never been lied to with such frequency in my life as I have since moving here. It's like the people are allergic to the truth. They lie so much, that the lie comes out before they can even think of a response.
The lack of motivation/laziness is becoming detrimental to my health. I originally thought that Dominicans just knew how to live life better. Not worrying about the small things in life etc. Now I see it's just laziness. I'm tired of people asking me "regalame su (fill in the blank)" Really?????.... gift you my sunglasses? How about you get off you ass and do ANYTHING for 100 pesos and buy your own. A country full of people with their hands out. I understand that is the culture, but how is that beneficial to anyone. I honestly wonder how this country ever won the war against Haiti. (Though I will say I've never been to Haiti lol)
I was looking to start a business here, and the blatant disadvantageous business practices are ridiculous. I understand that they are uneducated and overall not business savvy, but what makes you think that I am going to build the infrastructure, thus making your land more valuable, pay for all city fees and taxes and labor, pay for water and electricity hookup and everything to put a building in an empty lot, AND give you a year's worth of rent upfront and a deposit. I try to explain to people the benefits of not being a "tigre" and the advantages of making long money instead of short money and they all say the same thing "That's how it is in the Dominican Republic." I have more comments but I will leave it at that.
It saddens me, I really like this place. But the culture I loved is not so endearing anymore. Maybe that's why so many on here have become jaded. I fear living here may do the same to me. So, I don't think I will be investing in the country. Cruise ship port or not, I can and do, make good money elsewhere. I don't know where my next journey will take me, but I don't know if I will be extending my lease in the summer.
I feel like I am about to break up with a girlfriend.
Dear RD,
We had a great run. I really do love you, but I feel as though we have just grown apart. We've had some amazing times, and I choose to end this now before those good memories become polluted with a bitter break up. Believe me, this is for the best. I just feel, well I just feel like I deserve to be treated better. I brought so much hope and love into this relationship and I don't feel like it was reciprocated. I tried and tried to make it work, but you just didn't seem willing to put in the work necessary to make this relationship last. So, I am letting you go free. If you come back to me in the future, then I know you are mine to keep. I love you RD. Farewell
~~~~ I feel a lot better now