Hello All,
In January my girlfriend, who is an American-born Puerto Rican, will be moving to the DR to begin her graduate research work in Sociology. She will be conducting this research in both Santiago and Santo Domingo, and expects to be done in roughly 1.5-2 years.
I've decided that I would like to search for work in the DR so as to be there to support her and whatnot, and have been looking into finding some ESL jobs/programs that would allow this. The most promising one I've found thus far is through a non-profit, but where I would likely not be placed in either Santo Domingo or Santiago. From the job description, it reads that I would be teaching....
The program duration, however, is a full year, which is very much to my liking and why it is at the top of my preference list. As for the pay, it reads I would earn...
... and that the Ministry of Education will work with the non-profit to find me local area houseing free of charge.
Anyways, my question boils down to, in the worst case scenario that I were placed somewhere on either extreme of the country (close to the Haitian border, or close to Punta Cana), would it be economically and logistically feasible (or even possible) to take either bus or taxi to visit her on the weekends in the closer of the two cities. This would be based on the fact that I would be making a minimum of 16,000 pesos per month, balanced against the cost of living, minus rent (since the Ministry will be providing free housing). If anyone could provide some insight into (1) costs of taxis around long distances on the island (2) the cost of bus fares to these major cities from more remote parts of the island, as well as their reliability (i.e. how long it might take), and (3) how this would compare to the overall cost of living (since I have no idea how far 16,000 would get me in terms of basic necessities per month), it would be greatly appreciated.
As for some logistical side notes, my girlfriend would be able to allot her work so as to be in the closer of the two cities (Santiago or Santo Domingo) to wherever I would hypothetically be located. And secondly, I am fairly fluent in Spanish, having minored in it in College and having spent a year abroad in Costa Rica during that time, as well as dealing with my girlfriend's monolingual Spanish speaking parents on a regular basis in NY. Therefore, I am hoping that this will help me from being COMPLETELY taken advantage of by cab drivers, if cabs end up being the only way of visiting her.
Thanks,
-D
In January my girlfriend, who is an American-born Puerto Rican, will be moving to the DR to begin her graduate research work in Sociology. She will be conducting this research in both Santiago and Santo Domingo, and expects to be done in roughly 1.5-2 years.
I've decided that I would like to search for work in the DR so as to be there to support her and whatnot, and have been looking into finding some ESL jobs/programs that would allow this. The most promising one I've found thus far is through a non-profit, but where I would likely not be placed in either Santo Domingo or Santiago. From the job description, it reads that I would be teaching....
"at universities, institutes, and centers run by the Dominican Ministry of Higher Education in towns and villages throughout the country.... Therefore, most of the teaching locations will find you in the smaller towns of the Dominican Republic....."
The program duration, however, is a full year, which is very much to my liking and why it is at the top of my preference list. As for the pay, it reads I would earn...
"200-300 Dominican pesos per hour and will be guaranteed 20 hours of paid work per week, but could work up to 40 hours per week."
... and that the Ministry of Education will work with the non-profit to find me local area houseing free of charge.
Anyways, my question boils down to, in the worst case scenario that I were placed somewhere on either extreme of the country (close to the Haitian border, or close to Punta Cana), would it be economically and logistically feasible (or even possible) to take either bus or taxi to visit her on the weekends in the closer of the two cities. This would be based on the fact that I would be making a minimum of 16,000 pesos per month, balanced against the cost of living, minus rent (since the Ministry will be providing free housing). If anyone could provide some insight into (1) costs of taxis around long distances on the island (2) the cost of bus fares to these major cities from more remote parts of the island, as well as their reliability (i.e. how long it might take), and (3) how this would compare to the overall cost of living (since I have no idea how far 16,000 would get me in terms of basic necessities per month), it would be greatly appreciated.
As for some logistical side notes, my girlfriend would be able to allot her work so as to be in the closer of the two cities (Santiago or Santo Domingo) to wherever I would hypothetically be located. And secondly, I am fairly fluent in Spanish, having minored in it in College and having spent a year abroad in Costa Rica during that time, as well as dealing with my girlfriend's monolingual Spanish speaking parents on a regular basis in NY. Therefore, I am hoping that this will help me from being COMPLETELY taken advantage of by cab drivers, if cabs end up being the only way of visiting her.
Thanks,
-D