Know of a program for living with locals?

oldhippy

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Jul 22, 2002
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Someone asked me... how you'd go about getting immersed in the Dominican culture, and to learn the language, by living with a local Dominican family?

Know of anything like this?...or what would you recommend to this person, who has experience as an agricultural consultant, who is willing to share with a host family?
 

andy a

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Feb 23, 2002
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Get a small motorcycle like the motoconchos have.

Hit the trails in the campo. Be especially active at the break of dawn when the (older) women are fixing coffee in the outdoor sheds that are their kitchens. Invite yourself in - you'll be welcome, especially if you can think up a compliment for her.

The men are likely already gone.

Stay 30 minutes or so (the first time) to chat. If there are children getting ready for school, give each of them 20 pesos for a snack.

When you leave, give the hostess 100 pesos "for coffee next time".

Next time you're on your own.

This is what makes the DR worthwhile (if it is). Why people waste time and money in AI's and other tourist areas is completely beyond me.

You just got a million pesos of advice for free.
 

dawnwil

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Aug 27, 2003
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I know I'm not Old Hippy, but ...

... man, I dig this idea.

I have no Spanish; have courses on computer /workbook. But it's the idea that one can approach strangers in such an ... well, I would call it an old-fashioned way that is so appealing.

That's cool, andy. thanks for that.

hey, are those motoconchos like mopeds? Or full-fledged motorcycles?

How much would a motoconcho cost? What about licensing and insurance? Ok for someone on provisional residency?
 

oldhippy

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Jul 22, 2002
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dawnwell...The motorcycles most used are 80-90cc Honda/yamaha runabouts...they look like a motorcycle, but have a scooter look from the front view, because of the extended plastic leg protectors.

The bike I prefer to rent in the DR is a 125cc Yamaha on road/ off road bike....it goes everywhere!
 

andy a

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Feb 23, 2002
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A motoconcho is a guy who chofers a motorcycle taxi. Their motorcycles are typically small framed and vary from the very old Honda 70 up to about 135 cc models.

The Yamaha 100 is very popular. It has enough speeds (5), enough power (for leisurely paced riding), has a flip up seat for storing small items, and is 2 stroke (for easy cranking). A decent one should cost about $500 (non gringo price).

Getting insurance should be easy and cheap. You can ask for a referral to an agent.

Registering it is a little more complicated. Probably the best way is to get a trusted Dominican motorcycle mechanic to handle everything. Be careful, of course, that he doesn't cheat you.

By the way, big framed bikes, such as trail bikes, are harder to get through doorways. If you get invited to spend the night, the bike will have to be kept indoors.
 

Snuffy

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May 3, 2002
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That is part of the problem here...

Expats bribe these people for friendship. They give them money and then the locals hang on and pretend to like you in hopes of getting more.

That is the perfect truth and dont tell me different.

My wife is Dominican...we move into this new area...middle class neighborhood...she meets some people down the street who have a small cafe for food. She buys food from time to time...sits with them and chats. She assumed they had become good friends. So one night our daughter came down with a high fever. I dont have a car and at the time nor a phone. So we walked down to the cafe with our daughter hoping to get a ride to the local emergency room. There were all these people standing about that my wife knows. I was carrying my daughter. They all said hello and smiled. My wife explained the situation. Not one of them offered to drive us to the emergency room. Instead they suggested we go inside and call a taxi. Which we did.

And that is that and just one example. These people think only about themselves. That is why they throw newborn animals in the trash to die. That is why you see mothers with children living on the streets begging for food.

You should not have to pay for friendship. I have few friends here...but perhaps I simply demand a higher standard. There is a difference between a friend and an acquantance. I come from the southern United States...and grew up in a time when friendship really meant...hey Im sticking with you...good times and bad. That is an idea that has faded through the years. We have all become individualistic, independent of others...even our very own families.

Principle...you should live it and demand no less. If they dont want to be your friend without a bribe then #%$% them.

Our new policy is we dont let anyone here borrow money from us...everytime we do we have problems getting it back. But dont get me wrong...i am not just some greedy jerk. We do gift money to people...but only on the understanding that it is a gift...never expected to return in any way...and we understand that on intellect, as well as, emotionally.

Live here but never have high expectations of these people.
 

kjdrga

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Mar 25, 2002
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ENTRENA, S.A. is an organization that teaches many types of clients Spanish and they have an intensive course that places people in homes with Dominicans in different neighbourhoods. I am not sure how much they are but they are popular among foreign companies who send people to work in the D.R. but don't have a command of the Spanish language.

I'm sure someone here can point you in their direction if you are interested.
 

dawnwil

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Aug 27, 2003
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Re: That is part of the problem here...

Snuffy,

I don't doubt you're speaking from the heart. It's terribly wrong that someone didn't help out when you needed help, especially with a sick baby. It doesn't make me happy to hear it, and I have no doubt you have other stories too.

I'm an idealist, so take me out and shoot me, but I don't believe it's black and white. I remember reading a fascinating article in Arizona years ago-- I believe this is a well known sociological study, but I don't know source.

Typical American kids and poor Mexican kids were taught how to play Xs & Os. Money was given to the kids who won each time. The Americans tried their hardest to win each time, and the winner felt no remorse for winning excessively. The Mexican kids, contrarily, took turns allowing one another to win-- they shared the wealth.

I think the study was looking at morality and integrity. But were those Mexican kids dishonest? I think not. In a culture of plenty, one set of values would appear to be the 'right' set. But things change very quickly, primitive human nature asserts itself very quickly, when basic survival needs like food, water, and shelter, are at stake. Most in this forum have never needed to face these circumstances.

I like Spinoza's way of thinking: I do not wish for myself what I do not wish for every other man. So I plan to approach all people in the DR with kindness. I have always found and met good people in my life, and I ... perhaps foolishly... trust that it will continue so. I wouldn't even dream of doing as andy suggested if it weren't from a genuine love of people. As to who might become a friend, I have no idea.

I also have no intention of standing on street corners handing out pesos. But if I knew someone down the road here in Alberta who spoke Dominican Spanish, I'd be thrilled to offer to pay well for help in learning it. I would think it invaluable-- to me. I'd be more happy to learn the language in such a way that my money was also helping someone who had very little there. Less formal, but an exchange of value for value. That's fair.

The systemic poverty in the DR is troubling. My deepest thought on it all is this: when a man is hungry, give him a fish and feed him for a day. Give him a fishing rod and feed him forever.

The question is: how? What are the fishing rods? I don't believe humans are naturally lazy, as is suggested in some posts. I simply don't believe it. I do believe that many are downtrodden, their spirits without hope... it is the lack of hope that looks like laziness. Everyone needs reasons to live and try his best. shit, just the fact that at the break of dawn 'the men are already gone'... where? to work, I suspect, trying to support a family.

All of this is so NOT simple. I appreciate your thoughts too-- to stand by your values is the only way to live. That's what I will do too. If I'm wrong, take me out and shoot me. :) D
 

dawnwil

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Aug 27, 2003
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motoconcho...

Yikes, like I said, I know no Spanish.

One more question about the bikes-- do they require a motorcycle license? I'm still not clear on that.
 

andy a

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Feb 23, 2002
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dawnwil

It's my understanding that legally anyone with a driver's license can ride a motorcycle. Always keep a few pesos handy to give a cop just in case.

The countryside and small towns are the only places I would ride a motorcycle.

Many people prefer motor scooters (pasolas) to motorcycles because of the electric starters and automatic transmissions that most of them have. They're an acceptable alternative for paved roads or well maintained dirt ones, such as are typical near towns. Their small tires make them unusable on really bad dirt roads.
 

XanaduRanch

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Sep 15, 2002
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Re: Re: That is part of the problem here...

dawnwil said:
My deepest thought on it all is this: when a man is hungry, give him a fish and feed him for a day. Give him a fishing rod and feed him forever. The question is: how? What are the fishing rods?
They're all at the compraventa.

Give a Dominican, who is at the time along the side of the road with three of his buddies playing dominos and drinking brugal, that fishing pole and he might fish for a day. He'll sell the fish, then trade the pole for cash at the compra venta, use the proceeds for a day or two's worth of Presidentes and be back at the domino table perfectly satisfied.

To most Dominicans the concept of ma?ana is completely alien. Today is all that matters.

Tom (aka XR)
 

andy a

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Feb 23, 2002
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That's great Xanadu

Instead of "manana" as in other parts of Latin America, in the DR it is "mas tarde".
 

XanaduRanch

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Sep 15, 2002
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I wouldn't even go that far Andy. Saying 'later' is suggesting too strongly that it still has a chance of being done. More like 'not today' in the XR/Dominican dictionary.
 

mobrouser

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Jan 1, 2002
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kjdrga said:
I'm sure someone here can point you in their direction if you are interested.

do a search using the word entrena and you will find a number of posts by sarah, among others, that detail her experiences in the program.

mob
 

dawnwil

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Aug 27, 2003
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Hey mobrouser! Lots of stuff back there. At some point, no one will ever have to ask another question... the archives will contain it all... and then what will happen?

I wonder if others would be interested in trying an informal method as well--like hiring someone once in a while to work with a few people, maybe on specific 'themes'... outings, or whatever, whereby only Spanish is spoken. The students could study on the theme in advance, ie. vocab, etc, and then get immersed for half a day with the rule: Spanish only. Or something.

I'm going to visit people, no matter what, but I'm open to organizing other ways too.

XR-- I was thinking of those new improved fishing poles with crazy-glue handles, you know?

D
 

XanaduRanch

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Sep 15, 2002
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dawnwil said:
XR-- I was thinking of those new improved fishing poles with crazy-glue handles, you know?
No need for crazy glue. Just get the pro version with the built in bottle opener. They'll never be without it.
 

kjdrga

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Mar 25, 2002
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I also went through ENTRENA for language training in the Peace Corps, but having come to the DR knowing Spanish it was more of a refresher for me. I loved my host family and they sent some of us "advanced" speakers on 9 day stays in different parts of the country on our own.

I couldn't tell you how much they are and what some of their options are in training since we had a very specialized training geared towards PCV's.