Hello folks. I am a dominican that lives in New England (my God, the weather sucks up here) and I hardly, if ever, have added anything to this board. However, I do read it constantly to keep up with whats happening down there. Anyhow, many people have been questioning the disease evident in Dominican Republic such as Malaria and Dengue. Let my shed some light on the fact that those disease are not limited to third world nations. Hawaii just had it's first Dengue Fever breakout in Honolulu (of course the authorities are covering the island in DET now to kill those suckers). But anyhow, if suck disease can appear in a group of isolated islands that below to the first world, then it should be of no surprise that it exist in the DR as well. Also, there was a Malaria case in South Florida (first one in over 50 years). Again, authorities are spraying up a storm downthere. In addition there is the constant threat of West Nile Virus (global warming are making mosquitos prevail during winter months even here, in the New York metro area). And a new case of ensyphilitus was found in the White Plains area in NY (the first one in years also). Aside from those new threats that we hear in America have to fear there is the terrorist thing (which Santo Domingo would probably never see, except maybe at embassies of countries hated by those bastards), the threat of being snowed in this winter with ice and freezing temps, the threat of an earthquake in NYC (my father is a civil engineer in NYC - one of the few dominican professionals out here - and here is a secret, a small sleepy fault line parallels Fifth Avenue in Manhattan the full length of the island from top to bottom. It hasn't moved in over 100 years, so my guess would be that it will be the surprise of the century). There is also the threat of getting shot while going to work, being part of a racist attack, the anthrax deal, there are a few mail bombs going around now. In short, people people people. Enjoy the Dominican to the fullest extent. It's a great country despite the problems!!! I'll be joining all of you expats along with my paisanos once I am done with college here. 2 more years and "pa Santo Domingo me voy!!!" I can't take all this crappy weather, terrorist threat crap, and all of this materialism. Although, at time, materialism is good. Don't get me wrong, I love America and its people - minus the weather except in Florida. It's just that I love the DR a bit more!