In the near future I will be moving back to the DR after 30 years of living in the good old US of A. I will be moving there with an open mind and a good head on my shoulder. My mom made the secrifice to bring my seven brothers and siters to the US to give us a better life(it helped alot that her father was from Puerto Rico, so she was an american citizen). And a much better life she gave us. I kept in mind that we were not poor over there, we had our share of maids and we were always nicely dressed and food was on the table 3 times a day. But in those days a female was a second citizen in the DR(late '60's), and since my father had the mentality that he was the bread winner and that he could have as many women as he wanted, he was dumped by mom without hesitation. Dad is still a nice person but we needed more than just a nice person and 3 meals a day. We also needed love. Basically, dad forgot about his 8 kids and mom decided to dedicate her life to raising all of us by herself. The result: 8 wonderful, thoughful, well educated, down to earth kids. Not perfect, but never into any trouble. Dad is still the same. Happy with his younger wife and his 2 kids but without the love of his first 8 kids. Before you say that the last statement is cold, let me put it to you this way: all of us are still waiting to my dad's first christmas or birthday card, or even the first phone call. We do see him when we visit the DR and I call him often and I even send him $200. 00 dollars a month, not because I want, but because if my mom forgave him, so can I. When mom passed away in '94, she left peacefully because all of us rewarded her with the best things imaginable. We lived our lives to make Mom happy, and as she used to say: "I am happy every day 24/7 because my kids are my pride and joy, Lord, thanks for halping me make them 'hombres y mujeres de bien""
Since I've been to the DR about 75 times in 30 years, there's nothing that any dominican or tourists can tell me that I have not seen it personally. There's no way in hell that I will go live in the DR and not know full well that there are motoconcho making noise, mosquitos that will drive you nuts, pollution, robberies, assaults, bulletts flying, some dirty streets, people trying to take advantage of you, crime, blackouts every day, water in short supply, high prices on food. We are humans and we need to know that if you are moving to a new country, plan it way ahead of time and go and spend time at that country, and I don't mean to just go to the tourists attraction places, been there, done that. Familiarized yourself with the culture and it's people. Dont's tell me that you did not liked the country because you were there for 2 months and spent 5,000 pesos. When I move to the DR I will also have in mind that it's a country where you can count on some people, that people are happy, always happy even if they have no food on the table. Always willing to give you a hand, maybe hoping for you to give them some money, but at least they will help you, you see that if you visit a poor person, they WILL offer you something to eat or drink even if they have to run to the colmado and get it "fiao", you will see a "limpiabotas" (shoeshiner) boy dancing and singing while asking you if you need a shoeshine, you will see people gather together when they see you because they truly enjoy your company and care about you and not only for your money, where can you get a maid and pay her 3,000 miserable pesos a month (less than 100.00 US). I know that it's hard for a dominican but since I came here 30 years ago for a better my life and my life is better, then I will move to a place that there are not many motoconchos, I will move to and live quietly in a farm or a gated estate. If I don't want to see crime and bullets flying all over the place, then I will not move to a barrio, I will go to a well-to-do neighborhood. If I want water all the time, then I will buy a water pump. If I want light all the time, I will buy an inverter. There are mosquitos and insects, then I will get a mosquito and insect repeler(?). People trying to take advantage od me?, I am way too smart to let anybody do that to me. Robberies and assalts are a common thing all over the world but let me tell you that I have never heard a buttlet being shot or a person been beaten, but then again, when I go to the DR I usually do not stay in a barrio. And even when I go visit my friends in the barrios, their barrios are pretty nice. I am not going to close my eyes and think that crime in not a way of living in some third world countries, it happens everywhere. Who can tell me that Jerome and Burnside Streets in the Bronx aren't worse than any barrio in the DR?, there they will kill you just to hear the noise that you make when you fall. Where in the US can you buy plate of "arroz, carne, ensalada, habichuela and a soda" for $45 pesos (yes, I sent a friend to a cafeteria this September to buy food and he spent $45 pesos on the latter, about US $ 1.25). If someone is moving to the DR and is planning to rent and go to work over there, it will be harder, but it can be done, but in many cases, those people will return and complain about the country in general. In my case, I know that I will only return to the USA to visit my loved ones. One need to take chances and be aggresive when it comes to bussines. Dont's complain to me saying that you did not make it because everything is high, tell me that you did not make it because you took 50-75,000 US and just lived the good life, drinking with your buddies and visiting a resort every week with a whole bunch on hanger-on- that you have to pay their way. If you go to live there, gert rid of the mentality that you will be on an everyday vacation. Before moving, one needs a plan. Visit, go see a financial advisor and let him tell you on what you can invest your money. Talk to your friends, ask them about business projects. It took me 3 years of visiting and talking to people to come up with my plan. I got help from everywhere, finnancial planners, lawyers, banks, friends, non-friends and even an old man that befriended me on the streets and now is a friend to me ( and yes, he is poor and has a motoconcho). There is no way that I will move over there with only $ 75,000 in the bank. It takes much more than that. It helps also that I own 1 home and co-own a vacation home in Cabarete, and that I have will be opening a few businesses over there soon. It takes time but if you plan it well, all will be fine in the long run, supposing that one has an open mind and to know that you will not have the same life that you had in the US, but it can be a much better life.
I see a lot of posts here from people trying to discorage those that want to move to the DR even though some live there and are taking advantage of what the DR can offer and from some that moved there without a plan and money and now are talking thrash about the country. To those I can only say: you live there and is taking advantage of what the DR can offer but still don't like the country?, then get the hell out. You used to be there but had to leave because it became too hard for you and everything was high and you ran out of money?, next time plan it well ahead of time and try and take more than $ 10.00 with you because there's nothing wrong with the country, something is wrong with you because you did not plan it well. My uncle moved back to the DR about 15 years ago and he has not come back crying wolf and I do believe that the prices on everything have gone up for him too. The difference is that he planned ahead of time and put his money to work. Just because you visit the DR once in a while does not make you a DR expert, it makes youn an observer.
Live there for 20 years and then I will take your opinion to heart because at least you will show me that you found a way to live there with all the adversities. Don't tell me that the country is going to hell when you only lived there for a few years and you left when the going got tough. If you are a Dominican basher and you live there, whether you are dominican or a foreighner, get the hell out and let people like me and my investors friends go and make something good in the DR.
Motoconchos, noises, bulletts, pollution, crime, assaults, robberies, no water, blackouts, mosquitos, dirty streets and some other thousand other things, with all that said, HERE I COME. I can not wait. She would have been prouder!!!!!!!!
Since I've been to the DR about 75 times in 30 years, there's nothing that any dominican or tourists can tell me that I have not seen it personally. There's no way in hell that I will go live in the DR and not know full well that there are motoconcho making noise, mosquitos that will drive you nuts, pollution, robberies, assaults, bulletts flying, some dirty streets, people trying to take advantage of you, crime, blackouts every day, water in short supply, high prices on food. We are humans and we need to know that if you are moving to a new country, plan it way ahead of time and go and spend time at that country, and I don't mean to just go to the tourists attraction places, been there, done that. Familiarized yourself with the culture and it's people. Dont's tell me that you did not liked the country because you were there for 2 months and spent 5,000 pesos. When I move to the DR I will also have in mind that it's a country where you can count on some people, that people are happy, always happy even if they have no food on the table. Always willing to give you a hand, maybe hoping for you to give them some money, but at least they will help you, you see that if you visit a poor person, they WILL offer you something to eat or drink even if they have to run to the colmado and get it "fiao", you will see a "limpiabotas" (shoeshiner) boy dancing and singing while asking you if you need a shoeshine, you will see people gather together when they see you because they truly enjoy your company and care about you and not only for your money, where can you get a maid and pay her 3,000 miserable pesos a month (less than 100.00 US). I know that it's hard for a dominican but since I came here 30 years ago for a better my life and my life is better, then I will move to a place that there are not many motoconchos, I will move to and live quietly in a farm or a gated estate. If I don't want to see crime and bullets flying all over the place, then I will not move to a barrio, I will go to a well-to-do neighborhood. If I want water all the time, then I will buy a water pump. If I want light all the time, I will buy an inverter. There are mosquitos and insects, then I will get a mosquito and insect repeler(?). People trying to take advantage od me?, I am way too smart to let anybody do that to me. Robberies and assalts are a common thing all over the world but let me tell you that I have never heard a buttlet being shot or a person been beaten, but then again, when I go to the DR I usually do not stay in a barrio. And even when I go visit my friends in the barrios, their barrios are pretty nice. I am not going to close my eyes and think that crime in not a way of living in some third world countries, it happens everywhere. Who can tell me that Jerome and Burnside Streets in the Bronx aren't worse than any barrio in the DR?, there they will kill you just to hear the noise that you make when you fall. Where in the US can you buy plate of "arroz, carne, ensalada, habichuela and a soda" for $45 pesos (yes, I sent a friend to a cafeteria this September to buy food and he spent $45 pesos on the latter, about US $ 1.25). If someone is moving to the DR and is planning to rent and go to work over there, it will be harder, but it can be done, but in many cases, those people will return and complain about the country in general. In my case, I know that I will only return to the USA to visit my loved ones. One need to take chances and be aggresive when it comes to bussines. Dont's complain to me saying that you did not make it because everything is high, tell me that you did not make it because you took 50-75,000 US and just lived the good life, drinking with your buddies and visiting a resort every week with a whole bunch on hanger-on- that you have to pay their way. If you go to live there, gert rid of the mentality that you will be on an everyday vacation. Before moving, one needs a plan. Visit, go see a financial advisor and let him tell you on what you can invest your money. Talk to your friends, ask them about business projects. It took me 3 years of visiting and talking to people to come up with my plan. I got help from everywhere, finnancial planners, lawyers, banks, friends, non-friends and even an old man that befriended me on the streets and now is a friend to me ( and yes, he is poor and has a motoconcho). There is no way that I will move over there with only $ 75,000 in the bank. It takes much more than that. It helps also that I own 1 home and co-own a vacation home in Cabarete, and that I have will be opening a few businesses over there soon. It takes time but if you plan it well, all will be fine in the long run, supposing that one has an open mind and to know that you will not have the same life that you had in the US, but it can be a much better life.
I see a lot of posts here from people trying to discorage those that want to move to the DR even though some live there and are taking advantage of what the DR can offer and from some that moved there without a plan and money and now are talking thrash about the country. To those I can only say: you live there and is taking advantage of what the DR can offer but still don't like the country?, then get the hell out. You used to be there but had to leave because it became too hard for you and everything was high and you ran out of money?, next time plan it well ahead of time and try and take more than $ 10.00 with you because there's nothing wrong with the country, something is wrong with you because you did not plan it well. My uncle moved back to the DR about 15 years ago and he has not come back crying wolf and I do believe that the prices on everything have gone up for him too. The difference is that he planned ahead of time and put his money to work. Just because you visit the DR once in a while does not make you a DR expert, it makes youn an observer.
Live there for 20 years and then I will take your opinion to heart because at least you will show me that you found a way to live there with all the adversities. Don't tell me that the country is going to hell when you only lived there for a few years and you left when the going got tough. If you are a Dominican basher and you live there, whether you are dominican or a foreighner, get the hell out and let people like me and my investors friends go and make something good in the DR.
Motoconchos, noises, bulletts, pollution, crime, assaults, robberies, no water, blackouts, mosquitos, dirty streets and some other thousand other things, with all that said, HERE I COME. I can not wait. She would have been prouder!!!!!!!!
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