20k Germans and 42k Americans do what?

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Voyager

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Let me try to ask this question once again... Does anybody know what 20,000 germans and 42,000 americans do in DR? I mean for a living!


See this dr1 article from today Monday,June 28 ,2004.

9. Our growing foreign population
Of the 92 different nationalities belonging to those who requested resident permits in the Dominican Republic during the first third of 2004, the United States, Haiti, Cuba and Colombia topped the list, according to the report in El Caribe. In 2003, Colombian nationals were second, after the United States, in applying for residence visas, and along with the US combined to receive over 28% of all visas issued. Interestingly, there are nearly 20,000 German nationals residing in the Dominican Republic, nearly all on the North Coast. There are 42,000 US citizens in the country, a majority of whom are in the Cibao area. Venezuela has 3,000 citizens in country, most of whom are located in Bavaro and Santo Domingo. Chinese, French Italians and Mexicans also form sizeable populations in the Dominican Republic. Many visa requests are for studies at local schools and a substantial number are requested for business and work reasons.
 
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Lambada

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Some live off real estate, either renting out their own properties, or selling real estate, some invest their pensions/savings & live off the interest, some are involved in tourism, either have their own excursions, or sell tours or work for tour companies, some are self employed in computer field, I know of one American doctor who works here.....and some do nothing at all & live off their savings. Most retirees whom I know do something, more as a hobby than to live from. And don't forget the foreign teachers here.
 
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dulce

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"Colombian nationals were second, after the United States, in applying for residence visas."

This is the part that surprised me the most. I met many different nationalities while living in the RD but Colombian's were not among them. I met a few that were on vacation, but not living there. Has anyone else met many Colombians?
 
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Voyager

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To summarize...

Okey, lemme see now....

So northern DR is the biggest German-American geriatric ward on the planet, with 62,000 oldtimers guzzling beer whilst watching the sun set on their lives! (From where I come from, "nobody" retires at a young age)

And then there are the elusive Colombians...
 
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Voyager

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Lambada said:
Some live off real estate, either renting out their own properties, or selling real estate, some invest their pensions/savings & live off the interest, some are involved in tourism, either have their own excursions, or sell tours or work for tour companies, some are self employed in computer field, I know of one American doctor who works here.....and some do nothing at all & live off their savings. Most retirees whom I know do something, more as a hobby than to live from. And don't forget the foreign teachers here.
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Thanks for your reply! I notice from your listing that most expats appear to be either self-employed or are making money from money. Interesting!

It means that many people who go do DR are pretty creative and resourceful when finding a way to create an income for themselves. Quite contrary to the image of the unrealistic dreamer, looking for the perfect beach, planning to survive on odd jobs, only to have to go home on a ticket sent to them from mum & dad.
 
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Tordok

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Don't lose sight of the fact that most "Americans" are Dominicans with U.S. citizenship.
- Tordok
 
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Lambada

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Voyager said:
Thanks for your reply! I notice from your listing that most expats appear to be either self-employed or are making money from money. Interesting!

It means that many people who go do DR are pretty creative and resourceful when finding a way to create an income for themselves. Quite contrary to the image of the unrealistic dreamer, looking for the perfect beach, planning to survive on odd jobs, only to have to go home on a ticket sent to them from mum & dad.
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I think the longer term foreign residents are slightly different - some came here as young people & are now University Professors! I was hoping some of these might have joined in to tell you what they did. But ABSOLUTELY agree, creativity & resourcefulness are MUSTS for successful expats, as are humility, flexibility, adaptability etc etc. Nothing wrong, BTW, with being an unrealistic dreamer, provided you have enough money to eat. Surviving on odd jobs? No. This is not Spain in the 1970's. There are high levels of unemployment here, made worse by recent economic downturn. And to be brutally honest, when I know of jobs which are available, I would rather tell Dominicans who have a family to support, about them, rather than a foreigner who could get employment in their country of origin. It is heart breaking when you have proud Dominicans coming to your door, asking for work, & all the jobs you have are already taken.
 
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Freemo

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How many English ?

Its all very well knowing how many foreigners are living in the DR but most importantly how many English are living there ? After all we are one of the original settler nations, even if it wasn't to the liking of the indigenous populations. They got to like us after a hundred years or so.
 
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Criss Colon

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There are nearly 7,000 Retired US Military receiving their checks here!

And I don't kinow how many,like me,have their pensions deposited in the US!
After having worked here for 8 years,what was once a great salary in the DR,now barely pays our monthly food bill! If not for my Veterans Pension,we would have to leave the DR!
CC
 
NALs

NALs

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Jan 20, 2003
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dulce said:
"Colombian nationals were second, after the United States, in applying for residence visas."

This is the part that surprised me the most. I met many different nationalities while living in the RD but Colombian's were not among them. I met a few that were on vacation, but not living there. Has anyone else met many Colombians?
Click to expand...

There are a few Colombians mingling around all over the DR, however don't expect their numbers to increase. During the crime wave which now appears to be over (thank God), there were a good number of Colombians responsible for planning some of the kidnappings and killings. Also, a few Colombians were caught crossing the border from Haiti into DR illegally with x number of illegal drugs. As a result of that, Colombians now need visas to come to DR, and the DR embassy in Bogota is not being very generous. The same applied to Mexicans, many were found to be behind the crimes and then there were the criminals from Washington Heights who made a weekend trip to SDQ to kidnap some rich kid and get a few millions before Monday rolled in. Authorities have been tackling this issue and from what I'm noticing, it appears to be working since the heavy crimes appear to have slowed down in their occurence. Thank God.
 
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gringo in dr

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Voyager said:
Let me try to ask this question once again... Does anybody know what 20,000 germans and 42,000 americans do in DR? I mean for a living!


See this dr1 article from today Monday,June 28 ,2004.

9. Our growing foreign population
Of the 92 different nationalities belonging to those who requested resident permits in the Dominican Republic during the first third of 2004, the United States, Haiti, Cuba and Colombia topped the list, according to the report in El Caribe. In 2003, Colombian nationals were second, after the United States, in applying for residence visas, and along with the US combined to receive over 28% of all visas issued. Interestingly, there are nearly 20,000 German nationals residing in the Dominican Republic, nearly all on the North Coast. There are 42,000 US citizens in the country, a majority of whom are in the Cibao area. Venezuela has 3,000 citizens in country, most of whom are located in Bavaro and Santo Domingo. Chinese, French Italians and Mexicans also form sizeable populations in the Dominican Republic. Many visa requests are for studies at local schools and a substantial number are requested for business and work reasons.
Click to expand...

We have left the daily rat race. The dollar can be made to stretch a long way down here if you have connections. Building connections is the hard part.
 
V

Voyager

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Seachange said:
Complain about the country and its people.
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Do you really mean that?

Maybe I am wrong, but my impression is that most of the people who complain about DR are people who visited the country, had a bad experience and then drop vitriolic comments on this message board. Mostly, it appears to be people who were badly prepared for a visit to a country such as DR and/or had expectations that were not met.

It is a dangerous thing that, to have expectations. They limit your openness, reduce your level of tolerance and make you blind to seeing what is actually there, and what is actually good, rather than to what you thought you could find, but is not there.

The other "bad habit" is to make unreasonable comparisons. As someone wisely said to me: "If you are looking for Paris, then don't go to Santo Domingo!"

All of the above is hard to implement in one's appreciation of a new place (at least for me, being only human...) but well worth working on!
 
V

Voyager

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Criss Colon said:
And I don't kinow how many,like me,have their pensions deposited in the US!
After having worked here for 8 years,what was once a great salary in the DR,now barely pays our monthly food bill! If not for my Veterans Pension,we would have to leave the DR!
CC
Click to expand...

Wow! I am learning a lot now! I could never have guessed that there were that many Veterans living in DR!?

Generally, moving to a supposedly "low cost" or at least "lower cost" country and having ones pension sent there, seems like an interesting idea.

However, I am not too sure any longer that DR is a low cost country. I have seen the figure 70,000 pesos per month; but that is my living expenses back home in Scandinavia, on similar conditions that the 70' were based on!

Speaking only for myself, I feel reluctant to cut down on my standard of living. And as you get older, you do want to live comfortable and not in some drafty shack on the beach, that might seem "romantic" for a 22 year old. As I see it, part of the idea of relocating is to be able to afford a higher standard of living!

Adding cost for trips back home and to other places (travelling is what makes me tick), total cost for living in DR will exceed my future pension and I fear DR will end up being a "prison island" for me. BUT, I am working on solutions, so I haven't given up yet....
 
V

Voyager

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gringo in dr said:
We have left the daily rat race. The dollar can be made to stretch a long way down here if you have connections. Building connections is the hard part.
Click to expand...

I agree that building connections is always the hard part, wherever you go, wherever you work, wherever you live.

About the rat race... Hm!? Have you read "The Tempest"? (Shakespeare!) Whatever rat racing there is in your life, whatever stress and limitations, whatever squeaky relations with other people, you do tend to bring them all with you, isn't that so? You can never run away from yourself and the circumstances of life you yourself, greatly add to creating! Or am I talking fancy "bull" here?
 
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