Are the locals friendly and talkative?

Casey 1956

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Jan 12, 2002
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Hi Everybody,

One of my main goals of going to the D.R. besides learning how to dance

Merenque/Bachata/Salsa is to improve my spanish ablities. From what

I have read and come to understand it seems that the locals are

very friendly and easy to talk with. Do you find that to be true? If I were

to invite somebody I just met on the street to lunch or a few beers would

he take me up on my offer? When lunch was over would we just go on

our way or would he/she except more? Money, Gifts etc...


Thanks for your insights,

Steve and Helen
 

Larry

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Mar 22, 2002
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Refreshing post. If you just venture slightly outside of the tourist areas you will most likely find the locals to be very friendly and genuine. With an attitude and approach like you have, I expect you to experience the very best thing the Dominican Republic has to offer...it's people. I hope you have fun!

Larry
 

Lambada

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Mar 4, 2004
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After you invite someone for lunch there is a strong possibility they will invite you two to their family home, probably for a meal. Meeting the extended (& I mean extended) family will be a wonderful opportunity to improve your Spanish. Dominicans are very hospitable, but many are hurting economically right now, so if you do go to someone's home bring the beers, maybe a couple of chickens for next day's/week's dinner & possibly something small & unique representing your country as a momento for the family. Have a wonderful stay!
 

Rosemary

*** Sin Bin ***
Apr 13, 2004
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Casey 1956 said:
Hi Everybody,

One of my main goals of going to the D.R. besides learning how to dance

Merenque/Bachata/Salsa is to improve my spanish ablities. From what

I have read and come to understand it seems that the locals are

very friendly and easy to talk with. Do you find that to be true? If I were

to invite somebody I just met on the street to lunch or a few beers would

he take me up on my offer? When lunch was over would we just go on

our way or would he/she except more? Money, Gifts etc...


Thanks for your insights,

Steve and Helen

I am surprised indeed that the people on this forum haven't answered your query!!! I am trying very hard to decide if you are for real ! You ask if the "Locals" are, as you have been informed, very friendly ! Yes the Dominican "People" are extremly friendly ! If you pick someone up on the street,and invite them for lunch and a few beers, you want to know if they and you would then go your separate ways, or would they " Except," ? do you mean accept,or expect, money,gifts etc !!!! Well, I would venture to say, it would depend on just what spanish abilities you were wanting to improve on !
There appears to be 2 of you, are you looking for a threesome ! Cause thats how it comes across ! You can go to any country in the world , on any street, pick up a stranger, supply them with lunch, beer, gifts, what do You think they would assume YOU were expecting ??? If you are truly that naive, I would suggest you find a travel agent somewhere on this planet who could book you a trip to "Eden " and share lunch with Adam & the MRS.
 

Talldrink

El Mujeron
Jan 7, 2004
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Rosemary, that is exactly what I was thinking when I read this post. The poster says that he has been lurking around, if that is true, he could have answered his own question. The threesome thing is another show altogether.

If you are for real: You can ask any ex-pat here why they live in the DR and the first response will be for the hospitality of the people.

Your first question: It depends on what Dominican you run into. We are very friendly people but full of pride. So, you may just get with one that may be hungry or one that felt like it was an opportunity to 'network' if you know what I mean.

If you offer free food to a Dominican, if a woman, she would act shy, but at the end give in. If a man, then he will probably say yes but will try to feed YOU by taking you to his house so that you can meet the wife and the kids (and of course the neighborhood). If you didnt have a vehicle, he may insist that you all hop on his 70 (motorcycle) so that he can ride you (yes all THREE of you - he will make you and the Mrs fit, trust me). If he or she took you up on the he food offer, then that would be enough (for most) and some will get offended if you tried to pay them or something afterwards.

If you met this Dominican while he or she were eating, and you commented on how good his food looked, they will offer you the food from the plate and the same spoon they have been eating from. Now, dont take this as an unsanitary gesture, it is the most selfless thing a human can do for someone: to be so trusting and so giving that they are willing to give you their own plate of food if you want it or need it. Being giving and generous just comes to us, so dont be surprised.

Most Dominicans are genuine, however, please be careful. I advise you to read the Sankie 101 forum and anything that has to do with sankies and so forth. They are not around only for the lonely, they are full-time gigalos and know how to sweet talk anyone to make them believe their stories. So just be careful... Good rule of thumb to follow:

They survived before you came along...

Other than that, Have fun and enjoy!
 

NALs

Economist by Profession
Jan 20, 2003
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Of course Dominicans are friendly.

You can sit on a bench in any park in the DR and not only will you be greeted by people simply passing by (which you should return it with another greeting), but some will stop doing whatever they were doing to earn a living and start chatting with you. Before you know it, you made a friend. I have made so many wonderful conversations while jogging in the parks here in Santo Domingo just by sitting on a bench! Its incredible and now I appreciate such thing even more since when I spent the past year in the US, people only stop by to ask me for directions! And most (but not all) didn't even said hello before asking or thanking me after!

That reminds me, when you come to the Dominican Republic, always always always greet the person you are about to talk to, regardless if its a tiny simple question or a long conversation you are about to start, always greet them first. Also, when you walk into a small store or small business, if there are a few people (including customers) in the building, you should greet them, this is especially true if you walk into a colmado. Always greet people first, regardless if you know them or not.
 

Talldrink

El Mujeron
Jan 7, 2004
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Saludos...

Nal0whs made an excellent point. A big genuine smile can take you places. A good word is Saludos ? this works morning, day and night. If someone says hello or bye to you, try to respond, dont hesitate because you dont know them, they are not being strange, they are being Dominicans...
 

Lambada

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Mar 4, 2004
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Rosemary said:
I am surprised indeed that the people on this forum haven't answered your query!!! I am trying very hard to decide if you are for real ! You ask if the "Locals" are, as you have been informed, very friendly ! Yes the Dominican "People" are extremly friendly ! If you pick someone up on the street,and invite them for lunch and a few beers, you want to know if they and you would then go your separate ways, or would they " Except," ? do you mean accept,or expect, money,gifts etc !!!! Well, I would venture to say, it would depend on just what spanish abilities you were wanting to improve on !
There appears to be 2 of you, are you looking for a threesome ! Cause thats how it comes across ! You can go to any country in the world , on any street, pick up a stranger, supply them with lunch, beer, gifts, what do You think they would assume YOU were expecting ??? If you are truly that naive, I would suggest you find a travel agent somewhere on this planet who could book you a trip to "Eden " and share lunch with Adam & the MRS.

ROSEMARY,
Really......I'm gob-smacked! I didn't get that impression AT ALL. As far as I read it, this is a COUPLE, coming, I think, all the way from China for a "getting to know the DR culture" type holiday, including local dance & language.
Casey 1956, PLEASE let me know if this is correct!
 

NALs

Economist by Profession
Jan 20, 2003
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Wow, all the way from China?

Hey, if its true that simply means positive news for Dominican tourism. If chinese get rubbed the right way most visitors have in the DR, they could become a major source for Dominican tourism worth!

Lets see, there are already 300 million middle class Chinese, if they relate the Caribbean with anything Dominican that simply means good news. Now that there is this new jet that can fly around the world non-stop (Air Singapore has a new fleet flying non-stop from NYC to Singapore), this could be the beginning of Dominican-Chinese tourism!

Casey 1956, when you do come to the DR, tell everybody you know in China how great it is here. Plus, if you are chinese, you would enjoy the welcoming the DR has given to many Chinese migrants as its evident in all major and mid-size Dominican towns with their chinese communities!
 

Lambada

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Nal0whs,
Before you get carried away planning a Chinese tourist invasion :D I think these people are ex-pats, currently coming from China (viz. not Chinese) but we shall have to wait for verification from them, themselves.
 

Rosemary

*** Sin Bin ***
Apr 13, 2004
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Lambada said:
ROSEMARY,
Really......I'm gob-smacked! I didn't get that impression AT ALL. As far as I read it, this is a COUPLE, coming, I think, all the way from China for a "getting to know the DR culture" type holiday, including local dance & language.
Casey 1956, PLEASE let me know if this is correct!

Well Then , I am sorry if I took or read a different interpretation of the post !
perhaps I am becoming more hostile because of reaction's I am getting now in Canada, when the D.R. is mentioned ! It's " OH ! that place , it's full of gigalo's and people wanting to get the hell out of there !" And before there is a tidal deluge of Canadians writing to proclaim this is not so ! Let me remind you , these are MY experiences and they are true ! So dont even go there ! EH !!!!! I have met as I told "Talldrink" many Dominicans who have no desire to leave their country, why is it we never hear anything from them ??? I am curious tho, how do you know this couple is from China ?
 

Snuffy

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May 3, 2002
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they are simply saying...

once the lunch has ended...would the dominican properly respect the relationship or would the dominican then try to use this friendship to gain other items from these fine people. I understand this perfectly because...yes...that does happen. I have had several experiences here where people try, rather quickly, to use the friendship to gain something material.

I can just say to them...some people will respect the boundaries of the friendship and appreciate it for just that...friendship...and then some will try and abuse the friendship. When you see this happening...and you acquire an instinct for seeing it...simply say NO. If they continue to try this tactic with you then very sternly dismiss them. Once they see that your demeanor has changed...they will change their approach and either seize to have an interest in you or begin to respect you.

But usually you don't have this problem with people who have money that allows them to live in nice areas. You will experience it more from people who have little money. Although I have seen it with wealthy people who almost immediately wanted me to buy something.

You would see this less in Santiago for example and more in say Sosua. You Sosuans don't get upset...you know what I'm talking about.
 

Lambada

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Rosemary said:
Well Then , I am sorry if I took or read a different interpretation of the post !
perhaps I am becoming more hostile because of reaction's I am getting now in Canada, when the D.R. is mentioned ! It's " OH ! that place , it's full of gigalo's and people wanting to get the hell out of there !" And before there is a tidal deluge of Canadians writing to proclaim this is not so ! Let me remind you , these are MY experiences and they are true ! So dont even go there ! EH !!!!! I have met as I told "Talldrink" many Dominicans who have no desire to leave their country, why is it we never hear anything from them ??? I am curious tho, how do you know this couple is from China ?

Because he said in a post of 16th. July in Airline Forum that he & girlfriend were travelling China to Philadelphia & then to DR! That is why I think the question about how friendly the locals are is totally innocent. If he has been any length of time in China, he probably wants a comparison as to how friendly Dominicans are in relation to the Chinese. From my small experience of China 14 years ago, I would say Casey 1956 will be surprised by the "instant" friendliness of Dominicans. The Chinese, in my experience, take longer to get to know someone & do not always display an instant smiling face, as the Dominicans do......this is not a criticism, just pointing out the differences. But I most assuredly do NOT think the original post was anything to do with sexual encounters, however obliquely.......poor man'll probably be horrified! They could be missionaries! :confused:
 

Rosemary

*** Sin Bin ***
Apr 13, 2004
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Lambada said:
Because he said in a post of 16th. July in Airline Forum that he & girlfriend were travelling China to Philadelphia & then to DR! That is why I think the question about how friendly the locals are is totally innocent. If he has been any length of time in China, he probably wants a comparison as to how friendly Dominicans are in relation to the Chinese. From my small experience of China 14 years ago, I would say Casey 1956 will be surprised by the "instant" friendliness of Dominicans. The Chinese, in my experience, take longer to get to know someone & do not always display an instant smiling face, as the Dominicans do......this is not a criticism, just pointing out the differences. But I most assuredly do NOT think the original post was anything to do with sexual encounters, however obliquely.......poor man'll probably be horrified! They could be missionaries! :confused:

Then I apologize profusely !!
 

Casey 1956

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Jan 12, 2002
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Casey 1956 our background

Hi Everybody,

This is for the record. I have been living overseas for the last 23 years.

From 1980 to 1989 I lived in Mexico and Central America. I was stationed

as an MP in Panama, Puerto Rico, and Honduras for a total of four years

and two months. I also attend the Army's Defense Language School

for Spanish in Monterrey CA for six months. Before I joined the army

I studied Latin America Studies at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pa.

After leaving the Army I went to graduate school in San Jose, Costa Rica

for spanish linguistics for about two years and then traveled around

spanish speaking america for a short time. After that I moved to

Asia where I have been living for the past fifthteen years in Taipei, Taiwan.

During this time period I have traveled all over Asia. I speak fluent

Mandarin Chinese and my spanish conversational teachers here in

Taiwan are from Panama and Peru and they say that my spanish is

very good. I consider my spanish to be a carribean spanish somewhat

similiar to that of the D.R., Cuba, Puerto Rico and Panama.

Like I stated before my main goal in D.R. is to dance and practice my

spanish with the locals. If I wanted a sanP (in Chinese that means

a threesome; san=3, P=people) I could easily do that here in Taipei,

Taiwan. How someone could read something like that into my orginal

post is beyond me? I just wanted to know if the locals are as friendly

as they are painted here on the DR1 site. We had planned to go to

Cuba but because of the embargo and the many posts from Lonely Planet

stating that most Cubans are only interested in your money and not

your friendship made me want to know if the same was true about

the people in the D.R. That's a fair question isn't it? As for my ladyfriend,

Helen, the only english she knows is her name.

I hope this gives you a better insight as to who I am and why I want

to go the D.R.

Saludos desde Taiwan!

Steve and Helen
 

Lambada

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Mar 4, 2004
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Thanks for setting the record straight, Steve!!! Yes, it is a totally fair question. Hopefully, some of us have gone some way to answering it. I am a British ex pat who has been living in the DR for 12 years & trust me, the locals will be MORE than happy to teach you merengue, bachata etc. You don't need a dance school, just start tapping your feet & "shimmying" your hips when you hear the music & the volunteers will be there.
And ni hao to Helen.
 

Casey 1956

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Jan 12, 2002
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Thank You!

Lamada,

Thanks for your reply. We are looking forward to great time in

the D.R!

Steve and Helen
 

Talldrink

El Mujeron
Jan 7, 2004
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Casey 1956 said:
... We had planned to go to Cuba but because of the embargo and the many posts from Lonely Planet stating that most Cubans are only interested in your money and not your friendship...

I hope you dont base ANY of your decisions on what anyone has said here. I dont think that this was Lonely Planet's intention and to discard an entire country because of a few posts on a Dominican board is a little silly to me.