curiosities of the week.

AZB

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
12,290
519
113
I can't help but find certain aspects of dominican love affair with baseball quite amusing. If Aguilas had won last night, the public would have blown up Ahi bar (restaurant / bar) in pure excitment. The game was more exciting than any world series games I had ever seen anywhere in USA, not to mention the crowd, no one can beat excitment which is produced by the cheering aguilas fans all over santiago. Discos were all empty as everyone was cramped in bars and homes glued to the game.
I met a dominican york who's name was "shareef malik". Yup, that is his real name, a typical pakistani, muslim name yet the guy is 100% dominican, no relation to osama and not even muslim. Hahahahaha. I bet this name comes in really handy when going through american immigration. Turns out his dad was good friends with some arabs in NY so he chose to give his son an arab name.
With all the insane prices all over this island, especially of the drinks in Bars / discos, yet you see all domincians drinking Jhonny Walker Black label or other 12 yrs old whiskeys in liter bottles. last night in ahibar almost all folks who were seated around me had ordered a liter bottle of Black label. One group of guys were on their 3rd black label liter bottle. Later on, in Shakabana bar, I saw more folks ordering black label bottles. Do you know how much it costs in clubs?? A lot and we all thought domincians were poor. These guys go out almost every night and spend hard cash. I simply don't know how they do it; leaving their wives at home and spending time with buddies till late hours.
People complain about raising costs of groceries yet you see domincians with full carts in huge long lines in super mercado nacional and pola. Prices of american goods are often twice the price as in good ol USA yet you see folks with shopping carts full of groceries and food items that I wouldn't buy even if the prices were cut in half. A gallon of ocean-spray cranberry-apple juice is 15 dollars here. Dominicans just don't check the prices, they simply buy what they want.
i came to this island to work with foreigners (puerto Plata). Thinking I will make serious money. Soon after 2 yrs of beating, I had realized I made a mistake. Foreigners are not the ones who spend money in DR, the dominicans do. I used to charge almost nothing in Puerto plata for my services yet people counted their pennies and cried of lack of funds etc. after losing 30 k dollars in 2 yrs I called it quits and moved to santiago. it took me 1 yr to get started in Puerto Plata to start making money in order to pay my bills, in santiago, I made money from 1st day on. Now I charge money that would make any foreigner in sosua and POP run out of my office yet domincians pay me without even asking for a discount.Even in the midst of economical crisis, I have raised my prices (just like everyone else) yet people pay me without complaining and pay me up front for all treatments unlike before when prices were lower. I don't get it, you go figure it out.
AZB
 

Pib

Goddess
Jan 1, 2002
3,668
20
38
www.dominicancooking.com
AZB said:
I met a dominican york who's name was "shareef malik". Yup, that is his real name, a typical pakistani, muslim name yet the guy is 100% dominican, no relation to osama and not even muslim. Hahahahaha. I bet this name comes in really handy when going through american immigration. Turns out his dad was good friends with some arabs in NY so he chose to give his son an arab name.
AZB
I know someone with that name and with the surname spelled slightly different. But he isn't a Dominican York, his family is from Santiago, his ancestors arrived from somewhere in the middle east two centuries ago. Middle Eastern names are not that uncommon here.
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
17,850
982
113
Omar is a ME name that one finds across Latin America. I've met people here who may or may not be of ME extraction called Samira or Zamira, Yasser, Amin and Malik.
 

AZB

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
12,290
519
113
Pib said:
I know someone with that name and with the surname spelled slightly different. But he isn't a Dominican York, his family is from Santiago, his ancestors arrived from somewhere in the middle east two centuries ago. Middle Eastern names are not that uncommon here.
This guy's family is from santiago but it seems he grew up in NY and owns a liquer store there. he is here for vacation at the moment. He speaks mostly english with his friends but speaks spanish like a santiaguero. He told me his father named him becuase he had associated with arabs (maybe in DR).
 

Malibook

Bronze
Jan 23, 2002
1,951
167
0
www.yourtraveltickets.com
For every one of these big spenders, there are way more who are not so fortunate.
Perhaps many of these affluent citizens are not simply living off a reported salary.
The Underground economy thrives even in countries where Big Brother possesses an awesome array of the latest and greatest technology and systems.
Surely it is quite prosperous in the Dominican Republic.

The foreigners in Puerto Plata could be living off modest nest eggs and pensions.
They don't want to see the egg shrink.

Human nature would seem to dictate that the rich and poor divide does not shrink.
The big problem facing many societies and economies is that much of their Middle classes are living on the edge in a sea of debt.
Even just a modest rising of interest rates and correction in property values will be a very rude awakening for massive numbers of people.
Many of these reckless fools also have massive credit card debt.
Too many idiots have been living beyond their means and their apparent prosperity is not always as it appears.
 

Hillbilly

Moderator
Jan 1, 2002
18,948
514
113
Arabs in Santiago

The "Arab" immigration cam in 1895 (+/-). At the time the Ottoman Empire was on its last legs and hundreds, maybe thousands, of Lebanese Christians moved out. Many of them came here. Since they travelled on Ottoman (Turkish) travel documents, written in Arabic, they were naturally classified as "Turcos" or "Arabes" ......

Hach?, Chabebe, Majluta, Accra, Cha?n, Khouri, etc etc etc...

AZB is a Chiropractor (sp?) and reports are that he is pretty darn good at it.

HB :D:D
 

Pingu

*** Sin Bin ***
Nov 20, 2005
82
0
0
Everyone must know that although consumer prices in the Dominican Republic are astronomically ridiculous, the cost of living aren't. That is why we can afford a palace in Los Cerros, but only a 900 Sq. Ft. apartment in a New York condo. A Mercedes even with the absurd import taxes, since we don't have to park it daily five blocks away from the apartment in NY. According to a CNN poll, New York City is the 14th most expensive place to live, Santo Domingo is 99th (It was the third cheapest last year)
 

smitty

New member
Jan 11, 2006
10
0
0
Idiot alert...Idiot alert!

AZB said:
I met a dominican york who's name was "shareef malik". Yup, that is his real name, a typical pakistani, muslim name yet the guy is 100% dominican, no relation to osama and not even muslim. Hahahahaha. I bet this name comes in really handy when going through american immigration. Turns out his dad was good friends with some arabs in NY so he chose to give his son an arab name.
AZB
You are an idiot...You should run for U.S. president.
 

AZB

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
12,290
519
113
smitty said:
You are an idiot...You should run for U.S. president.
very classy response smitty. You should run for chopo of the month.
Aside from your very intelligent post, can you tell me why i am an idiot? i happend to know that person and he is a friend of mine. I see him in santiago from time to time. So why do you have a criket up your buttt?
AZB
 
Last edited:

amy2761

Island Body
Mar 16, 2003
881
0
0
41
www.dr1.com
AZB said:
very classy response smitty. You should run for chopo of the month.
Aside from your very intelligent post, can you tell me why i am an idiot? i happend to know that person and he is a friend of mine. I see him in santiago from time to time. So why do you have a criket up your buttt?
AZB

Do I sense a monthly poll arising? Chopo of the month!! :laugh:

Stay well,
Amy
 

AZB

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
12,290
519
113
but this thread is really old, some people are just waking up now.
I still don't know why he called me an idiot.
AZB
 

THE GAME

New member
Jul 13, 2005
414
0
0
www.nydailynews.com
AZB said:
but this thread is really old, some people are just waking up now.
I still don't know why he called me an idiot.
AZB


perhaps b/c W Bush makes a lot of bloopers by saying things that are
funny/improper/out-of-line/not meant for a president.. etc etc.. and then
(maybe according to him) what you said about a dominican having a muslim name but not being muslim is something that is common sense... i don't know.. all i know is that the comment that you or anyone is an idiot and then run for president is not funny at all. It's just a dry comment/joke.
 

Ricardo900

Silver
Jul 12, 2004
3,269
37
48
I've noticed that hip dominicans and the ones who have money hang out in certain joints, like Ahi bar drinking Johnny Walker Black & MGD. If you go to Rancho Tipico or any other local Bar/Billar joints they are drinking Brugal and Bohemia. Dominicans don't mix company, they hang-out with like kind, places like Ahi bar is open to the public, but lower class dominicans won't feel welcomed and the prices are probably too high for them.

When I was there in Sept. I've brought with me a large bottle of Hennessey VS 1/2 gallon and started introducing it to some of university friends with the pure intentions of converting them from JW Black. I told them to tell all their friends that Henny is numero uno:laugh: When I returned in Nov. we all went out to Ahi bar for some food/drinks, when the waitress asked them what they wanted they said Hennessey:classic:, good girls,hahaha.

On a postscript, JW Blue is excellent, never had Gold though.
 

AZB

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
12,290
519
113
Ricardo what kind of monsters you are creating here for us? thanks to you, the presidente drinking girls are now asking for hennessy 270 pesos / pop at ahibar. Imagine if she asks for the same drink in tribecca?
Let the brugal drinking girls drink brugal or pena colada. Why introduce them to expensive stuff when we have to cough up the cash for bill?
AZB
 
Sep 19, 2005
4,632
91
48
I hate scotch...i dont see why anyone would want to drink that crap

I used to bring bottles of single malts to give to the owners of the ranches we hunted.. My buddies were always bringing chivas regal in huge amounts... I started bringing the single malts. Now they like the single malts....but a 1.75 litre bottle goes for $80 in america!!!!........

chopo of the month?...... the contest would take too much time each month to declare a winner.....ha ha ha ha

right AZB?

bob
 

Ricardo900

Silver
Jul 12, 2004
3,269
37
48
AZB said:
Ricardo what kind of monsters you are creating here for us? thanks to you, the presidente drinking girls are now asking for hennessy 270 pesos / pop at ahibar. Imagine if she asks for the same drink in tribecca?
Let the brugal drinking girls drink brugal or pena colada. Why introduce them to expensive stuff when we have to cough up the cash for bill?
AZB
oh-oh, what have I done:cry:
How much does a glass of JW Black cost??

I remember when I was in BC a couple of years ago and a couple of guys from the US just arrived there. So, I've introduced him to Jhovanny's Colmado around the corner from COSMOS, told them that they should drink there instead of on duarte (Cheaper prices), one of them bought a bottle of Absolute and chased it with Red-Bull. I was tired so I left to take a nap, but when I returned a couple of hours later, there were 3-4 empty bottles of Absolute, Red Bull cans all over the place and all of the local Dominicans from Concho drivers, Sankies, and Prostitutes had cups, hahaha. I thought Dominicans would never drink that concoction, but I was wrong.
 

suarezn

Gold
Feb 3, 2002
5,823
290
0
55
Ricardo900 said:
oh-oh, what have I done:cry:
How much does a glass of JW Black cost??

I remember when I was in BC a couple of years ago and a couple of guys from the US just arrived there. So, I've introduced him to Jhovanny's Colmado around the corner from COSMOS, told them that they should drink there instead of on duarte (Cheaper prices), one of them bought a bottle of Absolute and chased it with Red-Bull. I was tired so I left to take a nap, but when I returned a couple of hours later, there were 3-4 empty bottles of Absolute, Red Bull cans all over the place and all of the local Dominicans from Concho drivers, Sankies, and Prostitutes had cups, hahaha. I thought Dominicans would never drink that concoction, but I was wrong.

As long as someone is paying people will drink anything...

I introduced a "friend" to Hipnotiq which I don't necessarily regret as I've got my money's worth many times over...but I'm glad this drink is not widely available in The DR.