Why I love Santiago

GOLFGUY

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Oct 25, 2004
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Random thoughts from a Gringo (US) Santiaguero on what makes Santiago so special to me:

Seeing the lights of the city from the carretera turisitica when returning home from POP on Sunday night;

El Monumento at night all lit up with families and children in fascination smiling and walking around hand in hand;

Aguacate as big as a football during season;

Coming home to find 14 people in my house eating at the dinner table and spending the rest of the day/night talking and eating and sharing (for this I am very thankful);

Mi morena cooking for all of us and never stopping, only to make sure everyone has enough and to give me a smile and a kiss;

Shouts of "llego la luz" like a celebration, and not constantly complaining (what did people do before electricity?);

Enjoying the cool mountain breezes at night and not missing air conditioning;

Waking up to find a new baby in my room from another cousin I never met;

Sharing, when there is little AND when there is a lot;

No tourists to remind us that all the above is meaningless to them and so very important to us (of this I am reminded everytime someone complains of all the wrong things in this country. So why are they here?)
 

NALs

Economist by Profession
Jan 20, 2003
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GOLFGUY said:
No tourists to remind us that all the above is meaningless to them and so very important to us (of this I am reminded everytime someone complains of all the wrong things in this country. So why are they here?)
Very very good question!

I've been asking that question for a long time. There is nothing wrong in complaining if a suggestion on how to fix it comes along after the complaint, but complaining for the sake of complaining, I just don't see the appeal.

Anyways, good points about Santiago, though some of those points are relevant to the entire country and culture, not just STG.
 

rellosk

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Mar 18, 2002
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Nal0whs said:
Anyways, good points about Santiago, though some of those points are relevant to the entire country and culture, not just STG.
I agree and I'm a tourist.
 

burmell

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Jan 12, 2002
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This tourist can't wait

What is there about Santiago? The friendly people. The people. The people. Santiago is a place where their house truely becomes my house. Having lived there for a year and returned every year but three since 90, I have never seen anyone like those from Santiago. It was such a thrill this past week to receive a phone call from a friend who was a thirteen year old shoe shine boy in 90.

If all goes well, I plan on spending a few days in Santiago after doing some mission work in Jarabocoa. I would love to actually see some of you who post here and are living in Santiago. So many of my friends are now in the US that I may need to find a cheep place to stay there for a few days.
 

AZB

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Jan 2, 2002
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Burmell, itwas a pleasure meeting you once, I hope you would drop by my office once again.
Other than santiagueros, Santiago is only appreciated by folks who have lived in this beautiful city for some time. You will hate santiago if you only come here for shopping and suddenly find out that people speak spanish in this country. You will hate this city if you only think of DR as beach vacation. Santiago is only for santiagueros.
AZB (santiaguero from the heart).
 

miguel

I didn't last long...
Jul 2, 2003
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Indeed!

Nal0whs said:
Very very good question!

I've been asking that question for a long time. There is nothing wrong in complaining if a suggestion on how to fix it comes along after the complaint, but complaining for the sake of complaining, I just don't see the appeal.

Anyways, good points about Santiago, though some of those points are relevant to the entire country and culture, not just STG.
Nal, for those complainers, I always say this: "don't like it, get the hell out".

Now, I have visited Santiago a number of times, the last time a few years ago, and all I can say, even though I love SD, I would rather live in Santiago.

But, I don't know now since there's a certain Pakistani that it's Santiago main attraction and is taking ALL the good-looking/educated girls!.

I will be there in a few days, so I'll see if it have changed for the better.

Btw, Fernandito has a song tittled "Santiago" at it mainly says wonderful things the city and it's attractions.
 

burmell

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Jan 12, 2002
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AZB said:
Burmell, itwas a pleasure meeting you once, I hope you would drop by my office once again.
Other than santiagueros, Santiago is only appreciated by folks who have lived in this beautiful city for some time. You will hate santiago if you only come here for shopping and suddenly find out that people speak spanish in this country. You will hate this city if you only think of DR as beach vacation. Santiago is only for santiagueros.
AZB (santiaguero from the heart).


AZB: yes we did meet a few years ago, and keeping with the tone of DR1. I still want to return. I don't care that you have all of the good looking ladies [TIED UP], because I will be leaving the only love of my life, my wife, when I come down your way. OH, I plan to return to that same love.