Ok, first of all, i want to make this clear, this thread is not about bashing USA. So please read the message and don't twist my words. Contrary to what many believe, I love USA and its my home.
Ok, lately I have been making free calls to USA using the free calling program that I have on the internet. It doesn't cost me a penny to call usa so I have spent many hours chatting with my friends whom I didn't call in many years.
This is what I have learnt about many people's lives in USA.
Most of my friends are making good money yet they all claim to be simply "making ends meet".
the classic example of a friend of mine who is a chiropractor in san francisco. He makes very good money if you look at the numbers alone and he sees far more patients that I see in santiago. His fees are not cheap either. Now when he broke down his expenses, I was left with my mouth open. he pays 2 thousand dollars rent for living in a small house, he pays high taxes and has huge expenses at his clinic. After paying light bills (both house and work), water bill, rents, phone lines and car expenses, he is left with nothing at the end of the month. He is dying to come and visit me, but he never seems to get time off or has money to spend on vacations. On top of all that he lives and supports a live-in girlfriend, 50 yrs old. he is only 42. yes folks, his girlfriend is 50 yrs old. he is one of the guys who has been brainwashed by the women liberation into thinking, age is only a number and love is blind. For god sake, she will be 60 in 10 yrs. he is a tall, intellectual type average good looking fellow. Whats the hell is he doing with a 50 yrs old woman? I am left with my head shaking.
the other friend of mine has to hold 2 jobs (always working), his wife has a full time job and they both leave home when its dark and come home when its dark. They are also just making it. Another friend of mine is 42 yrs old and still lives with his parents. Turns out, many single guys still live with their parents even well into their 30's.
One friend has 1 month of vacation from his airline job yet he chose to drive a limo to make quick extra cash to pay off some credit card debts. He flies for free all over the world yet the last time he came here was 3 yrs ago. Mind you, he is dying to come back.
last night my friend took out his girlfriend to dinner and ended up spending 150 dollars on some susi and drinks. he had to eat again after the date because the food portion was scarce and he left hungry.
My friend in cleveland, ohio has to even work on sundays to catch up with the paper work in his business. he too has huge expenses and never has time to take a vacation.
The examples can go on and on and it seems the life is getting tougher for many in USA. My uncle is retired and owns his own home in queens yet he still depends on salaries from his kids. He is renting his basement to make some extra income. Seems like all the people who own houses in NY have to rent one part of the house to generate some extra cash.
It seems people are working more and more yet life is becoming tougher and tougher every day. Now there are some really well off folks but they seem to be becoming fewer and fewer. Wealth seems to be going towards a very fewer selected folks. If this trend keeps up, I am afraid that by the time many folks turn 65 and retired, they will be either dead or broke.
Now in DR, we make 10 times less yet it seems we all have time and money to live a comfortable life. I travel more to USA and around the world than many folks come here from there. Ok, I don't pay as much as many folks for airline ticket but don't forget, when I travel, I spend money in dollars (money that has been converted from pesos) and while I am there, my clinic is closed here. I loose money everyday that I am away, yet when I come back, I have to pay all the expenses waiting for me at the end of the month. Domincians seems to be enjoying life more than their counterparts in the great up north. I will go out tonight and I will see plenty of folks drinking dancing and laughing the night away. Many end up in motels with a 23 yrs old santiaguera, as opposed to a 50 plus yrs old granny.
I was actually thinking of moving back to USA in some time in the future, but now I have other thoughts. I guess I have become so lazy living here that I will never be able to get used to working like a machine.
AZB
Ok, lately I have been making free calls to USA using the free calling program that I have on the internet. It doesn't cost me a penny to call usa so I have spent many hours chatting with my friends whom I didn't call in many years.
This is what I have learnt about many people's lives in USA.
Most of my friends are making good money yet they all claim to be simply "making ends meet".
the classic example of a friend of mine who is a chiropractor in san francisco. He makes very good money if you look at the numbers alone and he sees far more patients that I see in santiago. His fees are not cheap either. Now when he broke down his expenses, I was left with my mouth open. he pays 2 thousand dollars rent for living in a small house, he pays high taxes and has huge expenses at his clinic. After paying light bills (both house and work), water bill, rents, phone lines and car expenses, he is left with nothing at the end of the month. He is dying to come and visit me, but he never seems to get time off or has money to spend on vacations. On top of all that he lives and supports a live-in girlfriend, 50 yrs old. he is only 42. yes folks, his girlfriend is 50 yrs old. he is one of the guys who has been brainwashed by the women liberation into thinking, age is only a number and love is blind. For god sake, she will be 60 in 10 yrs. he is a tall, intellectual type average good looking fellow. Whats the hell is he doing with a 50 yrs old woman? I am left with my head shaking.
the other friend of mine has to hold 2 jobs (always working), his wife has a full time job and they both leave home when its dark and come home when its dark. They are also just making it. Another friend of mine is 42 yrs old and still lives with his parents. Turns out, many single guys still live with their parents even well into their 30's.
One friend has 1 month of vacation from his airline job yet he chose to drive a limo to make quick extra cash to pay off some credit card debts. He flies for free all over the world yet the last time he came here was 3 yrs ago. Mind you, he is dying to come back.
last night my friend took out his girlfriend to dinner and ended up spending 150 dollars on some susi and drinks. he had to eat again after the date because the food portion was scarce and he left hungry.
My friend in cleveland, ohio has to even work on sundays to catch up with the paper work in his business. he too has huge expenses and never has time to take a vacation.
The examples can go on and on and it seems the life is getting tougher for many in USA. My uncle is retired and owns his own home in queens yet he still depends on salaries from his kids. He is renting his basement to make some extra income. Seems like all the people who own houses in NY have to rent one part of the house to generate some extra cash.
It seems people are working more and more yet life is becoming tougher and tougher every day. Now there are some really well off folks but they seem to be becoming fewer and fewer. Wealth seems to be going towards a very fewer selected folks. If this trend keeps up, I am afraid that by the time many folks turn 65 and retired, they will be either dead or broke.
Now in DR, we make 10 times less yet it seems we all have time and money to live a comfortable life. I travel more to USA and around the world than many folks come here from there. Ok, I don't pay as much as many folks for airline ticket but don't forget, when I travel, I spend money in dollars (money that has been converted from pesos) and while I am there, my clinic is closed here. I loose money everyday that I am away, yet when I come back, I have to pay all the expenses waiting for me at the end of the month. Domincians seems to be enjoying life more than their counterparts in the great up north. I will go out tonight and I will see plenty of folks drinking dancing and laughing the night away. Many end up in motels with a 23 yrs old santiaguera, as opposed to a 50 plus yrs old granny.
I was actually thinking of moving back to USA in some time in the future, but now I have other thoughts. I guess I have become so lazy living here that I will never be able to get used to working like a machine.
AZB