New Member Says Hello

Binerds

New member
Nov 30, 2006
25
0
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Hello to everyone. I would just like to post a greeting as someone who has been reading this site for the past couple of weeks.

I returned from a holiday in DR a few weeks ago and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it as well as how much I was unaffected by all the things that everyone else was complaining about! (heat, bugs, food, roads etc)

I can see that there are many posts from people returning enthusiastically to say "I'm going to live and work in the DR!" so I am cautiously looking into the reality of this. After working in my office (in England) for 7 years I think I could do with a change and although moving there is extreme, I don't like to do things by halves! My idea is to look into this until I return in March for another 2 weeks, whilst furthering my Spanish & German. Then I will try to make some contacts and plan to go across around October 2007. I don't like the thought of rushing into a foreign country and would prefer to know a bit more which is why I've been trying to research the DR and how I landed on this site.

Anyway, I can see that some of you seem to be very straightforward and fairly blunt with your answers so I won't start asking silly questions just yet;I only want to say that it would be nice to hear from anyone that would like to contact me so that I can start joining in your site more, not as a complete outsider.

Thank you for reading this, I look forward to finding out more from your site.
 

rellosk

Silver
Mar 18, 2002
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58
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Welcome to DR1.

You have the right idea about doing research before you make the leap.

Feel free to ask questions, most of us don't bite
 

canadian bob

Bronze
Jan 16, 2002
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Hey Binards! Your plans to further your knowledge of the DR before making any decision to move are excellent. Even if you do decide to move here, DON'T BURN YOUR BRIDGES IN ENGLAND! It is always useful to have an escape route..... If you need some information, I will be pleased to help. (PM me.) Canadian Bob.
 

wishingiwasthere

New member
Nov 19, 2005
413
16
0
Hey Binards,

( Hi rellosk as well )

Well I wish you good luck - we are based in the UK ( Ipswich ) as well and I know how it feels after your first visit! Been returning for 10 years now!

PM me if I can be of help to you. There are a few Brits that I know that have re located out there.

Good luck.

Dan & Jenni
WishingIwasthere
 

BushBaby

Silver
Jan 1, 2002
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www.casabush.org
Greetings Binards.
Been there, got the T-shirt & a whole lot of other goodies that come with 'doing the research'. Take your time - the DR & we shall still be here in a year or two.

What part of the Mother country do you hail from? There are a number of Brits here on the north coast who might know someone who knows someone fairly close to you!! We were from South Bucks.

Help is always available here but sometimes a hard skin might be necessary when reading the responses. As you say, "Blunt replies/answers" can sometimes be over blunt & not properly thought out before being committed to the keyboard! Work your way through that & you should have your Dominican Theasauras right here on DR1.

Again, Welcome. Post questions - daft or not - when you are ready !! ~ Grahame.
 
Oct 29, 2006
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Welcome to DR1 Binerds.

I'm also new to this site and I really find it very, very informative and useful.

I'm in the same situation as you.
20 years ago I visited Santo Domingo and Puerto Plata as a tourist, and I really did not learn anything of value by staying in All Inclusive hotels.

I live in New York City and visited for the first time the DR this year. It was in May on a business trip, as a consultant for a real estate developer in Santo Domingo. I was very impressed with the obvious improvements over the last 20 years. After that first trip in May, I have made 3 more in July, August and October (Santo Domingo, Juan Dolio & Puerto Plata) and we are going back next week to Puerto Plata (Dec. 15-25).

My wife and I are looking to buy a property in that beautiful island, and my idea is to make a gradual move (over the next 3-4 years) to see if we really like it and/or are prepared to deal with the change.
Since most of my business is done over the internet, the idea is (once we get a place to stay) to have longer stays, where we can vacation, as well as continue to service most or some of my clients. I'm 61 years old and in no hurry to make such move, unless we are pretty sure if that's what we want.
We both were born in Spain, so, needless to say that speaking the language helps tremendously. However it's not only about language barriers, but culture, customs, stability, crime, etc.
I will be more than happy to exchange whatever information you may need.

Good luck
Rafael Rothschild
 

Lambada

Gold
Mar 4, 2004
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www.ginniebedggood.com
Hi Binerds and welcome to a socially competent Brit. ;) How do I know? Because you're trying to make friends before asking questions. So you may have already picked up something of how things are done in the DR and after a 2 week trip that is pretty observant. Excellent. Also good that you're going to take it slowly and do lots of research. So far the report card is reading 'should do well' :) so do feel free to ask what you want.

I'm the other half of BushBaby, also a Brit, happily living in Puerto Plata for 14 years. Wouldn't trade it for anywhere. If you're unaffected by heat, bugs, food, roads etc it may be that people matter more to you than these other things. Would that be fair? That's what attracted us, the Dominican people. It was true then and it still is today.

Again, a warm welcome.
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
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welcome to dr1, binerds. wise thing to do, a little research before you move here. keep in mind that the stories you can read here may be a bit discouraging... LOL
if i knew all about DR BEFORE moving here i'd probably never do it. eh, ignorance is bliss, sometimes...
so come back few times to see things yourself.
after initial shock you will enjoy it. even the things i hate and things that don't work right i take in with a thought: that'd make a hilarious email for friends back home....
 

Matilda

RIP Lindsay
Sep 13, 2006
5,485
338
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Feel free to ask as many questions as you like. I am fellow Brit - southerner (London) and southerner here too (Juan Dolio), so if you need to know anything about the south here let me know. Married to Dominican and have been here 5 years. Let me know if you ever plan to come south from Uk and I'll put you on my Bisto buying list!!!

Matilda
 

Binerds

New member
Nov 30, 2006
25
0
0
Thank you everyone for the responses I have had so far, it's really nice to hear from so many people so quickly and I will start asking quesions as I find out what it is I need as I go along.

Mountainfrog, what I was trying to say on the other post was that I didn't want to get caught up in some "holiday love" that made me one of the people who sit crying on the aeroplane all the way home. In fact, I enjoyed a really nice time without either one of pretending it was something it wasn't and I know he enjoyed the time too. which I thought was better for both of us - we're both grownups & would be going back to our own worlds. Anyway, enough from me, if you want to ask me anything else away from this post, feel free.

Everyone else, thanks again for your replies. In answer to some of your comments;
Canadian Bob - I've discussed the idea with the Director of the company I work for and they are encouraging me with the added bonus that I can return to work for them again if things don't work out which is a really nice thing for them to do.
Other Brits - I am from the North, near Leeds so maybe some of you will know it! I'm currently an Office Manager for a telecoms company and one of the things I'm trying to find out is whether any British companies employ over there, from what I've read so far that may be something to rule out & to think of another idea?

Lindsay