A Walk down Memory Lane

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Chris

Gold
Oct 21, 2002
7,951
28
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www.caribbetech.com
For the long-term DR1 posters, a question. What would you have done differently when you moved to the DR, if you knew then, what you know now. :p Wow, I difficult sentence .. hope it makes sense.

I'll go first ...

1. Would have bought more property
2. Would have started an alternative school
3. Would have worked much much harder at Spanish
4. Would have accepted the invitation from a delegation of my country to join them in trade talks.
5. Would have worked an importation route secretly through Haiti to avoid Dominican Aduana altogether
6. Would not have gone to the trouble to establish business in a zona franca but would have used a contract packaging firm from the outset.
7. Would have planted and grown much more loofah
8. Would have bought the first house we rented initially
9. Would have established alternative power, solar and wind combination, from the outset.
10. Would not have bought the first jepetta - it was a dog!

So, what about you?
 
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Camden Tom

Bronze
Dec 1, 2002
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One thing we did right....After finishing a remodel on our house in Cabarete, we posted an open invitation to all DR1 posters to a house warming party. We had a house full of people that we had never met before and it was really a good time. To this day, 4 years later, our DR social circle is mostly made up of people that we met that day.
 
M

Mirador

On Permanent Vacation!
Apr 15, 2004
3,563
0
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Camden Tom said:
One thing we did right....After finishing a remodel on our house in Cabarete, we posted an open invitation to all DR1 posters to a house warming party. We had a house full of people that we had never met before and it was really a good time. To this day, 4 years later, our DR social circle is mostly made up of people that we met that day.
Click to expand...

Here's some ideas for socializing and making some friends. Join a local church group. Join a local professional assocation, like the Rotary, Lion's Club. If its politicians you want to meet, register in the 'sector externo' of a political party. High ranking military officers you want to meet? then go to the weekly or biweekly cockfightings at the local ring, and place some bets. There are a lot of associations tailored for women, say the thursday night bingo games...
 
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Criss Colon

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
21,843
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yahoomail.com
I Wound NOT Have Bought A House!!!!!

With the interest on the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ I spent for the house,I could rent a better house,have money left over,and still have the priciple!!

I wound NOT have gotten married!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would not have gained 150 lbs. eating Dominican Food!

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planner

.............. ?
Sep 23, 2002
4,409
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Great question to post Chris!

I moved here with just a few things and never shipped anything over. I don't miss any of it.

I would have brought a laptop computer instead of a desktop.

I would have bought a car sooner.

I would have found a better lawyer.

I would have worked harder, sooner, to learn Spanish.
 
G

Gringo

Bronze
Jan 1, 2002
1,314
58
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Would have bought more "Beach Front Property"
Seventeen years ago the farmers were practically giving it away as it was useless for Cattle.
 
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MrMike

Silver
Mar 2, 2003
2,586
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www.azconatechnologies.com
Would have learned more about Dominican labor law before I started hiring people.

Would have started my own business sooner instead of working for other people for so long.

Would never have attempted a business model that relied on imports.

Would never have attempted a business model that relied on the local economy.

Would have waited longer before getting married to make sure the ground rules were clearly understood and that there was some slight chance they would be respected.

Would not have attempted to attend University in Spanish.

Would have kept my Credit cards and auto-insurance in the US current.
 
L

Lambada

Gold
Mar 4, 2004
9,478
410
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www.ginniebedggood.com
To be strictly honest, I don't think there is much I would have done differently other than arrive with Spanish as opposed to a sign language first few months (with very few other gringos around to help translate in those days) :ermm: It would have been nice to have come in with more cash than we did, but we got jobs and set ourselves the task of living off our Dominican salaries. Boy was that HARD! But we did it & we learned so much in doing it and gained respect from poor Dominicans who have still remained our friends to this day. So, yes, we could have made it a lot easier on ourselves, but whether we would have got the understanding of what life is like for so many people here......... Anyway, we were overweight when we arrived so a bit of hunger was good for the body as well as the soul. :)
 
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AZB

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
12,290
519
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I wish I had moved to santiago directly instead of wasting 2 1/2 years of my life in puerto plata. If I had done that from the beginning, I would have saved all my dollar money I had brought with me instead of spending it there on BS in POP. I would have been well established here in santiago, owning my own apartment in a nice area (which was being sold for only 25K dollars at that time). I would have been more richer. Other than that, I have done ok here so far.
AZB
 
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Rick Snyder

Silver
Nov 19, 2003
2,321
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Mantovani if you read your prior post you would see why it was deleted. This thread did not ask "what are your thoughts about a particular board member". If you have a complaint and it's DR related then my suggestion is to start your own thread but rest assured that the possibility of it being deleted are also great.

Sorry Chris but I just felt that I had to say something.

Sorry everyone, back on subject.

Rick
 
C

Chris

Gold
Oct 21, 2002
7,951
28
0
www.caribbetech.com
No prob Rick ... I'll let you into the secret, we're drawing lots in the back room as to who this puppet is ;)

It's an old one, it is one with an axe to grind, and like one poster said to me this morning .. it's one that thinks we floated in on the banana boat last night...

Like you said on another post .. sleepy Sunday!
 
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Rick Snyder

Silver
Nov 19, 2003
2,321
2
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Yes and it was because of that "sleepy Sunday!" that I failed to look at the prior 15 posts of the "idiot".

Have a good day.
 
T

tarrantino

New member
Jan 12, 2006
500
4
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I personally found this topic interesting and helpful , especially for those of us (me)who plan to move to the DR or stay for extended periods of time. The information provided by people that have already made the move to the DR gives you something to think about before you take the plunge.
 
Squat

Squat

Tropical geek in Las Terrenas
Jan 1, 2002
2,241
169
63
it's hard to say what I would have done differently, as I learned along the way. My mistakes were then transformed into experience, so it made me stronger and more prepared for everyday life in the DR.

I came here already fluent in spanish, so that was not a problem.

But as much as I had my shares of mistakes, I wouldn't have learned without those living experience.

As of real estate, I spent my first 7 years in a region that never took off !!! So, yes, I own a house, but it is not worth much more today that is was in the late 90's...

I am today in a "gold rush" region, and also own a house. No big deal...

I enjoyed reading DR1 forum & news all along the years...
 
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Ken

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
13,884
495
83
I certainly would spend more time on improving my fluency in Spanish if I were to do it over.

Other than that, I think I played the cards that were available to me as well as I could have. I've done a lot of interesting things that were totally different than what I did before. My name is on a little publication on the whales that is still being distributed by some tour companies. For a number of years I was the best known foreigner living in Samana because of a column I wrote for the Santo Domingo News. I had a good experience working for Hotel Grand Bahia, including building a 9-hole 3-par golf course (and me a non-golfer), and I am presently very active in our condo association board of directors. I'm content and feel I have given more than I have taken, which has always been important to me.
 
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