Single Mum Needs Help To Relocate

mariainspain

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May 12, 2007
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HI EVERYONE
i am new to this.
we are an english family that has lived in spain for 7 yrs and now want to relocate tp the d.r.
my kids are 8 and 9.
i am an english language teacher.
my children are bilingual, spanish and english.i am divorced.
where is the safest part of the island to be as a foreign mother with 2 young kids.
i need to work a little as a teacher, i need to put my kids into a private school but not an expensive one.
my 8 yr old son has dyslexia and concentration problems but not too major.
any ideas or suggestions where to but or not to buy.
any ideas on how to rent or anything.
many thanks
maria
 

SKY

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Apr 11, 2004
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I would contact the International School in Sosua and ask about a teaching position. They are always looking for qualified teachers. If you have your Masters you will get a larger salary.

The number is 809-571-3271.
 
C

Chip00

Guest
Many would say go to Santiago because of the more laid back style and the fact that there are less tourists. Even though you appear to be bilingual if you appear foreign you will be treated as such in the tourist areas on the north coast.

Santiago has many fine bilingual schools, in fact my daughters, go to one called Holy Trinity just down the road from my house. Also, prices for houses here in Santiago are quite reasonable. Not only that there are a few nice supermarket chains where you can get all the stuff you need, a couple of malls and movie theatres not to mention many fine restaurants. Also, the beach is only an hour or so away on the highway.

Good luck.
 

natura

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you should rent for the first year...........before you buy anything. There are several private schools in the Sosua...Cabarete area. There are English families here to assist you to make the change. Good luck and keep in touch
 

Chris

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Oct 21, 2002
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I would think the Dominican Republic would be a very hard place for a single mom with 2 kids, one with a challenging learning situation.

You need to be very sure that you want to come here.

Do you have family support in the area? What if you need professional help with the dyslexia?

How well have you thought out this move?
 

Criss Colon

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Jan 2, 2002
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I Have Been "Laying Back" Before Posting Here!

I can tell you that the DR is not an easy,or inexpensive, place to raise children. I KNOW,I have FOUR! From 3 to 15. Two little girls,and two older boys. It costs a LOT of money,time,and effort! You get no help from the Government! (Not that I WANT any!)'"Special Needs" children are also on their own! We had a family return to their own country because there was no help for their special needs child. Their "Posts" are in the "archives"!
As Chris says,"Think Loooooong and hard" before you come here! Are you running too someplace,or just FROM someplace??
Cris colon CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCc
 
B

batich

Guest
HI EVERYONE
i am new to this.
we are an english family that has lived in spain for 7 yrs and now want to relocate tp the d.r.
my kids are 8 and 9.
i am an english language teacher.
my children are bilingual, spanish and english.i am divorced.
where is the safest part of the island to be as a foreign mother with 2 young kids.
i need to work a little as a teacher, i need to put my kids into a private school but not an expensive one.
my 8 yr old son has dyslexia and concentration problems but not too major.
any ideas or suggestions where to but or not to buy.
any ideas on how to rent or anything.
many thanks
maria

With all respect to your situation I would say that it is the crasiest idea that I`ve heard of in my life.

For single mom to relocate from a beautiful european civilised moderately expensive country with great climate and cultural life to DR ??!!



Gimmiabreake!


I love this country de toda mi alma y corazon. I cannot imagine living in any different place, it is true!

But I am a single man with a solid income, that is a big difference.

This country is not for everyone. It is paradise for middle-age or older single men (who are in very good health!!) because of the multitude of young beautiful available women.

It is paradise for new riches from one east european country who hide themselves here with their families and with the money they stole in their country.

It is paradise for men who cannot tolerate any longer police oppresion and harrasment of some so called "developed" countries.

And also paradise for criminals running from justice systems in their countries for some very serious crimes including for murders.

But practically that is it. Comparing to your Spain you will be shocked with higher prices for everything, with lack of legal protection, with lack of decent job opportunities, with lack of practically any health care for yourself and your kids. Horrible education system even worse than in USA. Total valnerability to any crime.

Forget about things like cultural and social life!

Leave any hope to meet a quality serious man to create a new family.

A man relocating to DR is totally understandable.

A woman relocating to DR is something very exotic to say the least.

Men are poligamic by nature. They want MANY fresh different women. This is the place.

Women are monogamic. They need only one man. But reliable and solid provider. Not here.

Of course there is a small group of single middle age gringo women here as well who are not interested in having a family/serious relations nor in any other aspects of life, except having a lot of sex with multiple young local men called sankies. But they are a rare exception.

I cannot be their judge, it is their money to spend for whatever pleases them and it is their right to live for sankie sex only, no problem.

But if you have different values in life, DR is not a right place for you.

My two shekels.

(I think this thread is fake. Not for real.)
 

amparocorp

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Aug 11, 2002
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i have been to spain, my daughter lives in spain, just because in the DR we speak spanish do not think it is like spain...............like spain is argentina..........
 

Sharlene

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Mar 4, 2006
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It's not that easy (or cheap!) with children.....

I agree with everything that's been said so far. I moved to Sosua from UK in Aug 2006. This is my overview of things where I am as a fairly new resident and one who has young children (2 and 5):-

I live near the International School in Sosua (they have website), which is where my two young children attend school . The International School is expensive (approx $500 per month per child with meals). There are other cheaper private schools nearby (Learning Centre was $263 per month, Garden Kids (they have website) is prob cheapest - both good education). Also there is the Louis Hess School in Sosua and the Nueva Vida School near the International School if you're children speak fluent Spanish (I believe the Hess school is better.......). I'm not sure about facilities for children with learning difficulties.

I moved here with my partner (although it feels like I moved here on my own a lot of the time as I never see him!), but financed everything myself. He works as a dive instructor. The MOST he can earn in Sosua is approx $1000 per month (inc commission), but he can earn four times that if he works away on the liveaboard boats for 10 weeks at a time! Wages here are very low, so don't bank on keeping a family purely on your income, if that's what you're looking to do. I've kept a close track on finances since we moved here and we need approx $2500 per month to live on inc school fees., and that's with our house paid for cash! I've spoken to a couple of other parents and they agree with me that approx $30,000 per year is minimum. That's not for an extravagant lifestyle. It includes maintenance (water, security, rubbish collection), electric (expensive here), petrol (going up all the time!), medical expenses, eating out once or maybe twice a week, sensible shopping using mainly local produce, kids activities (karate, horseriding, ballet - there's something going on every night at school etc and it's difficult to say no when all the other kids do it! Same as anywhere else!). Shopping bill here is similar to UK (some things cheaper, some things more expensive but it balances out). I feel like I'm paying out constantly. Perhaps it's because you have to physically pay everything in cash......but even long term residents agree with me that the 'paying out' here seems endless. I don't know why you're leaving Spain but don't do it because you think it's going to be more economical. Also, relocation expenses, flights, shipping, purchasing new items here (like a car, essential really if you have two children) and settling in means that your first few months will be much more expensive.

Lastly, if I'm to be truthful, I miss many more things here than I ever thought I would. Living in Europe you're in close proximity to lots of cultural destinations, you can get English books and items delivered easily, you have access to very good medical facilities etc. I love the fact that my children have an 'outdoor' life and they enjoy it, but it frustrates me that I can't take my 5yr old to the theatre, the ballet, or a museum or just easily go and buy her a book or film or dress we've seen advertised. It might sound shallow, but I've grown up in a consumer society and I enjoy shopping.....

You could live in Barcelona or Madrid, or you could live on the Costa del Sol as you don't specify. I've just given you some thoughts as I'm not enjoying it here as much as I thought I would, despite the fact that I've met some lovely people. I do understand why people love it here, but with children it's a whole different ballgame.....

My big reason for moving here was to be near my children's' only surviving grandparents, and I thought it would be good for them to be near some family, but it transpired that the 'grandparents' (despite false promises to get us here!) weren't actually interested in spending any time at all with their grandchildren and that my friends in UK were more family to my girls than these people ever could be!

Anyway, the reasons you're moving here are as important as anything else. Please say it's not a man! You need to think long and hard as the Dominican Republic is not Spain, even though they share the same language. If you're determined to try it, then just rent here and put your things in storage.
 
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Lambada

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I wondered............

My big reason for moving here was to be near my children's' only surviving grandparents, and I thought it would be good for them to be near some family, but it transpired that the 'grandparents' (despite false promises to get us here!) weren't actually interested in spending any time at all with their grandchildren and that my friends in UK were more family to my girls than these people ever could be!

I remembered way back you mentioning that you had 'in-laws' here but they never seemed to feature in your posts or in helping answer some of your initial questions. Now I know. How very disappointing for you.

Maria, you're not following an ex here are you, so that the children can be near their father?
 

mariainspain

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May 12, 2007
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thank you for your comments,

if everybody is so unhappy there, why are you all still there ?????

cant you afford to return to your home countries?????

i maybe divorced but i have an solid income of about 2000 euros a month, i will not be having to sell my 500000 euros house and therefore i wont have to worry about money.

and i have worked damned hard for my money and not conned anybody, may i add.

i thank the people who have sent constructive advice, and to the peple who have been just plain sarcastic, i hope you are not all a reflection of the people living in the dominican republic.

as for another man or boyfriend, that is the last thing i want at the moment, considering my boyfriend has just died.

as for an A1 holiday and staying in spain, you are very wrong, i was educated in spain from a young age and so it was only right for me to return to place that i loved.

however as the world gets smaller everything changes.

the lovely small spanish wine village that i have lived in for 7 yrs is now a metropolis for social security brits who spend their benefits in spain on drink and drugs.

most youngsters from 15 yrs to 47 yrs are taking cocaine and the problem here is huge.

the slightes bit of rain and we have no electric for hours, in the summer due to so much building work we have no water for days.

the valencian government are turning all our countryside and little lanes into urbanisations and with this are grabbing our land and gardens and then charging us for the pleasure, minimum bill for the average house 60000 euros.

so you see, spain was civilised, now the coast is so expensive that its hard to eat there, there are syringes on the beach, and i could go on and on and on.

however i wont, because my opinion is that everywhere has its ups and downs and everyone has their problems.

its just that some of us cope and retain our sense of humour and dignity, and others have to be rude and insulting.

it all depends on whether we are sayers or doers.

anyhow, once again thank you for the advice, i would appreciate any information, many thanks !!
 

mariainspain

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May 12, 2007
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many thanks for your sound advice, some people have been quite rude, but you seem very objective, many thanks !!
 

mariainspain

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no i am not following anybody or anything, i dont want anybody or anything, i aim for difference and my own made quality of life.
 

mountainfrog

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Dec 8, 2003
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Choice

From what you wrote it seems that many of the shortcomings of your present living place (electricity, water supply, drug environment (although to a lesser scale)) will be similar here.

So, how well do you know this country?
And again, why the DR?

m'frog
 

mariainspain

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May 12, 2007
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why not the d.r

people are going to bulgaria because its cheap.

the world is a small place now.

may i ask how long you have been in the d.r and where you left.

one last thing.

i loved spain for them first time i came here.

i took spanish lessons from the age of 5 because i loved spain and unfortunatley it has changed, but so does everywhere and in these days even more so.

we cant change things and so therefore we have to adapt.

i love travel and have been to many places in the worl.

i loved india, i detested germany france and austria.

i love spanish and i dont mean spanish men as in all my life i have only had 1 spanish boyfriend any body else is my life was good old english.

why the dom rep.......because my little boy (who does not have special need, he just finds things harder than other kids, however he speaks valenciano, spanish and english fluently and never gives up the fight) he adores nature and wildlife and marine life, i want to take him somewhere that he can experience different things and cultures.

they love to travel, my 9yr old girl and my 8 yr old boy want to travel and experience and learn.

many say that the best form of education is to travel and experience situations that one would never experience in their own land.

my close friend loved her 6 yrs in the dom rep

i am not saying i would live there forever but how long is forever.

why are you there mr frog ??????
 

mariainspain

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May 12, 2007
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there is a big fight in brussels against the valencian government as they are wanting to put in street lights and pavemements in the campo.

they grab the front of your garden, depending on what square metre you have, or even run the new road through it and then they charge you min 60000 euros to put in street lights pavements, widen the county lane and god knows what else.
it is terrible and we are fighting it in valencia and brussels.
 

Lambada

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I actually love living here but just like you are experiencing in Spain, I have to say it is a different country from the one I moved to nearly 15 years ago from UK. Delighted to hear you have the language, that puts you waaaay ahead of most new relocators. We have the Costa Brava set here too! :rolleyes: Mostly they live in tourist areas. To avoid them head inland a bit, since you have the language it won't be a problem for you. You sound like you're made of the same mettle as the people who used to relocate here many years ago. In which case you'll cope whichever country you're in. I've doubtless offended a whole slew of residents by what I've said in this post, but I'm using the shorthand version to get across that if you go to the wrong area for you, it'll be Spain all over again! Or San Miguel de Allende for the US people.

Power outtages we have, so you'll be well prepared, but they're overcomeable with an invertor &/or generator. Drugs we have, unfortunately, plus crime as a result. Dominicans are what make the DR - some really great people.

And very sorry to hear about your loss.