I'm thinking of moving to DR.

elkangorito

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Sep 24, 2007
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I'm thinking of moving to the DR in about a year & wish to contact some gay people who are members of the DR1 forum, to perhaps assist me with some questions.

I am an Australian male.

Thanks in advance:nervous:
 

Chris

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Oct 21, 2002
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www.caribbetech.com
We have a number of gay posters on the forum.

Gay Bashers, you're deleted, tarred and feathered! So, don't bother!

Elkangorito, feel free to ask your questions. If they're good questions, we have some posters that will give good answers.
 

elkangorito

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Sep 24, 2007
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Hi all & thanks for the responses.:)

I won't ask direct questions as of yet but I will describe things as they are for me now. In this, way, maybe you will be inspired to comment, offer suggestions or ask questions of me.
This is going to be a 'beer powered' post so please excuse any mistakes.:ermm:

Where am I now?
I'm in Thailand...have been here for 2 years, teaching English to adults at a technical college. I don't have a TEFL or similar but I plan to get one before I leave Thailand. But recently, there have been some big upsets within the Thai government that have made it increasingly difficult for foreigners to stay here.
Don't get me wrong, it's a great place...especially for gay people. Homophobia virtually doesn't exist. The trade-off is that Thai culture is a little overpowering at times.:chinese:

What am I looking for?
Besides everlasting love, I'm looking for a good quality of life. I'm not seeking to be rich...as a matter of fact, I'm quite poor but I prefer my life to be this way. I have no income other than that from my job. Just some peace & quiet would be nice. A place where there isn't a million & one rules to which one must adhere.

What's wrong with Australia?
Besides turning into a little America, nothing I guess. But being little America is a big problem for me.
The former Australian lifestyle was great...enough money to live & a bit for enjoyment, didn't have to work your arse off, low stress & everybody was willing to help their fellow man. Now it's very different.
My former job as a Facilities Manager was supposedly a 40 hour per week job (this was what my salary was based upon) but I invariably found myself working 60 to 80 hours per week (with no extra pay), no time for lunch & a phone strapped to me 24/7. You basically work your arse off...& it's still not good enough.:angry:
Many people in Australia feel the same way as I do but they are stuck there because they have mortgages &/or family.
Life in Amstralia (or is it Ausmerica?) is now a work-a-holics dream!...and people will kill you for a dollar.

My qualifications.
No degree but I'm a qualified electrician. I also was an electrical design engineer (switchboards & control gear) for about 10 years. The last 7 years, I have been a Facilities Manager.
In the Australian Scouting movement (total 20 years), I was a rockclimbing/abseilling/caving instructor. Scouting was great...I loved it (minds out of the gutter please;))

About me.
Well, you know that I'm gay but I'm not a 'professional homosexual'...that is, I don't eat, sleep, walk & talk it. I'm not a 'flag waver' by any means but I can stand up on my 'hind legs' if I need to. Most people haven't the faintest idea that I'm gay except for the fact that I don't have lady friends hanging off me, which can cause the odd busybody to rumour-monger.
Some time ago, I had an Argentinian boyfriend (for about 4 years) & I lived with him in Argentina . Consequently, I know a bit of Spanish albeit very poor (muy pobre). I left Argentina in 2000 due to sudden & radical government unrest. Sadly, this was also the end of a wonderful relationship but he & I are still great mates.

Ok. I think that's about all for now.

Oh, BTW, let the homophobes rant & rave all they like. I suggest that we all ignore them as opposed to banning them or deleting posts. Let the world see their narrow mindedness. Besides, it's more humiliating to be ignored by an 'inferior' being, as such. :devious:

Thanks guys. I hope I haven't bored you to death. Future posts will obviously be shorter.

Cheers for now,
Rob. (or Roborito if you prefer).
 

Dolores1

DR1
May 3, 2000
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There is a need for qualified electricians in the DR. Once word gets around, you probabl could develop a clientele and live off them, regardless of where you move. Probably you could carve a niche as a bilingual electrician.
 

Kyle

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Jun 2, 2006
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hopefully people are not that shallow as to not offer you employment based on your preference.

good luck !!
 

SamanaJon

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Jun 20, 2007
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Qualified Electrician

Dolores is correct. The DR need good electricians. You can do very well economically if you know your trade and are honest. You shall find that your lifestyle may be significantly better as an electrician in the DR, than a Professor/Teacher, as the pay is very weak on the most part.

In the DR an Electrician is anyone that can wire a lightbulb or change one out, a Master Electrician is one that can make a lightbulb work (or glow). ;)
 

Ringo

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Mar 6, 2003
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elkangorito: Sawatdee.. I just got back from a visit in Thailand. My brother-in-law lives/works up north and may be able to give you a better feeling of Thailand vs Dominican Republic. PM me if you want.

Thailand and the D.R. have somethings in common. Income/wages and cost of living are very much the same. Larger cities with many things of interest and higher levels of education but the nicer housing more expensive. Outside the cities things are more simple/basic. Water and elec. in the D.R. is less reliable. Food is A LOT BETTER in the D.R. Thailand was mostly clean, great roads, very little auto/motor noise or pollution and the D.R. is ... not. Crime in Thailand is way down compared to the D.R.... or most other places.

I know of a couple of groups that are working with children a teaching them enviornment programs while having fun. Kind of the Scouting approch.

GOOD electriceans are needed. Knowledge of inverters and generators a BIG PLUS.

Hope this helps. (I need another electrician/inverter/gen person....again.)
Regards, Ringo. (North Coast)
 

DAKRA

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Feb 21, 2007
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Location Location Location!

Have you narrowed down what city you want to live and work in? - I'm thinking that you want Santo Domingo or Santiago.......

:ermm::squareeye
 

AK74

On Vacation!
Jun 18, 2007
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[
Life in Amstralia (or is it Ausmerica?) is now a work-a-holics dream!...and people will kill you for a dollar.

Cheers for now,
Rob. (or Roborito if you prefer).[/QUOTE]


A lot of baby-boomers moved to DR in recent years , so it will be difficult for you to find a place without the same people around you that you want to get rid off, and the same "attitude".
 

Lambada

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Mar 4, 2004
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AK74 said:
A lot of baby-boomers moved to DR in recent years , so it will be difficult for you to find a place without the same people around you that you want to get rid off, and the same "attitude".

But little kangaroo doesn't have to live in an all gringo enclave. He's an experienced expat already (Argentina, Thailand, maybe somewhere else as well?), has some Spanish & should do ok living away from expats. He could work for them but he doesn't have to live near them.

Since you're not 'obviously gay', kangarito, that may not become an issue with the locals for quite some time, but be aware there are some homophobic attitudes among Dominicans, fuelled from time to time by Cardinal Nicolas who rants periodically........so people will think they're being good Roman Catholics by repeating what he says, particularly older Dominicans who perhaps are more in awe of the church than younger people are.

'Peace and quiet' you may have to hunt for a bit. Latino tolerance to noise levels is different from some other places. Since you're an experienced volunteer worker with young people there are heaps of opportunities for that in DR also.

You'd need to be proactive in carving out a work niche but I would agree that good electricians are needed. One of the few generalisations I make about Dominicans is that very many Dominican electricians are inadvertent homicides waiting to happen...............:)
 
N

naturelover

Guest
hmmm i think hes probably used to homophobic attitude coming from australia...lol its the only place ive had things shouted at me in the street recently
 

jackieboo

On Vaction without a return ticket!
Mar 18, 2006
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Gay in the DR

Hello and welcome to the board. My partner and I have been here for a little over a year and are very happy with our decision to move. We live on the north coast in Sosua and other than the rantings of the occasional homophobe here on the DR1 I’ve not experienced any kind of negativity because of my sexuality. I also know several other long time residents that are gay and lesbian, one of which is very flamboyant, and none of them has reported any problems.

As for ‘gay’ things to do here on the island I know that there are many bars in Santo Domingo and here on the north coast there is a little gay enclave that caters to gay and lesbian tourists. I’ve never been to either of the above but have first hand knowledge from friends that they do exist and that they are very active and popular.

In another life I owned a gay and lesbian tour company that specialized in travel to Australia and when we were considering a move out of ‘bushland’ Australia was on the ‘A’ list. But as you said it’s not the relaxed place it used to be. We looked at many central American countries and Argentina, but none of them lived up to that dream of living in the Caribbean. Plus this country still has what many ‘developed’ nations don’t, freedom. The DR has a ton of laws but very few of them are enforced unless you do something really stupid like buy drugs or commit a violent crime. What this enables one to do is take command of your own stupidity by making yourself wear a seat belt and look two or three times before you cross the street, you know the little things that Amstralia thinks you’re too stupid to do on your own.

There really is a certain level of freedom one feels when you’re allowed to be responsible for your own actions instead of blaming or suing the people that forgot to warn you not to be stupid.

So, in closing, take your time in the decision process as this island is not Xanadu (but is there really such a place) instead it’s like a long term relationship. There is intense love at first and then either you continue to love and work at the relationship or you get a divorce and move on…….

Jack
 

Chris

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Oct 21, 2002
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Thanks Jackieboo, I was hoping you would answer. In the Capital, there is a very active gay community and some really nice people. Have a look at Gay Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Now that we have that out of the way somewhat, let's talk about what it takes to live in the DR. Uhm .. all I can think about is money! You need some money for sure.

Best is to come over and have a look. Please do not jump into this thing without any prior investigation.
 

elkangorito

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Sep 24, 2007
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So much for my future 'short' posts! Sorry about this but here we go...



Dolores.

There is a need for qualified electricians in the DR. Once word gets around, you probabl could develop a clientele and live off them, regardless of where you move. Probably you could carve a niche as a bilingual electrician.

Hi Dolores.
It's funny you should mention 'bilingual' electrician.
Basically, foreigners who own a business or work in Thailand are not allowed to pick up a pen. They can supervise Thai workers only. There are a few exceptions to this rule.
Anyway, because Thai electricians are the same as DR electricians (woeful) & foreigners can't lift a finger, I did have an idea that may work. If I had the money (I don't), I would start a 'Training Company'. Essentially, I would introduce the idea of apprenticeships into the country (Thailand has a completely useless education system), whereby I would work in conjunction with a technical college (or the like). The apprentice would attend college on a regular basis (one day per week) & the other 4 days would be spent doing 'real' work. This is how it works in most other countries.
Maybe this could work in DR? Maybe somebody is interested in investing in me?



SamanaJon.

In the DR an Electrician is anyone that can wire a lightbulb or change one out, a Master Electrician is one that can make a lightbulb work (or glow).

Hi SamanaJon.
This sounds very much like Thailand...lol. And I know my trade very well. The only problem is that DR is using that awful & outdated American system of wiring etc. Thailand did use the same system but have since changed to the more sensible & simple European system (IEC). Australia uses IEC. So in Thailand, the problem is that most of the electricians here still use the old American system, which is a disaster when it's applied to the IEC system. They simply have no bloody idea of their own electrical system.



Ringo.

Thailand and the D.R. have somethings in common. Income/wages and cost of living are very much the same. Larger cities with many things of interest and higher levels of education but the nicer housing more expensive. Outside the cities things are more simple/basic. Water and elec. in the D.R. is less reliable. Food is A LOT BETTER in the D.R. Thailand was mostly clean, great roads, very little auto/motor noise or pollution and the D.R. is ... not. Crime in Thailand is way down compared to the D.R.... or most other places.

I know of a couple of groups that are working with children a teaching them enviornment programs while having fun. Kind of the Scouting approch.

GOOD electriceans are needed. Knowledge of inverters and generators a BIG PLUS.

Hi Ringo.

I found Argentina (BsAs) to be a very noisy place. Thailand is not much different, depending upon where you live. I lived in Bangkok for 1 year & hated it...noisy, polluted & expensive.
I now live about 10km outside of Pattaya in a small place called Baan Amphur (said 'barn umper'). It's quiet & cheap.
I intensely dislike Pattaya...it's very sleazy, commercial & expensive. I can't walk in Pattaya without being propositioned by 20 or 30 males/females. Also, the foreigners there are usually only looking for sex so it's almost impossible to go out & find someone with whom to have a decent conversation. The foreigners there are annoying with bad attitudes (usually).



DAKRA.

Have you narrowed down what city you want to live and work in? - I'm thinking that you want Santo Domingo or Santiago.......

Hi Dakra.
This is a good question. I really have no idea. Of course, at first I will have to take what I can get, which probably will be dictated by cost. I think that my first main priority will be to live where the work is. Preferably, I would like to have a job to go to in DR BEFORE I get there. Afterwards, I may be able to pick a good place to live. I think my biggest fear is not having a social network with whom I can regularly be a part of. Ideally, the social network would consist of gay people...maybe even all of the people here?



AK74.

A lot of baby-boomers moved to DR in recent years , so it will be difficult for you to find a place without the same people around you that you want to get rid off, and the same "attitude".

Hi AK74 (AK47?)

These baby boomers with bad attitudes are obviously a minority & will therefore be easy to ignore.



Lambada.

Since you're not 'obviously gay', kangarito, that may not become an issue with the locals for quite some time, but be aware there are some homophobic attitudes among Dominicans, fuelled from time to time by Cardinal Nicolas who rants periodically........so people will think they're being good Roman Catholics by repeating what he says, particularly older Dominicans who perhaps are more in awe of the church than younger people are.

'Peace and quiet' you may have to hunt for a bit. Latino tolerance to noise levels is different from some other places. Since you're an experienced volunteer worker with young people there are heaps of opportunities for that in DR also.

You'd need to be proactive in carving out a work niche but I would agree that good electricians are needed. One of the few generalisations I make about Dominicans is that very many Dominican electricians are inadvertent homicides waiting to happen......

Hi Lambada.

I'm pretty well used to homophobes & the like. Amstralia is full of them! I don't think that DR will be much different from Amstralia in this way.



jackieboo.

Hello and welcome to the board. My partner and I have been here for a little over a year and are very happy with our decision to move. We live on the north coast in Sosua and other than the rantings of the occasional homophobe here on the DR1 I?ve not experienced any kind of negativity because of my sexuality. I also know several other long time residents that are gay and lesbian, one of which is very flamboyant, and none of them has reported any problems.

As for ?gay? things to do here on the island I know that there are many bars in Santo Domingo and here on the north coast there is a little gay enclave that caters to gay and lesbian tourists. I?ve never been to either of the above but have first hand knowledge from friends that they do exist and that they are very active and popular.

In another life I owned a gay and lesbian tour company that specialized in travel to Australia and when we were considering a move out of ?bushland? Australia was on the ?A? list. But as you said it?s not the relaxed place it used to be. We looked at many central American countries and Argentina, but none of them lived up to that dream of living in the Caribbean. Plus this country still has what many ?developed? nations don?t, freedom. The DR has a ton of laws but very few of them are enforced unless you do something really stupid like buy drugs or commit a violent crime. What this enables one to do is take command of your own stupidity by making yourself wear a seat belt and look two or three times before you cross the street, you know the little things that Amstralia thinks you?re too stupid to do on your own.

There really is a certain level of freedom one feels when you?re allowed to be responsible for your own actions instead of blaming or suing the people that forgot to warn you not to be stupid.

So, in closing, take your time in the decision process as this island is not Xanadu (but is there really such a place) instead it?s like a long term relationship. There is intense love at first and then either you continue to love and work at the relationship or you get a divorce and move on??.

Hi Jack (or is that 'Hijack'? lol).

Sosua sounds very nice. Any chance of getting a job there?
I'm not raelly a 'bar goer' but I do like to attend once a month or so, to do a bit of ogling.

As for the freedom thing, Argentina & TYhailand are very much the same...you have to be totally responsible for yourself. This is the kind of life I prefer...not, as you say, the over regulated & over taxed lifestyle of the 'developed' countries.
Yes, the world is chock full of stupid people, all of whom need instructions on how to breath. These are the people who make our lives difficult by demanding silly laws. I think very much along the same lines as you.


Chris.

Thanks Jackieboo, I was hoping you would answer. In the Capital, there is a very active gay community and some really nice people. Have a look at Gay Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Now that we have that out of the way somewhat, let's talk about what it takes to live in the DR. Uhm .. all I can think about is money! You need some money for sure.

Best is to come over and have a look. Please do not jump into this thing without any prior investigation.



Hi Chris.

I've checked out that site before but I will check again & see if I can glean more info from it.

As for 'jumping in', I did exactly this with Thailand. I'm the kind of person that can adapt pretty quickly to most conditions. Actually, jumping into something really makes me work at 'making the situation work'. I don't think I'll have enough money for a return airfare to 'test the water', so I'll be happy to take my chances.

But thanks for the good advice.