Question about my kids

...err... so .... why do you want to move to SOSUA, then?

Why don't you buy a small restaurant in San Francisco, or on the LaVega's Strip ...lots of money there... (Me funny hoy) ... or in SD or .... for that reason Juan Dolio, Rio San Juan, Samana or something similar?

Btw do you know hospitality is one of the toughest businesses in the DR? You would have easier time baking and selling bread.

I would rather live in Santiago, if i had any children.
Maybe you should try to do that. Safety of your family is the most important thing.

Im not trying to be an arrogant axxhole, i just try to help you think outside Sosua.

Take care

RRattus.

You said you already own a biz in Sosua, I'm surprised you don't know where Santiago is.

What type of biz do you own in Sosua now?

iluvsosua said:

All I keep getting told is, keep them away from the locals...they will end up hookers and keep them safe from the locals, they will end up kidnapped. I was told this by locals!

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You can forget the kidnapping - very very rare. Yes I know you were told this by locals - you have to work out what their motivation might be.

Whether your girls end up hookers or not would have something to do with the way you & your husband have raised them thus far, would it not? If they have been brought up with a certain set of values, why should they become hookers?

Yes there are universities & yes there are after school activities - my Dominican neighbour's teenage girl has piano lessons after school, ballet & bujitsu. She also spends a lot of time with her highly educated mother. You can search the forums on universities or google PUCMM for starters.

Some expats have left the DR because they felt their children would have a better standard of education in their countries of origin. That goes for high school as well as University.

If you're asking whether there will be a job for your girls after they complete University, you must know that there is high unemployment here. I suppose it all depends on how old they are now & how far away adulthood is for them.

As was said on a previous thread, it sounds like you need to do a lot more research before making a decision. Rubio_higuey is right about the hospitality business in the DR - just look at how many restaurants on the north coast have not been successful. They get bought by new enthusiastic expats who later realise their mistake & then get busy selling them to the next wave of new enthusiastic expats..... I know, I know, you won't want to hear this from me just as you didn't want to hear it from rubio. Doesn't alter the fact that it happens to be true.

iluvsosua said:

I really need your input. And PLEASE be nice and write back like you actually care.

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I think most people DO actually care iluvsosua - it is just that you are not liking the 'caring' responses you are getting.

I will be happy to give you some input but you need first to tell me whether you want me to be 'Honest & Factual' (i.e. warts & all) or "be nice" & tell you what you want hear?

What 'Biz' are you currently running? For how long have you run this? Is it presently giving you a living income or is it "being built up for future rewards"?

iluvsosua said:

The more and more I do my homework, the more I am becoming unhappy about moving the family.

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The BEST answer I can give here then is 'DON'T move your family down until you ARE happy'. More research, more exposure to the Dominican Culture/ways of doing things & THEN (if you feel comfortable you are making the right decision for THEM) let them come & find their way in Paradise!! ~ Grahame.
(BTW - which restaurant are you thinking of buying? NOT the one that sits on the corner & is at the bottom a of hotel I hope?). :ermm: aranoid:

One of my kids go to the "sala de tareas" in the afternoon. It?s 2 hours to do your homework with either your own teacher or a trained adult. That way the parents don?t have to endlessly fight with the kids to do their homework, and then correct it afterwards (not always easy )

This is what I recommend.

How old are your kids?
That makes a difference as to where you should locate.

Sorry, I know nothing about the schools...

If I'm remembering correctly, your husband runs the current business.

And it sounds like you have already come down for a visit, but why not spend a few months here during the next school summer break. It would give you time to get a better feel of the area.

Good Luck to you...

what do your children do where you live now ? what will make your restaurant different to others? why will they come into yours instead of the one next door ? will you have to accompany your children to their various activities ? what do your children think ? what do you think without listening to others ? - more questions than answers again lol

My apology for closing the thread, in a pm I have been told the original poster has only been to Sosus two times and her husband owns a club in Sosua, so she has not knowledge of the surrounding area.

Hlywud

just be groundedQ!

If you are logical and with 1/2 of commoun sense, you will be just fine.
Where ever you go or live long enough, your commoun sense and survival skill will always provide after few moths!!!
Do not look to much at the island life style from the other side of the fence,it will scare the S--t out of you (you have to go and try it first?). An experience no matter what !
There are good college all around you ,even in close by island "Cuba ,Puerto Rico ,and of course the DR.If your kids come at a young age they will have time to adapt to local life style and go to college around.If they are already teenagers than you get problemes?(in the long run they are going to be home sick and life will be to boring for them)
%75 OF YOUR SUCCES WILL DEPEND ON HOW YOU ARE AS A FAMILY ?,AND WHAT KIND OF EDUCATION AND VALUES YOU GAVE TO YOUR KIDS AND YOUR SELF)
Worried a lttle but not to much!!!!!

What you may be calling the "strip" in Sosua, is in my opinion not much more than a red light district.
Besides the fact that one of the better private schools (Hess) with the longest history in Sosua finding itself sitting in the middle of it, I don't think that anyone can really expect a red light district to be the most adequate place for kids to grow up, hanging around the family restaurant and what ever classy customers this may or may not attract.
This is just my opinion and I will not debate it or seek to impose it over other poster's opinion(s).

Universities? There are two in Puerto Plata. UTESA (Universidad Technologica de Santiago) which has a somewhat limited reputation and UASD (Universidad Autonoma Santo Domingo). The next stop for better or higher education and possibly the only available in the country which has gained some International respect (Catolica) would be Santiago.
Most of Sosua's jews have left peu a peu, a phenomenon you may want to read as and indicator of what is and what may after all not be going on in and around Sosua as far as education and future opportunities(?).
Culture? Well, we'd have to re-define what every one and each of us would categorize as "culture"... but "cultural" events and thus activities as you would expect around 1st world countries' cities are... erm, well, let's say "seldom"?
On the other hand, kids seem to be happy here and enjoy a childhood maybe more similar to the one our parents or grand parents experienced, playing more out doors and less centered on particular expensive toys.

... J-D.

BushBaby said:

The BEST answer I can give here then is 'DON'T move your family down until you ARE happy'. More research, more exposure to the Dominican Culture/ways of doing things & THEN (if you feel comfortable you are making the right decision for THEM) let them come & find their way in Paradise!! ~ Grahame.
(BTW - which restaurant are you thinking of buying? NOT the one that sits on the corner & is at the bottom a of hotel I hope?). :ermm: aranoid:

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I think this is the best suggestion you will get.

Hey

You should be more worry about losing your husband. There are many good looking Dominican women after foreigners, old and younggre:.

iluvsosua said:

And Please no one be funny about this!

If I were to buy a small restaurant on the Sosua strip and run it and send my kids to a private school......what on earth do my kids do after school? Also, is there a university I can send my girls to to become something? I will only live there if there is actually a Future for my daughters here and all I see is....um...nothing. All I keep getting told is, keep them away from the locals...they will end up hookers and keep them safe from the locals, they will end up kidnapped. I was told this by locals! The more and more I do my homework, the more I am becoming unhappy about moving the family. I really need your input. And PLEASE be nice and write back like you actually care.

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I don't know how old your girls are, but once they get into their teenage years they can volunteer at Dominican DREAM or other organizations. I know that sounds boring but it is far from it. There are some superb organizations doing great work who rely upon the generosity and creativity of volunteers to help make the DR a better place.

If the girls are smaller, I would get a nanny for the daytime. The nanny can take them to the beaches, or parks or other locations where they can play and interact with the Dominicans. The key here is to make sure the nanny is qualified AND to keep the girls away from the main street in Sosua.

I have lived in Cabrera for over 8 years and had my kids here off and on since they were under 10. I never had a second worrying about kidnapping any more than I'd worry about a drive by shooting in Indiana, PA. While you need to take the normal precautions we all do, I wouldn't go nuts over it.

Keep them away from the locals? Are you kidding? Why come here at all, then? Don't dare do that! That is what makes the Dominican Republic so wonderful. I'm not talking the chicas strolling the streets but the other Dominicans...the ones who actually built this country and embody its culture. Those are the ones you can meet and be friendly with.

Volunteering will get your kids meeting with nice, deserving and grateful Dominicans. Working will get your kids meeting nice, polite and affluent Dominicans. Playing will get your kids the skills necessary to tell the difference between the 'good' and the 'bad' in any culture...this one or the one in the United States (or whereever you are from).

Look, I am not a fan of Sosua but I understand why a business would do good there. But if I were to live there (and good friends of mine do live there) I would focus on the good parts of the country, people and culture. Play, learn, pray and grow with the right Dominicans and you will be super happy you did so! Honest!