Why am i an expat in DR?

miozio

New member
May 23, 2009
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Here is a question for all the members of DR1.
There must be so many reasons to make someone leave one's cozy civilized westernized world and become a legal immigrant in Dominican Republic. I would be so glad if you guys shared your good thoughts about Dominican positive lifestyle. What do you like about the country, culture, people etc. that keeps you away from the place of your origin? I can see that Dominicans try to leave their country while Europeans and Americans fly in the opposite direction to take their place. There must be something more than just the sun, coral reefs, white sandy beaches and easy hot chicas. Or is it just them?
 

Castellamonte

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Mar 3, 2005
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Cabrera
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Here is a question for all the members of DR1.
There must be so many reasons to make someone leave one's cozy civilized westernized world and become a legal immigrant in Dominican Republic. I would be so glad if you guys shared your good thoughts about Dominican positive lifestyle. What do you like about the country, culture, people etc. that keeps you away from the place of your origin? I can see that Dominicans try to leave their country while Europeans and Americans fly in the opposite direction to take their place. There must be something more than just the sun, coral reefs, white sandy beaches and easy hot chicas. Or is it just them?

The single biggest reason I moved to the DR over eight years ago is the people. They are kind, caring, social, personal, mutually supportive and so many other things. Largely they are quite different from the indifferent, rude, anti-social types I've been around most of my life.

The second reason is also something of a double edged sword; the lack of too many rules and regulations. I am of the opinion that the US (where I am from) has gone nuts on rules, regulations and personal injury laws to the detriment of the lifestyle there. Obviously I wish there we a few more rules here but I would rather deal with less versus more at this point in life.

My two cents...
 

Black Dog

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May 29, 2009
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Castellemonte says about the US going nuts on rules and regulations and I can relly identify with that. I left the UK 5 years ago where not only were they going mad with their own rules but you can add to that the EU introducing their own unique form of bureaucracy plus the nanny state with all it's PC and, well here I am!!!!
I have a much better lifestyle, out of the rat race and enjoying my life! SORRY ABOUT THE RANT LOL
 

granca

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Aug 20, 2007
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Well said, Black Dog. I suppose my first heading for living here should be "Escape from the EU."
There is a collection of comparisons doing the rounds on emails and tea towels. Title something like " School in the 50's and school in the 00's" Dead right most of it.
Other attractions are: Temperature( mind you today is a bit too hot and sticky), cost of living, lack of stupid rules and regulations, no tax for pensioners,nice people, pretty girls which fit into the song " Standing on the corner, watching all the girls go by". I'm here to stay!
 

pedrochemical

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Aug 22, 2008
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you spoilt your post by mentioning easy hot chicas

This is the main reason a lot of people I know came here.
Sometimes it was a reason for them not going home from here.
It is rarely a reason for staying long term and making a success out of it though.
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
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i came to DR to be with miesposo, simple as that. i have been a stranger in a strange land anyways as i have lived in london for quite a few years.
cheap girls do nothing for me, i'm afraid :cheeky:
after a long period of complaining about DR (as many on this board will remember) i got used to this culture and dominican way of life. but should i ever part with miesposo i'd leave this island and start somewhere else. so many places to visit!
 
Here is a question for all the members of DR1.
There must be so many reasons to make someone leave one's cozy civilized westernized world and become a legal immigrant in Dominican Republic. I would be so glad if you guys shared your good thoughts about Dominican positive lifestyle. What do you like about the country, culture, people etc. that keeps you away from the place of your origin? I can see that Dominicans try to leave their country while Europeans and Americans fly in the opposite direction to take their place. There must be something more than just the sun, coral reefs, white sandy beaches and easy hot chicas. Or is it just them?

Some go for the weather and the laid back life style and others do so because they are dodging taxes or the law in their own country.
 

MikeFisher

The Fisherman/Weather Mod
Feb 28, 2006
13,766
2,195
113
Punta Cana/DR
www.mikefisher.fun
Here is a question for all the members of DR1.
There must be so many reasons to make someone leave one's cozy civilized westernized world and become a legal immigrant in Dominican Republic. I would be so glad if you guys shared your good thoughts about Dominican positive lifestyle. What do you like about the country, culture, people etc. that keeps you away from the place of your origin? I can see that Dominicans try to leave their country while Europeans and Americans fly in the opposite direction to take their place. There must be something more than just the sun, coral reefs, white sandy beaches and easy hot chicas. Or is it just them?

many do not need more to call a spot "paradise".
but be assured that this Island has to offer much more.
visit the mountain areas, visit cascades dropping of high elevations at non tourist spots, spend a few weeks in a lil pueblo off the beaten paths(not with a hot chic who 'invited' you to visit her hometown), enjoy the beauty of the dry southwest around Barahona, dive in carneval in santo domingo, aso.

The single biggest reason I moved to the DR over eight years ago is the people. They are kind, caring, social, personal, mutually supportive and so many other things. Largely they are quite different from the indifferent, rude, anti-social types I've been around most of my life.

The second reason is also something of a double edged sword; the lack of too many rules and regulations. I am of the opinion that the US (where I am from) has gone nuts on rules, regulations and personal injury laws to the detriment of the lifestyle there. Obviously I wish there we a few more rules here but I would rather deal with less versus more at this point in life.

My two cents...

yes, they are. but not only here on the Island.
there are all sorts of 'people' here like everywhere else,
it just depends within which surroundings somebody decides to live.

lack of rules,
yes,
that's a doublesided sword.
you need time to get used to that part of dominican life.
i like it myself the way it is,
most reach sooner or later a point where they cry out loud for a law/rule/aso b/c they got hit the way where they wished to have mommy's homecountry protection.

I can put it simply. I came here from the US because it is different here and I wanted different. It is different in more ways than I could have imagined, but I have adapted as best I can.

that's exactly my main reason why i finally settled down here over 14 years ago.
it's DIFFERENT.
it's different in case of rules.
it's different in climate.
it's different in any way of life compared to home.
it's Beautiful, because it's different.
if life would be a book the homecountry would be just the first chapter.
we have to finish the book to know the whole story.

This is the main reason a lot of people I know came here.
Sometimes it was a reason for them not going home from here.
It is rarely a reason for staying long term and making a success out of it though.

so true for many,
on others just the reason for the first step,
for many there are other reasons to come to be described in following posts here.

welcome to Paradise,
wherever you feel it is.
Mike
 
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MikeFisher

The Fisherman/Weather Mod
Feb 28, 2006
13,766
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Punta Cana/DR
www.mikefisher.fun
on the short term yes.
exchange stress with relaxed lifestyle.
exchange the ex-wife with an ...
exchange the snowblower with the snorkel gear.
exchange the tax-form with, stop, don't exchange , just throw away, lol.

the peso is stable since a while,
at least it looks like such,
but if we're talking the exchange rate of money i would not consider that one a reason to come down here.
there are for myself many reasons why i am here,
but the money exchange rate during the last 14 years is def not within that list.
Mike
 

sicknote

New member
Jun 9, 2009
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we cant wait

we here goes,,,,,,,we are due to arrive there very soon and we cant wait,,,,,,,,now lets see we are coming from the uk where political correctness has done mad,,,, polititions screwing the people,,,,someone breaks in your house and if they get hurt they sue YOU, council tax, water rates, fuel tax ,food tax , television licence, you pay into a pension all your life and get told its pretty much worthless when you retire, free dental treatment that you have to pay for . eat eggs and you get salmonella, eat beef and you get mad cow disease, eat lamb and you get foot and mouth disease theres a fatal stabbing every day,,,ok there is a chance of getting robbed over there at gunpoint,,,,but at least they wear a mask,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,on the flip side,,,,,,,,better quality of life, low tax, cheaper standard of living, warm weather, a pool, nice beaches, close nit friends not out to theive from you and you can protect yourself in your own home without being sued,,,,,,,,,,,phew,,,,,,,,i need a beer after all that,,,,,,,,,,,,,,AND JUST A THOUGHT,,,,,,,,,,," DONT STEAL ,,THE UK GOVERMENT DONT LIKE COMPETITION ",,,,,,,,,,,,,,LOL
 
Mar 2, 2008
2,902
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"of course not,
that's for a foreigner impossible."

Mike

Absolutely. It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for a foreigner to get a job here, so I doubt they would ever receive an average Dominican income to live on.

As many would tell you, the cost living here is not necessarily less than in one's home country, depending upon where and how one lives.

And, as Mike pointed out, the exchange certainly has remained basically stable since Hippo's time (when the dollar hit a high of 55 pesos).

In addition, when the rate goes up so does the cost of living here, so it really is a wash in the long run. Although it might be a consideration for some, for most people, the exchange has very little to do with the decision to live here, in my opinion.
 

InsanelyOne

Bronze
Oct 21, 2008
895
28
28
I suspect my story is different than most. To be brutally honest, although I just moved here with my partner, I really don't want to be here. We are a same-sex bi-national couple (that's a mouthful) and we can't live legally in my home country (USA) or his (Trinidad) so we've had to find somewhere that was easy to establish ourselves without having to worry about immigration issues. I would much prefer to be back in the US where I could take advantage of all the first world has to offer. I know many of you left because you are dissatisfied with your home country but I loved living in the States. My father is 80 yrs old and doesn't have much time left on this earth and I wish I could see him more often. I miss my 3 brothers and my sister who I love dearly and hate not being able to just run over to there house on the weekend to visit. I miss my career I worked so hard at establishing. I miss all the wonderful things I used to do like weekend trips to NYC or driving out into the Virginia countryside to visit some of the many wineries.

Why am I in the DR? Because my own country has exiled me. :(
 

Lambada

Gold
Mar 4, 2004
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Sorry for sounding so maudlin in my previous post, just feeling a little homesick today.

You've obviously decided that life with your partner is more important than the things you miss: career, family & convenience. I'm sure you have in place a backup plan in case that relationship bites the dust here (many do, certainly many heterosexual relationships have failed after a few years here).

Perhaps you need what sicknote suggests:

close nit friends not out to theive from you

Don't worry sicknote, there's a shampoo you can get..........:cheeky:

Just trying to jolly you along, InsanelyOne ;)