Are people living in USA are really better off than us here?

[chuckuindy]

Recap

I have read this post from the beginning this morning, not a small feat in itself.
Bob K

Okay, lets see what I have learned so far

These are direct quotes from this thread so far:

Dominicans:

we all have time and money to live a comfortable life

drinking dancing and laughing the night away

"poor" people there seemed generaly happier and a lot less stressed than the "well off" people in the US.

live much better here on our limited income than we would be able to in the US.

What is the big issue of not having lights 24/7

most folks in the barrios are dreaming of "Nueba Yol",

The Middle Class: This class definitely lives a much happier life in The DR (again if we define happiness by lower lever of stress, friends, etc).

Expats living here are doing as well especially with a 32 peso dollar

movie theaters, multi-ethnic restaurants, opera, ballet, fine arts museums, exciting baseball games, golfing, parasailing, scuba diving, dancing til dawn, bowling, watching a horse race, car racing, motor cross, playing polo, the list goes on and on.

Carrefours, Super Mercados Nacional, Price Mart, Jumbo, Want a big mac? Readily available. Want pizza hut? Follow the trail. Want delicious high quality Japanese cuisine?

Less Business Rules & Regulations

low cost of living weather and women

The thing about "bandits"...

within 2 miles of the hatian border

you are surrounded by other people and that protects you

this is a big country and there are plenty of places to visit where people are not buring tires or shooting over the hood of your car.

decent folks in santiago don't want to be seen in casinos

fall for a shankie in the resort

Sometimes people in this country mistake generosity for something else

Who cares if she doesn't drive an SUV

poor people in the campo are very nice people.

worrying if the property I bought is still mine the next day.

chase whores and drink cuba-libre

there are anywhere from 2-5 people sleeping in one room

Let's be honest the reason most of us are here are!!!!
1) The weather
2) The women
3) Peace of mind

there is an increase of the following in the D.R.
1. Corruption
2. Lack of quality education
3. lack of employment
4. Lack of electricity
5. Prostitution
6. Drug and alcohol abuse
7. domestic violence
8. theft lots of it!
9. white collar crimes, bribes etc.
10. Bank scandals
11. poverty
12. Cartels
13. neglectance of young children
14. teenage pregnancy
15. single mothers etc.

Americans:

has to hold 2 jobs (always working)

claim to be simply "making ends meet".

can have both worlds, enjoy the comforts of NYC and travel to the DR every 5 or 6 weeks.

spend our money on needless things and can not resist the urge to spend more than we make

public education system and police are better in the US

Forget about picking up a 21 year old girl at a bar as at my age (36)

Toilets that flush and lights that turn on when you hit the switch

i would have to work untill i'm seventy

homeless people living in the U.S

we've a population that's over 270 million

In the USA you get a teenager ****ed at you, he is likely to pull a chain or gun.

how can anyone love Wal-Mart

I've met plenty of Dominicans living in New York who want to return to DR

our Welfare system

typical uptight attitude

Everybody seems to have more these days but at what cost?

The state of Maine alone is more productive and more enriched than the whole island

stuck for 1 1/2 hrs each way to work and home in rush hr

Americans are conditioned to put their work first above everything else "Live to Work"

Alcoholism,Drug Abuse (Prescription and Illegal), Antidepressant/SSRI use
Use of mental health practicioners/facilities, Suicide, Depression, Stress borne/related disease, Domestic violence

hello my name is bob......is am a poor typer

Looks like to me that the DR is winning.

Chuckuindy

 

[laurapasinifan]

hey AZB what crow youd be eating if you found out one my phoney dominican friends was actually a friend of.....YOURS......how come no matter what i say you have a put down for it? The gringo cant possibly know anyone decent, or have been any place decent, why...well well.....well......AZB says so! thats why.............bob

 

[Ricardo900]

Wealthy or upper middle class dominicans do not approach tourists and pretty much are not interested in them, it's a big possibility that they were on the same AA flight you took to arrive here. So being from NY or Europe does not impress them. What will impress them if you carry yourself as a distinguished individual, i.e. Gentleman/Lady. From what I see in NYC and Santiago, wealthy/middle class dominicans are kept seperated from each other. They eat, sleep, party and breathe in different areas, so they don't interact. Many wealthy NY Dominicans live in Queens. Now a tourist will not know where to go to interact with people of his kind or class. So most will have a distorted vision of "real dominica" If you visit me in Brooklyn, NY. I won't take you to Brownsville to sip beers, I will take you to Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Park Slope or DUMBO to sip beers. If you want to go for some dominican entertainment, I won't take you to Astro Mundo, Mirage, Mars de Plata. I would take you to El Continental or Cafe Rubio. I know these places because I live here. However, I don't live in Santiago, I would have to take the word of the posters here on DR1 or my college friends. Most Dominicans are great people and I have hung out with the well-to-do ones in Francifol and the not so-well-to-do-one in Patron Burger or Mia's Discoteque.

 

[Don Juan]

Mr. laura.

hey AZB what crow youd be eating if you found out one my phoney dominican friends was actually a friend of.....YOURS......how come no matter what i say you have a put down for it? The gringo cant possibly know anyone decent, or have been any place decent, why...well well.....well......AZB says so! thats why.............bob

This is my perception of you:

-You react ghetto-like. Some will apologize without necessity but you'll still persist on being confrontational, defiant.
-You claim extensive knowledge of DR society as a whole based on a few visits and association with gun-totting low-life's.
-You criticize DR for all its shortcomings, yet you can't wait for the next visit.
-You don't speak Spanish, yet you claim absolute knowledge of its people.

Every place on earth has its good and negative aspects. Its well-read and its uneducated types ( you seem to gravitate toward the latter). In order to get an accurate take on any society, you must experience both. One must not necessarily be rich to be decent, you can find them in every strata.
What some of us trying to get across to you is that if you sleep in a flea bag hotel, you will be bitten. Don't go formulating opinions until you've also slept at the Jaragua.

 

[SKY]

If someone lived in New York full time for some years and another was a tourist from another country that visited often, who do you think would know more about life in New York?

You need to live here for many years and then you would understand life in the D.R.

 

[Millner]

You can't have both a working, efficient society (the US) and an enjoyable place to live (the DR).

The very thing that makes the DR so wonderful (its carefree, live-for-today, tropical approach to life) is also the source of all its problems. People are impractical and focus more on enjoying themselves than being productive: great, right? But because of that mindset, nothing works - not the electricity, nor the water, etc. The infrastructure is rotten, and its almost impossible to get anything done. (One time I went to the offices of the electric company to ask why, after three months, thay had still not hooked up my electricity. The office itself had no power, so they couldn't look it up on the computer. The examples are endless ...)

To enjoy a stable, structured society, lots of people have to work very, very hard .... and think ahead ... and plan effectively and be organized and use resources wisely. The DR is not like that, and you can see the consequences. Yet there's no place I'd rather be. The DR has that intangible quality - heart and soul - that makes life worth living. The US, in comparison, is an "air-conditioned nightmare": a sterile consumer's paradise with no depth and no real feeling. The DR is the better place, but I live here in the US. Why?

1. I could not earn enough in Santo Domingo to support a wife and kid.
2. I wanted my son to grow up with drinkable tap water, the best medical care, good public schools, a sense of financial security and many other things he could not get in the DR.

So I'm here in Florida, which, although it's only a short plane ride away, feels like it's worlds removed from that island I love. I'll still visit DR, and perhaps I'll retire there ... but for now, I'm stuck with Wal-Mart, Publix, Target, strip malls, chain restaurants, etc., etc. Miami is close by, but despite its huge Latin population, it has absolutely none of that tranquil quality that makes DR so special. You might as well be in Minnesota or Kansas.

 

[sunshine_79]

This is my perception of you:

-You react ghetto-like. Some will apologize without necessity but you'll still persist on being confrontational, defiant.

In all fairness, I don't think Bob is reacting ghetto-like. His tone changed when he felt his girlfriend was being insulted. I hope any man would take offense to someone else insulting their woman. That's almost as bad as insulting Mama

I like to read Bob's posts because it's obvious he's happy. I like happy people. Mean people suck.

I just find it amazing that this thread went from the question AZB posted regarding the quality of life in the US vs the DR to an interrogation/lecture/judgment on Bob's choice in women.

And who cares if he's not the world's best typer/punctuist? It does't have anything to do with his character or level of intelligence. Albert Einstein was dyslexic, after all.

I'm not trying to start any kind of argument with you, DJ, so don't take me the wrong way. I'm just sticking up for Bob a bit because I don't think he deserves some of the slander he's been receiving.

 

[NALs]

Words of wisdom only comes from truly wise people!

People often forget that there is a middle class and not just any middle class, but a large middle class often times larger than entire populations of most Caribbean nations except Cuba and Haiti. Every other Caribbean nation (Puerto Rico included) total populations are rarely at, most often below the number of middle class Dominicans in existence.

When we look towards the upper class, hmm, Mexico has approximately 1 million! DR has approximately 800,000. Interesting!

And then there is the issue of employment. One poster here claims that most people here don't have a first job! That must be the mother of all opinions! Yes, unemployment is high at 16-18% of the working age population, BUT don't forget that this means that 82-84% of the working age population HAS A JOB!

Not to mention that just because you see people in the streets does not mean anything other than seeing people in the streets. Go to any city around the world at any time, guess what, plenty of people in the streets! Everybody lives a different life, different people work in different things, times, etc, take vacations at different times, sick days, visit family, the list goes on and on.

Guessing is never good!

-NAL

 

[laurapasinifan]

thats fine Don juan you take what i write anyway you like

"This is my perception of you:

-You react ghetto-like. Some will apologize without necessity but you'll still persist on being confrontational, defiant.

*( I am sure most realize I am argueing with MYSELF!!!!)


-You claim extensive knowledge of DR society as a whole based on a few visits and association with gun-totting low-life's.

*( I guess if YOU say they are low lifes that the end all word on it..NO MATTER WHO THEY ARE PERIOD done deal right?)


-You criticize DR for all its shortcomings, yet you can't wait for the next visit.

*(I guess I have NEVER SAID anything good about this country, or you have selective readings)

-You don't speak Spanish, yet you claim absolute knowledge of its people

* ( i guess you just ASSUME I dont speak spanish, even though my GF speaks little english and her family speaks none, and I spend weeks there giving hand signals huh????...your an ignorant jerk....)

anything else youd like to GUESS about me?

bob

 

[NALs]

Here is a little tip for posters!

If you are going to insult each other, USE THE PM FEATURE!!

-NAL:angry:

 

[sunshine_79]

Yes, unemployment is high at 16-18% of the working age population, BUT don't forget that this means that 82-84% of the working age population HAS A JOB!


-NAL

Hey NAL~

Does this figure include hookers?

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Good post!

 

[sunshine_79]

If you are going to insult each other, USE THE PM FEATURE!!

-NAL:angry:

Or the PMS feature for all the ladies

 

[NALs]

Or the PMS feature for all the ladies

That was very funny!

But, now that I think of it, you might be right.

-NAL:classic:

 

[laurapasinifan]

something for the ladies to read.....one reason my GF currently doesnt have a job...thank god

http://www.laborrights.org/projects/women/DR%20report.pdf#search='dominican%20export%20free%20zones'


it an acrobat reader program


....Just information... and NOT MY OPINION... facts only.......bob

 

[AZB]

I though the main reason was, there weren't any job for the majority.

AZB

 

[Don Juan]

Mr. laura

Yes, you're right. I'm only guessing that you don't speak Spanish But one thing I'm certain of: Your English-language skills are second-rate to say the least. If you can't even master your first language, it's doubtful you'll master a second. your attitude and manner of speech reflects your educational level.

 

[laurapasinifan]

Yes, you're right. I'm only guessing that you don't speak Spanish But one thing I'm certain of: Your English-language skills are second-rate to say the least. If you can't even master your first language, it's doubtful you'll master a second. your attitude and manner of speech reflects your educational level.

oh yes mighty Quammy...please tell me what my educational level actually is. I know proper grammer will make me another $100K in income. You have never met me, but you are sooo dammm sure you can figure everyone out. You MUST have some PHD in phsycology and grammer. You are the cats meow for sure. Keep playing your own fiddle buddy.

like you read my crappy posts and you are so sure anyone I know in the DR is a dirt bag...right? you JUST KNOW IT dont ya? Most people here read you loud and clear. Attack attack attack.....not the issue, but the person.

To all the others sorry for the poor typing again, and this exchange I have been dragged down into.....bob

 

[AZB]

Oh god, this has become a dog fight. Please guys, lets stay away from insults. Maybe its time we simply close this thread. One thing for sure, we all see this country differently and we all had our say in this matter.
lets be friends again, lets not concentrate on our differances, instead lets agree that we all have one thing common among us, The love for this island.
AZB

 

[AnnaC]

Oh god, this has become a dog fight. Please guys, lets stay away from insults. AZB

On this night, "GIVE PEACE A CHANCE!"

Bring out the lighters I feel a song coming on.

 

[x_man]

Yeah, I think I'll give DR another chance too.

AA has return flights in march for $467 SFO to STI.

AZB what is the action like in Sosua?? only UBH's ??

maybe I'll stay in Santiago where the decent people hang out...