You know how many times I heard "When you come here (DR), you need to bring gifts for all and leave what you came with".
NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
These types are not even the ladies.
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Cultural Differences between the USA and the DR
You know how many times I heard "When you come here (DR), you need to bring gifts for all and leave what you came with".
NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
These types are not even the ladies.
You're right BB. It's gotten way out of hand, last trip it cost us close to $1000 USD just to ship the boxes of stuff down. We're cutting back big time next trip, going to be a lot of people looking and not getting.
That's not a cultural thing, fishy, some folks are just rude.
Can't tell you how many times I've held doors open for ladies and the elderly, and they just glare at me (or worse, act as though I don't exist) and keep it moving.
But I'll keep doing it, because the fact I was raised to be a gentleman doesn't require someone else to be a lady.
:glasses:
Can't tell you how many times I've held doors open for ladies and the elderly, and they just glare at me (or worse, act as though I don't exist) and keep it moving.
But I'll keep doing it, because the fact I was raised to be a gentleman doesn't require someone else to be a lady.
:glasses:
1.The noise: music, speaking to each other, talking on cell phones.
2. Friendliness: walk into your house, always offer you food, always say hello, always bring you things.
3. Time keeping: doesn't exist.
4. Never want to let you down: you ask directions, will tell you even if no idea; ask to borrow money will always say of course, never no.
5. Light fingered: not all but some. Be careful who you have in your house even so called friends.
6. Can't say please and thank you - not in the culture - dame.
7. Throw rubbish wherever, no concept of "the bin".
8. Most can dance really well - great rhythm.
9. Superb at personal hygiene - never smell.
10. Immaculately dressed even if not your style.
11. Cleanliness is next to godliness - houses and people.
12. Don't stand in line anywhere but will wait for hours in govt offices and not moan
13. Always at doctors having analysis and never ask what is in the pills or injections
14. Respect for authority apart from the police and judiciary.
15. live for the day and don't plan for the future.
16. No need for roadside assistance - Dominicans will always stop and help you.
17. Have big dreams - most unachievable (same as most poor people).
18. Love the lottery.
19. Total belief in God (most).
20. Happy to eat same food all day every day.
21. Most can't spell
22. Most can't drive properly
I could go on ....and on and on.
Matilda
2. Friendliness: walk into your house, always offer you food, always say hello, always bring you things.
3. Time keeping: doesn't exist.
4. Never want to let you down: you ask directions, will tell you even if no idea; ask to borrow money will always say of course, never no.
5. Light fingered: not all but some. Be careful who you have in your house even so called friends.
6. Can't say please and thank you - not in the culture - dame.
7. Throw rubbish wherever, no concept of "the bin".
8. Most can dance really well - great rhythm.
9. Superb at personal hygiene - never smell.
10. Immaculately dressed even if not your style.
11. Cleanliness is next to godliness - houses and people.
12. Don't stand in line anywhere but will wait for hours in govt offices and not moan
13. Always at doctors having analysis and never ask what is in the pills or injections
14. Respect for authority apart from the police and judiciary.
15. live for the day and don't plan for the future.
16. No need for roadside assistance - Dominicans will always stop and help you.
17. Have big dreams - most unachievable (same as most poor people).
18. Love the lottery.
19. Total belief in God (most).
20. Happy to eat same food all day every day.
21. Most can't spell
22. Most can't drive properly
I could go on ....and on and on.
Matilda
Here's a tip from us dominicans with family and friends looking for handouts.. It's better to have never given them a dime than to have helped them out for years and stop giving them. All of a sudden you become a taca?o and people will begin cursing you. If you never give from the get go they just assume you don't have anything extra to give.. just like them. There is no such thing as "living beneath your means" here.. If you make 100,000 USD a year that's more or less what you spend.. that's why middle class people drive 50k SUVs here.. we spend whatever disposable income we have.
-The DR is about saving face, trying not to offend someone you care about. The USA is about "being honest".
-In the USA, publicly admitting that you've made a mistake and that you were wrong will make people forgive you and think highly of you. In the DR, it will harm you! You are doomed, because, after all, it all came out of your own mouth. That's all what people will remember.
-In the USA a public figure with mistresses is despicable, but in the DR, this guy just has just shown he's "da man".
-You have to drive thinking that everyone else on the road is a jerk, and that if there must be some consideration to other drivers , it must come from you.
-Here, the Government is out to squeeze whatever they can out of you.
-If your kid is being bullied, you can talk to the teachers, the principal, and even the bully's parents, and they will make it stop.
-People dress up to go to the supermarket.
-A fast food chain is a "nice place".
-OLD NAVY is boutique worthy.
-If you're going to get some papers, go to public offices, etc, you have to think you need to take the day off.
-Time in the DR is objective. You've just entered an alternative dimension where later means tomorrow, 15 minutes is 4 hours, next week is two weeks later, but sometimes it does mean a week.....but sometimes it may mean 3.
-A guy who doesn't stalk you isn't interested in you.
-Smoking is not considered cool.
-No one cares about Football.
-You MUST have kids so they'll take care of you when you're old.
More later!
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You wanted that role right??? They gave you a family now your end of the deal is to provide and support "MONEY" that is.
Saying thank you and your "the GREATEST DAD EVER DERFISH" was not part of the deal. You enter into a contract in the Dominican Republic once you moved in or you allow them to move in. Love and honor thou father is NEVER part of the deal when a gringo assumes the role of provider and supporter in a household in DR.
BTW If this 20 yr old son was you flesh and blood what you being saying some of the things about him??? I do not think so because most parents DO NOT need a thank you from their kids because parents do not provide for their kids to receive a "thank you"
Long sleeves , In a light fabric, don't bother me. If your workplace has ac and your car too, it's not really that hard to go around wearing long sleeves anyway. If you go running errands to malls, the bank, phone company, etc, they have a.c. too.
And hey, I've seen a lot of posts about why we wear jeans, like it must be excruciating. Most women wear jeans that are a light fabric, it's like wearing other fabrics.
i do not know how you see things in this case, JMB, but i remember many occasions upon which i said "thanks dad", or "thanks mom". i have given numerous small gifts to kids here, and i cannot remember one of them ever saying "thank you". i do not ever remember a parent standing by who ever said "tell the man thanks".
Once in line at JFK, at the immigration checkpoint, there was this lady who was having some issues, the officer looked at the line, looked at me and said, " hey you speak English? " I said yes, he asked me to come over and I helped her complete a form. When she was gone he gave me his number and email address so we could go out.
-American friend's opinion: "you should report him!!"
-Dominican friend's opinion: "You should call him!"
-American friend's opinion: "you should report him!!"
-Dominican friend's opinion: "You should call him!"
wonderful observation. Americans make mountains out of molehills ,to the amazement of most people the world over.
Auminum foil, ziplock bags, Tupperware? That's all expensive! Go to the homes of Dominicans who CAN afford it, and you'll see they do.
That speaks more about parents who would allow their kid to receive gifts from a random man than Dominicans in general. I'm assuming you were a stranger because you expected the parents to say "tell the man thanks" rather than tell tio gorgon thanks. I'm dominican and would never let some random guy give my kids candy or any kind of gift.. I would politely tell him no thanks and continue with my day. I would then tell my kid to never take anything from strangers.
That worked once with me....... now only sobrinos(as) get a gift for xmas and birthdays......
you know what they say about people who assume, right? i am talking about kids like the granddaughter of my housekeeper, and sundry relatives of people whom i know. do you think i ride around on a sleigh with a sack of goodies, distributing trinkets randomly?