Is there an expat group in Santiago? I'm about to move there from the US and am looking to connect with other expats.
- Thread starter DJinTheDR
- Start date
Expats in Santiago?
This is what I am in:
www.facebook.com
(DR Expats)
www.facebook.com
(Everything DR Expats)
www.facebook.com
(Santiago Expats)
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I've been living here in Santiago for 9 years.
Never had a FaceBook account and I don't do social media.
Most of the expats I know who live here full-time are Italian
and Venezuelan. I tend to avoid Americans all together as they
often thumb their noses at their host and forget they are a
guest down here.
WoW!!! That hurt.....I'm an American here in Mejoramiento Social Santiago for 8 years now. After serving 38 years in my beloved US Army and retiring here; I have no desire to go back to the US and do not thumb anything at anyone.
A lot of Dominicans speak English here in Santiago. On more than one occassion I've had to deal with stupid Americans (who invited me out for a bite to eat or cold beer) with big mouths talking shit about Dominicans only to have an English speaking Dominican step in and things get heated.
I live here so I get stuck dealing with any blow back whereas Stupid gets to f'off in a day or two back to whichever rock he crawled out from under.
I avoid them like the plague.
I've met a few of the DR1 mods from America here as well. All of them were good folks, no bs.
What's said in private is one thing, whats said in public is another. When you are a guest in another country you need to act like it.. si o no?
I spent the first 31 years of my life living in the USA and I have a very low opinion of Americans.
I never understood why people when abroad have the urge to hang out with fellow citizens. Doesn’t it defeat at least part of the purpose?
For me, after a couple of months of nothing but Dominicans and speaking Spanish, I’m really craving a sit down conversation with an American. Only one of my sisters-in-laws speaks English, but no one else in her family does so we only speak it if we’re alone. Last trip we had three different DR1ers stop for a visit, made my days. 😊.
In the “old” days, we used to take road trips to spend several days with Lindsay/Matilda and/or Shirley/Whirlybird, but both are gone now. Ditto my good friend from NY who moved to SD in the 1980s.
Sometimes I just want the comfort of familiarity.
lmao lmao and this coming from you who lived in the states a long time, be careful sometimes when you spit up in the air it hits you in your face
Same here, I have a couple of American friends that I spend time with. Being from the USA gives us many things in common and to talk about. Like you said AE, comfort of familiarity. Many of my spouse's family speak English, some better than others but they prefer to speak Spanish.
Same here. It's just not the same speaking with the natives as it is talking to a native English speaker. So many nuances and every day happenings that get blank stares from Dominicans most of the time.
And I don't say that disparagingly, they are just raised differently.
Edit: I see KC said the same thing! LOL
Not even American per se, but any culture you sure enjoy a get together or visit, even a facetime call now and then with folks from your home tribe. It's sad that this poster has these strong anti-American sentiments, being a natural born US citizen himself, but to each his own. Some that know me here know I spent a long 20 years isolated from any DR-externals; and to my surprise, being back in NJ has been a relief. I guess some have the formula down pat and the freedom to spend 7 to 9 months a year in DR then head back to the motherland now and then. For the proverbial "battery recharge". I never experienced DR in that way, to my own detriment. That said and done, when I clean up some situations I left in DR over the next few months, I can only see returning for brief bouts, say 30 to 60 days. Again, much to my own surprise. I was entrenched far too long and it's nice to be back around my fellow Americans.
The Americans I know have nothing but respect for the DR but maybe others have a different experience. When I first started spending more time in the DR in the late 80's, after a few weeks of non-stop Spanish TV, music, etc....anything familiar like home I craved. Of course, back then being a "gringa" married into a Dominican family was a novelty so everyone wanted to practice their English with me.
I live in Boca Chica but go to Santiago about once every 3 months. Be happy to connect for a beer and a ribeye sometime!
I understand this. Last time I spent 3 months without seeing a gringo. After a while it’s a bit like loosing reference to your roots.
What I meant in post #10 are those who stick together every day and don’t go out that comfort zone. When I was a kid (10-12 years old) we lived for 2 years in Saudi Arabia, the life in the compound was totally different from the country. My parents were adventurous so we explored a lot of the country. This really formed my view and acceptance of other people and cultures.
Then there were those who stuck together at the pool and never left the compound. These are the people I can live without.
You sound very bitter I don't judge people where they come from I judge people how they treat me so let me guess you spend 31 years in the states you made a living and now your living off your pension here so now it's time to knock the hand that fed you good luck I can't live that way I'm grateful for everything