it is true that living in Cuba for any protracted period of time would be agonizing, relatively speaking. however, a short stint there is wonderful. i can remember going to some free jazz concerts, and seeing some fabulous shows. the cultural side is in a different world compared to the DR. i loved the orderliness, and the cleanliness of Havana. the food? not so much, since there is not so much of it. my idea of breakfast, being a spoiled westerner in some respects, is more that one egg, one slice of bacon, and a slice of toast. sorry...i'm like that.
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gringo exodus?
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it is true that living in Cuba for any protracted period of time would be agonizing, relatively speaking. however, a short stint there is wonderful. i can remember going to some free jazz concerts, and seeing some fabulous shows. the cultural side is in a different world compared to the DR. i loved the orderliness, and the cleanliness of Havana. the food? not so much, since there is not so much of it. my idea of breakfast, being a spoiled westerner in some respects, is more that one egg, one slice of bacon, and a slice of toast. sorry...i'm like that.
i will never forget the experience i had with a 20 year old guy and his 19 year old wife. (no; not a menage a trois). they were both from a barrio near to the malecon, and i invited them to sit with me and have a beer...or two. they got into a heated argument over whose policies were worse for international stability; Kruschev, or Brezhnev. Belkis and Fausto would have been arguing about dembow and the salon.
Gorgon please lets not talk of the music there. Real musicians playing real instruments. Sweet memories. Visited my family twice. But no internet access drove me nuts. Like I needed crack. LOL
Lmfao just fell out the chair laughing.....So true. People there in the DR have no idea that yes it's bad in certain areas but yet could be a lot worse.
i saw this sextet one night; all young guys in their 20s. the trumpeter was burning the building down; he reminded me so much of Freddie Hubbard. when they had their intermission, i bought them all a drink. heck, nothing was more than 1.50. best yet, they played every other night.
This months bill is $625, I had visitors so one more A/C. We run 3 A/Cs about 8 hours a day, two fans run during the day, and the pool pump runs about 4 hours a day. I dunno why it is so high.
Where do you get this cheap food?!? We make simple stuff, shop at Super Pola and Playero. Nothing fancy. Everything seems more expensive than the US to me. Unless I eat chicken, beans, and rice every day.
And the labor is cheaper, but the parts/ equipment/ tools are the same or more expensive.
They play from their soul cause that's all they have. So there is a genuine love of the craft......Best thing yet Autotune has not invaded the country. LOL. I do fear the day when things normalize. At that point innocence will be gone from the music.
Back to reality
But just like Belkis and Fausto, eventually, the conversation is going to turn about how things are hard in Cuba, la lucha and so on. Then, the 19 yr old guy may offer you his wife (seen it).
I am sure it is more attractive for a man because you have access to women who can spell or even have phd, but it s not THAT different. The hustle is the same.
But just like Belkis and Fausto, eventually, the conversation is going to turn about how things are hard in Cuba, la lucha and so on. Then, the 19 yr old guy may offer you his wife (seen it).
I am sure it is more attractive for a man because you have access to women who can spell or even have phd, but it s not THAT different. The hustle is the same.
No, I do not. I have two older 18,000 BTU split and two 12,000 BTU portable A/Cs. I'd love to get all inverter style, but like I said I'm not sure I am staying long term. It'd be $4,000 to buy all new inverter A/C and have them installed, and it's a rental. I'm afraid I'd loose more if I moved when I tried to sell them.
And... I don't have an extra $4k laying around 'cause my electric bill is so high! It's a double edged sword!
The portables are the worse. I had a rental with portables and living single my bill was $350.00 got a inverter unit and the next month the bill was $150.00. So in my case was worth it. At the house in Nagua we replaced all the units with inverter units but I do understand your hesitation on such a huge investment.
Land rights in the land of the poor.
I agree with this, when I was looking to buy 10 years ago, there were people looking to get out. The problem with buying land or anything is that, like other 3rd world counties,if you are not camped out on it 24/7, you will face a land invasion, just like that beach front property with them dividing it up in mass.
The fundamental problem is this.....
When the DR attorneys see you as a money sink.
When the judges and police see you as the same.
There are no rights, a dominican might give the police a bribe to kick off the squatters, an American would be taken to the cleaners if they did the same, so what you get told is this. If some one sets up shop on your land a day ago, you will be told it will be many years, and mucho dollore, before you get a resolution, with no promises.
If you invested 10K, best just to walk away. At this point I feel the DR is sooo "hot", there would be a vested interest in seeing something bad happened to you if you came to fight for your rights.
What would a poor Dominican do for 10K?
Loss of financial confidence bodes very poorly for the future of the DR.
I agree with this, when I was looking to buy 10 years ago, there were people looking to get out. The problem with buying land or anything is that, like other 3rd world counties,if you are not camped out on it 24/7, you will face a land invasion, just like that beach front property with them dividing it up in mass.
The fundamental problem is this.....
When the DR attorneys see you as a money sink.
When the judges and police see you as the same.
There are no rights, a dominican might give the police a bribe to kick off the squatters, an American would be taken to the cleaners if they did the same, so what you get told is this. If some one sets up shop on your land a day ago, you will be told it will be many years, and mucho dollore, before you get a resolution, with no promises.
If you invested 10K, best just to walk away. At this point I feel the DR is sooo "hot", there would be a vested interest in seeing something bad happened to you if you came to fight for your rights.
What would a poor Dominican do for 10K?
Loss of financial confidence bodes very poorly for the future of the DR.
I've heard that. They'll be the first to go... And my teenage step son has a portable in his room. He can be an asshole when it comes to turning it off. He'll get up and get more blankets before he'll turn off the A/C.
i realize that the hustle is the same. poverty is poverty. a girl in Havana stole my Nikon N90 with a 28-210mm lens by lowering it out of a second floor window on a piece of string. however, after the bed bouncing is over, it would be nice to be able to have a sensible conversation if you do hit it off.
I would need 4 A/C's, US$1000 a piece is what I have been seeing for an 18k BTU inverter.
I did not know that, where would I find more info on conversion?
I read all of these posts here - DR1 - about how life isn't working out the way it was imagined
IMO, most of the disappointments and failures come stem from poor decisions - not an inherent weakness or flaw in the system or society.
Just plain bad decision making on the part of the expat or whomever is the complainant.
That's how I see it........
you make your own good luck -- is the way I try to live.... and bad , I suppose
IMO, most of the disappointments and failures come stem from poor decisions - not an inherent weakness or flaw in the system or society.
Just plain bad decision making on the part of the expat or whomever is the complainant.
That's how I see it........
you make your own good luck -- is the way I try to live.... and bad , I suppose
Well, I can't speak for prices in the US, because I come from the UK, but the lower cost of living for me is one of the things that keeps me here. (just to get the thread a bit closer to the original!)
I agree with you WW, if more people would be slower in Thier relocation to the D.r.and do the necessary groundwork it would be a smoother transition. Imho no first-time should live in a Dominican community. Please start in a gringo complex, then, as you learn about the country and yourself living in the new culture then make decisions after time in country . I also wish people would realize going cheap, isn't fun, easy, or wise to do. If you can't afford to live in a safe location, stay home and come for extended vacations.
por ejemplo
we just bought 1/2 of a GIGANTIC squash..... HUGE and nicely ripened
50 pesos.
seems good to me
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