Is it just me?

[granca]

Is it just me(2)

Thank you Lambada for your kind words. Actually I have been following the thread and confess to having been somewhat puzzled by some of the sidetracking. However to follow up on some of the comments made; we live in a pretty poor neighbourhood, there 1 1/2 other blanco families but the rest are all Dominican, there are 4 houses built with blocks but badly , no reinforcing bar the rest are all made from strips of wood and bits of flattened tin or currugated iron. We find them a nice bunch of people. OK we let the local kids use our pool at our convenience and supply well water to our immediate neighbours. We frequently find a bunch of platanos, a bag of guandules and the other day half a audame (spelling ?) on our doorstep. One of the neighbours spoke to my wife the other days asking if we would join in a kind of whip round to buy some calice for our then very muddy road. In the last three years the ayuntamento have been nowhere near it ! No suggestion that we should pay the lion's share. I was talking to another of our neighbours the other day, we were expessing our relief the a particularly noisy neighbour had moved away. His high volume music from 6 am to 1 am had seriously molested us. She said that she hoped her music had not upset us, I was able to say, quite truthfully, that no, it may be loud but it was at normal times of the day never at siesta time nor the time our mutual kids go to bed. Our Dominican neighbours maybe ill educated, most can't read, but they're nice people, thoughtful, helpful, generous within their capability. Certainly not dumb, I like living amongst them.

 

[AZB]

Thank you Lambada for your kind words. Actually I have been following the thread and confess to having been somewhat puzzled by some of the sidetracking. However to follow up on some of the comments made; we live in a pretty poor neighbourhood, there 1 1/2 other blanco families but the rest are all Dominican, there are 4 houses built with blocks but badly , no reinforcing bar the rest are all made from strips of wood and bits of flattened tin or currugated iron. We find them a nice bunch of people. OK we let the local kids use our pool at our convenience and supply well water to our immediate neighbours. We frequently find a bunch of platanos, a bag of guandules and the other day half a audame (spelling ?) on our doorstep. One of the neighbours spoke to my wife the other days asking if we would join in a kind of whip round to buy some calice for our then very muddy road. In the last three years the ayuntamento have been nowhere near it ! No suggestion that we should pay the lion's share. I was talking to another of our neighbours the other day, we were expessing our relief the a particularly noisy neighbour had moved away. His high volume music from 6 am to 1 am had seriously molested us. She said that she hoped her music had not upset us, I was able to say, quite truthfully, that no, it may be loud but it was at normal times of the day never at siesta time nor the time our mutual kids go to bed. Our Dominican neighbours maybe ill educated, most can't read, but they're nice people, thoughtful, helpful, generous within their capability. Certainly not dumb, I like living amongst them.

So I guess the good residential neighborhoods are where the scums live? yeah, those well-to-do dominicans, so evil and so snobbish.
This is the mentality we have in the north coast. People choose to live among the desperate poor folks who are living in scavenged wood huts etc. Then the white family has a swimming pool right in the middle of the ghetto. Nice thinking. Its just a matter of time before a drunk primo of some neighbor gets together with his friends and make plans to rob the rich generous gringo family. You think the same gringo family would have liked living in some government projects in usa where people live off welfare? No way, but for some reason they become totally blind when they land here and immediately embrace the poor and desperate folks who are struggling to eat everyday.
No wonder you hear all the sad news coming from the resorts areas example: gringo getting killed, robbed, poisoned, raped, beaten up kidnapped and even fake kidnapping. You never hear this happening to gringos living in nicer areas of santo domingo or santiago.
Oh well, lets throw the stones at AZB.
AZB

 

[granca]

Dear me AZB what a jaundiced view of life you appear to have. I only know two "well to do " Dominicans and they are both nice people. I have lived in the UK and Romania as well here and everywhere most people are nice, helpful and friendly. Mind you I have only ever lived in the countryside apart from two short spells in a city, one a year in Vienna was lovely the other = yuk! I've been to SD and the only thing i like about it is leaving and coming home, dirty, smelly, noisy and the traffic nearly frightens me. I'm not surprised at the reports you hear about mishaps to blancos in the reorts = just look at the places they hang out!

 

[jrhartley]

cue Robert with "azb is on the money" ........and action !!!!

 

[Adrian Bye]

cue Robert with "azb is on the money" ........and action !!!!

how about this: AZB and i don't get along at all.

but he's right on the money with these posts and people should pay attention.

 

[cobraboy]

What AZB is simply stating is this:

Many of those who for whatever reason choose to settle and live among lower economic classes of Dominicans than themselves have continued, ongoing issues on many levels. No problems is the exception, not the rule.

Those who choose to settle among Dominicans of equal or higher economic classes have almost no similar problems.

And it's true.

Fact is, the equal or higher classes could care less if you live in the DR or not; they need nothing from you, and often have superior wealth, income and edumacation. The poorer will "befriend" you immediately; they have needs they think you can satisfy.

You can dislike AZB all you want. But you shouldn't dismiss the truth he states.

 

[catcherintherye]

The world according to AZB, validated by Cobra Boy.

And what an infinitesimally small view it is.

 

[cobraboy]

The world according to AZB, validated by Cobra Boy.

And what an infinitesimally small view it is.

Really?

How about YOU count how many threads on DR1 are about how someone who isn't among the "noble poor" screwed over an expat.

How about some threads of the horror of living in an upscale Dominican location.

Or about upper class sankies/hookers.

Or upper class workers.

Besides, you live in an expat/tourist town. What experience do you have living among the Dominican upper classes?

 

[AZB]

The world according to AZB, validated by Cobra Boy.

And what an infinitesimally small view it is.

I don't expect people from sosua to agree with me on anything. Then again we are talking about DR, not just some 1 street town called sosua.
AZB

 

[ExtremeR]

AZB form of delivering his opinions is really offensive and lack "tacto". He could be a bit more political.

But sadly he is right. Don't only befriend people trying to survive and you'll see a totally different DR.

 

[Oche]

The world according to AZB, validated by Cobra Boy.

And what an infinitesimally small view it is.

And thanks to that narrow view and attitude people will continue to be safe from being robbed, blackmailed, kidnapped, poisoned, raped, etc, otherwise eventually they get screwed. Sad but true, it is just how things are in the DR.

 

[cobraboy]

And thanks to that narrow view and attitude people will continue to be safe from being robbed, blackmailed, kidnapped, poisoned, raped, etc, otherwise eventually they get screwed. Sad but true, it is just how things are in the DR.

My time and energy is spent on how the DR...and the world...IS, not some enlightened kum-bay-ya egalitarian PC gnostic view of how I ~wish~ it would be.

 

[AZB]

My time and energy is spent on how the DR...and the world...IS, not some enlightened kum-bay-ya egalitarian PC gnostic view of how I ~wish~ it would be.

I Couldn't have said it in better words.
AZB

 

[BushBaby]

The world according to AZB, validated by Cobra Boy.

And what an infinitesimally small view it is.

And inconsequential to boot!!

I didn't read in any post after AZB's that 'DISMISSED' what he was saying, just the manner in which it was presented. The content matter is (yet again) so off topic & written to inflame that people feel they have to respond - as a result the thread goes even MORE off topic.

Please Mr AZB, can we have Aftab back? He may be a pain in the proverbial to some by raising conscious awareness but at least he is articulate & somewhat informed.:cheeky: :surprised

Now, back to the topic of 'not answering questions asked'. (PRETTY PLEASE moderators!!)

As has been shown on many occasions when questions are posed on this board, sometimes the original question is unclear & those wishing to repond have to ask for clrification. If WE are guilty of this IN OUR MOTHER TONGUE, just think of the problems the recipient of the question has when we speak in a language they are not fluent in OR we ask the questions in Spanish & screw up the true meaning!! Are WE communicating clearly enough to be understood?

FURTHER there sometimes where the recipient does not having the csame conceptual understanding of problems that the 'asker' has thereby increasing the problem of not understanding the question. This point was raised in a way quite a few posts ago (in another & somewhat confusing manner maybe) & I do not think he/she ever got a reply. I do not suggest that every questioner is GUILTY of asking a question that the recipient might not have the ability or education to answer - just that we should make sure when asking that our questions ARE BEING UNDERSTOOD & ABLE TO BE ANSWERED! :ermm:

Hopefully this will generate a few statements back that DISCUSS the subject raised by the OP & keep comments re a persons place of residence, lifestyle & other totally inconsequential comments (to this thread) to a helpful minimum! ~ Grahame.

 

[granca]

No,I don't dislike AZB, how can I, I don't even know him? Anyway, where in Las TErrenas could one find land in among well to do Dominicans that isn't either ferociously expensive, on top of a hill or in one of these ghettos called gated communities? Where , incidentally there are more crimes than anywhere else in town. Living on a fixed pension one has to be very careful about spending money. Anyway , so far, in just over three years nothing horrible has happened. The opposite is more true, when the jefe of the local junta with the connivance of the Media Ambiente tried to make a problem for me, who sorted it out in my favour , my neighbours with no request from me.
I reckon that AZB gets his kicks from stirring the pot.
Nevertheless thanks folks for your pointers about yes or no answers.

 

[cobraboy]

And inconsequential to boot!!

To who? You?

As has been shown on many occasions when questions are posed on this board, sometimes the original question is unclear to the person being questioned. If WE are guilty of this IN OUR MOTHER TONGUE, just think of the problems the recipient of the question has when we speak in a language they are not fluent in OR we ask the questions in Spanish & screw up the true meaning!! Are WE communicating clearly enough to be understood?

FURTHER there sometimes where the recipient does not having the csame conceptual understanding of problems that the 'asker' has thereby increasing the problem of not understanding the question. This point was raised in a way quite a few posts ago (in another & somewhat confusing manner maybe) & I do not think he/she ever got a reply. I do not suggest that every questioner is GUILTY of asking a question that the recipient might not have the ability or education to answer - just that we should make sure when asking that our questions ARE BEING UNDERSTOOD & ABLE TO BE ANSWERED! :ermm:

A lot of excuse making and hypotheses-creating.

Did it ever occur to you that perhaps the person being question chose to be evasive? Seems the most logical reason.

Grahame, are you a moderator or a self-appointed hall/chalkboard monitor?

 

[Frank the Tank]

Ok, ok. Let's try and tone things down a tad and get back on topic.

 

[Lambada]

Thank you Lambada for your kind words. Actually I have been following the thread and confess to having been somewhat puzzled by some of the sidetracking.

I actually don't find it puzzling at all. It is an occurrence which frequently happens when those who feel unable to contribute to or debate the actual topic, seek to impart their own 'wisdom' on a different subject. I tend not to pander to such dissimulation by responding, so please give me a shout when the subject returns to what you as the OP intended it to be, and I'll return. Many thanks.

 

[BushBaby]

To who? You?

A lot of excuse making and hypotheses-creating.

Did it ever occur to you that perhaps the person being question chose to be evasive? Seems the most logical reason.

Yes, it occurred to me & I certainly do not dismiss it as a very good possibility. However, I do not rule out the option that I could be unclear in the way I voice my question & try to ensure my delivery is clear. I can NOT always ensure that the bias & 'agenda' the recipient has will be overcome, ........ but I try to consider them too.

(thank you for keeping this to topic in your endeavour to be rude) :cheeky: ~ Grahame.

 

[granca]

Sadly I must leave this fascinating thread for a couple of days in half an hour I catch the sardine tincan (guagua) to the capital for an eye test after my cataract ops. There in my best spanish (cough, cough) I shall try and test out the proposition put forward by some posters that in SD I am more like ly to get a yes or no answer