Living in the Dominican Republic? Here's how to be a better expat

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DR Solar

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melphis

melphis

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I have to agree with DRS. Total crap. I'm sure they believe in their experiences but those are their experiences and beliefs. Last thing I need is another newer expat telling me how it all works down here.
 
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windeguy

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melphis said:
I have to agree with DRS. Total crap. I'm sure they believe in their experiences but those are their experiences and beliefs. Last thing I need is another newer expat telling me how it all works down here.
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You hit that nail on the head. BAM.
 
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NanSanPedro

NanSanPedro

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I agree with the no haggle recommendation. No one likes to get ripped off and I'm no exception. But when we're talking about paying 10 pesos instead of 5 for a banana, as I did the other day, it just isn't that important. Will I go back to the guy that ripped me off for 20 pesos? Does it really matter?

I will search for other items that I might agree with. I think this is worth of serious discussion, even if it was written by a wokie.
 
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NanSanPedro

NanSanPedro

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The next item I agree with is to learn the history. Personally, I'm fascinated by the joint history of the DR and Haiti, for obvious reasons. But if one is going to live here it does seem reasonable to know something about the history, why one island has 2 countries. Why these people hate those people and those people hate these people, blah blah blah. A

Again, the author being a wokie goes way to far when she recommends "Follow and support current activists, cultural critics and educators like Rita Indiana and Zahira Kelly-Cabrera and the majority of the content by El Mitin or Somos Pueblo. You should know what is going on with hot national debates such as #LasCausalesVan and support youth-led movements such as Barrio Alante." But the history part to me is very important in understanding culture.
 
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Garyexpat

Garyexpat

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Go to Washington Heights and see how Dominicans assimilate. That is IF you speak Spanish because many will not speak English. Having said that I have assimilated, speak Spanish and feel as comfortable having a few beers at the local colmado (and sometimes more so) or at one fo the finer restaurants.
 
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windeguy

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Garyexpat said:
Go to Washington Heights and see how Dominicans assimilate. That is IF you speak Spanish because many will not speak English. Having said that I have assimilated, speak Spanish and feel as comfortable having a few beers at the local colmado (and sometimes more so) or at one fo the finer restaurants.
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I was there and saw it first hand. The biggest difference was that the Dominican food was higher in quality than here.
 
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melphis

melphis

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NanSanPedro said:
The next item I agree with is to learn the history. Personally, I'm fascinated by the joint history of the DR and Haiti, for obvious reasons. But if one is going to live here it does seem reasonable to know something about the history, why one island has 2 countries. Why these people hate those people and those people hate these people, blah blah blah. A

Again, the author being a wokie goes way to far when she recommends "Follow and support current activists, cultural critics and educators like Rita Indiana and Zahira Kelly-Cabrera and the majority of the content by El Mitin or Somos Pueblo. You should know what is going on with hot national debates such as #LasCausalesVan and support youth-led movements such as Barrio Alante." But the history part to me is very important in understanding culture.
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I agree but whose version of history will you believe. I read a book a few years ago called Why the Cocks Fight. The first and last chapter where painfully boring to read because the author over explained cock fighting. The rest of the book was very interesting. I discuss it with a lot of my Dominican friends and they all pretty much agreed with this particular version of the history between the DR and Haiti.

Again this was this authors version. He may or may not be 100% factual but I agree with what he said and how he explained it.
 
CristoRey

CristoRey

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"This is the case in my hometown of Cabarete, Dominican Republic, where expats reign with impunity, often enforcing inequality one haggle-over-the-price-of-a-coconut at a time."

This was as far as I got.
Not worth continuing.
Absolute PC/ left-leaning garbage and YES...
I hope you're one of those really sensitive
type of Dominicans and my comment hurts your feelings :D:D:D
 
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Fulano2

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Kricke87

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Fulano2 said:
Generalisation and stereotypering.
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I couldn't have said it better. Although there are some things I totally agree with, there are others that just show how little understanding she has for the reality and what should be expected by an expat/immigrant whatever you want to call it (it's basically the same).
 
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Joseph NY2STI

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Alternately laughing and heaving at this article. I don't know if the author knows Mandy Alcantara personally, but I do. I know her family as well. They really are all very nice, decent, hard working people. However, this Dominican freedom fighter and champion of the campos that the author cites lives a very privileged life in oppressive, evil America. As does the author.

Much like the slovenly ex-pats that the racist, bigoted, narrow-minded, attention-seeking, self-obsessed, Anglophobic, uber-woke author decries, Mandy enjoys vacationing at the beach and being waited on by poor Dominicans and Haitians while she suns her manicured toes. As does the author. At least she doesn't own a house in Topanga. Yet.

I'm waiting for her next book: "Marxism For Fun and Profit".

(P.S. - If you don't get the Topanga reference....https://nypost.com/2021/06/11/blm-c...eportedly-builds-fence-gate-around-1-4m-home/)
 
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Eugene_A

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To be a better expat? What's that? Give them more propina? Don't report to police when they rob you? Don't complain when they throw their garbage everywhere around them? Don't call 911 when they turn on their crappy music loud? Or maybe (excuse me) don't sexually abuse their children when they try to sell them to you?

That author should write another book, how to teach Dominicans to flush the toilet after they use it. Could be much more useful.
 
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