My DR strategy. What'cha think?

[John D. Clark]

Hey everyone....It's me....the OP....I can't help but say that I've truly enjoyed all of your comments. I've absolutely have spent over 40 hours going through various threads and what I've found to take place a great number of times is as follows. I'll call this

When a Person Posts

1. Several persons do what this site was made for. They help and assist. To them I say thank you.
2. Several people people attack (either the OP or the persons responding to the OP) directly or indirectly.
3. The attack will normally draw the less seasoned persons, possibly the OP as well, into anonymous computer sparring or straight out arguments while the seasoned vets make a statement or two and keep it moving.
4. The moderator either gets everyone back on track or shuts the thread down.

That's my take on it given my little bit of time "lurking" as you call it. And it's all cool. So without getting overly involved with the above dynamic I would like to say to DRob specifically. I was very transparent at the outset with this online community to allow the readers to make a good assessment of how I should approach things. I felt your barb in your first post and overlooked it. You got a bit emboldened in your second post based on quite a few assumptions. Out all that I stated, and again I say, out of all that I stated, you seemed to have gotten focused on me wanting to spend time talking with a beautiful woman as opposed to....hmmm....let's say you or some of the other guys. Duuuuhhhhhh. Is that going to be a problem in the DR. Your position was absolutely legit if you indeed were knew factually certain things about me. You should read the posts, on this thread, of the veterans as I'm sure they may have had similar thoughts and concerns. However, they told me their approach on the thread that I began, without offense. To them and the rest of you who've helped, and you have....Thanks alot. The site is hot. Later.

 

[John D. Clark]

Hey everyone....real quick. One of my best survival tactics in a place I'm not familiar with is to not speak to anyone (unless I have to)until I get more acclimated to the place. My spanish will be just fine. I'm not in for a rude awakening of any sort. Just an awakening. Later.

 

[roches]

Look bruh, I'm not trying to rain on your parade. DR really can be a great experience, and I hope you make the most of your time there. But be honest with yourself about your intentions. If you're really just going there to get your mack on (which is very much the norm), then stay on the north coast for a few weeks, enjoy the "local color," and go home.

If you're actually serious about moving there and making a real go of it, then please do the same due diligence you'd perform if you were moving to any new town up in the states.

Visit. A lot. Then visit some more. Make real "non-tigre" contacts. See as much as you can, and definitely learn as much spanish as possible (courses, TV, magazines, spending time in spanish speaking areas with spanish speaking folks, etc.)

I just want to make sure you have a good experience, and your strategy is essentially a sure-fire plan for disaster.

Best of luck to you.

Please forgive my interjection...but it seems that only the bolded section of your post actually answers Mr. Clark's questions, and the remainder is just unwarranted banter based upon your assumption of his intentions.

If this is forum is intended to be used as a resource, responses that are attacking in nature certainly don't benefit the new user or the forum itself. I've seen multiple posts of new users who found themselves under attack for not having searched the site or provided an adequate amount of information about self for intelligent answers to be made. It seems that Mr. Clark has fulfilled both of these requirements, in what I find to be a relatively witty manner, and he is still met with ridicule, as well as suppositions on his character.

As for you Mr. Clark....

Clearly you should scrap your strategy, take your time, learn the language, and stay away from the chicas :classic:...at least that's what I've gathered...and above all else...enjoy the adventure!

 

[DRob]

Didn't mean to be offensive. And I visit the non-sex tourist areas several times a year, staying with expat friends who live in Santiago (that's a city.) I'm just trying to help

But you don't want assistance, John. You want ratification for your actions. Or perhaps, absolution for an ill thought plan.

From your own words, you plan to go into a country where, if we're being transparent here, you 1) have never visited, 2) don't know the language 3) don't know the towns 4) don't know the culture (high end or barrio), and don't seem interested in finding out about that stuff until after you arrive.

I mean, you don't even know what you don't know. And that is a recipe for a less than ideal experience. I know you think you can "work it," facilitate your situation or whatever you call hustling your way through, but it just isn't that simple, and I'd hate to see you have a bad experience as a result.

Either way, no hard feelings. Have fun and best of luck!

 

[tht]

..I'm not kidding here folks..

..here's my background. I have an MSc in petroleum engineering including 500 pages Erwin Kreyszig's Advanced Engineering Mathematics. I have past all the exams on La Esquela Para Vivir and now I'm at the University Of Life both in the DR. The easiest was definitly my engineering degree the most useful were the two other ones.
<st1></st1>

 

[DRob]

Please forgive my interjection...but it seems that only the bolded section of your post actually answers Mr. Clark's questions, and the remainder is just unwarranted banter based upon your assumption of his intentions.

If this is forum is intended to be used as a resource, responses that are attacking in nature certainly don't benefit the new user or the forum itself. I've seen multiple posts of new users who found themselves under attack for not having searched the site or provided an adequate amount of information about self for intelligent answers to be made. It seems that Mr. Clark has fulfilled both of these requirements, in what I find to be a relatively witty manner, and he is still met with ridicule, as well as suppositions on his character.

I'm not trying to ridicule the man, and if that's what happened, then my sincere apologies. I'm trying to point out that if he wants to live here, it might not be a bad idea to visit first and learn the lay of the land. He seems to think he's got it all covered, whereas it's pretty apparent that he's setting himself up for a hard time.

His plan would be difficult if he was changing cities or states. Downright arduous moving to an english-speaking first world country. But he's talking about moving to a spanish-speaking third world country. Sight unseen. With no real contacts. And no intention of communicating with the locals initially, given his last post.

I mean c'mon, you gotta be kidding.

And we all know how that's mostly going to end....

 

[tht]

..another typo..

.La Esquela Para Vivir
<st1></st1>

escuela I guess but I did pass..

 

[Rocky]

I didn't know that, that decent girls are not chicas??? a chica is a girl a woman, I guess you women chasers have giving it a different meaning?? But yes calling a girl "senorita" is the best and safest word to use.

The OP must have misinterpreted that.
Chicas, women, girls, all the same thing.

 

[roches]

I'm not trying to ridicule the man, and if that's what happened, then my sincere apologies. I'm trying to point out that if he wants to live here, it might not be a bad idea to visit first and learn the lay of the land. He seems to think he's got it all covered, whereas it's pretty apparent that he's setting himself up for a hard time.

His plan would be difficult if he was changing cities or states. Downright arduous moving to an english-speaking first world country. But he's talking about moving to a spanish-speaking third world country. Sight unseen. With no real contacts. And no intention of communicating with the locals initially, given his last post.

I mean c'mon, you gotta be kidding.

And we all know how that's mostly going to end....

People who think they have it all covered don't ask questions...

It takes all types to make the world go 'round, and we are not all cut from the same kind of cloth...There are some, when thrown into deep water, who will sink. Others, will splash around trying to find a way to shore. Then there are those of us who will take to our backs, enjoy the view and see where the tide takes us...I believe Mr. Clark is cut from the latter.

 

[Rocky]

People who think they have it all covered don't ask questions...

It takes all types to make the world go 'round, and we are not all cut from the same kind of cloth...There are some, when thrown into deep water, who will sink. Others, will splash around trying to find a way to shore. Then there are those of us who will take to our backs, enjoy the view and see where the tide takes us...I believe Mr. Clark is cut from the latter.

Me too.
He sounds like he has his shyte together, more than most.

 

[John D. Clark]

Good looking out Roches. To all I must say that in April I went from upstate Pennsylvania, to Baltimore for approximately one month. At which time I went to Lexington, KY for two months. Then back to Baltimore for one month. And I am now in a suburb of Philadelphia. Before I hit the DR I will have gone to Idianapolis, IN, back to Lexington and will fly out of Charlotte, NC. Out of all the places that I've gone since April I've made a single friend that I keep up with and she approached me. I know when to speak be it english or spanish. Not a single one of my customers ever knew that I was gone anywhere. DR1 has told me all of the needed to make certain my customers continue to think I am in my office. Forty hours of this sight has told me about the black outs, the high speed services, the phone services, the mass transportation, etc. I'm learning spanish in stages. Right now I'm doing grocery store spanish. Next is basketball spanish (which I can pretty much do in signs if I choose...ha ha ha). Don't worry about John. Do you. Me "moving" to the DR (have I formally said that yet) is the same as visiting. If I like it, I stay. If I don't I leave. I'll just do what I want. So for all of the naysayers, I appreciate your concerns but it's a win win. DRob, I'll catch up with you and we can do that El Presidente and chit chat.....In English please.....ha ha ha. Later.

 

[Celt202]

John, you're going to be fine. Have fun discovering this strange, enchanting place. I've lived here five years and I'm constantly going through realizations.

 

[Berzin]

More basketball talk...

Please learn how to "cantar" in spanish. That means making a call when hacked going to the hole. If not you'll be left on one side of the court while everyone else is flying down to the other end.

And you must practice this loudly and with conviction.

If not you'll revert to screaming at everybody in english and noone will know what you're talking about.

It's happened to me and I'm a native speaker.

Dominicans LOVE to argue at high decibels and the more sure you are of yourself the better it will be. Just like it is at home, only in spanish.

 

[Rocky]

It's happened to me and I'm a native speaker.

You're Dominican?

 

[John D. Clark]

Berzin:

Ha ha ha ha ha.....That is too funny. Just like at home but in spanish huh? I will pull my "basketball spanish" together because I already know. Conviction is a huge part of pick-up games. Don't make me do Johnny Cochran on the court because I will....ha ha ha. Good post. I hope to catch up with you when I make it to the spot. I'm going to work and find spots to hoop, chill and then repeat. Be Easy. 1.

 

[Lambada]

To all I must say that in April I went from upstate Pennsylvania, to Baltimore for approximately one month. At which time I went to Lexington, KY for two months. Then back to Baltimore for one month. And I am now in a suburb of Philadelphia. Before I hit the DR I will have gone to Idianapolis, IN, back to Lexington and will fly out of Charlotte, NC.

That's a lot of moving. Are you being followed? :laugh: None of my business, I know, just curious...............

If you have people skills, simpatico, charm & streetsmarts you'll probably do just fine. If you have self-confidence but not arrogance you'll probably do just fine. Brains help too. But most of all if you're not easily duped by tigueres or realise when you are & make a joke out of it -you should definitely do just fine.

Berzin, if you're looking for bball games in PP, go to the bakery run by Benji Duncan (Doooncan) between Malecon & 12 de Julio and ask for his eldest son, the phys ed instructor at the Air Force base. There is a court just round the corner from the bakery where the older lads teach the younger boys. Get involved with that & you'll have no problems finding your games.

 

[Talldrink]

Well, if you handle yourself in DR the way you handled this thread... you'll be just fine! Good luck.

BTW - Treat a girl you are interested in the same way you would here in the States. Anybody worth two pesos in DR is not going to jump in your front seat just because you beckoned. If you have to put a little work in the States, be prepared to do the same for a worthy se?orita in DR. Otherwise, you are bound to end up with just an expensive booty call after all.

 

[Ricardo900]

BTW - Treat a girl you are interested in the same way you would here in the States. Anybody worth two pesos in DR is not going to jump in your front seat just because you beckoned. If you have to put a little work in the States, be prepared to do the same for a worthy se?orita in DR. Otherwise, you are bound to end up with just an expensive booty call after all.

That is soooo true!

 

[Talldrink]

Ricardo, I'm Dominican - Here and in DR!! I dont leave my common sense at home (here or there!!)

 

[Berzin]

You're Dominican?

Mother is boriqua, daddy is russian.

Mom and dad both speak spanish.