Here I go1
For a large part of the population, the current situation of less luz/water is not as big a deal for some as for others. My husband's family is also certainly not the poorest of the poor. I am not trying to be the devils advocate here... but I think that the perspective of a lot of people on this site (most are fortunate enough to have a computer to post from and money to pay to do so) is not what quite a lot of people would agree with.
Again, just trying to convey another perspective.
Ok, here goes my 2 "motas", I have a question then an opinion:
Fiesta Mama, do you know that great merenguero, Johnny Ventura is called "La costumbre" ("the custom")?.
Dominicans call him that because he has been around forever and they are used to him.
MANY may not like his merengues but they sure know that in any given day, bam, they will be listening to his songs, whether they like it or not. They have one choice: "you better get used to listening to his merengues because he is not going anywhere". Get it?.
In my opinion, there's NOT one Dominican who likes when the light goes out or when there's no water to even take a bath, NOT one!.
Now, that MOST are used to it, of course, but what other choice do they have?. It's either get used to it or jump over a bridge (and I don't see many jumping over a bridge for not been able to take a shower or because the light went out).
Of course there are MANY foreigners that would not mind living like prehistoric people while in the DR. I even have a friend who does charity work in the DR who moved to a little campo and offered medical help for/to the poor. He lived there for about 2 years and did not mind living as a poor person. This is a doctor who did not mind having, at times, enough water to just "shower his winnie". He did not mind that there was NO electricity there, EVER. He claims that those 2 years have been the best 2 years of his life since he made a difference.
I believe people can adapt and get used to their surroundings.
I see it like this: if you are a foreigner and you marry a poor Dominican while you met him/her on vacation, you have to deal with the cards you dealt to yourself. You either accept his/her family or you don't. MOST foreigners do, therefore, you either get used to his/her surroundings or you will live a very miserable life.
I have been saying for years that when one dates or marries a Dominican, there's a lot of shyt that one have to get used to. There are no choices, if you want to be with them, YOU have to adapt to their way of living.
If you go around and married a poor chap, that's the life you will live while over there with him/her, if you marry a rich Dominican (in many cases, not a chance since MOST rich Dominicans will NOT date a foreigner), then you will live comfortably while over there.
In a way, I am agreeing with you, FM, because I do know a few foreigners that do not mind the simple way of life in the DR. Now, that Dominican like it, absolutely not. They are just used to it. What other choice do they have?.
I, for one, do not mind it while on vacation. But if I, after living in the greatest country in the world, lived in the DR, there's no way in hell that I will not have all the modern technologies to live a very comfortable life.
One of the reasons I always say that people should marry up is because when one marries down, there's a big chance that the other person will bring all his/her problems along and in time that person will bring you down with him/her.
Inheriting (?) a poor Dominican family is not a piece of cake. But if that is what we chose, then we have to be willing to adapt to their way of living. As simple as that!.
