Single Mum Needs Help To Relocate

[mountainfrog]

Why?

...may i ask how long you have been in the d.r and where you left.

Eleven years; left Bavaria, Germany.

... good old english.

Old available here. Good, I don't know.

...my close friend loved her 6 yrs in the dom rep...

And left?

..why are you there mr frog ??????

I was looking for a place to retire to.
I had checked out Fuerteventura, too and was not impressed.
Then I bought a finca here and since then haven't put up a 'se vende' sign yet... (although the country has changed very much ....).

mountainfrog

 

[mariainspain]

spanish education

as for spanish education, well............
up until the age of 11 it is bastant bien, but from 12 onwards the state education is terrible.
its only in the recent years that they changed the law that children could leave school at 14, at least its 16 now.
as for private international schools.
in the costa blanca where i am, the nearby international schools are not bilingual, its all in englsh and perhaps have 4 hrs of spanish a week, all the parents have 4x4 trucks and only stay in spain a year or two.
the cheapest school nearest to me has a yearly fee of U$14000 per child and the standard is that of an english state school.
spain is little britain and its changing as is everywhere.

its a bummer and i am not an idealist believe me, i am a hard worker, lower middle class and a bloody realist who has trouble at times with technology, especially computers, ha ha !!

 

[mariainspain]

LAMBADA,

thanks for your advice, i dont want tourists or brit bars, my kids and i want culture and real d.r as we have had here in spain until recently.

and i am sorry if i seem abit hostile but i am not the typical giri looking for a cheap permanent holiday.

MR FROG
my friend left the d.d as her dominican husband died in a motorbike accident and she was pregnant at the time and thus went back to the uk to be with her parents.


anybody else able to advise me on any good schools or areas to live or not to live ?

 

[batich]

thank you for your comments,

if everybody is so unhappy there, why are you all still there ?????

cant you afford to return to your home countries?????

I do not think that in my reply I said that I myself is unhappy here, nor my local male friends - gringos.

We are here because we are happy here. As here we have two things that are the most important for majority of single men - unlimited choice of readily available young women and freedom from police harrasment.

Another large group of new immigrants from an East European country (I know alot of them personally very well) is here only because DR is the only country where no visa is requred for them and they just run here from their country with their stolen millions hiding from justice, from their LE and from Interpol.

Those people HATE DR, they stay at their houses all the time, they do not speak castellano, but it is the only place in the world where they can hide themselves from their people whom they robbed.

And finally - penal criminals who have electric chair waiting for them in their countries. ( I know some of them too, so it is for real).

Alot of people here would go to a country with much better life and infrastructure but for them american or shenguen visa is out of reach.

It does not look like you are going to live here for sanky sex only with 25 y.o. local muchachos like some almost young and almost beautiful gringas in Cabarete and Sosua.

So, why to DR ??!!

Being a citizen of Spain you can move to Florida. There you will have a real quality of life, but much cheaper than in DR. You`ll speak castellano with numerous spanish communities.

You will be protected against drugs and crime. You will have a good health care for your family.

And you will have thousands of marriage proposals from american men who are hungry for even more or less decently looking females even with children.

Listen to good advice - go to Florida. DR (at least what it is today) is not a place for a decent woman who have other options available and unlimited.

If you were my sister, I would tell you the same - FORGET ABOUT DR AND GO TO FLORIDA.

I love DR and FOR ME it is paradise on Earth.

My two agorot.

 

[mariainspain]

Batich

is it really that bad in the d.r

we have alot of those russian and eastern europeans here now, except they dont hide as the sanish government allows them to open up whore clubs all over the place and they lander there money there

we even have russian churches recently built and vilent crime from them.

spain civilised.....bring back franco, ha ha

 

[mountainfrog]

Not Easy

.... i dont want tourists or brit bars, my kids and i want culture and real d.r as we have had here in spain until recently.

Well, as being interested in culture you'd be happier in Santiago or the 'capital'.
The real DR will be very different from the real Spain, to say the least.
In order to avoid tourists and the type of residents you didn't like in Spain you'd want to go to places inland (Jarabacoa ?) or the Southwest maybe.
To live there on your own with your kids will be very challenging.

...MR FROG
my friend left the d.d as her dominican husband died in a motorbike accident and she was pregnant at the time and thus went back to the uk to be with her parents.

I am sorry to hear this.
Undoubtedly your friend can give you good advice on the living conditions in this country - IF her experience does not date back too long.... (I'd say if it was more than two or three years ago, many things would no longer be valid.)


m'frog

 

[mountainfrog]

Safe Haven?

is it really that bad in the d.r....

No, but be prepared to find that the DR is a hiding place for criminals, too.
Of course, there are reasons for that... :laugh:

m'frog

 

[AnnaC]

Maria the best advice that anyone can give you is to vist the DR for as long as you can before moving with your children. Gather information and read all the stickies in the living forum and then go and see for yourself how things are.

Don't be angry at those that sound negative they are just telling you the not so great things about the country so you'll be prepared.


Good luck

 

[mariainspain]

many thanks to everyone xx

 

[Sharlene]

Maria
You sound like a very 'gung ho' kind of lady. As Lambada said in her post (and she's a lady who knows her stuff!) you sound more equipped than most to deal with life here.

I've heard about the land problems and charges in Valencia and it seems a shame that it's changed so much from the place you loved. Unfortunately as the world becomes 'smaller' the most beautiful areas become swamped by 'undesirables' in one form or another....

As has been pointed out, you'll find many of the same problems surfacing here that you're trying to escape - but I think a lot of these problems are worldwide. The North Coast (Sosua/Cabarete) where I live is touristy and does attract a certain sort of person (lots of older foreign gentlemen with much younger DR chicas along with people who 'live' in the bars) so perhaps is not what you're looking for.... However I live here and manage to avoid mixing with the 'Costa Brava' brigade so it is possible. There are many 'normal' (whatever that is!) and 'nice' people and families here which is reflected in the number of schools in the area.

Just read what you said about International School in Spain and had to laugh! It pretty much describes the International School in Sosua (mainly English, not that much Spanish tuition, all driving 4x4's and many transient families!). However there's no doubt that it's a very good school. I've posted more details about it previously and if you do a search on it you'll find more info.

As you don't have to sell your house and have a good income, I'd say the world's your oyster! Why not come here and rent for a bit and see how you feel about the place? Where did your friend live? Do you have any ideas on areas? Perhaps other posters who live in different areas can give you some input....

I too am sorry to hear about the loss of your partner. It's good to see that you're moving forward and getting on with your life.........

 

[mariainspain]

gung ho

i am rather gung ho.......

i have had alot of knocks and alot of trauma in my life but knowing me you wouldnt realise.

my friend was in cabarete but that was 8 yrs ago and things change.

i would like to go where the schools are good and the health is provided for, privately.

my kids are the most important thing to me in the world and i am hoping that this would be a wonderful learning experience for them that they would enjoy and cherish forever.

and hopefully there is not the pressure of a materialistic world where one always has to get the best reults in school and life.

that is my aim x

perhaps i am deluded i dont know.

 

[2LeftFeet]

What is a Finca? Is that the actual house or just the property or does that refer to both?

 

[mariainspain]

i would also rather put my kids into a school with mostly dominicans, are there any that cater privately or anything similiar x

 

[AnnaC]

What is a Finca? Is that the actual house or just the property or does that refer to both?

finca=farm

 

[mountainfrog]

Finca

What is a Finca? Is that the actual house or just the property or does that refer to both?

A 'finca' (hacienda) is agricultural land or at least land that could be used for that purpose (farm, estate, plantation...)
There need not be a house (farm house), but there may be one.

When I bought the land there was no house, now there is...

m'frog

 

[Lambada]

Reading all that you've written Maria, I'd second the suggestion of Santiago or nearby like Jarabacoa. Santo Domingo may be too big a town for you. Santiago has the cultural aspects, very few 'Costa Brava brigade', a University PUCCM where you might want to look for work (PM Hillbilly, he's been teaching there since God was a boy), nice countryside nearby (Jarabacoa etc) & good schools (again ask Hillbilly about schools). No you don't sound hostile. You sound spirited. It's one of the expat survivor skills & for sure necessary here.

 

[mountainfrog]

Colegios

i would also rather put my kids into a school with mostly dominicans, are there any that cater privately or anything similiar x

Yes, there are 'colegios' of that type.
My children go to one.
Have you been to the DR?

m'frog

 

[mariainspain]

yes, but yrs ago and it was for my honeymoon, and we never foolishly left the 5 star hotel as my ex husband wasnt adventourous, hence the divorce, him in the uk and me in spain.

i have since lived here bringing up 2 young children, one who had to undergo several scans and investigations as he nearly drowned, i have nursed my grandfather, and had loads of crap filling my life.

i am ready for my next episode of life and for the children also.

i read many books and watch documentaries and read many forums like these to try to attain ideas, but mostly i go with my heart and i am abit spooky like that, so much i freak myslef out sometimes.

i am 41 yrs old, with 2 children that everybody comments on how polite and well mannered they are, i speak nearly fluent spanish as do my kids who are trilingual, i trained to be a teacher out here in spain and in the past i was in the royal air force, no i'm not some macho girl, but a very pretty and intelligent woman who has had so much s..t in her life it has made her a survivior.

we only live once and god knows when we go, so why conform to school work, house, 2 kids, and die, we allow these ministers y tal to dictate how we live but after so much death and tradedgy in my life i realise we have to live it and do what we want as long as we dont hurt anybody.

and i hope to god that my feeling and thoughts of going to the d.rep will enhance my childrens lives and take off some of the pressure on my boy that society puts on these children, let kids be kids cos when we grow up its bloody hard x

 

[mountainfrog]

Reality Check

....going to the d.rep will enhance my childrens lives and take off some of the pressure on my boy that society puts on these children....

I can't help but get the impression that you have some social-romantic views on this country.
And well, why not?

Many expectations that come with it will not withstand reality, however.
Your children will undoubtedly have a freer life here and it's your decision to weigh the disadvantages that come along with it.

I also recommend to come here on a trial basis (preferably without the youngsters) and find out what real life here is about.

m'frog

 

[mariainspain]

rent first

i would come there on a trial basis and rent first.

i am not one for putting all my eggs into one basket.

does anybody have anymore info on the private dominican schools rather than international ones for example, prices, standard of education and where.

my kids have always been in spanish school and adapted to it very easily.

are children safer there than in europe or are there problems there also with kids safety x