If so many ex-pats are complaining about…

So people aren't allowed to complain?  And you think the US is perfect and have never once complained about anything that happens there?  Would you rather be blind-sided when you move to DR and not know these issues exist?  I do not consider this forum "complaining", I consider it "informative".

There are those who will focus on the negative regardless of where they are.

There are those who are never happy.

There are those who are grounded in reality and see what's going on.

There are those who need to vent.

There are those who complain and seek to make things better.

I also wonder why some people are here at all.

I reserve my right to complain when needed. I will also expound on everything wonderful here. Balance.

We spend about 6 months in Bavaro each year hiding from Canadian winters and yeah there are things to complain about like garbage ( !!! ) but why bother?  We're involved with the community through DCDR so we try to make the place a little better but I cant see a reason to bitch.  Don't like it ?  Don't go.  It's their country - we're only guests

many of the complaints and low assessments of things in the DR are highly misguided. much of it is not well analyzed and thought out.

take for eample the repetitive droning about education in the DR...yes, the run of the mill schools leave much to be desired. however, there are good schools which produce well prepared graduates..

the Great Communicator, Ronald Reagan, a man who is regarded in some circles as the greatest US President ever, went on an official trip to a group of  Latin American countries , during his presidency. he was astonished to discover that South America was not a country, but a continent comprising several distince independent countries..

he not only graduated high school, but attended college..

having heard that i wonder how many Dominican school kids are unaware of Bolivia and Uruguay

Interesting comments cruffman. There are only good schools if your family can afford to pay.  Public school system here is atrocious!

i am not in a position of knowledge to comment on the economics of education here, but i grew up in a country which is equally poor, or even more so, and guys i went to school with ended up on scholarship in Ivy League schools. the Jamaican girl who won the US Spelling Bee was from a poor family who could not afford to send her to a high end school..

@cruffman basic geography, specifically the American Continent (which is comprised of North America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean) is taught in all Dominican schools. We had to memorize the names and locations of all the countries in the mainland, and the major Caribbean ones (there's a gazillion little islands that were deemed not important enough to remember them, sorry). Granted, not all kids will care enough about this to really commit it to memory long term.

@ondami

Many come to find out this mañana lifestyle is very difficult to live with bc we were trained to be on time, to pay  bills when due, to be considerate of others when driving or parking or listening to music, etc. We don't like wasting time if not our choice, being lied to daily, being treated differently and charged twice as much, excluded from mosr groups unless rich or famous...could go on and on. It is not  for everyone, read and read some more, bc it boils down to you and your current situation.

pay bills when due?

two concepts come to mind when you say that..

collection agencies..

credit score..

@ondami - I agree that people who incessantly complain about everything and anything DR-related, and are living in the DR, really should consider another country/culture/lifestyle.

However, here on expat, I don't find many people complaining very often or, at least, I don't look at it as complaints. In fact, I love it that everyone shares their experiences, both good and bad, from all parts of the country. It's educational. Everyone is looking for what suits them best and the variety of lifestyles is great. We've been traveling to the DR for more than 30 years and after spending time all over the country we finally bought property exactly where we want to be and are in the process of building a home where we'll live full time. Is it for everyone? No, but that's OK.

I'm well-aware of the cultural differences, there are things I love and things I don't like very much, but it's a decision we thought long and hard about for many years before putting down money. The pros definitely outweigh the cons for my husband and I and that's the only thing that matters. Everyone is different and everyone has different needs/wants. Some people will just never be happy anywhere and that's sad.

With that being said, the great thing about expat.com is that there are a lot of people just beginning the process of deciding whether or not to move to the DR permanently, or make an investment for rental income, or to purchase something to enjoy part-time, and a lot of good information can be found on this site. It's my opinion that the people who post on here are just being realistic. Yes, it's a paradise when it comes to weather, laid back lifestyle for most, cost of living, etc., but there are quirks. Nobody sugar-coats their experiences from what I can see, and I appreciate that although again, it's just my opinion. Knowing the good, the bad, and the ugly is actually very important.

We are also from the U.S. and are ready to move for many reasons. Currently we live in South Florida and it is "paradise" as far as the tropical climate, but the reality is that there are also many, many issues here as well. Some friends of ours think we are out of our minds wanting to leave the U.S. That's their opinion and we respect that.  It's just a matter of perspective. You'll find "complainers" regardless of where you go unfortunately. But, given the number of expats who have made the move to the DR, overall, I think most would say they made the right move and, although they may not like some aspects of life in a different culture, on an island, they learn to accept and adapt.

With that being said, for years I have followed another popular site daily as well and it's a different matter altogether. A select group (thankfully fairly small), have something negative to say every day, all day, to the point where I constantly wonder why they are living in the DR and, whether or not they do ANYTHING other than sit by their computers all day and just wait to post another unintelligent/ridiculous "opinion" on every post, regardless of the topic. I've learned to ignore the ones who do that as I actually feel sorry for them that their lives are so miserable. Different strokes for different folks I guess. The threads here on this site are actually refreshing.

I truly hope you don't feel that the threads on here are "overall" negative. I look forward every day to reading what others are talking about, asking about, etc. Don't let the naysayers sway you. :-)

there is a guy who posts on another DR related site who had nothing good to say about the DR. he once revealed that he had lived in 17 countries, and they were all equally depressing.

i asked him if it had ever dawned on him that maybe he is the problem, and not 17 countries..

@cruffman - Exactly. That's the type to just ignore completely. :-)

@colmcb I really appreciate your perspective and thank you for sharing those perspectives.

Rest assured we are not letting anything deter us from moving to DR.

I have travelled around the world and lived in many countries; thus, I am familiar with having to adapt to the host country as opposed to trying to make the host country and people adapt to me.

I agree that this forum is a good space for people to share their thoughts on DR; however, I believe there is a difference between complaining and identifying the downside of certain things. My father taught me a long time ago complaining does not help and only amplifies the "suck", plus those who continue to complain tend not to do anything about that which creates their complaints; whereas identifying the downsides is less personal and more fact based as opposed to opinion-based complaints.

I have to remember that a number of people have not had the same experiences as I (three combat tours), and that oft times their complaints are really first world problems. I am sure the number of mass shootings in DR is far less than elsewhere, I am sure there are less bombings in DR that in a lot of other places around the worlds, and I am sure there is less antisemitism in DR than in other places around the world; hence, our desire to relocate.

I appreciate when people identify the "things to be aware of or to know and/or understand" when considering a move to DR as those or that approach is more helpful than complaints. 

Of course, everyone is entitled to their opinion or free speech which I support 100%.

I thank you and hope you have had a super-fantastic day.

To address your initial concern....if you visit any ex-pat forum for anywhere in the world you will find some degree of complaining and hand wringing. Relocating to a different country (substitute "culture" for country) is not easy. I am sure you know that. There is a lot of frustration. Yes, some complaints are "first world problems" as you say, and other things we complain about are the same things Dominicans have complained about for years (e.g. reliable electricity, pottable water). I think the point is consider those comments you find important and toss the rest as "ridiculous" or rooted in frustration. People sometimes simply need to sound off.

I am just happy you refrained from parroting the old stand by..."go back to where you came from", which is completely ignoring what may be a valid point or criticism, and worthy of discussion.

@RockyM thank you for your input. As for the "go back to your country", I get enough of that where I live now. My usual retort to those ignorant comments is "I am in my country, for you see I am indigenous/First Nations, soooo, my people inhabited this land looooong before others."

@cruffman that is awesome!  Sounds like someone who would complain about the size of the diamonds in their gold slippers.

    @RockyM thank you for your input. As for the "go back to your country", I get enough of that where I live now. My usual retort to those ignorant comments is "I am in my country, for you see I am indigenous/First Nations, soooo, my people inhabited this land looooong before others."
   

    -@ondami

Wow, I can't imagine for you to be told to go back to your own country   At least you have a really good response to that!

It sounds like you are American military?  If so, thank you for your service to your country....

-David

I wonder if the people that are complaining about “ everything “  are really tee'd off

or they have nothing else to talk about….  like on Monday morning I'm going to complain about the Jets and Giants , but next week I'll watch them again I'm not going to move on ,

or everyone complains about the heat every day but they still go out…… maybe the people that are really complaining  about things are just nit-picking because their looking at things too hard or maybe tryIng to swat the

bee hive to see what comes out of it , can't believe people can hate everything they see

and still stick around ,   like things are going to change because they're upset about it…

🤔

Some have no choice but to stay!

So, I can take an standard sheet of paper and drawn a line down the middle. I can put all the good stuff I like about the DR on one side and all the stuff I don't really like on the other side of the line. Guess what. The bad stuff list is going to be really long; quite a bit longer than the good stuff. Does that mean I don't want to live here? No. It just means I have to put up with many things I don't like. It is a radically different culture here and that is difficult at times to deal with. Have I complained at times? Yes. I think that is a fairly normal response, especially for us 'Mericans. We are from a analytic, problem solving culture, so we tend to voice our complaints. That is our way of dealing with what we perceive as problems. But, I do think folks need to pick their battles and not complain specifically about every cultural difference. We have lived here roughly 3 years now and we consider ourselves "guests" in this country, and it will always be that way.

So, why do I live here? Because the bad things may be numerous, but the good stuff actually outweighs the bad stuff (i.e. quality over quantity). Or, for some folks, as planner alluded to, there is no better alternative for them. If Denise and I needed to leave here, going back to the US would be the path of least resistance; however, I feel there are so many problems in the US now (e.g. health care, expense, politics, and frankly the culture) that we wouldn't go back. We would just move to someplace else on the planet. At least we have a choice.

@RockyM yes I am a retired US Army veteran. You are welcome.  I served so others in my family would not have to do so.

@RockyM I understand your position and see your perspective. We must keep in mind that when we identify "bad" things about a country/culture, we are doing so from our own cultural perspective and labelling things that we are not used to as "bad" is negative and can make one sound like one of the characteristics of the "ugly American", an ethnocentric view of other cultures.

Please now that I am not here chastising, nor ridiculing you; rather giving you my perspective as an Indigenous (Perupecha, Apache, Comanche)/Mexican-American, and we are having a disucssion on the topic.

I wonder if it would be better if we created a thread on the forum titled "Things to consider/think about before moving to DR" and listing factual items. For example, "power goes down x times per week", water not potable in most areas, slower pace of life, etc., and then also list the AWESOME things about living in DR...slower pace of life, access to beautiful ecosystem, delicious food, the ocean. 

As a new member, I think that type of thread would be more helpful.

Thoughts?

As always, have a super-fantastic day!

I think you should absolutely start that thread!   And always start any thread you think is relevant

@ondami

I do get your point. But do understand that when I do "complain" it is in my own company. I don't do this in public. My wife is around, and she gets to listen to it, but no one else  :0)  Can't help it - there is behavior here that just bothers me and always will and I won't tip toe around it. For instance, you can describe the driving behaviour here as a product of culture, but it is still awful and it costs lives. Sorry, but that is where I draw the line, when people lable such behaviour as "cultural", and to leave it alone. Not good.

But I get it, culture should'nt really be complained about, or labelled as bad. Culture is derived from socio-economic reasons, as well as climate, etc. We should attempt to understand these behaviours and thoughts.

@RockyM complaining privately is one thing, publicly another as you have pointed out.  I appreciate you understanding my point of view as well.

Have a super-fantastic night!

@planner will do once I start living in DR!  As of right now I have no reference from which to draw upon.  Soon though, very soon. And with each passing day, our move draws closer!!!!

If you start the thread, get others perspective and as you continue your process, add your own honey.

— We must keep in mind that when we identify "bad" things about a country/culture, we are doing so from our own cultural perspective and labelling things that we are not used to as "bad" is negative —

So here comes adaptation into play. If you can't adapt to a different situation you will have a hard time.

Every time I come into this country I start with the above^ mindset, frustration follows, then acceptance and after a while I dont care much about everything anymore lol.

People who have a bad live may have a reason to complain. People who have a good live may still complain as a luxury. I think complaining is part of human nature, not of culture or status.

Every post here is someones view on facts combined with an opinion. Every reader will have their own view on that.

I can tell you this post is an opinion and thats a fact!

Perhaps the oldest settlement in the new world remains a 3rd world country. Ask yourself why? If you want an answer that destroys the boundary of political correctness I'll tell you and then I'll read others post in response about how unpolitically correct I am when statement of actual violations and corrupt human action and behavior fall under the banner of "culture". It's laughable.

As a developing nation this country is far from perfect.

We will not get into a political correctness back and forth.  There is only one thread where that is allowed.

@RockyM , Rocky you might complain privately   about the noise , garbage ,   driving  ,  behavior..but i know plenty of Dominicans that complain out loud

about  it and not a little bit either  , especially about the driving and the noise

at night ….. so take heed your not alone bro

    @RockyM , Rocky you might complain privately   about the noise , garbage ,   driving  ,  behavior..but i know plenty of Dominicans that complain out loud
about  it and not a little bit either  , especially about the driving and the noise
at night ….. so take heed your not alone bro
   

    -@Tippj

Gracias  :0)  I just keep my mouth shut outside my property line. It's better that way 

We live in an area with a number of rental houses and when they crank up the music I yell at them. They don't hear me of couse, but it makes me feel better. I also yell at bad drivers from inside my car. Same thing. 

This post is funny. Commenting so I can get the latest updates 😀

@RockyM, I'm cracking up!

Me too Rocky.  When driving I find yelling and cursing allows me to vent my frustration - windows all the way up of course!!!

I'm cracking down laughing with your comments!!!

You know the awesome thing about learning how to drive in the DR? That you can drive anywhere else in the world!!! You become a master on defense and offense driving! Let's go!!! 🤣😂🤣😂

I also agree with @planner that the DR have so many any issues and defects but overall the culture, the food, the places to visit and most of the people are friendly and amazing!!   

BTW, I'm currently living in Seattle, WA, which is one of the most depressing places in the US during winter time because of the rain, fog, gray and cloudy season we get here for 4-5 months in a row, so go figure why I escape every winter to the DR!!! You can't beat that!! I love the DR and will always do! ❤️

I spent 23 years on Victoria BC and the winters were killers.  It's wayyyyyyy better here!

@ondami

The despair that permeates this land can only be fully comprehended through immersion in its harsh realities. Within this lawless realm, where societal discipline is but a distant memory, they find themselves adrift in a sea of hopelessness. An infrastructure marred by neglect serves as a stark reminder of our collective deterioration. Fear runs rampant among citizens, their lives dominated by a constant state of apprehension. A woefully inadequate education system further compounds our predicament, leaving an underprepared populace grappling with life's intricacies. The venomous specter of racism casts its dark shadow over an already grim existence. And now, the nation finds itself ensnared in the clutches of China's control, its insidious influence propagated through the corruption of politicians and the affluent elite.