Looking for tips from the experts ...

Greetings Dave and welcome to the forum. I live in N.Y. but have taken numerous trips to D.R. Mainly the North Coast. As far of teachers, you will find plenty; you might even find a few on here. The sport of choice in D.R. Is baseball, that is what they are known for. There is a large European community in D.R. So there is a possibility you might find a group of individuals that share your entusiasm for soccer.  It seems that you have the work thing worked out so you will not have to depend on local work which does not pay very well. I'm pretty sure you will love it there, just be sure to follow the sound advice you will receive from the expats on this forum and you will be fine. Good luck on your future adventures.

Hi Massagewiz, really appreciate your tips and for going to the trouble to reply - especially when you don't currently reside in DR. Will take on board what you have said and thanks again for the ecouraging words. Maybe catch up on one of your frequent trips. Cheers Dave

No problem amigo(friend)  your first Spanish lesson. :-)

You will find lots of "schools" to learn your Spanish at with out any difficulty.
As to black outs they do occur and the frequency will depend on where you live.  The more affluent areas are on what is called a 24 hour grid and blackouts are rare in these areas. Other poorer areas experience them daily.  Most Apts, condos and villa rentals do provide a back up electricity sourse, so this should not be a problem for you.
Yes Soccer is getting more popular here all the time, but baseball is still King!

Bob K

Hi Bob K, thanks for your help and providing a few insights. All adds to the overall picture of wejat lies ahead. I trust you continue to enjoy life far away from the 2 degress and artic wind blasts of London! Cheers Dave

Actually it is the -20 and snow of Denver that i don't miss

Bob K

Hi, Davlewy! I just ran into your post and was wondering whether you are at DR already and if so, how has it been so far?  I'm not an expat (yet), but I found this group of friends and 'hang out' here now (between work)!

Hope everything if going well and that you are aprendiendo mucho español!

Saludos!

Hello!

As Bob K said if you live in an Apt that has a generator you wont even realize that the power goes out!

As for soccer they have some groups that play in the afternoons in el Parque Mirador (its a very pretty park and is super easy to get there from any place in SD). I had a friend that use to play, but he moved back to his home country, I will try to get you the info.

As for Spanish classes you will find a whole bunch of them. My mom, who is a school principal as me, is actually looking for English conversation classes in exchange for Spanish classes, so if you are interested this could be an initial very cheap way to learn Spanish

Hope you are all having a great weekend!

HI Dave, there are some areas in every city that have better then average power,  you want to make sure to live in those!  All areas are experiencing blackouts right now,  make sure you live where there is at least an inversor / battery back up system to keep the computer and fans running!  A backup generator is even better, but, those apartments will cost a lot more to rent.

If you want to learn Spanish make sure you learn from someone qualified. Don't try to learn from a student or someone you have "met".  Learn it right by getting a qualified teacher.  Once you learn it wrong, it is hard to undo. 

Of course you will also want to learn some "Dominican" as we don't speak proper spanish here......LOL  You will get used to it.

I am often in the capital, Santo Domingo, if you need any help I may know people who can assist you.

Most of all, enjoy your stay.  Travel the country if you can - it is so beautiful!!!!

Hi there, thanks for getting in touch. I am still in London for work reasons but still plan on coming but have delayed it a little. Would be good to keep in touch and maybe meet you and some of your friends at some stage. That would be great. Hope all goes well and I will contact you again when I have nailed down a new date. Once again, thanks for the feedback. Dave

Hi there, really appreciate your advice and encouraging words. have delayed trip a little but still coming in a few months and would be great to make contact again .... thanks again for taking the time to give me a few crucial pointers and I will definitely take note. Sounds like you have a good life there .... cheers Dave