Tips and advice to thrive in Dominican Republic

#1... For legal, safety & common sense, NEVER drive at night.
I have been coming  to my beautiful new Island
& home for 12 years full time for the last almost 6.
Everything else here is great.

This is going to require some thought, tomorrow I will be back.

I adjusted to life here very easily.
Don't try to change anything, accept it & move on.
The quicker you do that the easier things become.
Manana works for me.

I found the adjustment was an adventure and frankly after 12 1/2 years it is still in progress!

Bring lots of patience,  do not trust without GOOD reason to do so.  Do not expect anything to be like at home.

For me -  I kept my head down and my mouth shut (not easy) for the first  year to year and a half. I watched listened and learned a lot!!!!   

It takes a full 2 years to get a sense of what is going on and what you are doing and that learning never ever stops!   It does get easier and easier!

One mistake I made -  I did not learn Spanish immediately. I wish I had.

How can you learn Spanish immediatly. Tell me the secret.

If I were to do it again I would have found a good teacher and taken  classes!   I would have set myself to learning the language.  I have learned a lot over the years but I do not have that firm foundation that going to classes might have given me!  Or a private tutor might have worked as well!

I think she means START immediately, and learn as quickly as you can. Recently I suggested to a guy that he could at least learn one word a day. He thought that was unrealistic!

That is exactly what I meant. Learning a word a day is not difficult.  I used sticky notes looked up words and stuck the notes everywhere......

Yes, and they say that even in our countries a working class guy only uses about 2000words, here, where many aren't even literate, it's likely only 1000 words: not too much to learn.   I've met many gringos who have lived here for years without getting beyond a couple dozen.

I however ( a pretty smart guy by some standards) have a knack for NOT being able to learn a language.  I have had 6-8 years of Spanish in schools and my grasp of the language is basically .... Nada.
3 years of German in HS and ability...nicht
2 years of Latin in HS and...don't even go there.

So I will get by on my Spanglish, my English and my wife, who is much better at languages then I.

Bob K

I have about 1-1/2 years before moving there, I may try to learn a few words a week so I will have somewhat of a vocabulary. But I'm with you, I don't think Spanish will ever flow off my tongue. When someone speaks to me in Spanish it sounds so fast!, even if I know some Spanish that is going to be very hard to understand.

Sure, some people are better language learners than others......but ONE word a day?  You already have a good start....the word 'nada'. So today u might try to learn... 'algo', another useful word.  I'll test you tomorrow and see if you then can be proud to say you know two words.

no mas

Bob K

Hahaha too funny you guys!  One thing to remember is we speak Dominican here, the basic work but some words are very different.

Even after 12 years there are some people I cannot understand. They speak way too fast, swallow letter and smush words together.

Learn basics, structure and verbs

Bob!
I did not think there was anyone else like me!
You are just like me.
As you know. I was born in Canada.
I had to take french in school.
I got 2 percent on my final exam
There is a special part of the brain that does other languages.
Bob & I are missing that part.
I have been it total immersion here for the last almost 6 years.
Words, maybe 200.
Sentences over 4 words, NADA.
Welcome to Bob's & my world.
Thank God for our Esposas Bob.

So you havnt been able to learn the word 'algo' since then?  Jeeeeeeeeeez

I was a foreign language teacher for many years and I know that some people like Bob K orTomas just " don't have an ear " for foreign languages ! It is what it is ... Nothing to be shameful !

Not ashamed of it...just a fact.  I certainly excel in other areas.

Bob K

And i thought it was part of my brain missing not my ear.

Jajaja( that's Spanish for hahahaha

BTW, I keep hearing gringos say 'EL' moto, but it's not, rather 'LA' moto because moto is the diminutive of 'motocicleta'.   Feminine

Sure Colonel, that makes it so much easier.
Via con Dios all!
I learned that from my Dad when I was about 6.
He was fluent. I should have paid attention.
When we are young we learn language easy.

Back to the driving issues . we are thinking about buying a dashCam to give us extra protection in case of an accident.. did some of you buy one? Front dash cam? we saw they sell one for the back of the car too..

After you pay all the lawyers you will still be better off just
by not stopping.

Tomas, what do you need by not stopping? leave the scene of the accident??

Yes that is the intelligent thing to do here.
No matter whose fault it is, the gringo is to blame.

Lets clarify a bit.

IF you see an accident, do NOT stop.  It is none of your business and you cannot help.  Get out of there.

IF you are in an accident and it is no big deal,  feel things out, if it feels safe to deal with it immediately then do so.  IF not get out of there.

IF you are in a serious accident and are scared - you can go to two places safely -  any emergency department of a clinic or hospital OR the police station.  Both are considered safe locations.  They are supposed to protect you. 

IF your insurance has "casa de conductor"  you can request to be taken there OR you can go there yourself as quickly as possible.  I do not believe there is a facility here on the north coast.

The culture is a bit of a mob mentality sometimes!  You need to take care of yourself and get away if you are in danger! 

I recently had a fairly serious accident.  Local people stopped to  make sure I was protected and we made sure the injured person (who was at fault)  got medical care.  Later I was taken to the police station and held for 5 hours - even though it was not my fault.  I speak very good Spanish and let me tell you I was still scared!

You were very lucky Planner.
We all know, or know of people who were
not so lucky.

So true honey,  I was very lucky!!!!!   And imagine this,  I had to go to the fiscal to discuss "blame".  First time no one showed up from the other side. So, he gave them another day.

Second day, the young man's mother shows up.  She is understandably upset.  She says her son is an idiot, has done this before and all she wants is enough money to get him out of the hospital!   Fiscal tells her to stop,  we are not here to discuss money but who is at fault. Mom says, Oh I know my son was wrong. Fiscal tells her to have a lawyer contact my insurance company lawyer.  Done.

Yup,  that was unbelievable.  Kid hit me while I was almost stopped, he was doing at least 100 Kmph and had no helmet, no license, no insurance and motorcycle wasn't his.

Sounds like the same jerk that hit us.  I ended up paying him $5,000RD to go away.

Bob K

I paid him  not one peso!   My lawyers for the insurance company paid him not one peso either.

The idea of installing a dash cam would have iliminated all doubt of whos fault it was.

Our choice was to go to court (his fault) and take our chances there or just pay him off.  Socially the wrong thing to do, but I could not put up with the headache.  Just simpler to pay him.

Bob K

Only  if anyone actually investigates or wants the truth Stan.  I have had 2 accidents here, neither my fault.  In neither case did anyone do any investigating.  No one took photos, no one took names of witnesses or really asked any questions!  It is truly amazing to me.

Bob I agree with you on that!!! Sometimes it is just the better option to pay. I have been fighting Tricom for  16 months since I first moved to La Romana and THEY did not have service where  I moved to.  SO,  they had to cancel my service etc etc.  Months and months later I still cannot get the last 8,000RD charges removed. It will cost me more in time and gas to continue to fight the idiots!!!! So now I am just going to pay it.

ADVICE FROM A LOCAL ON HOW TO CROSS A STREET

i was walking with a dominican friend today and as we crossed streets i looked in all directions, hesitated frequently, was very cautious moving past cars in order to spot motorcyclists, and all the usual maneuvers i go through daily.  my friend laughed at my behavior and advised me that i must not be fearful while crossing streets and that i should have faith that motorists would let me by.  she boldly walked across after only throwing a small glance which i could not even detect.  "i did look before crossing", she replied when i made a critical remark about her crossing recklessly.

i am reminded also of an incident in which i hailed a cab in the street and took my accustemed seat in the back while asking the driver if he wasn't worried about a passenger robbing him since their is no protective glass between him and the passenger.  to that he replied that he assesses people before picking them up.  i then remarked that bad people don't always look evil and that there are many cases of charming serial killers.  to that he remarked that in the end god would protect him so there was no need for him to be unduly concerned.

You take your life in your hands crossing the roads here. Do not ever trust that anyone will stop.

Quite true Planner.
A lot of pedestrians are killed on the streets here.