"Anything Goes" thread

Yes, we are ok. Thanks. We live on top of a hill so didn't have many issues. We were mopping a lot of water out of our living space last night, but that was courtesy of our builder not knowing how to build a drain. I am fixing that today

I agree planner. There are some people in town that just have no one to blame but themselves. When you look out your front door and see the road is three feet higher than you are, you have a problem. A lot of properties in town are built in flood plains, due to the short-sightedness of the planners. I have said repeatedly the only place I would live in Las Terrenas is where we are in the hills.

Ok, so I'm glad to know they're OK and I hope everyone else on expat is as well.

Yes, I've heard a few stories like that and it's so sad. Some of the places that flooded badly this time don't seem to make much sense and I'm quite sure it took everyone completely off guard. Heartbreaking.

When you say that you don't understand why people continue to live in places that flood - I agree. For the ones who can't afford/have no means to move elsewhere it's a no-win situation unfortunately. For people that do have the means though, it's a bit mind boggling. Not only in the DR, but everywhere;  people who live in vulnerable areas yet choose to rebuild and rebuild again, each time there is destruction from a hurricane or other powerful storm ????? I guess I've never been in a position where "money is no object" so I can't rationalize it. LOL....

@RockyM

Dave, I'm really glad you and Denise are fine! Good to hear.

Now as far as the builder not knowing how to adequately install a drain....... Ugghhh. It never ends, huh?

Hello,

Just read about the flooding up north hope everyone is safe and ok...

@  colmcb

"This has always been a GREAT forum where people share info, opinions, etc., and my hope is that it stays that way."

Me too. I agree 100 percent. Also, thank you for re-directing discussions onto the latest news regarding the floods in those areas mentioned. Until now, I was unaware of these flood prone areas. This topic is an eye-opener as it is good to know as I am planning moving to the DR. 

@ RockyM

Good to know you planned on higher ground for building your house.  Is this heavy rain new to the area or is it a natural thing for that region of the country?

@ planeer

Now that the discussion has moved forward onto climate and mother nature's effect on the DR, could you or anyone provide info on earthquakes? For example, what areas of the DR are the tremors felt most?

Thanks.

@ RockyM

Do you know if the residential construction companies, developers or contractors in the DR build homes to meet building codes for protection against hurricane force winds?

There are no building codes, inspections or anything of the sort. Or, there may be some building codes but there is no one to enforce them.

In the capital SDQ they are strict on highrise building codes but like mentioned it's enforced when residence complain. Really not anual inspections and if so probably paid to look the other way. This is ONLY my opinion! Not accusing or proof...

What's an average price range for an apartment in a highrise building in SDQ? Any suggetions in where to look for more detailed info?

I know they are so many places to visit as I read through a few of the threads. Is there a reason why so many expats seem to favor or gravitate more to the north coast and Punta Cana from what I gather after reading several posts.

@Nanosaso all depends on you budget for monthly rental and what ammenties you want.

You can Google Plantini, Naco , Gazcue Dominican Republic apartments to get an ideal of ranges.

@Christopher David56  Thank you. Plan on looking them up. Appreciated.

In reading through all of the responses I am thankful that we aren't planning to retire for 6 or 7 years, there's so much information to absorb. I have recently started researching Dominican Republic dishes so, what is your favorite meal in the DR? I want to start cooking some because DW is very picky about her veggies and she can't eat seafood/fish due to allergies (and she doesn't like spicy food).

I have heard through the grapevine that we are getting a new priest in our parish that is from Colombia and I suspect he will be helping us with our Spanish, which is another thing we will need time to master.

Personally, I love locrio and you can make it with so many different meats - chuletas, langoniza, pollo, etc. 

Not a fan of sancocho at all, but that's a local favorite for many.  :-)

    In reading through all of the responses I am thankful that we aren't planning to retire for 6 or 7 years, there's so much information to absorb. I have recently started researching Dominican Republic dishes so, what is your favorite meal in the DR? I want to start cooking some because DW is very picky about her veggies and she can't eat seafood/fish due to allergies (and she doesn't like spicy food). I have heard through the grapevine that we are getting a new priest in our parish that is from Colombia and I suspect he will be helping us with our Spanish, which is another thing we will need time to master.         -@sparks1093

Keep in mind, Dominican Spanish is VERY different from most other Spanish.  The slang, dropping letters (like all the "s" from the ends of words), dropping syllables, and the strong Spanglish, it is almost it's own language.  Add to that the speed and monotone manner in which Dominicans speak, and for newbies, it is almost impossible to even distinguish what the individual words are, never mind their actual meaning.

@UncleBuck excellent point, thank you! I'm hoping that a good grounding in Spanish will allow us to learn the nuances easier of the Spanish spoken in the DR. Unless anyone knows of a program that teaches DR Spanish from the get go?

So Babbel offers Spanish (Spain) and Spanish (Latin America), so I'm thinking Latin America is the choice to make? Thoughts?

There is a Youtube channel you may be interested in. I just came across it a couple of weeks ago. The gentleman has never left the U.S., yet taught himself fluent Spanish and, I'm not sure why because I haven't really seen too many of his videos, he speaks like a Dominican of all things. :-)

His channel is called BilingueBlogs (I think I can post that here, correct?) and the channel is devoted to helping people learn how to speak Spanish if they're English speakers, and how to speak English if they're Spanish speakers. It's interesting.

Thank you @colmcb, I'll check it out (and the added benefit is I don't have to pay for Babbel ).

Gave locrio de pollo a try and we both liked it a lot. Can't wait to try it in a Dominican restaurant prepared by a Dominican cook.

Languagetransfer.org

is a free site and in my experience is very effective. I am part way through the Spanish program.

@colmcb to the point of if you have the means to do it and you choose to rebuild and that that’s what you wanna do then do it and don’t apologize for it and don’t complain too much either

@rfmaurone - totally agree  :-)

    @UncleBuck excellent point, thank you! I'm hoping that a good grounding in Spanish will allow us to learn the nuances easier of the Spanish spoken in the DR. Unless anyone knows of a program that teaches DR Spanish from the get go?         -@sparks1093

6 years of classroom(didn't need the reading and writing parts)Spanish didn't help much, working alongside Dominican locals who didn't speak any English did!; I was fluent in 30 days.

Once I knew enough to ask questions, I was able to simply ask vocabulary translations; the rest was simple memorization. So the answer I feel would be to simply find anyone fluent, and willing to teach.

Best of luck.

I don't have the URLs handy at the moment, but if you google "Dominican Spanish" or "Caribbean Spanish" you will find a lot of YouTube videos, some of them really well organized and clear, and entertaining.

Amazing the things people share online for free. Some of these videos seem like a lot of work went into them.

We watched a couple of videos last night about life in the DR (and yes, we know those are only snapshots and the opinions given belong only to the person doing the video) and one of the things mentioned is that you don't flush toilet paper in public restrooms because the plumbing can't handle it. Does the same apply in your residence (or only in some residences)? I feel that I might be straining the "anything goes" nature of the thread but my curiosity has been piqued.

@sparks1093

maybe plumbing can't handle because rice with chicken or fish is the national dish?

@Herman.Ka LOL, maybe.

It depends on the age of the construction and plumbing. 

@sparks1093

There are really no building codes or standards (that are actually enforced) so it depends on the individual build. The locals always under spec materials because they are cheaper (e.g. electrical wires are not gauged correctly), so that goes for plumbing pipes too. Narrow pipes are cheaper and easier to dig out for, so......

Btw, I have become a BIG fan of bidets. Seriously. When I was in the States I sourced one from Amazon, installed it on our toilet, and it changed my life.   Our main bathroom here in LT was installed with one of the Japanese toilets that do everything. Worth it. LOL.

Reminder;

Santo Domingo.- Starting this Saturday, May 18, the sale of alcoholic beverages will be prohibited, beginning 24 hours before the vote.

The sale of alcohol can resume 12 hours after the electoral process concludes.

This is stipulated in Article 233 of Law 20-23, which states: “From twenty-four hours before the election, no alcoholic beverages may be sold or distributed for any purpose until twelve hours after the voting ends.”

Hotels in tourist areas are exempt from this prohibition, provided they are registered with the Central Electoral Board and recognized by the official organizations that group these establishments.

@sparks1093 We are not retiring to the Dominican republic, we are leaving the cold of winter and are builing a place (condo development ) in Cap Cana. These is a chapel for Mass for us and a church about 20 minutes away. What part of the country are you moving to ? Lastly we are from "Philly" area on the United States

@RockyM

Totally agree on the bidets! I also got a bidet attachment from Amazon and love it!  On my recent trip to the DR the condo had the European style (?) as a separate fixture, but I didn't like it as much as the attachment kind, but I won't get into the details here, TMI. 😆

One of the things I love about this forum is its slow pace, like its on island time. One thing I remember reading is that when you are on a resident visa you are required to have repatriation of remains coverage, just in case, but even if that's not required I think it's still a good idea. So what do these types of plans cost, can they be obtained in either the US or the DR and does it make a difference where it is purchased?

    One of the things I love about this forum is its slow pace, like its on island time. One thing I remember reading is that when you are on a resident visa you are required to have repatriation of remains coverage, just in case, but even if that's not required I think it's still a good idea. So what do these types of plans cost, can they be obtained in either the US or the DR and does it make a difference where it is purchased?
   

    -@sparks1093

As far as I understand it, not that I've ever received any actual policy from whoever happens to be the selected provider at the the time, it's just repatriation insurance.  Like if you committed a crime and had to be deported, this insurance would cover that cost.  I don't believe it covers remains, or at least it's never been expressly stated.  And I can't tell  you where to go look, because the chosen provider seems to change quickly.

@UncleBuck that makes sense. I'm too used to buying insurance for our cruises I guess. One of the things that is covered is repatriation of remains (along with medevac coverage) so when I read "repatriation" I guess my brain added the "of remains" automatically. I can definitely see why the government wants to make sure that you have the means to leave the island under those circumstances.

This is the information on the residency insurance

https://app.segurosreservas.com/Cotizad … torio/home

$80 per year seems entirely reasonable.

Been here a year now. Beautiful country, friendly people. We who come from other countries learn to judge as children. Good/Bad, Better/Best. For example coming from a state in the SW, I am very used to Mexican cuisine and here and in Puerto Rico the food is seriously different. So, I had to change my mindset or always be disappointed. I have learned and accepted that different is not Good/Bad or Better/Best. It's just different and that's ok. The food is different,  the culture,  the language. Everything is different and that's ok. By the way, it's ok to be different. This mindset has given me much peace. Learn to accept and enjoy different. Find peace and enjoy your stay here.