Sosua Reports

Trip number 7...but its been a year. I would like to NOT stay in Europa this time around; any other suggestions on Europa-like places. Any info on New Garden or other options under $40/night? What is Club Residencial like?

Also, any info on the scene since the curfew was implemented? My routine has always been putz around during the day, find a pre-quel for an evening bone at ~9pm, and then hit Classico for the nightcap at midnight...are clubs even open at midnight now? Nothing was more fun than pulling out stragglers from Classico at 3am at bargain basement prices! By that time, I have enough booze in me for the 5s and 6s to look like 7s and 8s anyhow!

Is there anything new to Sosua I should check out? New clubs or massage places I should look out for? Is High Caribe or D'Latinos back open? Anything in Cabarete or Charamicosworth checking out. Any casino action? I like off-the-beaten path stuff...but old school mongering up and down Pedro Clisante is always a winner!

I checked this place out the last time I was in Sosua (Fall of 2006). I have been staying at the Europa, which is central and convenient, but has its faults and is a bit rundown. I took a short tour of Club Residencial and it is VERY nice, especially for local standards. They have several classes of rooms, poolside, non-poolside, I think some two room apts and overall the place looked much nicer than any local properties I've been in, but they were a bit pricier...can't remember exact numbers, but in the vicinity of $60 U.S. per night, depending on the season.

They have full time security out front all the time and it is chica friendly, but the cedulas (id) are required and held at the front desk. This is a good thing, for most of us.

Although I've never stayed there, it looked great and I would recommend it.

[QUOTE=Frannie]O.K., I live in Florida, a state that has a very large Spanish speaking population and does a great deal of trade with Latin America, and where signs in stores like Wal*Mart are routinely posted in both Spanish and English. yet Spanish is not routinely taught in the public schools, except to Spanish speaking children who are taught in Spanish! I call this a deficiency in the education system.

The large organization I work for provides services to people who don't speak English, and yet almost the only people in the organization who speak Spanish are those for whom it is a first language.

Since many jobs require Spanish speaking skills, persons who don't have them are pretty much excluded. Try getting a job as an airline agent in Miami if you don't speak Spanish.

And even if you don't absolutely NEED Spanish, it is extremely useful in many fields including government services, health care, prisons, law enforcement and helps you get ahead. In addition, learning a language, any language, invariable includes learning more about other cultures and ways of life, and about the world we live in, which is generally a good thing.

The best way to learn a language is to start as young as possible. A person who language as an adult rarely speaks as well as someone who learned it young.

So in my opinion black and white Floridians who don't speak Spanish are disadvantaged versus bilingual Cuban Americans who learn Spanish in the home. The schools are not doing a very good job in preparing students for the world we live in.[/QUOTE]


Frannie,

O.K. maybe we got off on the wrong foot - if so, I apologize. I certainly think that this most recent post is accurate, well-thought out and articulate. I agree completely with your remarks.

In defense of [b][i]my[/i][/b] education system let me just offer this. When you say that the schools here are not doing a good job preparing students for the world we live in - well this may be true. But I think the USA education has been largely [b]overwhelmed[/b] by the explosion of immigration in the past ten years and was ill-prepared to handle it.

The signs you speak of in Walmart that are in both English/Spanish represent a rather recent "phenomenon". They were put there to address the needs of a changing society and that is what our schools need to do. The Europeans are a bit ahead of us when it comes to foreign language [b][i]awareness[/i][/b] - that I'll give you! :)

BTW, since I live in New York and am employed in one of the fields that you mention - and routinely provide Spanish/English interpretaions at my job - I know of what I speak! ;)

cheers ..............

I agree with you and Ford.
In the modern globalizing world, there is no excuse for not learning more than one language. Current immigration matters aside, there has been a strong Spanish influence in the Southwest and Florida for a long long time
(since way back when it belonged to SPAIN).
I live in Florida and love the Latin influence.
It gives an otherwise bland whitebread-and-baloney culture a little spice.
We Americans have been isolated in our own little world for too long.
Serve overseas or live overseas a while and you find out how isolated mentally we really are.
One should be a citizen of the world, not a little corner of it.
The Latins have an expression that roughly translates as:
"Whoever can speak another language is worth two."
Wish we Gringos were that wise.


[QUOTE=Frannie]O.K., I live in Florida, a state that has a very large Spanish speaking population and does a great deal of trade with Latin America, and where signs in stores like Wal*Mart are routinely posted in both Spanish and English. yet Spanish is not routinely taught in the public schools, except to Spanish speaking children who are taught in Spanish! I call this a deficiency in the education system.

The large organization I work for provides services to people who don't speak English, and yet almost the only people in the organization who speak Spanish are those for whom it is a first language.

Since many jobs require Spanish speaking skills, persons who don't have them are pretty much excluded. Try getting a job as an airline agent in Miami if you don't speak Spanish.

And even if you don't absolutely NEED Spanish, it is extremely useful in many fields including government services, health care, prisons, law enforcement and helps you get ahead. In addition, learning a language, any language, invariable includes learning more about other cultures and ways of life, and about the world we live in, which is generally a good thing.

The best way to learn a language is to start as young as possible. A person who language as an adult rarely speaks as well as someone who learned it young.

So in my opinion black and white Floridians who don't speak Spanish are disadvantaged versus bilingual Cuban Americans who learn Spanish in the home. The schools are not doing a very good job in preparing students for the world we live in.[/QUOTE]

Yanqui69,

Thank you for your kind words Yanqui, but to be fair I think the person you are agreeing with is Frannie. He wrote the caption that you are quoting from.

I was defending the US education system as it attempts to play "catch up" in this ever changing world - a world that benefits (imo) more and more everyday from the influence of Latin America. :)

[QUOTE=Ford]Yanqui69,

Thank you for your kind words Yanqui, but to be fair I think the person you are agreeing with is Frannie. He wrote the caption that you are quoting from.

I was defending the US education system as it attempts to play "catch up" in this ever changing world - a world that benefits (imo) more and more everyday from the influence of Latin America. :)[/QUOTE]

Ford,
No problem.
It just seemed to me that we were all in our own way extolling the benefits of learning another language and broadening our horizons (and minds).

regards
yanqui69

Let's get real.

No one one on ISG is studying Spanish so they can learn more about "other cultures and ways of life, and about the world we live in." If an ISG member is studying Spanish, it's because "Language Ability" + "A Plane Ticket to DR" = "A Hot Cheap Lay," nothing else.

If you were fluent before your "mongering career" you're either Latino, Spanish, or Italian. There's no economic or social benefit for many Americans to know another language. Yes, there's a very large populous of Hispanic-Americans in California, Texas, New York, Florida, New Mexico, and Arizona. That's cool. Nevertheless, there are 44 other states in this country. Do I need Spanish to live in Massachussetts, Ohio, Colorado, Indiana, Vermont, Georgia, Oregon...?? Only if I plan to bang *****s in Mexico!

Everyone who's finished high school in the US has studied another language. Nevertheless, because there is no economic or social benefit for many Americans to learn another language, we don't practice and we don't continue to learn. It's not because Americans are lazier than the French.

Believe me, Americans are determined. Once we see the "economic" benefit, we'll jump right on it! Shit, you don't have to be a "rocket scientist" to learn Spanish and you'll see that out upon meeting the ex-pats that live in DR.

-Helpmann :)

[QUOTE=Helpmann]Let's get real.

No one one on ISG is studying Spanish so they can learn more about "other cultures and ways of life, and about the world we live in." If an ISG member is studying Spanish, it's because "Language Ability" + "A Plane Ticket" = "A Hot Cheap Lay," nothing else. ....... you don't have to be a "rocket scientist" to learn Spanish and you'll see that out upon meeting the ex-pats that live in DR.

-Helpmann :)[/QUOTE]

Helpmann:

Respectfully, Ford was defending the eduaction system. Most were agreeing with him. And, in analysis, you are too.

You correctly identify there is minimum economic benefit for the vast majority of Americans to learn a second language because the vast majority of Americans do not travel outside the contiguous US. The vast majority of Americans do not even posses a current passport! For them, there is no need.

You also correctly point out that people on this board are learning a second language to try and get a cheaper, hotter experience! Earlier, I submitted that everyone on this board is engaged in trade. Money for sex (P4P or GF). I would also submit that the people on this board are not the "vanilla" normal American. And for that, I am grateful!

So if you are after a better, and hopefully cheaper, experience in South America you learn Spanish or Portuguese. The capital markets gravitate to cheap raw materials - which is all we are after!! And, with due respect to some of our members, some of the materials purchased are more raw than others. But many of the ones featured here are as good as I have seen anywhere!

Now, bugger this, what's happening in Classico tonight??


Suerte!

Polvo

ZIPHEARD, thanks for the report on the Club Residencial. I work in Nigeria
and have to move to the DR. Sousa will be my new home do to tax purpose.
I'm trying to reseach the Sousa here. Any info. fellow mongers can provide will
be very helpful. English will do just find for me in my new home. And the
German and Dutch speak vastly alike. But this is not the place for this discussion.

Thanks

Cap

Suggest you contact some realtors there for long-term rentals.

Try americanrealtydr.com
juanperdomo.com also has multi-national agents (Dutch, Belgian, US, etc)



[QUOTE=Capt Dps]ZIPHEARD, thanks for the report on the Club Residencial. I work in Nigeria
and have to move to the DR. Sousa will be my new home do to tax purpose.
I'm trying to reseach the Sousa here. Any info. fellow mongers can provide will
be very helpful. English will do just find for me in my new home. And the
German and Dutch speak vastly alike. But this is not the place for this discussion.

Thanks

Cap[/QUOTE]

Yanqui69,

Thanks for the reply. I will look into your suggestions.

Other questions I wanted to ask, you and others maybe able to comment on are, The off season if there is one? Am I correct in asuming this begins around May ending in the cooler months of Nov?

The hotel VORAMAR I have seen rates ranging form $50 thru 150 What is up with that?

My frist stay being in May, 07 for 30days, I'll stay here hopefully in a one room apartment. Than I'm back to Nigeria for 60days.

Any and all comments are welcome from all members. Anything that may help me learn a little before I arrive.

My flight will be Nigeria, Paris, Miam, POP

Thanks in advance.

Cap

Yanqui69,

Thanks for your reply. I'll look into these are ny visit in May.

You may see a reply I wrote early in regards to these questions not sure if it was posted or not.

Is there and offseason?

The hotel VORAMAR I am seeing price from $40-$70 and $150 if I go to the "REALDR. COM" What is up with that?

I will be traveling Nigeria, Paris, Miami, POP early May, 07

I plan on staying at the VORAMAR for thirty days. Than I return to Nigeria for sixty days.

If anyone has any comments on any thing from my flight to and from to were I stay to contacts in SOUSA please let me hear it. I'll thank you in advance now.

All The Best!

Cap

The closest thing to an off-season is the summer.

Those going for women aren't put off, but the "snow-birds" that come to escape the winter can sweat at home without coming to the Caribbean to do so.


[QUOTE=Capt Dps]Yanqui69,

Thanks for your reply. I'll look into these are ny visit in May.

You may see a reply I wrote early in regards to these questions not sure if it was posted or not.

Is there and offseason?

The hotel VORAMAR I am seeing price from $40-$70 and $150 if I go to the "REALDR. COM" What is up with that?

I will be traveling Nigeria, Paris, Miami, POP early May, 07

I plan on staying at the VORAMAR for thirty days. Than I return to Nigeria for sixty days.

If anyone has any comments on any thing from my flight to and from to were I stay to contacts in SOUSA please let me hear it. I'll thank you in advance now.

All The Best!

Cap[/QUOTE]

If you want Anonymity, don't come here! Mucho chica network

Already, the Haitian Hottie has caught me twice with the RD Jackhammer! Both are spending time in Cabarete, where my gf is housed. What is a Monger to do? In 2 years, this never happened in Buenos Aires.

[QUOTE=Capt Dps]ZIPHEARD, thanks for the report on the Club Residencial. I work in Nigeria
and have to move to the DR. Sousa will be my new home do to tax purpose.
I'm trying to reseach the Sousa here. Any info. fellow mongers can provide will
be very helpful. English will do just find for me in my new home. And the
German and Dutch speak vastly alike. But this is not the place for this discussion.

Thanks

Cap[/QUOTE]

Captain,

Give Amber Guardian a try also. [url]www.amberguardian.com[/url]

They are big on the north coast - have alot of the best properties. They can give you decent deals on ST or LT rentals. They also handle purchases.