Tag Archives: dominican republic

Renewing My Permanent Residency in 2012

Posted by on September 4, 2012 7 comments

Welp, I went to renew my Permanent Residency/ Residencia Permanente so I can live in Dominican Republic legally on August 17 (no idea why it is called permanent when it always needs renewed). I was shocked with the new laws. They came into effect the beginning of the month. I knew things changed for getting residency but I did not think they changed that much to renew residency. I was so wrong.

Last time I went to renew I just needed to pay the money, leave a few copies of my documents and wait for the new card. I think it was $2500 pesos.

This time no one had me prepared for the new stuff. No ex-pat forum I checked had the new changes correct. Even the Dominican Migracion site did not have the new laws (the people working at migration said to not pay attention to their web site).

Well, I was so shocked and did not save up enough cash in my renew residency cash stash that when they told me about this new stuff I stood there and cried. I tried to not cry but it was such a shock and more than triple that what I expected to pay. Plus I would need the services of a lawyer.

They told me that I should do the medical exam at the cost of $4500 pesos (right now the exchange rate is around $39 pesos to $1 dollar), because it takes about a week to get the results and see if you can get residency. I know they check for drug use, TB and whatever else. So first I had to pee in a cup. The nurse lady kept the bathroom door open I guess so I didn’t sneak someones clean pee into my little bottle. It is not easy trying to hit that cup especially when someone is peeking at you. Then came the blood test. I’m not real good with needles and blood but I did good. I wish she did as good as I did. There was a giant bruise and mark in my elbow pit for a week!

While I was waiting for my taxi I called my lawyer, Wilson Rood and Associates to tell them what happened. They did not believe me about what I had to do for my residency so they came there to check. It was correct. They were just there 2 weeks before and these laws were not in effect.

Then they gave me my receipt and the guy that worked there gave me a number to call in 6 days to find out my results. I had to go to another place for the chest ex-rays. I called my taxi (JC Taxi) and we were off to the place. I got my Xrays, called the taxi and went home. I was finished for now.

Clinica Gomez Patino where Migracion sends you for chest ex-rays

I had to find a Guaranteer/ Garantía (a Dominican citizen to take responsibility for me), get a good conduct report from the police, and make bunches of copies and get all legalized. I was a bit stressed. All this paperwork, running around and the extra MONEY I had to come up with.

Thank goodness I have great friends. I got my Guarenteor, Declaración de Solvencia Economica $3000 pesos then paid for the notary $500 and $330 pesos (thanks Fortuna & Asociados, Santome, Zona Colonial – 809-224-6862 and 809-687-2080). Then the good conduct papers. I did not have to go to the police and do it myself. Wilson Rood and Associates did that for me, the notary cost $330 (the $330 pesos has to be paid at Banco Reservas). So now I have these documents all done.

Have to make 4 copies of each document. My passport, my cedula (Dominican ID), my residency card, all the copies of the witnesses cedulas, the guaranteer and his property, and the form paper (cost $100 pesos). I got all this in order, copied, copies for me. All set to go and hoping my medials stuff passed inspection (I called the number they gave me to check on my medical stuff many times and there was never any answer).

So now it is early Monday morning September 3rd. I was heading back to Migracion for with all my documents in hand and all my cash in my pocket.

Entrance to Migration Office in Santo Domingo

I first traded my cedual in for a pass card. Then went and paid for the face pictures they wanted. I go these in the passport office on the other side of migration for $150. Nasty looking pictures but I do not care. I just want this over with.

I go inside to a window, called a caja here and ask what i need to do now. They asked for my medical receipt. I did not have it. I left it at the ex-ray place. When the ex-rays were done I asked if there was anything else. They said no. I said do I need anything else. They said no. So I left. They did not tell me I needed to get my receipt back from the. So anyhow, I had to call the taxi and go back to the ex-ray place and get my receipt. Thank goodness they still had it. They had many of them. I guess I am not the only one that did not now I had to keep that receipt.

I went back to Migracion and back to the window. They told me I had to go to the medical office, located inside the Migracion office, and give them my receipt. Then I had to wait for them to find my records and stamp the receipt that I passed or failed.

I passed.

Back out to the same window with the same lady asking the same question..”What do I do next?”

I needed to go to the Procuraduria Office outside the back door to stamp a document that I already paid for at Banco Reservas. They did his just fine but someone locked the door back into the Migracion office. Everyone was trying the door. It looked like it was some TV joke program. I did not even try the door. I walked around through the passport side and back into the office I needed to be in.

I had to get the form to fill out, $100 pesos. Filled it out then back to the window to get fingerprints on the form. Then had to go and get copies, $50 pesos.

Back to the window and she looked at all my documents and put one bunch in the roper order and gave me paper clips and told me to get the other 4 copies in the same order and get a few more copies, $40 pesos.

Went to a table and arranged all my stuff in the correct order then back to the same window. She looked at them again, stapled them then told me to go to the original window in a half hour to check and pay more cash.

I waited, talked to a security guard, helped a man that was doing his stuff the first time without a lawyer at his side. I remember when I did my permanent residency all alone. It was so confusing. Funny how that Migracion building brings out the tears in people.

After a half hour I went back to the window, the lady had my file. She said all was good and I needed to pay for the residency $4000 pesos and if I wanted the VIP service (my residency card today, $1000 pesos) I could pay for that also. I was not going to pay for VIP. It will be cheaper to get a round trip taxi, under $350 pesos, than to pay this money. I opted to return for my documents. I traded my pass in for my id card and called the taxi.

So, now I need to return on the 10th and get all m blue residency card. All this cash. All this time. A little bit of tears. A good learning experience. All is good. Next time I will try and go for my Citizenship then I will never have to worry about another renewal.

This is a copy of the new requirements for right now. This could change tomorrow. One never really knows.

Requirements for renewal of Dominican permanent residency 8-2012

If you use a lawyer to deal with all the headaches, documents, requirements and stuff it is much easier than doing it your self but it is also more expensive. Did I mention that it is much easier, less headaches and tears with a lawyer? lol…

Mango Time!

Posted by on April 24, 2012 No comments

It is mango season here in Dominican Republic. I have been watching the trees in the park laden with mangoes. A soft green color just waiting for them to ripen.

It finally happened. They are ready for pickin’ and eatin’. Oh yeah!

I cannot reach the trees from the park. All the mangoes fall into the Marine base grounds so I got this young boy that lives somewhere around there to get me some. I gave him a large bag from the Colmado and Teli (my dog) and I waited for Jimmy to return.

He came back in about 20 minutes with a bag full of mangoes! They smelt sooo good. I gave him some money for it. He was happy and so was I.

I was told that Dominican dogs love mangoes. My Teli is a Dominican dog but she turns her nose up at them. I kept trying to give her one and she finally gave me the look telling me “Thats enough! I do not want a stupid MANGO!”

Now I had to figure out what to do with all these sticky fibrous amazing fruits. Posted on Facebook to ask friends and I took a few of their ideas.

I made mango salsa. It was really good. I would have never thought that a sweet and a spicy would go together.

I made mango ice milk ice cream and froze it.

I made mango smoothie shakes which I love with any fruit I have at the time.

I made mango bread.

Today Ill make a mango enchilada.

Who knows what tomorrow mango goodies we will come up with…

mango bread sliced mango mango smoothie and coffee

This was my breakfast – All Things Mango. By the way, that is not mango coffee. I had to put my foot down someplace.


End of March Rain Starting

Posted by on March 22, 2012 No comments

On this World Water Day it seems that we will have rain for the next 4 days, how ironic.
Do we really need it? No
Can we change it? No
So, here is what we do when it rains here in the Colonial Zone of Dominican Republic.
The view from my balcony right now.

The roads are filling with water. The pigeon is hanging out on the rooftop.
rainy day in the zone from my balcony

Politur abandons their motorbike and takes refuge in the Larimar Museum while the poor bike drowns.
politur hiding out during rain

The roads are wet. The large bus stops to wait out the downpour. The pigeon watches….

The motor bike passes, the humans are huddled under the porch of the Palacio de Borgellá hiding from the wetness. The pigeon is enjoying a free shower.

If you had a choice and you were not afraid of having to be “adult” or “grown-up” or “responsible” where would you rather be? Under the porch with the frightened hoards of humans or the pigeon on the rooftop enjoying the feeling of the water flowing down your back? I am with the bird!


Hot Water For Me!

Posted by on January 20, 2012 1 comment

I have been living in this country for about 10 years now. Even the time in the middle years when I had to go back to USA for a time I still lived here because all my stuff was here. Anyhow, I only had hot water in the very first apartment I lived in for six months in Ensanche Julietta.

I remember when I moved in and could not figure out why there was no hot water in the kitchen when the shower had hot water. I was checking pipes to see if maybe it was turned off or was broken. I saw nothing. So I called the landlord. She spoke a little English and I spoke very little Spanish at that time. I tried to explain to her that the hot water was broken. She went in the shower and checked and said it was working fine. I took her into the kitchen and turned on the hot water facet and nothing came out. She started laughing at me. I had no idea what was funny. No water came out and she would have to fix it. Was that funny? Then she explained it all to me. The ole imaginary light came on above my head. The only place in the apartment that had hot water was the shower. Hardly anyone had hot water throughout the house. This is the way it is in Dominican Republic.

So when I moved to the Colonial Zone to my new apartment there was no hot water at all. But then half, or more than half, the time there was no water at all. I learned to bucket shower and run a hose from the facet in the street to get water. Then the last place I had we had water in the morning only so it was shower early when there was water pressure or bucket shower. If the water was too clod just had to heat some on the stove.

Now I moved to this new apartment. There is almost always water. The pressure is good. So I guess I am a bit spoiled now. I do not want to heat water on the stove when it is really cold. I want to take a real shower with hot water. So, for my Christmas present from my parents this year, I got hot water in my shower.

It was too expensive to put in a hot water heater tank and we could not figure out all the pipes in this old building. So I opted for the shower head with the heat coils inside. It was the easiest way to install hot water.

My shower is really small. If I drop the soap and ave to stoop down to get it I have to get out and pick it up. Its about the size of a refrigerator box and the ceiling is really low too. So it took some finagling to get the shower head in where I didn’t have to take a shower on my knees.

My Fit-it, repair man Rudolf, is wonderful. He came on time to check out the situation and to see what he could do to get me hot water. He thought he could get me a hot water tank but I did not have enough funds for that. So he said he could fix the pipe in the shower so I could stand underneath and shower in comfort.

He got all the pipe in. Got the heater hooked up. turned it on and pop! The fuse blew. When he checked the fuse box the fuse was way to small to handle the wattage so he went and got a higher amperage fuse and put it in. When he had the fuse box open I was totally amazed with what I saw inside. Whoever did the electric work had the wiring all electric taped together. I never in my life saw anything like that before. But I shouldn’t really be surprised with the way stuff is done here. Yet every time I see the wiring, in houses, businesses and in the streets I am just amazed.

So I got my hot water all hooked up thanks to Rudolf and took my first hot shower in my apartment. I was so content. I will not use it all the time. Only when it is cold and there is no sun to heat the water in the pipes. Electric here is very expensive and I do not want to run up my bill. But it is so nice to know that I gave hot water when I want it. Thanks to my mommy and daddy for the Christmas present and to Rudolf for fixing it for me.

By the way, I highly recommend Rudolf if you need anything done. His business is called Xpress Dominicana – (check the link for more information about the Handy Man Services) Maintenance and Handyman Services. He does Repairs & Maintenance, Handyman Service, Major & Minor repairs, Painting, Re-Refurbishments & Upgrades, Project Co-Ordinations, Moving & Packing Services, Point Of Sale Installations, Prepare Home for Sale or Auction. Commercial & Residential Cleaning Service. He speaks English which was a really big help. My Teli, The Dominican Dog, really liked him too! His contact information is: 829-665-4144, 829-474-4144 xpressdominicana@gmail.com. Tell him Janette, The Dominicana Gringa sent you!


Political Campaigning – Twas The Night Before Christmas Eve

Posted by on December 24, 2011 No comments

It has been going on for a while. All the excitement, noise and craziness of the Presidential campaign. Roads blocked, lots of paid crazies and the political campaigners, helicopters in the sky, people arguing about who is the best and presents being distributed. All this is part of the political campaigning here in Dominican Republic. Oh, did I mention the loudness and all the music? this is fun when it happens in the afternoon but mush of the noise happens in the evening even past midnight.

Sometimes in these processions of very expensive Jepetas (know as SUV’s elsewhere), Hummers down to the local guaguas and public cars with their painted roofs of yellow and green, all take part and join in the hoopla for their chosen party. Sometimes the politicians are even in the parades, waving from the sunroof opening in their painted Jepetas and Hummers. Every where they pass they cause havoc. Traffic jams, noise, people fighting sometimes, there has even been instances where the fights turn deadly.

These are from a few weeks ago, in Santa Barbara away form all the campaigning, and still there were giant traffic jams with the locals direction traffic and I even saw people getting out of their cars to direct the traffic because no one could move. My friends, Teli (my dog) and I just sat there watching, laughing and drinking a nice cold beer (the dog didn’t drink).

This jam lasted for about 2 hours. At one time no one could move as cars were all jammed together in all directions. They think if they just keep moving forward an opening will magically appear. I just couldn’t believe it when they got out of their own cars to direct the traffic as you can see in the one picture.

Twas the night before Christmas Eve in the Colonial Zone. I was snug in my bed with my dog Teli. Just dozing off there arose such a clatter. I didn’t want to get up to see what was the matter, but after the sirens and music came closer I had just to check. I went to the balcony, threw open the shutters and grabbed my camera. What to my wondering eyes did appear but a giant procession of lit up cars with lazer lights-a-flashing and speakers-a-pounding turning from Calle Padre Billini onto Isabel la Catolica. They were wahooing and yeahing all these political campaigning creatures. Not caring about the people trying to get some shuteye. There were jepetas and hummers with shiny bright lights. Then came music and sirens to no ones delight. These noise makers kept rounding the corner. I never thought it was going to end. The sirens were sirening and the car alarms alarming, the people in the vehicles just kept on careening. As they drove off into the night on up Isabel la Catolica on to disturb others in their beds. Distributing their mayhem. They left behind a ringing in the ears and a slight smile on the lips. But worst of all was the car alarms they left ringing. The owners must have been partying in some local bar oblivious that their cars were yelling into the night…for 2 hours!!! Gotta love this country even if you don’t always!

This is the video I took. My camera has not been taking the best videos lately. I think it is getting old and is dying slowly. Sometimes it works well and others it just is.

At least you will get the idea of that noisy night. You might want to check the speakers because it is a bit loud.

My New Dog, Teli

Posted by on December 10, 2011 No comments

I know, I’ve been bad again not writing in my own blog. I have just been so busy trying to update the web site, writing in the Colonial Zone News Blog and making the newest blog in the collection, The Dominican Dog Blog.

I got a dog, thus the Dog Blog. Her name is Inteliperra. Not inteligente, which means smart, I figured inteli – GENTE means smart person cause it says Gente which maens people. My dog is not a gente she is a perra so I called her Inteli – PERRA. Get it? For short she is just Teli.

Teli the Dominican Dog She is smiling in this picture. Isn’t she cute?

She is the normal type of dog breed you see in the streets here in Dominican Republic. Wiry, thin, tan with the black face. They call them here Boca Negra (Black Mouth), Vida Latta (sort of lives out of a tin can which also means a mixed breed). She looks alot like a Belgin Malinois. But no matter what she is I fell in love with her after a few days of her living with me on November 3rd. Now she is my baby and she stole my heart.

She is a bit of a nervous dog. She knows how to walk on the leash and I have taught her lots of tricks. I know her other owner taught her stuff too. (She was found in a park when she was a puppy almost dead, was rescued and brought back to health and loved, then the family had to move to a smaller home and couldn’t keep her, this is how she came to live with me). She likes to hang out on the sofa when I am working and she always likes to be where I am.
Teli hanging on the sofa

I have been working with her but she is so nervous and frightened. When she gets in the fright mode she doesn’t hear anything. She just wants to get home. She is much better but she still needs lots of work and love. She doesn’t like open doors when we pass them in the street. Any sudden noise she goes crazy. The rustling of the palm trees she gets nervous. When we pass the school and she hears all the noise inside she gets nervous. She hates when there is a marching group in the street. She is afraid of the washing machine. She wont come to the living room when I have laundry hanging on the enclosed balcony. She doesn’t like waving flags. Sometimes I think she sees ghosts when she jumps at nothing. But I am working with her.

She needs to get calm so she can work her business being a tour guide here in Colonial Zone. She is working on being the mascot for the Zone. She already has her own park, Plaza Pellerano Castro, where if you want to meet her, she is usually walking around there in the evening. She has her own Colmado where she is the Mascot it is across from her park, Colmado Omar I. Common down and she will always accept 10 pesos of salami if you want to buy. Just remember, you have to ask me first before you give her a treat. She is not allowed to accept stuff from strangers unless I say its OK first.

You might also see her in her favorite place to go to the bathroom, in front of the Forteleza Ozama on Calle Las Damas. She gets to go to the bathroom in front of one of the oldest forts in the new world and on the oldest street. She also likes to walk in the church yard at the Cathedral, the oldest in the new world and the Plazoleta de los Curas because it is usually quiet there.

So if you want to keep up on the Dominican Dog, Teli. Please check her blog, The Dominican Dog blog. Also if you want to adopt your own dog please consider a shelter dog. They are such a blessing and they need so much love and will give it as well. There are many shelters here in Dominican Republic. If you want to adopt a dog here send me an email and I can direct you to many of the places here in Santo Domingo.

How can you resist this face?
Telis lovely face