Colombia or Dominican Republic ??? (crime, country, safer, place)
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I currently live in NYC but have fell in love with idea of living in either Colombia or Dominican Republic.
What are the pro's & cons of moving to either of there countries ??
I am fluent in English & Spanish and have experience in the hotel/ restaurant fields. I understand no country will pay like NYC but that's OK. Both of my parents are Colombian born ( although now US citizens).
There are folks here who know far more than me but I would think that you will get better advice if you specify a region in Colombia as it seems to be one of those countries that is vastly different depending on region. In addition you have family connections to Colombia which can be good and bad depending on the type of connection.
The Colombia of today is not the same one from a decade ago. Right now Colombia has more of an image problem because many people are not aware how much progress the country has seen in recent years regarding the paramilitary war, crime, and other negatives. There are still areas of Colombia that are still as bad as they were a decade or two ago, but the key word is areas.
Its hard to recommend either of the two countries to the OP because he doesn't clarify what exactly he wants to get out of living outside the USA. Both countries have markedly different regions. Colombia's regional differences are much more known because Colombia is a middle size country and its easier to accept that in a country of that size there are going to be differences; but DR is probably the small country of Latin America with the greatest regional differences. The overall feeling you get in Samana is very different from the Cibao Valley, and the Cibao gives off a different vibe compared to the eastern region; to name a few regional differences. Even the way the average person looks, speaks, etc varies from region to region. Even the climate is different and this difference is very localized. Often times the distance between a dry area with cactus and very low humidity from a muggy and rainy tropical area that is extremely green is traversed in minutes. You can actually feel as the air changes if you drive with your windows low in addition to the stark differences in vegetation that takes place with transition zones that are so thin that it seems thereis no transition. Often times people simply notice that pne minute they were in a very green rural area full of palms and giant trees and the next minute they are either surrounded by pine forests and the air is considerably cooler or they are in a dusty area full of cactuses. Very few places on earth have so much differences in such a small place. That island is like a mini continent.
As for finding jobs that pay at or above the US level, the only way to acheive this is by either getting hired abroad by a multinational corporation (can be an international hotel chain) and them ask to be transferred to their Dominican offices/locations or to move to DR with a doctorate or higher degree (unemployment for people with doctorate ans higher degrees is 0% and in many fields the shortage is so great that the predominant pay even exeeds the US or European levels), or to go there with savy business knowledge and develop a successful business. There are many undeveloped niches with very high pay/profit potential due to very little competition.
The Colombia of today is not the same one from a decade ago. Right now Colombia has more of an image problem because many people are not aware how much progress the country has seen in recent years regarding the paramilitary war, crime, and other negatives. There are still areas of Colombia that are still as bad as they were a decade or two ago, but the key word is areas.
Its hard to recommend either of the two countries to the OP because he doesn't clarify what exactly he wants to get out of living outside the USA. Both countries have markedly different regions. Colombia's regional differences are much more known because Colombia is a middle size country and its easier to accept that in a country of that size there are going to be differences; but DR is probably the small country of Latin America with the greatest regional differences. The overall feeling you get in Samana is very different from the Cibao Valley, and the Cibao gives off a different vibe compared to the eastern region; to name a few regional differences. Even the way the average person looks, speaks, etc varies from region to region. Even the climate is different and this difference is very localized. Often times the distance between a dry area with cactus and very low humidity from a muggy and rainy tropical area that is extremely green is traversed in minutes. You can actually feel as the air changes if you drive with your windows low in addition to the stark differences in vegetation that takes place with transition zones that are so thin that it seems thereis no transition. Often times people simply notice that pne minute they were in a very green rural area full of palms and giant trees and the next minute they are either surrounded by pine forests and the air is considerably cooler or they are in a dusty area full of cactuses. Very few places on earth have so much differences in such a small place. That island is like a mini continent.
As for finding jobs that pay at or above the US level, the only way to acheive this is by either getting hired abroad by a multinational corporation (can be an international hotel chain) and them ask to be transferred to their Dominican offices/locations or to move to DR with a doctorate or higher degree (unemployment for people with doctorate ans higher degrees is 0% and in many fields the shortage is so great that the predominant pay even exeeds the US or European levels), or to go there with savy business knowledge and develop a successful business. There are many undeveloped niches with very high pay/profit potential due to very little competition.
My family by origin is from Barranquilla ( Currramba La bella !!!) but I am open to anywhere. I usually flow more towards carribean type people as they seem/ are more warm and friendly.
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