to download this article in PDF format. - Caribpro.com

Glorious Celebrations in the Dominican Republicinvestment portfolio us green card international insurance caribpro classifieds offshore bankingoffshore company formation second passports economic citizenship investor financingpre-development property sales caribbean property magazine caribbean property rentals caribbean real estatecaribbean sailingCaribbean Property Magazine Home / April 2010 / 'Glorious Celebrations in the Dominican Republic'SEND THIS PAGE TO A FRIENDSubscribe FREE!Unsubscribe Anytime!A P R I L 2 0 1 0Issue 39An online magazine about investing, living, working and relocating to theCaribbean.CARIBBEAN REAL ESTATESEARCH HEREREACH OVER 380,000SUBSCRIBERS EVERYMONTH!EDITORIALRamblings, thoughts andoccasional sense from theEastern Caribbean >>HOT OFF THE PRESSEvents and news fromaround the region >>SUSTAINABLE LIVINGSharing resources and bestpractices >>TOURISM TREATSUpdates on Caribbeantourism, conferences>>SPECIAL FEATURESABC Islands, Dutch Caribbean Part 1Hidden Gems Of The French CaribbeanTales Of A Peace Corp Volunteer In Dominica15 Critical Questions When Buying OverseasKriol, Punta Rock: Informal Culture in BelizeGlorious Celebrations In The DominicanRepublicWant Adventure? Try Volunteer Vacations,Pt 1MONEY PAGESInvestment Corner Updates on the latestOpportunities available at your reach >>Mortgage Matters Advice on moving, findingand saving money for your Caribbean property >>Investors and Funding Insider knowledge onfunding for your developments >>Offshore Matters : Is Offshore For You?Insiders knowledge regarding the offshore taxationyou should be aware of >>PROPERTY PAGESShttp://www.caribpro.com/Caribbean_Property_Magazine/index.php?pageid=912 (1 of 8) [4/9/2010 4:00:13 PM]

Glorious Celebrations in the Dominican RepublicLIST YOUR PROPERTYWITH US: on one of the topCaribbean Property Sites. Getyour property SEEN!ADVERTISE ON THEFRONT PAGE OF YOURCOUNTRY! Reach your targetmarket - people looking forproperty, information andopportunities in YOUR country.PLACE YOUR BANNERADD ON OUR SITE FORHUGE TRAFFIC VOLUME!Click here to find out how wecan help you sell yourproperty, business,opportunity, ebook or idea.FULL - LENGTH ARTICLESFEATURING YOURPROPERTY! Tell YOUR storyand get exposure! Sell yourproperty or business (orbusiness opportunity) througheditorials and feature articles!NEED EXPOSURE FORYOUR DEVELOPMENT?Advertise your project, yourresort, your spa, your condos,your timeshare... whateveryou are promoting - inCaribpro.Caribbean Investor And Owner Notes Newsand opportunities from CaribProperty Club Notes>>Clews Views Offshore insights from a Manhattanrealty guru>>Off-Plan Pre-Development Offers Ourrecommended deals from the best developers >>Pick of the Month Editor's choice of interestingbusiness and real estate opportunities >>S P E C I A LF E A T U R E SGLORIOUS CELEBRATIONS IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLICby Guitze M. MessinaThe Caribbean is famous for its “happy people” and Dominicans are at the top ofthat list. They love to party and here are just a few of the celebrations that youcan experience at this time of year.What would you get if you mix together rum, warm weather, not much rain andlots of holidays? The perfect combination for a party; and the Dominican Republichas all of those ingredients from February until March.THE DEVILS SHOW UP WITH COLORED AND ‘HORRIFIC’ COSTUMES ANDSTART DANCING AND ‘HITTING THE SPECTATORS WITH THEIR WHIPSAND BALLOONS.For the national Independence Day on February 27th the whole countrycelebrates with costumes, colors, whips, leather balloons and most of all “infiniteloads of singing and dancing.” The devils, as they are called, show up with coloredand “horrific” costumes and start dancing and “hitting” the spectators with theirwhips and balloons.If you are wondering what kind of celebration is this…as we here say - it ESCARNAVAL! The Dominican Carnival is all about “the devils” – those who aretrying to tempt all of us into “partying and dancing.” This is the new interpretationof what used to be a religious party where the devil tried to tempt you away fromJesus, but Dominicans have such a great relationship with God that now its allabout the fun.Each province has a particular name for their devils and each devil is famous for aparticular type of color, costume and weapon (whips, leather balloons, sticks).Most of them have whistles, bells and mirrors but the combination is something tosee.http://www.caribpro.com/Caribbean_Property_Magazine/index.php?pageid=912 (2 of 8) [4/9/2010 4:00:13 PM]Thecity of Santiago’s devils are called “Lechones” - roughly translated into “hogs”- and they have two groups that claim most of the fame: the “Joyeros andPepineros.” Basically they have plain long horns or many pointy little horns thatcome out of their larger horns. Their costumes are filled with small mirrors,whistles and bells hanging from their clothing.Santiago is famous for its Carnival and their party reunites great musical groups,all of the Rum and beer brands, and not only the citizens of the town but the

Glorious Celebrations in the Dominican RepublicSUBSCRIBE FREE! Clickhere and subscribe toCaribbean Property ezinemonthly - FREE! We valueyour privacy (Unsubscribeanytime)VISIT OUR ARCHIVES!Click here to explore ourarchived articles.DOWNLOAD LATESTEDITION AS A PDF : Clickhere to download the latestEdition of Caribbean PropertyMagazine in PDF format,February 2010. Mostcomputers will open PDFdocuments automatically, butyou may need to downloadAdobe Reader. Download thereader here.TELL YOUR STORY! Wewant your articles, yourstories, your experiences, yourknowledge and your advice!Tell our readers what you havelearned, what you love andwhat you think other peopleneed to know about living,working, buying, selling,relocating and retiring in theCaribbean.CONTACT US/FEEDBACKWant to contact us? Make acomment? Want more info?Different info? We want you tobe satisfied, so tell us whatyou think...party lovers from the rest of the island. Many important national and internationalcompanies have also jumped on the bandwagon and are sponsoring their “owndevils” understanding that to sponsor a group of “Lechones” is good businesssince lots of people get to see and enjoy all of the fun that the devils produce.Roba la Gallina (the mother hen) is a very famous character, that is basically aman dressed as a fat, bulky woman with an umbrella, triple Z breasts, and anexaggerated behind. She stops at every corner asking for her “chicks” called“pollitos” and the people reply in a chant: ti-ti, Manati, Ton-ton, molondron, robala Gallina palo con ella, roba la gallina palo con ella.All of the young man run behind mother hen playing pranks with her and chantingall along. The character is so famous that a statue of it was made out of bronzeand it is displayed at the Santiago Monument along with the many statues oftypical characters like the “Lechones.” When you visit Santiago stop by themonument and check out the statues and the museum located inside themonument, perhaps if you visit during carnival times, you will chant with “motherhen”, Roba la gallina…In Puerto Plata they have the “Taimacaros” which represent ancient Taino gods,their costumes are made from European fashions from the middle ages. Insteadof using mirrors and whistles they use thousands of small pieces of colored clothattached to their costumes.Bonao and Salcedo: They call their devils “Macaros” - roughly translated into “themasked ones.” Their costumes also have bells and mirrors and their biggestparties are held close to holy Sunday.The Le Vega carnival was recently named the 4th most important carnival in theworld. Here the party seems that will never end.Now if we are talking about parties we have to talk about the biggest of them allwhich is held in La Vega. The Le Vega carnival was recently named the 4th mostimportant carnival in the world. Here the party seems that will never end. To giveyou an idea, picture in your mind a street of 2 lanes that only has devils anddancers for regular traffic, it is full of people on both sides of the street, and thebest Dominican orchestras playing meringue at their loudest beat.Add to that the devils creed: “if you are not a devil and you dare to step on thestreet you will be whipped.” The only way to be safe is to be dancing on the sidewalk where “heaven” is located and the devils can not touch you. The amount ofnational and international recognition and the sponsorship of importantcorporations that this particular carnival receives, topped by the level oforganization that the city has enforced has made this party a “must see” fortravelers who love music, parties and crowds.If you are in the DR during February and March try to make it to La Vega to see ashow of colors, dancing and drinking like no other. Remember it is going to befull, so you must love crowds, drinking, dancing with strangers and long walks forparking, because this is a true massive celebration, so what are you waiting for,come in and join the party!http://www.caribpro.com/Caribbean_Property_Magazine/index.php?pageid=912 (3 of 8) [4/9/2010 4:00:13 PM]Caribbean Baseball ChampionshipIt is no secret that baseball is part of the Dominican culture, and winter ball is agreat entertainment for the whole family, the minute you walk out the door ofyour hotel you only listen baseball talk everywhere.

Glorious Celebrations in the Dominican RepublicIN THE DR, THE 7th INNING ‘STRETCH’ IS A PROLONGED CELEBRATIONWITH GIFTS THROWN AT THE CROWDS BY SPONSORS AND EVERYBODYMUST GET UP TO DANCE TO THE SONG OF THE HOME TEAMA comprehensive list ofdownloadable ebooksavailable from Caribpro. Titlesinclude:Costa Rica: Living ThereThe Golden Door to RetirementRetirement Planning ForOffshore Living: Maintainand Enhance your lifestylesspending less than 25% ofyour monthly budget.The experience of a ball game in the DR “is a totally different ball game” youmust be ready for a noisy, loud celebration, specially if you are accompanied by adie-hard DR fan next to you who can explain when to cheer and when to dance.For example, every time your team goes to bat, the cheerleaders (yes, we havecheerleaders in baseball) will get on top of the teams dug out and start dancinguntil the game begins.In the DR, the 7th inning ‘stretch’ is a prolonged celebration with gifts thrown atthe crowds by sponsors and everybody must get up to dance to the song of thehome team. Imagining that display will you give you a small idea of the differencebetween our baseball experience and that of other countries.Click Here to see Related ArticlesGran Pacifica Resort, Nicaragua is a premiere beachcommunity. Offering oceanfront condos and homes, golf-frontvillas and the casita village, rental and property management.Retire In Mexico: LiveBetter For Less. Live inMexico and join the manyother retires who have donetheir homework, whichresulted in mexico where youcan live better for less.Escape The Corporation:How to live the life you havealways dreamed of - free fromthe corporate slog.Belize: Living There Howto Live, Retire, Work of Investin Belize.Nicaragua: Real EstateProperty and land bargainamidst colonial splendour.Plastic Surgery in TheCaribbean: Inexpensive, HighQuality Cosmetic Surgery.Casita Village Homes & LotLot and home packages start at $123,000 with golfhomes as low as $149,200 - only in Nicaragua!A casita home is a variation of the carriage houseconcept sweeping North America right now. Thesehomes range in size from 800 sq. ft. to nearly2000 sq. ft and offer a park setting or a golf frontaddress nestled in a small enclave.Besides the charm, maybe the most attractive benefit isthat just like a condo, these free-standing homes arepart of the "lock it and leave it" variety.http://www.caribpro.com/Caribbean_Property_Magazine/index.php?pageid=912 (4 of 8) [4/9/2010 4:00:13 PM]

Glorious Celebrations in the Dominican RepublicLiving & Investing: InPanama Find your dream inpanama by enjoying anaffordable and comfortablesetting.What this means to you is that all exterior maintenanceis covered in the association fee along with commonareas. This hassle free single family home is the perfectvacation and rental unit.CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATIONThe PortableProfessional:Using technology, log in fromanywhere and earn a living.please yourself and makemoney doing it.For a complete list ofCaribbean e-books, clickhereHow about talent? We have many of the MLB stars playing for at least a part ofthe season, since some ball clubs make some restrictions on players dependingon their stature.During the last Caribbean Series the DR repeated as Caribbean Champions andthe party started even before the players arrived back home from Caracas,Venezuela. People listened and watched games in beer stores and conveniencestores, they danced with every home run and every victory but they yelled andmoaned with every strike out.The DR has the most professional baseball players of any other country outsidethe US in organized baseball; and most MLB teams have an academy in the DRwhere they train the future talent of the major leagues. From October untilFebruary, Baseball fever is rampant in the DR and four teams capture most of thefans of the island. Believe me, if you have a chance to see a game by any ofthese teams, take it, you will see a show of yelling, singing, dancing andcritiquing as you have never seen before. Here is some info on the best DR teamsso you can start choosing sides for your next visit:http://www.caribpro.com/Caribbean_Property_Magazine/index.php?pageid=912 (5 of 8) [4/9/2010 4:00:13 PM]Licey: The blue team is like the NY Yankees of DR baseball, they are expected towin every season and since they are one of the teams from the capital of SantoDomingo their following is very large. Because they have such a grand winningtradition many followers from outside the capital also love the “tigres” del Licey.The Tigers have won more Caribbean series than any other team in history andtheir main rivals are the Lions of “Escogido” the other capital team and the Eaglesof Cibao from Santiago. One particular sportscaster from the US came to see agame of Licey and Aguilas at the Quisqueya stadium in Santo Domingo and hesaid that he has never seen such a happy game of baseball in his life.Escogido: The champions of the last Caribbean series and DR championship, theyhad a drought of 18 seasons without a title and this year they where purchasedby a very strong Dominican group who put the emphasis on winning - andwinning they did. The Lions are represented by the red color and a game betweenthe blue Tigers and the red Rions of Escogido is a match made in heaven - if youcan get tickets.The yellow Eagles del Cibao, las Aguilas Cibaenas or Cuyayas as they are called inSantiago by their die hard fans. Without a doubt they have the best fans ever, togo to Santiago to play against the Eagles is also referred as going to “the valley ofdeath.” The fans are always behind their team and you can never count theEagles out at their home field advantage. This is a game full of music, noise,dancing, cheerleaders, rum, beer, horns, gossip, you name it it is here. One thingis for sure; you will not think about anything else but having fun, come to a gameof the Eagles and be ready to be totally uninhibited.Cibao Giants, representing San Francisco de Macoris, this is one of the latest

Glorious Celebrations in the Dominican Republicexpansion teams that has shown so much potential in the last few years, to thepoint that they have reached the finals the last two seasons in a row. The teamhas a maroon color and the stadium will always be full against the Eagles or theTigers, the level of fun is a it more controlled than in the other stadiums, but givethese guys 10 more years and the competition better be aware.The remaining teams have not had strong contenders in the last few years andtherefore the games at there venues are not as fun, those are the Stars in LaRomana and the Azucareros in San Pedro de Macoris. I have watched baseball inmany places, but if you like to celebrate and forget about the world, enjoy abaseball game in the DR it is something to enjoy and remember for life.Santo Domingo International Film FestivalIf you are the type that likes to celebrate in a chair, eating some pop corn andenjoying the air conditioner while your intellect is challenged by a different type ofcinema, then the Santo Domingo International Film Festival is for you.Every year some of the top new talent from Latin America and the world is invitedto show their movies at one of the top Cineplex theatres in the country. Eightdifferent movies are played every two hours with three shows each day, morethan 60 flicks from countries like: Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Russia,USA, Israel, Germany, France, Spain, the Czech Republic, Poland, Mexico, and theDR. Many new countries participate every year and the movies are totallydifferent.The main theme is “simplicity” - no special effects, just real stories about realpeople, even the stories that are just fiction will make you think that they couldreally happen. At the end you will be uplifted or you will cry, but certainly you willsee life a little different.The selection is made by some of the DR most talented movie critics and it alwayshas a loyal following of fans and with them directors from all over the world bringtheir films and talk to the public about making them, the story, the actors and thefestival. After each flick there is a section to vote for your favorite movie and totalk about the story with the people at the show. It is a wonderful way tocelebrate in a different way, but mainly it is a way to celebrate that SantoDomingo is now the capital of Culture of the Americas as we wrote last month.As you can see Dominicans know how to party hard in Carnival days, theycelebrate happily their baseball victories and teams and each year they alsocelebrate great stories from great cinema. So now that you have three morereasons to come to the DR and celebrate with us, now you just have to decidehow to spend your time while here, there is just so much to celebrate, lets enjoyit together!http://www.caribpro.com/Caribbean_Property_Magazine/index.php?pageid=912 (6 of 8) [4/9/2010 4:00:13 PM]

Glorious Celebrations in the Dominican RepublicAuthor : Guitze M. Messina. Born in the Dominican Republic, Guitze isan industrial engineer by vocation and has worked in Puerto Rico and theDominican Republic in that capacity. In 1996 Mr. Messina became amanagement consultant for various Dominican companies. In 2005 hejoined Diesco Group, a new manufacturing facility that produces andmarkets plastics for the construction industry. These products save time,energy and money for builders and clients of large buildings and hotels.His work in this area has given Guitze the first-hand opportunity to workwith the exploding luxury development real estate industry in theDominican Republic.Email : Guitze M. MessinaCosta Rican Hotel For SaleA Turn - Key Opportunity!http://www.caribpro.com/Caribbean_Property_Magazine/index.php?pageid=912 (7 of 8) [4/9/2010 4:00:13 PM]Nestled beautifully in lush tropical gardens is a fullyoperational Hotel selling at $4.8 Million...YES! ONLY FOURPOINT EIGHT MILLION US DOLLARS!A 22 room Hotel Resort located only 300 meters from theNosara beach.With 2 pools, one can enjoy the luxury of either swimming to therestaurant bar or just relaxing around the larger private pool in asunning area with lounge chairs... choose to cool off, after fun inthe waterfall pool and with an ice-cold drink at the bar.The land use plan developed for the hotel was designed to allow forthe gradual growth of the resort to an ultimate size of 40 rooms.The Hotel is 12 years old, and completed the fifth phase ofconstruction in 2006.Construction originally began in August of 1998, which sawthe building of the first 5 rooms named Playa Pelada Suites,restaurant ranchita and bar, bar pool, commercial kitchen,and small clothing, gift and surf supply store as Phase 1.

Glorious Celebrations in the Dominican RepublicCLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATIONKriol, Drumming, Punta Rock - BelizeWant Adventure?SEARCH OUR MAGAZINE ARCHIVEScontact us submit an article list your property list your boat list a cultural event advertise with us listyour property rentalinvestment portfolio us green card international insurance caribpro classifieds offshore bankingoffshore company formation second passports economic citizenship investor financingpre-development property sales caribbean property magazine caribbean property rentals caribbean real estatecaribbean sailing caribbean e-booksLast Updated On : 08 Apr 2010http://www.caribpro.com/Caribbean_Property_Magazine/index.php?pageid=912 (8 of 8) [4/9/2010 4:00:13 PM]