Originally Posted by
terrierist
Thanks, DMV. The last year has been an adventure, but a good one.
To answer your question, high definition TV is not available here officially. So I subscribe to DishNetwork using a New York address. ClaroTV, SkyTV and digital cable are all available, though in standard definition. But I still like lots of English channels and High Definition, so I use a New York address to subscribe to DISH.
My internet uses DSN through Codetel. But there are cable and wireless internet vendors here too. It is getting competitive and service is improving. I have heard horror stories about Codetel historically, but my experience with them has been near perfect. This week Codetel upgraded me from 768 kb/s to 1.5 mb/s for no additional charge. It makes a big difference when downloading movies or streaming videos.
I use Orange for my cell phone. Claro generally has better service, but my house is in one of the rare locations where Claro's signal is blocked and Orange is better.
But if you want, you can get cell phone, land line, digital tv and internet all through Codetel (Claro), and get a bundled discount at that, just like in North America. It's a good deal if you are not a videophile. But for me, hdtv is an important part of my techno-geek lifestyle. It keeps me at home and living within my budget. Hockey (yes I'm Canadian) now seems barely watchable on regular definition tv...the puck is small and fast and the difference in HDTV is quite dramatic. These old eyes can use all the help they can get.
I'm not out drinking and mongering very often, and tend to stay at home with "mi esposa, el internet, y el televisor", but it's a wonderful place to live and I do enjoy the local festivities. For example, last weekend was a 3 day merengue festival in Puerto Plata at the site of the old fort. It was well organized, with good security, ambulances, etc. Admission was FREE. It was packed. It was fun. The music was fine. And the chica turnout was superb. You just need to remember that this is not Sosua, and that these are not "working" girls. Nevertheless, poverty speaks volumes and I did manage to meet a couple of young things and take their digits for future reference. I am fortunate that my Spanish is improving. It compensates for the decline in the "professional" chica scene here on the North Shore.
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