Colombian Street Greetings: From “Quiubo” to “Parce”
A few years back I landed in Medellín after months tucked into my Santo Domingo routine. I hopped in a taxi, flashed my Caribbean smile, and chirped, “¡Hola, buenas noches!” The driver grinned, tossed me a “¿Quiubo, parce?” and we were off—me silently texting my paisa friends to confirm I’d just been greeted with two […]
Decoding Dominican Slang: “Jevi,” “Vaina,” and Beyond
I still remember the first time a motoconchista in Santo Domingo slowed down, glanced back at me and said, “¿Ta’ jevi la vaina?” We’d just dodged three guaguas and an enthusiastic vendor in the crosswalk. I assumed jevi meant “heavy” and that something was seriously wrong with the motorcycle. He read my face, laughed, and […]
Encouraging Kids’ Bilingual Friendships—Ice-Breaker Games That Actually Work
Stepping off the plane from Medellín last August, my six-year-old son Nico immediately spotted his Dominican friend Dariel in the arrival hall. The two boys—one fresh from Colombian kindergarten, the other from Santo Domingo’s first grade—collapsed into a giggle-filled bear hug, speaking a rapid cocktail of “¡ven acá, bro!” and “let’s play tag!” Their makeshift […]
Keeping Track of Vaccination Records in Spanish: A Parent-Friendly Guide for Expats
I was standing in the neon-lit hallway of our neighborhood Unidad de Atención Primaria in Santo Domingo, sweating more from paperwork panic than Caribbean heat. The nurse asked for my son’s carné de vacunación—and I handed over a crumpled U.S. CDC card. She smiled politely, disappeared, and returned with a Dominican vaccination booklet I’d never […]
Scheduling Playdates with Local Families: A Bilingual Parent’s Survival Guide
Settling into parent-hood abroad usually starts with diapers and doctor visits, but the real cultural crash-course comes the day your child asks, “¿Puedo ir a la casa de Mateo?” That innocent request launches you into the mysterious world of Latin-American playdates—a landscape ruled by WhatsApp voice-notes, flexible time, and a polite tug-of-war over who brings […]
Calming Tantrums—Soothing Spanish Phrases Every Expat Parent Should Know
A five-minute grocery run in Santo Domingo turned into an operatic meltdown when my four-year-old realized the store was out of her favorite yogurt. I was caught between Dominican abuelas offering unsolicited advice and fellow shoppers giving me the sympathetic side-eye. What rescued us was not a magic snack but language: “Respira, mi amor, cuenta […]
Coordinating Extracurriculars: Navigating Sports, Music & Clubs in Spanish
The Wednesday That Turned Into a Whirlwind Last semester my daughter Sofía bounced into our Santo Domingo apartment waving three colorful flyers—one for béisbol infantil, another for clases de guitarra, and a third for a mysterious after-school club called Robótica Caribeña. I glanced at the clock (4:15 p.m.) and the WhatsApp group chat from her […]
Crafting Allergy Cards for School Lunches—Safeguarding Your Child in Spanish
The day a peanut nearly turned recess into a hospital run I thought I had Dominican school lunches figured out—rice, beans, fried plantains, maybe a slice of avocado sneaked in for “saludable” points. Then, one Tuesday, my son Mateo came home pale as the foam on a morir soñando. Between bites of a classmate’s sándwich […]
Navigating “La Pubertad” — How to Discuss the Awkward Years in Spanish Without Blushing
The day deodorant became headline news in our apartment It happened over a sweltering Santo Domingo afternoon. My eleven-year-old, Lucas, burst through the door waving a crumpled note from his Colombian science teacher: “Estimados padres: comenzamos el módulo de pubertad la próxima semana, favor conversar en casa.” I faked calm while my brain flipped through […]
Decoding “El Boletín”: Making Sense of Report Cards and Grading Culture
An unexpected math crisis in Santo Domingo I still remember the knot in my stomach the afternoon Sofía bounced out of her Dominican elementary school waving her very first boletín. My eight-year-old was radiant; the paper glowed neon green in the tropical sunlight. I, however, spotted a single number—67 in bold next to Matemática—and panicked. […]