Often, at the beginning of a process, whether large or small, there is abundant room for choices, for making design decisions. After getting underway, the previously made decisions, plus the results in the environment, often lead to more fixed choices. In short, after getting going on a project or whatever, which is often open to creativity, it often produces a more constrained set of choices. Both can be fun, I find the opening moves more interesting, but the straight-ahead can be more productive.
Republica Dominicana is halfway between Puerto Rico and Cuba, geographically and culturally.
The wifi sometimes works ok, sometimes not. The people are sometimes friendly, sometimes not.
Economically, too. The prices are somewhere in the middle.
A few more sample prices (US$):
Hot meal (rice, dish, side): $2.50
Foreign food (e.g. Chinese): $5-10
Now in the hot and wet part of the year, here in the Caribbean.
More illegal Haitians in Santo Domingo than in the rest of Dominican Republic.
Hay mucho mas dinero en el capital que en las provincias.
Santo Domingo seems like a fairly exciting city for the Caribbean.
So far, I like the food (rice & beans!), architecture, and some of the people I've met -- as in the rest of the Caribbean.
Foods and drinks I want to try in RD include: mangú (mashed green plantains, sounds like Puerto Rican mofongo), sancocho (a stew, which I've had from a can but want to try fresh), mamajuana (an apparently aphrodisiac drink), and more sweets.
Seems like I'll want to buy more vegetables, since they're hardly used here. I've seen an occasional side salad, or a few small pieces of vegetable in dishes.
RD has the largest economy in the region, largely due to having the largest population.
Services (esp. tourism) have recently overtaken agriculture in leading the economy.
The Dominican economy has been growing and continues to do so.