Hello,
I'm a student at Williams College in Massachusetts. I received a travel grant to go to DR and study how food choices, practices, and traditions contribute to a national and regional sense of identity. Luis Midence suggested that I contact you ladies (Aunt Clara and Aunt Ilana) for guidance during my stay in Santo Domingo (I'll be going to Santiago first for two weeks, and then spending another two weeks in SD). According to him, you're the ones to go to about food. So, here's my situation: I'm hoping to find an inexpensive place to stay in SD and more importantly, to make contacts willing to allow me to cook with them/watch them cook, show me around markets, and talk to me about food and the Dominican Republic. Some of the questions I'll be asking include: What are the traditional foods of SD? How are they prepared? When/where are they typically eaten/enjoyed? Which street vendors are local favorites? What makes them special? Overall, I'll use my research to try to get a sense of how food helps people maintain (and recreate) their ties to the home country (DR) from abroad (the US).
I'm open to any suggestions about the best ways to go about my research in SD and any suggestions about affordable places to stay, eat, and/or cook.
Thanks!