Angers Visible Differences (JL)

Some of our cheeses from the market

For me, the biggest difference other than speaking French every day is the food. French food is pretty good on average and I’ve had good food from all over the place, but it is the social aspect of it that is so culturally different. According to my etude socio-culturelle professor, 99% of French people consider gastronomy to be an essential part of French lifestyle and culture. 99%!!! That is a ridiculously high number for a nationally polled statistic for any country. If the French can agree on one thing, it is their food being important. I try to buy fresh fruits, vegetables, bread, and cheese from the local market when I can. However, that market is only once per week and sometimes I run to the supermarket for more odd food items or if I need something during the week. As far as I know, my host parents purchase their food in the same manner, in addition to growing many of their own vegetables. My host father also makes his own bread and jam from scratch, but laughed when I asked if he made his own butter too (which was homemade) and asked if I saw any cows in their

backyard. My host mother cooks for about 45 minutes to an hour every night, and when we dine the average meal length is never shorter than 1.5 hours, many times stretching two hours. It is not that our meals are extravagant, they are just traditionally a long time to allow for digestion and conversation. Only my very first night with my host parents did they cook a fairly extravagant meal with 7 or 8 courses. Usually the meal order goes soup, followed by the main dish (usually with meat, but sometimes with fish), then cheese, and concluded with dessert.  All throughout the meal they will have bread and wine available as well.

A local wine

Me in my "French" attire
  at my university

Another thing that is extremely important to French culture is clothing and style. It seems that everyone has their own style that is different, yet every one of them screams “I AM FRENCH!!!” As an American, it feels very strange when I’m on my way to school in some of my nicest clothes and I pass a group of middle schoolers who have me out-dressed, meanwhile it is just another day for them. I was essentially forced to make some wardrobe changes when I got here, unless I wanted to stick out like a sore American thumb for the next four and a half months. Some things the French will never wear: shorts, sneakers, flip flops, sandals, utilitarian clothing (i.e. cargo pants, etc.), and loose fitting clothing. Some of the strangest looks I’ve received were on public transportation after a late start to my morning and all I had time for was my sweatpants and my Allegheny College sweatshirt. Sometimes I also get the vibe that if your clothes aren’t name brand, they are cheap. Even though I may get some odd looks in my sweats, French people don’t have an attitude about their clothing and they are not as pompous towards those with less branded clothes than themselves. I imagine that it’s simply what every French person’s wardrobe must look like on the interior: fashionable. 

Finally, for this blog, I will talk about public transportation, which is my primary means of getting around Angers if I don’t want to walk several kilometers.  I live about a 45-minute walk from my University and 40 minutes from the center of town.  I have only done the walk twice, mainly because it has been too cold most of the time to walk all the way to school or because I don’t have enough time in the morning to take a leisurely stroll to school.  Luckily, there is a tram stop only 5 minutes from my house, and there is only one tram line in Angers, so I’ve never gotten lost yet! There are also many buses that make a web of routes throughout the city and some of the surrounding area. Even though Angers is a relatively safe city (I think), I feel safer taking public transportation than I do walking places, especially at night. It costs me €31 per month to have an unlimited bus/tram card, which, in comparison with some of the cities and countries I visited over spring break, is very cheap. I enjoyed the struggle of figuring out public transportation, and now I am enjoying the services it offers. Considering my only previous experience with public transportation before Angers was taking the Loop a few times in Meadville, I think I am faring pretty well here on my own.