Visible Differences: Angers, France (BB)

Visible Differences

I want to preface this blog post by saying that it is a bit difficult for me to compare life at home in the United States with my life in France. At home, I live in a very suburban area, while in France I am very close to the city and downtown. Some things, like food and clothing/personal expression are easy to compare, but the transportation here is probably more due to the fact I am not used to city life.

Food:

French cuisine is probably one of my favorite aspects of study abroad. From the actual food to the attitude towards meal times, it is very different that it is in the United States. Markets are a popular place to purchase food, with twice weekly markets happening in Angers. I normally get cheese and produce at the market, but some people will do all of their shopping for the week there. Supermarkets do exist in Angers, but it seems like most people prefer to go to the market or specialty stores to get their food. It takes a bit longer to have to go to multiple stores, and its a little more expensive, but I find that the food quality is much better and fresher than when I get food from the super market. Dinner with my host family always follows the same tradition. We eat promptly at seven, starting with soup, then the main course, cheese, and finally dessert. My host mother is fond of quiches, so we eat a lot of those as a main course which is a bit different than in the United State where it seems like you only see quiches at breakfast. The other thing that stands out to me about dinner in France is that dessert is a given and something that is eaten every night. I feel like in the United States, dessert is something you may have on a special occasion or if you go out to eat at a restaurant, but my host mother often tells me that it feels strange to end a meal without something sweet.

Clothing and personal style:

Storefront of "Promod", a French store

Appearance is important in France, even in a smaller city like Angers. People here do not “dress up” everyday, but you will never see anyone going to class in sweatpants either. Most people dress similarly to those in the United States at first glance, but the quality and fit is generally nicer. It is also odd to see anyone sporting sweatpants unless they are in the gym. In the United States, I had no problem going to class in yoga pants and a sweatshirt, but in France I had to go to multiple clothing stores before I even found a sweatshirt being sold. Back home, I would wear sweatpants if I was going to take a quick trip to the grocery store or Starbucks, but here I would not wear sweatpants to eat dinner with my host family. I find myself actually thinking about what I will wear versus just getting dressed and running to class. Before I got here, I may have thought it was vain, but now that I am here I understand the appeal of putting thought into an outfit and not just leaving the house in something I would sleep in. I am not going to lie though, I can't wait until I can leave the house in ten minutes without getting stared out in public because I am wearing a sweatshirt.

Transportation:

One of the buses in Angers

Public transportation in France is much more widespread and useful than anything I have experienced in the United States. Where I live in Pennsylvania is a bit like Meadville where you need a car to get anywhere. Most things are not within walking distance, and there is no bus line or subway station. I live in a neighborhood here in Angers, but there are three bus stops that I can see from my street alone and I can be downtown in less than ten minutes for a euro. I will definitely miss the ease of public transportation here, but it also has a few pitfalls. Most of the buses have limited to no hours on Sundays and after 9pm, so you have to search for a stop that is still active or you have to take a taxi. I live off of the main bus line as well, so I sometimes have to wait an hour between buses, even if I am only taking the bus for ten minutes. Sometimes it is just easier to walk, but it is at those times I miss having a car at my disposal.