My first few weeks in Lille have been fantastic. The first weekend I was here was the Braderie de Lille 2022. The Braderie is an annual event that occurs on the first weekend of September. It is the largest flea market in Europe, and one of the largest events in France, attracting over three million visitors each year. The event was particularly special this year because it was the first Braderie since the start of COVID. I remember the newspapers reporting that hotels in Lille were at 97% capacity as a result. Besides wandering the flea market booths, I got to enjoy mussels and french fries, one of the iconic symbols of the event. Mussels and fries were an odd combination, and the experience is one that I will never forget. In the video here you can see people filling the streets of downtown Lille for the event while a local band was performing.
Living in France has greatly improved my French language skills, sometimes out of necessity. I have found myself using French to do tasks I would not have thought possible a few months ago, like opening a French bank account or discussing wifi routers at an electronics store. In addition to taking courses in French, this has been one of the best ways I have practiced the language. When speaking with locals, the biggest lessons I have learned are that people appreciate you trying to speak the local language and that it is okay to ask people to speak slowly.
There have been many small changes I have had to make in my everyday life to adjust to French culture. For instance, I had to adjust to using Celcius rather than Farenheit, the metric system, and the 24 hour clock. I still often find myself referring to miles and then having to convert it into kilometers. Additionally, the French take very long lunch breaks, with many businesses essentially shut down from 12:00 to 2:00, and mealtimes are highly regulated at restaurants and dining halls. As a result, I have had to change my daily schedule in order to find food on campus and go out to dinner. Despite the small changes, I can confidently say that it has all been worth it!