In my last two years of college, I lived in a house with my classmates, and as you can imagine, we needed a ton of household supplies. In the kitchen, where we made communal vegan dinners every night, we constantly had to restock on cleaning supplies, cooking and eating ware. During winters, in order to study for exams or kick back with friends, we had to purchase portable heaters. And you can imagine what our bathrooms were like.
Luckily, we lived near a cemetery that had been converted into a park, where every Wednesday and Saturday, local residents held a community flea market. This seems to be a specific tradition — a fair replete with home-grown vegetables and hipster-influenced homemade goods. At these weekly fairs, we tapped into our greatest resource for household goods. The prices were a little higher than at department stores like Ikea, admittedly, but they offered a greater benefit. At these flea markets, I got to talk to many residents.
As a study abroad student, you should be jumping at opportunities to talk to local residents. An organic place to meet people and learn about new culture through food and homemade goods, the flea market near where I lived is a perfect example of one of those opportunities.
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