Study Abroad Blog
Charlotte and Owen's reflections on the markets and Islamic center
The following are photos and reflections from students Charlotte and Owen:
Today we visited two markets in the area. The first market we went to, Les Halles de Sainte-Foy, seemed to have more permanent vendors because the area the vendors were in was more structured. For instance, there are walls or columns that separate the vendors from each other. While the second market, the Sainte-Foy Public Market, had vendors that seemed less permanent. For example, the vendors used foldable tables. Another observation was that the first market had more pretty-looking setups for their displays than in the second market. The second market had basic displays. In the first two photos below you can see Les Halles outside and inside, and in the third you can see the Sainte-Foy Public Market. Photos by Charlotte Mazur:
After visiting the markets, we visited the Islamic Cultural Center of Quebec to learn about the history of Islam, and about how the religion works. The mosque that we went to was not a mosque when it was originally built. It initially had a gym for women on the top floor where we were learning about Islam, and a bank on the main level. Phone usage wasn’t allowed in the mosque, but for the sake of some students taking notes, they were willing to make exceptions. They also had a table where they served orange juice and lemonade to those who wanted it. In the room where we were shown the PowerPoint presentation about Islam, I observed the patterns on the carpeted floor that contained red strips and thinner stripes that were a gold color between the red strips that had a pattern containing flowers.