All around, there are advertisements for theatre, concerts, restaurant and community events, and themed tours. These are, of course, also present in the US, but one thing I find particularly interesting here is how cultural and language differences play a role in their presentation. In museums, for example, I am often intrigued not only in what information is included in a display, but how that information gets translated, if at all, into English. One sillier example, too, is from the "American section" in a local grocery store. A package of Jelly Bellies with "America's favorite flavors" features classics such as apple pie and peanut butter and jelly (which Germans find partiularly mind-boggling as a combination), as well as chocolate covered banana, which happens to be a popular German dessert, ie. not American.
2. Documentation of Life Events
I generally have a poor memory when it comes to what happens throughout my week, but working both on the yearbook and the school newspaper we created that year gave me new strategies and appreciation for taking pictures and writing down different life events as they happen. In the same way that I can look through yearbooks from my time at Edison, I try, also, to create physical scrapbooks or photo albums alongside regular journaling; even if it means writing down one sentence each day. I also enjoy keeping different scraps-- wrappers, event or museum tickets, napkins from restaurants, etc., to glue into my journals.
3. Confidence in Self Presentation and Community Roles
Between gathering advertisements and taking pictures for the yearbook, Publications presented opportunities for me and my classmates to act with authority in spaces we entered.
