If you wanted to send a foreign pen-pal a box of "Americana", what would it contain?

Answer 1

coffee, mac n cheese, a can coozy, lip balm, McD happy meal toy, junk mail, a cell phone, a Walmart ad, a self-addressed stamped envelope, a resume, a picture of an SUV compared to a moped, Bath and Body Works lotion, pens and pencils (especially the cool antibacterial pens and the multicolored hand cushioning pencils), a sports jersey (could be any team and either baseball, basketball, football or hockey--doesnt matter) and a couple magazines.

I think one thing that really makes us American is our obsession with TV and our obsession with celebrities--so for our magazines I might even put a supermarket tabloid or tv guide. Other countries just don't have celebrities like we do. (regardless of if you see that as a good thing or a bad thing)

Also one of my travel guides--like either Budget magazine (so they can see what Americans consider budgeting for travel). Or one of my Currents or AAA magazines.

Lollipops. M&Ms. and Coke commercials. even though its worldwide--the commercials are so nostalgia of America.

And like others said--I'd also like to include pictures of some of the great travel sites. Grand Canyon, Golden Gate bridge, Old Faithful, the Rockies/Grand Tetons, Utah's famous arch, Mt Rushmore...but I'd like some pictures of "America" as well. Endless stretches of cornfields in Iowa, the barrenness of the desert 15 miles outside of Vegas, the moose walking through the snow in Yellowstone, the Buffalo inches from the car in Custard St Park. New England's fall folliage. Niagara Falls. Pictures of the South--magnolias in full bloom, tobacco or cotton planted. At Christmas, Savannah and Charleston. I'd take several pictures of Christmas--the California pool parties on the 80 degree Christmas day and the NYC Christmas tree under 7 feet of snow. The Blue Ridge Parkway. And pictures of the beaches. Atlantic beachs are so different from the Keys and so different from the California beaches. Which is different from Washington's coastline. Then perhaps the NYC pictures they've already seen and everyone worldwide knows of NYC and Vegas when they think of America.

Pictures of real people--for example every other person in many NC cities is a soldier. Go to Jacksonville and you see the camo marines walking the mall. Pictures of a current day cowboy--to prove that while they exist they are not Clint Eastwood. Pictures of people whitewater rafting and attending a rock concert. The people in Boston--every single one of them with an IPod attached to their ear.

No one seems to understand the true size of America. The fact that yes we understand that your land is desert b/c we have desert but its *nowhere* near me. And that the reason I don't speak a foreign language is that I am 1,950 miles away from a foreign language (if you exclude New Orleans "creole" which is technically kinda English). That's further than from Madrid Spain to Warsaw Poland. And that isn't to the farthest border.

When I've talked to those from foreign countries--they associate America with NYC, Vegas and Hollywood and I would like to inform a foriegn penpal that there is so much more to us than that. I need a rather large box. Perhaps I could send my penpal 1 box at a time of each section--the South, the North, the Midwest, the Pacific Northwest, and the Southwest. California and NYC should be a box they send you of the foreign interpretation of America.

Yes opulence may be part of America but it isn't all of it. Most of us don't live like celebrities jetting around NY to LA daily, flying snow into So Cal to experience a white christmas. But most of us do own our own car. Most of us do take a vacation to the beach each year. Thats what I would express.

Answer 2

Foreign Pen Pals

Answer 3

First on my list would be the vest-pocket size booklet containing the complete text of the Declaration of Independence; the Constitution of the United States of America; and the Amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America, which is available from:

Cato Institute
1000 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001

Answer 4

A Flag, Postcard, Tshirt, Baseball, American Money(like that) and a pack of Ramen Noodles...lol

Answer 5

Tickets to a minor league baseball game.

Answer 6

an american flag, a mcdonalds big mac, a picutre and a quote of George Bush, some american money, and ehh what can you send that really describes the US

Answer 7

Cheese. America is Cheezy.

Answer 8

Kool Aid.

Answer 9

a picture of the twin towers with the statue of liberty too, apple pie (homemade), rap music, rock music (like bruce springsteen), a dvd of some tv shows (family ties, friends, grey's anatomy), some corn (the veg, not the band), pictures of the grand canyon, the plains (what's left of them), the rockies, mt. rushmore, some currency. and i think i ran out of room.

Answer 10

a baseball ,a hot dog, a slice of apple pie and a model Chevrolet