Three Features

( Note: The only periodical I really read on a regular basis is the Washington Post. I tend to like reading about travel to far-off places, as well, so enjoy.)

A New Wrinkle on Japanese Menus

This piece combines travel, health issues and food critique into one short article, describing the use of collagen in one Tokyo restaurant's menu items. The lead into the article- a reference to the search for the Fountain of Youth- gets the reader straight into the subject-matter, as it should be in any news-piece. Then, the author goes on to describe the reasoning behind using collagen, a "connective protein in bones, skin and cartilage". He also touches briefly on the Japanese culture and the pressure to look as young as possible for as long as possible.

The layout of this piece allows the author to touch on several larger topics while focusing in on the one situation of a restaurant owner adding a "secret ingredient" to his menu. The article is about two pages long online, but is chopped up into several small, easy-to-read paragraphs that take seconds to skim over. The language is straightforward and the author makes sure to inform the reader of what they may not know, i.e. what collagen is.

A Village, or a Zoo?

This is a longer piece- 3 pages' worth in the online version- regarding a more serious situation for a group of women in Thailand. We've all read situations about people altering their own bodies either voluntarily or due to tradition and demand before; this focuses on the Padaung, a tribe of people whose women wear heavy brass rings to elongate their necks.

The work asks us a question to consider for long after we finish the piece, rather than wrapping up the entire thing into a neat little package. It's a question of morals, of tourists and tradition, and whether we should support or boycott practices that leave women- like in the article- in such uncertain circumstances. The paragraphs are longer, and the story winds through the narrator's seeking a way to see these long-necked women for themselves. It reads more like an excerpt from a travel blog or book than as an article that stands entirely on its own.

Why Are the Danes So Happy?

This piece immediately starts off on a light note, where the narrator claims to have simply set up a large sign in a park with the question listed in the title. Then, he slowly eases us into the meat of the story: the idea that while the Danes seem to be the happiest people on the Earth (at least, as of the publication of the article), the U.S. lists as only the 16th happiest. He then takes us through the possibilities of why, though the narrator keeps the tone of the piece lighthearted with little anecdotes of his own conversations with the locals and their reactions to his comments.