Taking pictures with you on international trips

When you are traveling someplace where you don't speak the language and most of the people you meet don't speak English, a universal way to bridge the communication gap is to bring some personal pictures with you: your spouse, kids, dogs or cats, house, anything that says something about who you are and where you come from. Another option is to bring postcards of your area. I know how curious I am about new cultures and I am always amazed and delighted when people are as interested in mine as I am in their's.-- Marian