Thanks to technology, communication has never been more convenient and there're just much more choices available. It's a blessing to ex-pats like me since it's now only too easy to keep in touch with family and friends. It's basically free these days to have a conversation over the internet, and with a webcam a video conversation becomes very straightforward. If you really like to, you can arrange to see and chat with your loved one(s) around the clock despite the tyranny of distance. My parents just can't live without it ever since I moved out! A bonus since using the internet for conversations is that I've had plenty of occasions to talk with many of my friends who are doing the same. It's really unimaginable in the past. Even for those who never use the internet for conversations, the price of long distance phone calls is falling all the time. A phone call lasting 15 to 20 minutes will easily cost less than a can of Coke! When I phone up my relatives, the...