It’s a saddening fact, but not every family can stick together on the same patch of land for their entire lives. And, in the ever-widening world of globalisation, people are travelling to far flung corners of the globe just to secure a job.
But that doesn’t make you cut off from your loved ones as soon as they hop on a plane to distant shores. Unlike the bad old days when a simple letter had to suffice as contact between yourself and your relatives, there are now a thousand and one ways to communicate with your expat families.
Here are a few of the finest.
The right delivery
You’ve probably suffered at the hands of a poor delivery service before. You’ll be told to wait inside your house all week between 9am-12am, only to find a note on your door on the fourth day reading, “Sorry we’ve missed you! We’ll try again within the decade!” Nightmare.
You don’t want to have to put your relatives through such strain, especially for the price of a parcel to the other side of the world. Shop around to send a parcel to Australia for a minimal price – and minimal hassle.
As the Royal Mail privatised, so many fledgling delivery services have cropped up, giving you much more variety in your mailing options. So, take a look to send gifts to your relatives away from home.
Face to face
The days when video messaging services were basically like watching two heavily pixelated blocks onscreen are long gone. Now, with high definition video and internet speeds faster than Usain Bolt on a bullet train, chatting via Skype has become like speaking to your relatives in the same room.
These services are, more to the point, absolutely free once you’ve got a webcam installed. It’s one of the easiest ways to contact your relatives. Just make sure to text ahead notifying them you want a chat.
At the right price
If you fancy a good old fashioned phone call, make sure you’re not being ripped off by your provider. Consider purchasing phone cards specific to certain countries. That way, you’ll gain much cheaper rates and be able to chat to your relatives to your heart’s content.
Keep it social
Sometimes you don’t want to seem like a clingy grandparent phoning and emailing all the time. But it’s still good to know that your family are doing well without speaking incessantly.
This is exactly where social networks such as Facebook or Twitter come into their own. Once you’ve created a profile and added your overseas loved one as a friend, you’ll be able to see what they’re up to without crowding them.
Just make sure not to comment on their expat fun too often. If you’ve got a grandchild overseas, you don’t want to cramp their style!
