WhatsApp, Skype, or FaceTime

Yesterday was a boom for phone calls and messages. We heard some sad news via text that someone (my age) that we knew in the Midwest passed away from leukemia. Then our daughter in law called to check in with us to see if our provisions were holding and to talk about life in general. It was followed by a short chat with the grandson - his prom was supposed to have taken place the night before. We missed a call from our friends in England - so we called them back via FaceTime. They are dealing with not having access to medical care that is not an emergency. Then we called our friends in France on FaceTime, but in the middle of the conversation we switched over to WhatsApp. We have used Skype with them before, but now they prefer WhatsApp. No one can leave the house in England and France without permission, and they are fined if directions aren’t followed. On Instagram we hear from family in Sweden, Denmark and Iran. While we can’t see how they look, hearing that they are all ok is a comfort - although our niece from Sweden called last week. So far everyone sounds ok, and when we can see them, look okay too. What makes this hibernation easier to take is the technology that allows us to still connect. And in the end, hearing from and reaching out to others is really all that matters - regardless of the circumstances. 

Skype, WhatsApp, Verizon for International Calls

When we visited Iran back in 1996, we set up Skype on our desktop computer upon our return. It would be a great way to stay in touch with our nieces and nephew. Time has passed and we all now have iPhones where FaceTime is available, but it has limitations - not everyone has iPhones. When it comes to making international calls we have been burned a couple of times. We used to have a land line with Xfinity just for that purpose. Since we moved to northern Virginia, we no longer need nor have a landline. When my husband made a call to France a few months back, it unexpectedly went on for over an hour - to the tune of $600+! I got the charge reduced to $15 - the cost of ATT international monthly plan for being a loyal customer for so many years. Shortly after that, we decided to switch to Verizon so as to get additional monthly plan reductions for having both internet and mobile service together. In the meantime I added the international plan to our phone lines - which only meant that we would be charged a reduced rate when a call was made. Because the phone calls are rare and not usually more than 15 minutes, that arrangement was “ok.” Since then I’ve been exploring other options. And Skype resurfaced again. We downloaded the app and tried using it - successfully. We were advised that WhatsApp was also an option, but that requires the other party having the app too. Since most of our overseas friends use Skype, we just decided to take that route. So I’m hoping I don’t need to think about it anymore. At least now we have a solution and hopefully we won’t have any more unexpected international calling charges. There is really no excuse given all the options.