Skype

Wow, what were we thinking, it took us so long to decide to download it, and now we have it, and we wonder why we did have it earlier! Yep, I am talking about the voice and video over the Internet thingy called Skype. Absolutely amazing invention for poor people who are like us. All that are needed are for the parties who are conversing to:

1) download Skype for free
Don't worry about those SkypeIn and SkypeOut things on the website, those are for people who don't have Internet access but would still like to call you.
2) have internet connection and be online
3) make sure your computer has a microphone and a speaker, which most laptops have those built in already

Then you can call people who have also downloaded Skype anywhere in the world and start chatting as long as you want FOR FREE. To add some fun, plug in a webcam and you can show you call them first thing in the morning and you are still in your PJ!

What's the catch? I guess since quite a number of people still do not have Internet access, or are not that desperate to talk to people using the computer (like my mother), but still prefer picking a phone with a land line or mobile phone, then you can subscribe to the SkypeIn or SkypeOut thing, that's where it costs money.

I know I might sound a bit too excited about this 'new technology' which is not that new for some technological advanced folks, but if you are not in that catagory, this is really something to be excited about. I was skeptical for a long while, we finally downloaded it last night and 'called' a missionary friend in the Philippines. We saw him and him us, and we talked a little bit. Chuck, our friend said, 'Skype is a true life-saver for us missionaries, all of us here have Skype."

Hey, if you want to talk to us for free while we are in the Philippines, download Skype and call us when you see that we are online, yes, you will see an icon indicating we are online. For my friends in Hong Kong, you can talk to us for free while we are still in the U.S., try it out, it is great.