Although you probably will be enjoying yourself too much to really get homesick, there are several ways you can keep in touch with the folks. Here are a couple of ways:
1.) Telephone: You can buy calling cards at the institute so you can call home. These cards can be used at public phone booths or from home. If you use the cards at home, you get a lot more minutes than you would if you use them at a public phone booth. The difference is substantial. A $10.00 phone card will give you about 2 hours of talking time from a private phone. If you use a phone booth, you get about 45 minutes. Please remember that when calling from your “family’s” home, please keep phone calls to a minimum.
2.) SKYPE: Using Skype is one of the best ways to keep in touch. If you have friends and family members who are computer literate and who have webcams, wherever you have an internet connection, (e.g., at the institute, perhaps at your home, at an internet café), you can keep in touch. Skype is wonderful because it’s FREE and you get to look at the person you are talking to using real time video! Skype also has pay plans where you can make calls to land-lines using their service. I’ve never felt the need to use their pay service so I’m not too sure how it works. To download SKYPE to your computer or laptop, go to www.skype.com. There are Skype versions for both MAC and PC platforms.
3.) EMAIL: There are a couple of computer terminals at the institute for you to use. Sometimes there is a line, especially between classes. There are many internet cafés that you can use. These are downright cheap–something like 4-5 (40-50 cents) pesos for an hour!
4.) CELLPHONES: Boy, there’s not a better way to get yourself in trouble! Unless you have a great international cellphone plan, I would advise against using cellphones to call the U.S. Some people have found great plans–which, for some reason, I have not. One student from last year used her cellphone so much that her mother cut it off when the bill got up to a couple thousand dollars. So, if you are independently wealthy, or if you have a great international plan, then I recommend cellphone use! If not, BEWARE–there always appear to be hidden costs that you never are aware of until you get that bill!
5.) CONVENTIONAL MAIL!: WHY BOTHER?????
