Can You Hear Me Now? Good.

As Rotary Ambassadorial Scholars, we are expected to serve as bridges between our home countries and our host countries. More specifically, we are to foster understanding between our home Rotary district and our host Rotary district. While much of this understanding blossoms informally, one of our responsibilities is to give 10-15 ambassadorial presentations to Rotary and non-Rotary audiences over the duration of our study year.

District map of my host district in Africa

Over the past three months, I have corresponded with several Rotary clubs in District 9350, and I have coordinated several of these presentations. Last week, I visited the Noon Gun Rotary Club, which meets in Cape Town CBD, or Central Business District. The club was incredibly welcoming and extraordinarily friendly, and I really enjoyed the time I spent with them.

One of the Rotarians in attendance explained that he participated in the Rotary Youth Exchange many years ago. He mentioned that because international communication was underdeveloped at the time, he spoke to his parents about three times during the course of his time abroad. This, of course, astounded me, revealing my dependence on communication technology that makes the distance between here and there (wherever one might apply those terms) seem significantly more manageable.

Valentine's Day greetings with my sisters

Even prior to this conversation, though, I was reflecting on the value of such technology. My communication with someone in the United States or another country usually ends with a moment of appreciation for the sheer ability to cross the world with text, photos, videos, or voices, not to mention the ease at which these things are possible. When armed with an iPhone and a MacBook, nowhere is too far away. Curious about communication while abroad? Here are my not-so-secret weapons.

• WhatsApp: For someone like me, who thrives on constant communication via text message, WhatsApp is invaluable. A messenger app available to anyone with an iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, or Windows phone, WhatsApp functions just like text messaging, but it uses the Internet for transmission of data rather than the phone line. Thanks to this simple app, many of my friends and family members are at my fingertips, no matter where I am (or where they are) in the world. Since being here, I've been in conversation with people in the USA, Spain, Jordan, Denmark, New Zealand, England, and South Africa. And, when I part ways with past and current roommates, I'll be able to talk to them in their homes of Australia, Russia, and Germany.
• Skype: Without a doubt, Skype deserves the world’s gratitude. Given a webcam and high-speed Internet access, Skype can connect any two devices anywhere in the world with video chat communication. I chose “devices” over “people” because it’s a great tool for feeling included in group functions from family birthday celebrations to friend get-togethers. The real accolade for Skype is that it’s simple enough for my dad to figure out… and that’s saying something. 

• Viber: This hidden gem of the smartphone app world is incredibly under-utilized. I actually didn’t know about it until just before I started this adventure, but now I’m an avid fan. Similar to WhatsApp, Viber functions off Internet to provide voice call capability between any two phones with the app. When both users are connected to WiFi, the call quality is unbelievably clear, especially in contrast to the international phone call quality I’ve experienced since being here. If one user is connected or both users are connected using a 3G or 4G data connection, it’s a bit less reliable, but that’s avoidable.

South Africa is dominated by the BlackBerry, as the device and its corresponding data plans are much more affordable here. Plus, its BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) service makes communication between BlackBerry users free. In fact, one prominent ad at the end of Long Street boasted this tagline, an obvious jab at Apple’s iconic slogan: THINK DIFFERENT? OR DO DIFFERENT?

BlackBerry ad on the side of a
building at the end of Long Street

Though I tip my hat to such clever advertising, I remain staunchly loyal to the iPhone. Thus, I wasn’t willing to transition to the BlackBerry. To my surprise, therefore, I’ve found myself using WhatsApp to communicate freely with locals (and other international students and visitors, as well) to avoid messaging charges.

Aside from these spectacular resources, there's also the usual communication outlets: phone calls (at about $0.10 per minute for international calls), emails (also available on my phone), postal mail (if you can wait about a month for it to get there), and social networking (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram).

My iPhone home screen:
Evidence that I'm abroad!

There's no question that without free-flowing communication, I'd feel much more isolated and much farther away from the comforts of family and old, broken-in, and reliable friendships. Communication shrinks the size of the world, as almost every corner is connected in many ways. The "other side of the world," as I so often refer to my current location, would feel much farther away without so many avenues to stay in touch with my favorite people.