same time while on speakerphone, be- cause the site allows users to video chat and stream the film within the same screen. As you watch them gasp at all the twists in the newest thriller, you will feel al- most like you’re by their side again.
Pro tip: this is the time to watch that film that everyone else loves but you have yet to watch. Bingeing the Lord of the Rings trilogy or watching Inception for the first time provides excellent source material to chat and debate with your movie-watching partner about for the days to come.
Giving gifts: demonstrating your affection
Yes, you just gave so many gifts over the holidays, I know! The big misconception about people who feel most loved when receiving gifts is that it has to be a massive, expensive or otherwise uniquely special gift.
Online retailers are your friend. There is a multitude of ways to give small gifts as a gesture of your love and affection and these services make it easy even from an ocean away... and sometimes with same- day delivery!
Does your brother have a big test coming up? Send him some snacks and a new notebook. Best friend going through a rough time at work? Send her a pair of those fuzzy socks you know she’d love. Partner struggling to hang photos of you in the shrine they’ve built? Let them know you’re thinking of them and wish you could be there to help by sending them some wall-safe picture hanging strips. If the person you have in mind is known for this kind of generosity towards their own friends and loved ones, chances are they
10 FOCUS The Magazine January/February 2019
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will be very touched by you showing you care, even in this little way. This is the power of communicating in the language of love they best understand.
For those looking for a grander gesture, there are monthly subscription boxes to meet nearly any interest: your techy friend, your makeup-obsessed sibling or your whiskey-loving dad, to name a few. Each month, they’ll be reminded of your affec- tion and you can hop on Skype together to see them open the month’s surprises.
Pro tip: combine tactics! If you’ve booked a movie date with your partner for that evening, order some popcorn and candy to be delivered to their place that evening.
They’ll love the surprise and it’ll make them feel extra special.
Words of affirmation: love me, love me, say that you love me
You do a lot of talking and texting with the people you care about when you live far away. The question is, how can you make the most significant impact with your words when phone and computer screens constrain you?
We’ve already covered many of the apps available to stay connected with your loved ones. While it isn’t necessarily ‘words’, Snapchat is a favourite tool for expats, as it allows you to share the sights of your foreign land (or pictures of your
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