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Best Way of Keeping In Touch?

Best Way of Keeping In Touch?

Old Jan 8th 2008, 10:25 am
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Default Best Way of Keeping In Touch?

Ok, so you regulars will know that I'm working my way out to Riyadh in a few months. Got to thinking....

Whats the best and cheapest way to keep in touch with the folks back home?

Skype
Landline Phone
Mobile Phone - KSA sim card / pay as you go?
Email?

Never used Skype, no idea if its any good. Would like to talk to people ( wife n kids ) rather than just using email.

What do you guys use and what would you recommend?

TIA.
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Old Jan 8th 2008, 10:31 am
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Default Re: Best Way of Keeping In Touch?

Originally Posted by nottmbantam
Ok, so you regulars will know that I'm working my way out to Riyadh in a few months. Got to thinking....

Whats the best and cheapest way to keep in touch with the folks back home?

Skype
Landline Phone
Mobile Phone - KSA sim card / pay as you go?
Email?

Never used Skype, no idea if its any good. Would like to talk to people ( wife n kids ) rather than just using email.

What do you guys use and what would you recommend?

TIA.
This has been done before - search the threads...

e.g.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...ighlight=skype

Consensus seems to be that VPN is the best way to go.
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Old Jan 8th 2008, 10:32 am
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Default Re: Best Way of Keeping In Touch?

Originally Posted by nottmbantam
Ok, so you regulars will know that I'm working my way out to Riyadh in a few months. Got to thinking....

Whats the best and cheapest way to keep in touch with the folks back home?

Skype
Landline Phone
Mobile Phone - KSA sim card / pay as you go?
Email?

Never used Skype, no idea if its any good. Would like to talk to people ( wife n kids ) rather than just using email.

What do you guys use and what would you recommend?

TIA.
I have used Skype for years. First from Europe and now Dubai.
If your folks back home have a PC then it will be free
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Old Jan 8th 2008, 10:49 am
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Default Re: Best Way of Keeping In Touch?

Originally Posted by shakh your bootie
This has been done before - search the threads...

e.g.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...ighlight=skype

Consensus seems to be that VPN is the best way to go.
Whoops, sorry, didn't think to search!

Just need to understand what a VPN is now...

Thanks.
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Old Jan 8th 2008, 10:54 am
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Default Re: Best Way of Keeping In Touch?

Originally Posted by nottmbantam
Whoops, sorry, didn't think to search!

Just need to understand what a VPN is now...

Thanks.
Stands for virtual private network.... It's basically a way to tunnel under the etisalat site blocker thingy wall.
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Old Jan 8th 2008, 10:57 am
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Default Re: Best Way of Keeping In Touch?

Originally Posted by shakh your bootie
Stands for virtual private network.... It's basically a way to tunnel under the etisalat site blocker thingy wall.
read his post and you'll see he won't be in the UAE so nowt to do with Etisalad!
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Old Jan 8th 2008, 11:00 am
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Default Re: Best Way of Keeping In Touch?

Originally Posted by Inselaffen
read his post and you'll see he won't be in the UAE so nowt to do with Etisalad!
Sorry. For Etisalat read "or any other oppressively censorious provider of innernet services that you may subscribe to".....

Not too doe-eyed to be anally pedantic, eh Monsieur MonkeyBoy?
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Old Jan 8th 2008, 11:02 am
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Default Re: Best Way of Keeping In Touch?

Originally Posted by shakh your bootie
Sorry. For Etisalat read "or any other oppressively censorious provider of innernet services that you may subscribe to".....

Not too doe-eyed to be anally pedantic, eh Monsieur MonkeyBoy?
never too doe-eyed for that mr SHakh'n'vac!

Last edited by Inselaffen; Jan 8th 2008 at 11:06 am.
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Old Jan 8th 2008, 11:04 am
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Default Re: Best Way of Keeping In Touch?

Originally Posted by shakh your bootie
Sorry. For Etisalat read "or any other oppressively censorious provider of innernet services that you may subscribe to".....

Not too doe-eyed to be anally pedantic, eh Monsieur MonkeyBoy?
Now now chaps, don't be falling out on my behalf....

Besides, only one thing worse than being pedantic - Not being being pedantic enough.
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Old Jan 8th 2008, 2:43 pm
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Default Re: Best Way of Keeping In Touch?

Originally Posted by Inselaffen
I have used Skype for years. First from Europe and now Dubai.
If your folks back home have a PC then it will be free
iS skype totally free from both directions, if I read correctly on the skype website it is 17p per min
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Old Jan 8th 2008, 2:51 pm
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Default Re: Best Way of Keeping In Touch?

My understanding is that calling from one Skype user to antoher Skype user is totally free.

Calling Skype to landline or Skype to Mobile will incur charges, but both tend to be far lower than usual (UK ) telephone providers.
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Old Jan 8th 2008, 3:07 pm
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Default Re: Best Way of Keeping In Touch?

Don't talk to them in the UK - keep them guessing.

Be mysterious.

If you have a private switch at your office then go to the phone of your enemy - and you will have many - divert the number to your UK friend / mental hospital / whorehouse or whoever you want to talk to and then, from home call your enemies number and get diverted.

Your enemy then gets his collar felt and executed.
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Old Jan 8th 2008, 3:11 pm
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Default Re: Best Way of Keeping In Touch?

Originally Posted by nottmbantam
My understanding is that calling from one Skype user to antoher Skype user is totally free.

Calling Skype to landline or Skype to Mobile will incur charges, but both tend to be far lower than usual (UK ) telephone providers.
Sorry to disappoint but Skype is (or was, last time I checked) totally banned in the Magic Kingdom.

Actually I thought it was banned in Dubai too?
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Old Jan 8th 2008, 3:25 pm
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Default Re: Best Way of Keeping In Touch?

Originally Posted by The Dean
Sorry to disappoint but Skype is (or was, last time I checked) totally banned in the Magic Kingdom.

Actually I thought it was banned in Dubai too?

Yup that is a major disappointment. Will have to look at at these things called VPN's people have mentioned.

Until then, I guess that best bet is to either invest in a telephone line or even a KSA pay as you go sim card for my mobile?
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Old Jan 8th 2008, 3:36 pm
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Default Re: Best Way of Keeping In Touch?

Originally Posted by The Dean
Sorry to disappoint but Skype is (or was, last time I checked) totally banned in the Magic Kingdom.

Actually I thought it was banned in Dubai too?
it's not banned at the moment...

MM, xx
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