Following our recent and now regular (third) video call with a friend in the UK, over the Easter weekend I had two more. Interestingly, each one using a different platform. Friday's UK call through Skype; on Saturday we used Facebook Messenger and Sunday's family call used Google Meets.
All worked.
Two nights ago I had a video catch-up with five mates: four of them former work-colleagues but we all know each other. We've been friends for many years. The catch-up crossed state boundaries: three in the ACT, one in Brisbane and one in NSW (me). One mate recovering in Canberra Hospital after thyroid cancer surgery. Two hours of nonsense chatter, beer and wine. Good to catch up, definitely but it didn't quite satisfy as much as the monthly dinner at our favourite Thai restaurant but right for current times.
On the following day a family video catch-up, this one international with one brother-in-law calling from northern Thailand where he now lives.
As a family we've usually got together at birthdays, Christmas and Easter. Not everyone can manage to join. On this occasion my two offspring were busy doing other things: my son and daughter-in-law have three kids under three years of age including twin boys eight months old. It's always logistically difficult to organise. My daughter is in the middle of preparing to relocate to her new house and so was painting. But those that joined the video enjoyed the chance to do the normal stuff families do together.
In both cases the video meetings were classed as successful and will be repeated for as long as the restrictions due to the CoViD-19 pandemic rolls on. We all need each other
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