Hosting a Laotong Night and Celebrating Friendship

Friends are flowers in the garden of life. 

That's a saying that I remember often.  I treasure my friendships and like getting together with my gal pals to create memories and have fun.  I'm excited to soon be hosting a get-together with a couple of my closest friends for a Laotong Night.  Laotong, or "old sames", is a special type of relationship in the Chinese Hunan culture that bonded girls together for eternity as kindred sisters.  This bond is one of most precious friendship, and women even shared their own secret writing they used to communicate called Nushu.  For the Laotong Night, I will receive a DVD copy of the film, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.  I will also receive three copies of Lisa See's book of the same name.  I'm enthused to be able to share the DVD and the book with my friends soon.

DVD Synopsis:

Growing up in 19th century China, Lily (Bingbing Li) and Snow Flower (Gianna Jun) are brought together in a Laotong friendship - a lifelong bond between two women who rely on each other for companionship and comfort.  Amid the civil unrest and gender discrimination of the era, the pair deals with life's hardships together until they are separated by marriage and childbirth.  As sworn sisters, however, the women continue to communicate through the secret language of nushu, hiding their stories and messages within the folds of delicate silk fans.

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Lily and Snow Flower had an intense friendship that lasted a lifetime.  Nushu helped them communicate and remain close, even in distance.  Everyone has that old friend they have known for a long time, yet find it hard to keep in touch.  Both get busy with their separate lives and don't take the time to catch up with one another.  In honor of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan coming to Blu-ray and DVD November 1st, here's a guide for keeping in touch with your besties, through whatever life may put between you. 

Write Letters

There's nothing like a handwritten letter to let someone know that you care and are thinking about them.  Make a point of writing to your long-distance friend at least once a month, and giving them updates on what's going in in your life, and asking what's new in their life.  If you're so inclined, you can include photos or other small tokens of your friendship with your letters.  This simple, heartfelt update will go a long way in making your friendship last.

Take A Trip Together

If it's within both of your budgets, you and your bestie should take a trip together.  Meet up in different places each year - places that are either meaningful to both of you, or places that you two have always wanted to visit together.  Have a weekend in Las Vegas, a week at the theme parks in Orlando, a glamorous trip to Hollywood, or a long, restful weekend in New England.  Making new memories (or reliving old ones) will help keep your friendship vibrant.

Skype

One of the greatest inventions for modern day friendships is Skype.  Making a weekly or biweekly "Skype date" can give you a chance to both talk to and see your long-distance friend on a regular basis.  Best of all, Skype is free to use, even if you're video-chatting someone internationally!  Skype is great because, in addition to getting to hear your friend's voice, you can also actually show them what's new with you, or do something new together.

Start An Online Photo Album

There are so many different ways to share photos online these days, and you and your friend should take advantage of that!  You can make a private album that only the two of you can access and than you can both upload and comment on each other's photos and keep up with what's going on in each other's lives.

Send Each Other Gifts

If you're ever out shopping and see a little something that reminds you of your friend or see something you think your friend would love, why not send it to them?  With USPS' Flat Rate Boxes, you can send as much as you want to your long-distance friend for a small fee.  Why not make a care package filled with things you know they like (like homemade treats, or products specific to your area that they can't get where they live).  If you exchange small gifts every few months, it will remind your friend that you're thinking about them, and help you two stay friends forever.

I received no compensation for this post.  I will be receiving products for review.  Please do your own research before purchasing products or using services.  Your opinions and results may differ from mine.