Have you considered Skype (or some other flavour of video chat)? I appreciate it's still not the same but being able to chat 'face to face' is a lot closer than email & LJ.

Even Skype's basic (free) VoIP service is worth having. Add on SkypeOut and/or SkypeIn and it'll let you call ordinary phones in far distant lands for small amounts or even - as I do - maintain a phone number in a far off land for friends there to call.