Why is video chat impossible? International calls are the perfect use case for it. (I guess you could drop the video, and just do a VOIP phone call also.)
I live in Cambodia, work 18 hour days and between email, skype and the telephone I keep up with friends in family in North America on both coasts, in Europe, New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong, India and even people in my own time zone (Thailand, Laos, Singapore). I don't use facebook for any of this. It isn't difficult, and at least out here, most international calls are very cheap. And even if they were you can call through google voice or skype to mobiles and land lines at very low rates.