According to A.J. Jacobs, editor for Esquire, pretty much anything we want. In his article, My Outsourced Life, Jacobs describes the month he hired several “remote executive assistants” from Asia to take care of most of his everyday tasks like writing e-mails, buying presents, and even calling his parents.

I first read the article in the September issue of Esquire and I’ve been waiting to find it online. I don’t know how much Jacobs’s parents enjoyed talking to an Asian representative instead of their son, but it seems like it went pretty well.

Every weekend, I place a dutiful call to my parents. It’s a nice thing to do, I figure — but it’s also a huge time vacuum. This weekend it’s Mom and Dad’s anniversary, so I can expect it to eat up even more of my day than usual. Mr. Naveen to the rescue. I email Mr. Naveen — the YMII employee who will be on duty at the time — a few concerned-sounding questions and a couple of filial sound bites. Next day, I get this email:

I made an out bound call to Jacob’s parents. They very happily received my call. I first introduced myself to them. Then I wished them Happy Anniversary they both told me thank you. . . . I asked them how is the weather in their place. They told me that it is pretty nice temperature here and the garden looks beautiful.

I won’t reproduce the whole transcript, but apparently my mom’s sprained foot has gotten better (though the rain does not help), and my dad’s law practice is going along very well. As for me, I had a good week, apparently. This was highly successful outsourcing, saving me at least half an hour of sweaty-eared phone time.