If you're willing to pay for it a VPN is much better than a proxy.

Proxies are generally not encrypted and either work through a URL like www.vtunnel.com or have to be configured inside your browser.

A VPN encrypts and sends all of your internet traffic through a server in another country and the packets cannot be inspected by the great firewall. Moreover, the protocols won't ever be blocked because they are essential for business and banking.

As well as encrypting the traffic they actually speed things up surprisingly. In normal circumstances encryption slows things down but one of the reasons the internet connection to the outside world from china is so slow is because of the great firewall. when using encryption over a vpn the firewall doesn't try to inspect the data packets and traffic passes through quicker.

www.worldvpn.net
www.witopia.net
www.strongvpn.com

of course i'd give a hongbao if it was necessary. doesn't stop me finding the whole concept repulsive.

It won't be a new doctor, all has already been arranged so its all looking quite good.

Actually having a doctor at all is a novel concept for westerners. In most of Europe babies are delivered by midwives and a consultant only comes into it if something goes wrong.

In China it seems the midwife doesn't really do that much and the consultant handles the birth.

I second that about the temperature. A winter in the north of China is much easier than in Kunming. Everywhere has central heating including taxis and buildings are well insulated.

There is no insulation, no central heating, every restaurant keeps their doors wide open so you have to wear all your winter clothes while you eat and most apartments have a fusebox that cannot handle a heater and a TV being on at the same time.

thanks yuantongsi.

I think we're pretty well prepared and realise it won't be exactly as we expect but at the very least there is a nod to the notion that the patient may be a human :-) I've had a couple of very disturbing experiences in other hospitals which I don't want to go into here.

As for blood, they have assured us they have it but we'll look into a donor too. Thanks for the advice.

oh dear, this is a mixed bag and not too encouraging. we've booked to have our baby in the richland. Their obgyn department seems professional and friendly and so far has the answers we've wanted to hear to most of our questions. They are the only hospital in the city that has private rooms for mother, father and baby together for the whole labour and afterwards. They also seem to be the only hospital that acknowledges what every western pregnancy book says that the best position is absolutely not on your back with legs in the air. We've so far found them to be fairly on the ball but also kind and patient-oriented which is extremely important. There is NEVER any excuse for hospital staff to shout at a patient who asks questions (experienced in Kunming), refuse to allow a 2nd opinion in a life-threating situation just in order to save face (experienced in Kunming and Qingdao), or the most spinechillingly sick and disgusting expecting a hongbao before a procedure (apparently extremely common). Richland might overcharge and give unnecessary tests but doing that in a friendly and caring manner beats being made to feel like your life depends on not offending the doctor's fragile pride which is the norm in most chinese hospitals. Rant over.