My vpn was updated two weeks ago, maybe the fourth time in a month and it’s always managed to stay one step in front of the great firewall but this week they have not been quick enough and the hamster inside my phone has finally succumbed.

Windows on the other hand has been a bit more lucky because today I got an update and Windows continues to work so I’m not completely adrift which is good news for my sanity.

Almost all the apps I use for any kind of information such as news or for communicating with others outside of China have been cut off. My blog app is one of the few that still works without the vpn. With the Internet I am resigned to using Yahoo and God forbid Bing. I can’t even listen to BBC Radio 4, I mean what is wrong with this country?