Calling Home

How do I contact home without it costing the earth? There is Skype which is ok, if my whanau are connected. Then I may not get internet coverage in some parts of China, although I am taking my laptop so I can write a diary online. That was another hard decision, buying a notebook or an internet savvy phone. I chose the note book because I really can't handle the really, really tiny keys on one of those phones. Although I am open to that option. Firstly, I will have to make sure that it isn't locked to this country (then I'll be able to use it overseas). It also has to be 3G to use in China. My old dunga-lunga just makes it into this category :). I won't be getting 'roaming' because it is too expensive. I'm going to get a sim card for China and on the dream list, I might also get a dual sim card phone. That could cost a bit as well, but then that would save me chopping and changing my sim cards for New Zealand, Australia and now China. The China sim card, I understand will only work in China. Trip Advisor has a blog about sim cards and phones.