A bargain not worth sweating over

"Let's see what's happening!", cried Ellen, as she saw a line that stretched around the corner.

No, we weren't at the Shanghai Expo, we were just out wandering near Tianjin Medical University, where I work.

It was Ellen's day off, and a trip to the bank and shopping for baking supplies was in order, so we'd set out early to avoid the heat.

But when we rounded the corner at 9 am, the last thing we expected to see was a long queue of people standing in the sun.

One of China's best known bakeries, had just opened a new branch close to the university, and they were holding their opening celebrations - the main draw being the 1-yuan mango smoothie.

After a quick glance at the length of the line, we decided not to join it, and slowly sauntered off to the bank.

About an hour later, after a stop for a nice, cold drink, we came back, only to find that the line was still as long.

A van was parked on the pavement, and bag-after-bag of ice was being hauled inside by frazzled-looking workers. The sound of blenders filled the air.

It seemed mango smoothie was a hit with the locals.

We slipped past the line, and went on to the little shop where I buy my unsalted butter - which was, as usual, completely devoid of a crowd. The owner, however, was gently sucking on the straw of a mango smoothie that had been delivered to him a few minutes earlier, as a gesture of goodwill by the bakery's staff.

"I can't see what all the fuss is about", he told me, as Ellen translated, "tomorrow they will be back to a normal price, and they'll have to rely on something more than gimmicks to keep themselves afloat!"

Still, as I glanced out at the line up past his store, I couldn't help but wonder at the lengths people would go to for a bargain.

Don't get me wrong, I love a good deal on things, and I'll try and get one where I can.

By now, the heat and humidity was getting to the point where neither I nor Ellen could stand it, and with the butter safely stowed in an insulated bag, we decided to pop into the local bar for a quiet drink before heading home for lunch.

The queue still snaked off into the distance, with people fanning themselves as rivers of perspiration ran off them. Gazing through the haze, I just couldn't see the attraction of waiting almost 30 minutes, just to save a few yuan on a drink.

The local pub is quiet at the best of times, but it seems that a bargain can clear it faster than a fire - it was absolutely silent as we entered.

The owner told Ellen that, "Big franchises come in, and steal all the business by undercutting our prices - we can only hope that people will come back later when all the fuss has died down."

And she was right. As the heat rose, and the line lengthened, more people left the queue and headed back into the cool, welcoming shade of the bar. Drink orders were called out, and bottles opened, slaking thirsts that a long wait had brought to a peak.

The waitress darted between tables, delivering cold, frosty drinks, and life returned to its normal, hectic pace.

As we drained our drinks, it seemed to me that a bargain's only a bargain as long as you can stand to wait for it - but good customer service lasts forever.