Shanghai
I was in Shanghai on my own, exploring. I was living in a small city in China and after a few months of lacking what I consider basic food necessities - cheese, oregano, thai curry paste - had gone to Shanghai to stock up. I'd found the Western supermarket (eventually), dropped a lot of coin and then adjourned to the bar which was conventiently in the hotel plaza which also housed the supermarket.

Several jars later, I emerged blinking into the warm sunlight to be surrounded by numerous street hawkers selling watches, handbags and the like. I bethought to myelf that it was time for a new watch, for the pleasant friendly chaps were proffering ones that were upmarket and stylish - just like me. They were able to speak English and when they said the watch I liked was RMB400, I managed to haggle them down to 100 (now about 10 quid), and the exchange was done.

I walked away feeling pretty chuffed with my haggling - a 75% discount, no less!

Fucking thing only worked for a week.
(McChinaman banned, Sat 23 May 2009, 11:53, 2 replies)

I bought an "Omega Constellation" copy in Shenyang up in North China in 1997, and it's still going!

(Super Jet Shoes, Wed 27 May 2009, 13:41, closed)

Needs a new battery every couple of years, mind.

(Super Jet Shoes, Wed 27 May 2009, 13:42, closed)