Food expenses on Monday:

RMB 4 + 4

Lunch out with co-workers at a place near my house. One bowl of mountain veggie soup with extremely tender beef chunks, and a helping of ramen-like noodles with an almost sweet sauce, salty peanuts, and sour preserved veggies.

RMB 5 + 1.8

Snack before teaching class in late afternoon. One cheap but good milk-based apple drink, and one Kinder chocolate bar with hazelnut filling.

RMB 5.5 + 2.5

Dinner in the back alleys just off Shanghai's most famous, but not necessarily best, shopping street: Nanjing East Road. One bowl of curry ramen with beef slices and Chinese cilantro, and a fried egg by request. Also, one box of seven takoyaki (fried octopus batter spheres, in sweet sauce and topped with seaweed).

RMB 5.5

Dessert just before dance class, at McDonalds on Nanjing East Road. One plain ice cream cone, promptly dumped into a small cup of coke: ice cream float.

RMB 0

Saltines and yogurt, back at home.

Overall, RMB 28.3 (about USD 3.5). Not bad for one day, but then again I don't eat much.