on keychains, vinegar eels and puke

lit's only yesterday from the very first time i became a patient of my doctor (way back 2008) that i noticed this at the reception area of his office:

an A0 sized cork board full of keychains from different places.  i was amazed by the sheer volume of keychains attached to the board that i had to take a picture of it.  i know from our conversations that he has traveled to different  countries to train other doctors or visit factories where he can source newly developed medicines fro his patients.  i just didn't realize it's that many until i saw the board.

after my doctor's appointment, my mom and i had lunch at mang inasal.  i've eaten at mang inasal before but it's the first time i noticed those wriggly, very thin strands of worm-like creatures inhabiting the vinegar. i noticed i've been staring a lot at fixed objects so much lately. that's probably why i chanced upon those little critters swimming around the vinegar.  anyway, i called the manager and inquired what those wriggly critters are.  turns out, he doesn't know what they are called, but he assured that it's safe to use the vinegar.  those critters are part of the fermentation process because they are using natural vinegar from coconut.  a few inquiries with mr. google and i found out what those little organisms are: they are vinegar eels (Turbatrix aceti).  they are in there for a reason.  they eat the microbial culture used to make vinegar and then die off once all the bacteria has been consumed. the presence of both the eels and the bacterial culture in the vinegar are not harmful, still it's ewwwness.   from now on, i won't be eating mang inasal vinegar.  just the idea of all those squirming little critters moving inside my mouth gives me goosebumps.  i wasn't able to take a picture of the wriggly fellows but i found this at youtube:



another ewww-worthy addition to my day yesterday was this woman.  we saw her on our way to my qc apartment so i can get some stuff that i'll be needing for my next trip back to work.  she was puking non-stop from baclaran, up to the pearl of the orient building.  outside the window of their very new vehicle.  we had to change lanes and slow down a lot so we can avoid catching all those vomit she was carelessly spitting out.  her companions should have been very horrified/embarrassed by her public display of grossness.