Asia is famous for its street food. It's delicious and cheap provided your stomach can handle it. Most times, the food is uncovered and it does attract flies and bees (yes, lots of bees on the sweet sticky yams and cakes). It is common to pack lunch at these places - get a polystyrene container from the stall owner, pile in the rice and select whatever dishes you like. An instant meal at a budget price. I guess in the West, lunches are sandwiches and hot dogs on the run. We have these too but, we love our rice and noodles. It is funny how our tummies can get use to specific "contamination." I call it "contamination" as the water and ingredients used to prepare the food is different in each country. I enjoy street food in Malaysia and happily sit by the wooden tables and chairs by the road side, but street food in Thailand or Indonesia will give me a "rumble in my stomach." 
Even with franchaise food where our taste buds may not detect the slight differences, the stomach knows what it is digesting. I will confess I am a McDonald's addict. I even have McD (as our family calls it) coupons in my wallet all the time. Some of you have shared your addictions to coffee and "pop drinks." But nothing makes me happier than my Happy Meals at McD. My 2 all time favourites - Bic Mac and the Fillet-O-Fish.
When I was in UK for a conference a few years ago, I happily tucked into the Fillet. The bun was just as soft and the fish warm and crispy on the outside and perfect inside. Tasted more delicious than the ones at home because of the cold winter. But a few minutes after finishing, my stomach protested. It just was not possible. Being a scientist, I had to do more experiments on this really unusual phenomenon. So I actually ate the Fillet-O-Fish thrice more at different times (lunch and dinner), a good scientist must test all variables. The same thing happened every time - stomach rumble. Conclusion - It must be a slight difference in the tartare sauce, maybe there is more lemon juice as I know my stomach is sensitive to acidic stuff. Anyway they were the most enjoyable experiments I had ever done. Does anyone else have a queer tummy like mine?
