Mandelbaum's was a popular bar near a university campus. Stan, a languages professor, frequented Mandelbaum's after work. He likened it to a permanent floating cocktail party, rather than a "meat market". Stan was friendly with a bartender named Victor. It was here that Stan met Indira Patel, and kicked around the idea of a possible parasite that could influence human behavior in the way flatworms influenced sticklebacks to engaged in behaviors that made them vulnerable to predators.