Our Goli Soda Days

  •   Fri, Aug 24 2012
  •   By Anita Britto, Auckland

Aug 25, 2012


When I was just a young girl, scatterbrained and sweet sixteen

Not too fond of text books though on the playground always keen

I rushed to do my homework when I got back from school

So I'd have time for other stuff I thought was super cool
 

Now I was into Mills & Boon and also into sport

Dreamt of being a rock star but often missed a note

I loved to go to movies and I guess those were the days

When the chapters of your life seemed like the greatest phase
 

Guitar strapped on my shoulder I biked my way around

Practising those F- Sharps till I heard the perfect sound

Sometimes with Dad's old Nikon I tried to take some pics

Or get caught with James Hadley Chase and end up in a fix 
 

Between my Chem and Drama Class my friends and I would try

Pretend that we were grown- ups though often we were shy

We walked past to the Cafe - our favourite hang-out place

To have some garma garam chai despite the waiter’s gaze
 

We loved to see the Jukebox list which always made us smile

We also read each song out loud which really took a while

And then we played the same old song which made the owner cringe

I still hear Rhinestone Cowboy with a wistful kind of twinge 
 

We used 8 packs of cards or more to play a game of Bluff

Followed by some Carrom till our parents said ENOUGH

We didn’t have all those gizmos like the X-Box and its kind

And enjoyed playing Gilli danda which helped us all unwind
 

We also coined nicknames for boys and spent a lot of time

Speaking in “P” language which I guess was no big crime

We loved Our Archie Andrews and thought he looked real cute

While teachers banned our comics saying our minds they would pollute
 

Those Kaala Khatta days for sure were filled with “time-pass” fun

Though sometimes I’m not really proud of all the things I’ve done

If you promise not to kiss and tell I’ll whisper in your ear

And tell you “something something”  which perhaps you’ll want to hear
 

We made this list of boys and all the girls we guessed they liked

And wrote love letters in their names which really got them psyched

When things got kind of out of hand and really quite intense

I did regret playing Cupid and my lack of common sense 
 
 
 
With tests just round the corner we sat up late at night

Trying to solve equations which gave us all a fright

Our tummies would start rumbling and we prayed to every God

And even blamed our parents saying they shouldn’t have spared the rod
 

We shared our Goli Sodas and all our dreams and hopes

The Crazy Five they called us while we tried to learn the ropes

30 years have gone by and it’s nice we stay in touch

And revisit those days again which really means so much

Anita Britto Archives:
By Anita Britto, Auckland
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Comment on this article

  • a, abbas

    Thu, Sep 06 2012

    Really i miss it

  • santosh shetty, mangalore/mumbai

    Wed, Sep 05 2012

    There was a shop next to St aloysius school karangalpady,very famous for bend & goli soda.

  • Kevin Dsa, Nanthoor,Dubai

    Tue, Sep 04 2012

    Wow Goli soda how anyone can forget.fav was chappe soda with some salt....and ginger soda.
    Good one Anita

  • adhi, bengaluru

    Mon, Sep 03 2012

    Superb anita....:-)

  • Steevan Monis, Steevan Monis, Muscat

    Fri, Aug 31 2012

    Madanthyar da soda bari laiku. The Goli sodas reminds us of the nice old days and bygone memories...very nicely written by ANITA

  • Sundeep, Mangalore

    Fri, Aug 31 2012

    I recently gave my son a bottle of Goli soda which i bought near Ullal. He liked it very much, He told me it is better than Pepsi,Coca cola.Goli soda makers reduced/stopped as Arrack (Gangasara) stopped.Often those who used arrack used goli soda.

  • sandeep, Urwa, Mangalore

    Fri, Aug 31 2012

    Dont you remember Achutha bhandary, Dinesh kini,krishna gopal, Rajesh,prashanth, niranjan shetty,Sheikh. Reese all from Cosmos cricket team.

  • satish chilly willy, kemmannu/Dubai

    Thu, Aug 30 2012

    its really nice to see Goli Soda bottle when we are young we use visit kemmannu we use go Sattar Saibru Shop spcially we have seen making Goli Soda and we use to by Ginger Soda and we open our self,but now nobody makes in kemmannu I stll cannot forget the taste and those olden days

  • Mithra, Mangalore/Melbourne

    Thu, Aug 30 2012

    My favourite goli soda was ginger soda. But for a long time I was puzzled why the goli got stuck at the top of the bottle while drinking.....and I was also able to open the goli soda using my thumb!!

  • Candle, Mangalore

    Wed, Aug 29 2012

    Your article reminded me my childhood days too.In those days after the fat meal ginger soda is a must.One barf is like heaven.I made lot of money by playing gili danda game and used to get nice beating from parents,we used to call kutti dhonne.I enjoyed your article.

  • Harry, Mangalore

    Wed, Aug 29 2012

    Beautiful Memories. I loved drinking Nannari Flabour in my childhood from Kini Maam's shop ( shop was located near the Kottara and Post office junction). All Government Quarters residents and friends used to enjoy this. We used to play cricket there along with Satisha, Vinaya, Manoj, Niranjan,Harish, Santosh, Nagaraja,Robin , Raja, Renny, Reggie,myself and Hari. How much we used to fight passionately over cricket . Now when we look back , I miss those days. Oh childhood, how much I miss you .

  • flavian dsouza, chik/bang

    Tue, Aug 28 2012

    nice one !!and only on special occasions like independance day or a republic day we used to get a limbu soda !!kya tasty tha with a littel salt in it

  • wilma vaz, london

    Tue, Aug 28 2012

    WOWI miss ginger soda, thanks for reminding the old days.

  • Sarita D'Souza, Valencia/Kuwait

    Mon, Aug 27 2012

    Story of my life too. Can relate to this Poem. And O yeah, I remember Godianna's Soda. He would visit our local goodangadis with his load of goli sodas on his bicycle. Friendly person. God bless his soul :)

  • R.Bhandarkar., M

    Mon, Aug 27 2012

    Nowadays Soda's don't have that Fizz...
    Has to do with the 'Goli's'I guess..
    No use reading a 'Mills and Boon'
    Round every corner there's a Goon
    Anitha , Rita ,Latha and Neetha
    Names and Souls were pure and Sweet
    Now...there's nothing to talk but only to Tweet....
    Old friends we rarely meet...
    Go nostalgic to give ourselves a treat.....
    (Dedicated to....Hmm she's still around......)

  • Marian M, Bangalore

    Mon, Aug 27 2012

    Great Anita, to write such a lovely story! Brought back memories for me too.

  • Fr. Melwin Pinto s.j., Mangalore, Rome.

    Sun, Aug 26 2012

    Those were the days my friend we thought they'd never end, we'd sing and dance... I had never understood what was so special about that song... But now I certainly do!! Thanks Anita, for having stirred up those nostalgic memories.... It's a fantastic piece of poetry!!

  • Freya, Mumbi

    Sun, Aug 26 2012

    Hey Anita

    Good one, remember how we used to try to remove the goli out of the bottle.

  • Edward Barboza, Kanajar / Auckland

    Sun, Aug 26 2012

    Hi Anitha,

    Excellent poem. You brought back my childhood memories of when I used to sit in my grandmother’s shop and sell other items including Goli Soda. Children’s special was Thepay Soda. (Sweet Soda), the elderly “Suntti Soda” and "Limbay Soda" (Ginger Soda and Lime Soda). Best wishes and awaiting to read some more poems.

  • Clara Fernandes, Mangalore

    Sun, Aug 26 2012

    Great poem. Mills and Boon, Archies, Goli Soda....the ones we enjoyed in our teens and how addicted we were to the Mills and Boon, books were carried even to the restroom....lovely memories.Modern era Iphone, Samsung S3, FB and What's Up.

  • Terry fernandez, Kalamazoo

    Sun, Aug 26 2012

    Wow. Nice Anita. You sure are the bard in the family. I have to confess, we use to try getting the goli out of the bottle!!

  • Silvia, Mangalore

    Sun, Aug 26 2012

    A treat from my mother after evening mass on Sundays a ginger soda.....brought back sweet memories of innocent days. very well written Anita...

  • Joe Britto, Nakre/Bangalore

    Sat, Aug 25 2012

    Great One Anita !

    Attishum !!

    Goli Mara !!!

  • faizal faiji, Katipalla

    Sat, Aug 25 2012

    While reading this article i remembered my childhood and i remembered Subhraya uncle who is famous for making goli soda in our ares.

    keep smiling

  • Mervin Menezes, Mangalore/Kuwait

    Sat, Aug 25 2012

    Bringing back lovely memories of the good old days. Very nicely narrated Anita..Keep writing

  • Lancelot N Tauro, Manglore - Doha Qatar

    Sat, Aug 25 2012

    East or West Goli Soda is best, Tichchkanv...... LIMBU SARBHAT WITH GOLI SODA WAW...no to ENO.

  • SIDDIK, QATAR

    Sat, Aug 25 2012

    Mangalapete Baburayerna golisoda.......... It was so tasty and missing a lot. I think its still there on daily delivery to local shops.

  • Anita Sequeira, Bendore - Mangalore

    Sat, Aug 25 2012

    Enjoyed every bit of this beautiful poem ....it got back so many memories of our younger days when we were in school/high school. Congratualtions Anita keep up the good work and hoping to see more of this, in your next.
    Fond love,
    Urbanitamanda, Aunty Celine and all at home

  • CA Nitin J Shetty, Mangalore

    Sat, Aug 25 2012

    The Goli sodas reminds us of the nice old days and bygone memories...very nicely written Anitha

  • Bulsam, Mangalore

    Sat, Aug 25 2012

    Good one! Come up with more juice by-gone memories and the innocent puppy love.
    When we compare those days to this modern, extra-ordinary fast food life, I don't mind going back to that laid back ordinary Charmuri-Goli-soda treat that was more fun and healthy.

  • Roshan Braganza, Udyavar / Bombay

    Sat, Aug 25 2012

    These wonderfull goli sodas are still available in local market. I like chappe soda . Thanx to the globalization , now we can enjoy city life in cerenity of nature. As more mnc' s arround one works in a class urban infrastrucure , drives home few kilometers away from city , enjoy serenity of nature , almost rural . A penthouse , garden , cow , hen ......and GOLI SODA......!

  • Jacobnelosn, Bejai

    Sat, Aug 25 2012

    Even gonger soda was an excellent one I still can not forget the taste of it.

  • Gautam Bansal, Mangalore/New Dehi

    Sat, Aug 25 2012

    How did 'Mangalorean's are drnking 'Goli Soda'..God only knows..

  • Blaan Mendonca, USA

    Sat, Aug 25 2012

    (Godianna)Godwin's Goli Soda was the most popular in Mangalore. Godianna Goli Soda Shop was near Vaman Nayak Clock Industries, Marnemikatta. Ginger Soda was the most popular.

  • Anand, Karkala/Dubai

    Sat, Aug 25 2012

    I used to drink dark pink color Soda which was available when I was in teen age. Nicely put forward through poem and well written.


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