I ate my first "Ice Gola" last weekend! I am not kidding you. When I was a kid, mom had given strict instructions of not venturing within 5 miles of the vendor selling the stuff outside the school. My brother and I were warned that the Gola might contain parasites and germs which would then grow inside our stomachs. And though I agree that the ice and syrup might not have been made from clean water, I feel sorry for my brother and I because we swallowed the idea of an alien monster bursting out of our stomachs - hook, line and sinker!

The "Ice Gola" vendor in the mall, however, had a board saying that both ice and syrup were made from mineral water. I hoped that the board was telling the truth and went for it. I can't say that I have become a fan but it sure was fun to bite into the crunchy ice and slurp on the syrup (strawberry in my case!).

I must confess though that when I chanced upon the channel showing "Alien Resurrection" last night, the alien baby being born did bring forth visions of the "Ice Gola" vendor outside our school :-)