And the Winner is ...... Paul the Octopus

Friends as we all know this World cup soccer of 2010 is a unique one in many ways. The competition is taking place in Africa for the first time. The vuvuzella is conquering the World cup which is another first. But I am not talking about those aspects. This world cup is unique since this is the World cup of “Paul”.

Now friends Paul is not any footballer or any coach or manager or even a referee or one of those FIFA bosses. Paul is not even a human being! Our dear Paul is one … how to put it, he is one eight-legged Octopus.

Now those friends who are wondering out, what an Octopus has to do with the World Cup? Let me tell you friends, Paul has a unique ability, he predicts a winner before each of the matches by sitting atop one of the two Flags representing two competing countries before each important match. And the team on whose flag, Paul the Octopus sits, wins all the time!!!

The most amazing thing is that Paul the octopus is not from the “developing” and “backward” east , Paul is very much from the civilized , scientific and rational Germany , a stalwart nation as per as Western ideas of rationalism or scientific achievements is concerned.

When I first heard about Paul the octopus, I could not believe that Paul is becoming a celebrity in the nation which gave us Nietzsche, Hegel and Einstein. I mean to say that the nation which made rationalism and scientific achievement her national pastime is now looking at an Octopus to tell us who will win the World Cup?

Another amazing thing is how the World media (both eastern and Western) is playing up the Paul the Octopus effect. Paul is everywhere on the World media. Actually this might be not only beneficial for dear Paul but may bring some long term benefits for some of Paul’s Octopusian brethren, also. After all Paul’s Octopusian brethren all too often end up in the kitchens of the hotels and restaurants around the world. After the exploits of Paul the fortune-telling octopus, Paul’s Octopusian brethren may live a little bit longer since we all have found that the Octopusian race possess amazing qualities of accurate fortune-telling !!!

That apart it is more astonishing to see the different ways in which many people in India are explaining Paul’s exceptional fortune telling powers. Some people in India are saying that animals have an exceptional power of “sixth sense” through which they can understand things which we poor human beings can’t.

What a rational explanation!!! Now we come to know that an animal which does not even possess the small percentage of Grey matter in brain that we human beings do, can understand that there is a game called soccer and in 2010 there is a soccer world cup!!!

We in the east have learnt in the last centuries that the West is civilized and always better than us in every aspect since they are more rational and scientific than us. The people in west have often thought of us Asians as poor fellows who need the enlightenment of western rationalism.
For example I remember well that in India there was a craze about stone idols drinking milk in 1995. At that time the whole Western world (including rest of Asia) laughed at our irrationality and they were absolutely right in doing so since some of my fellow Indians could believe that an idol made of solid stone can drink milk!!! The whole craze about Paul the Octopus tells us that irrationality is not always an Asian phenomenon.

P .S: The supporters of Spanish soccer team rejoice and enjoy. Paul the Octopus is predicting that you are going to win the World cup final. And as you know, Paul has never been wrong in his predictions in this world cup.