Lautsprecher: FIFA World Cup 2010

Holland will win. The Octopus told me. The octopus I ate last night is telling me from the inside.

For an entire month, this had been our lingua franca. Even though I couldn’t comprehend the fuss over twenty-two players and a ball, I made it a point to get second-hand information and display the image of an ardent fan of Brazil and Germany. If you didn’t know anything about World Cup, you were either deemed irrelevant; or, very irrelevant.

Held in South Africa, World Cup 2010 took the world by surprise when newer teams triumphed over many of the all-time favourites. While Japan and South Korea did Asia proud by qualifying for a place in the Round of 16, many were disappointed when teams like Argentina, Brazil, and Germany didn’t enter the final (though it was interesting to note that in their match against Argentina, the Germans scored a goal within a matter of five minutes!). The ladies were also very indignant when Kaka was given a red card (I was told that men watched soccer matches and ladies watched soccer players).

As such, when it came to the Final, people like myself did not know which team to support. According to Paul, supporting Espana would be the right choice. In any case, I went ahead and took the side of the Dutch, seeing that it was time they reached the pinnacle of the footballing world, having failed twice before already in 1974 and 1978.

What a relief, all that’s over! As we bade goodbye to the late night family gatherings (and the heaving of heavy eye bags in the morning after), it was comforting to know that more than entertainment, these soccer matches brought families closer together thanks to technology (as well as the KFC and Pizza Hut meals). Such an experience is essential for family bonding especially in today’s context when everyone claims to be too busy to spend time with our families. For the first time, I can safely vouch for the belief that a higher standard of living does lead to a better quality of life.

Gee… I ate the wrong octopus. No wonder it predicted wrongly. Looks like the Salty Soothsayer lives on…

By: Lim Sok Min