FIFA World Cup finals remain. The soccer fever has caught everyone and it should start receding as well, now that the WC is coming to an end. It has been a month of drama, frenzy, craze and fever. Emotions abound!
In this part of the world, where we keep guessing if India will ever qualify and hoping it qualifies once in our lifetime and talks about how India should host a World Cup event. But alas!! the bid is done with until 2030.
Irrespective of all these, the soccer mania in India is at an all time high. From West Bengal to Kerala, its Messi, Kaka, Rooney all the way. Got some funny email forwards of flex boards and posters in Kerala - Messi is dressed in Dhoti playing soccer, Rooney dressed as a Malabar king, a village named as "Argentina Nagar".
People supporting their favorite teams, graffiti of Brazil and Argentinian flags, T shirts sold like hot cakes with number 10 on them. Youngsters sporting Messi and Kaka jerseys. Trying to get the pronunciation right of names such as Steinsteiger. Waking up at an unearthly hour to see their favorites go down the drain - England, Brazil, Argentina, Germany.....only to sleep during work hours. Words heard in the cafeteria and break rooms are forward, offside, headbutt, howlers....
People curious to know what a Vuvuzela is. In the beginning, I wondered if it was another name given to the country 'Venezuela' :-D Later, wondered why did the WC organizers in SA not take care of the mosquito menace in the stadiums, hearing to the non stop buzz. And then realized it was due to the VUVUZELA and not mosquitoes!!
Ahh, the Jabulani. The Sindhis would be proud. The official soccer ball for the WC is the Jabulani, surrounded with controversies. People here want to own it, I myself want one and checked the price of it. 150$ is what it is, quite reasonable!! I shall get one soon!
And the Waka Waka. People who did not know who Shakira was, now know her better. And they are spell-bound of her Waka Waka moves and gyrations. Oh yes!! Those are the ones who have not seen her "Hips Don't Lie" moves :-) Oh!! Lets not forget our Malayalam version of the same - Laka Laka. It has its own fan following :-)
We know who K'naan is and we can sing
"When I get older, I will be stronger,
They'll call me freedom, just like a wavin' flag,
And then it goes back........"
Last but not the least, the oracle Paul. The one guy who is basking in the glory and obscuring the FIFA WC itself is the OCTOPUS. Man!! he has a Wiki page dedicated to him, has a fan page on Facebook. His predictions are believed more than the team, bookies taking his words and deciding on whom to place their bet. A celebrity who is being discussed world over, who is giving tough competition to the Messis and the Kakas and the Rooneys :-)
Lets Waka Waka!!
