Remember Octopus Paul? In case your memory is already hazy, let me help you refresh it. Paul is the octopus who correctly predicted the outcomes of all seven of Germany’s games at World Cup 2010 plus the Spain-Netherlands final. He made his predictions by opening the lid of one of two boxes, each containing a mussel and bearing a team flag. He was beyond doubts the star of World Cup 2010.

Paul the Octopus during World Cup 2010

After he passed away in his sleep in October last year, the Sea Life Centre in Oberhausen, Germany, decided the celebrity octopus should be immortalized with a shrine to mark his uncanny predictions.

Yesterday, three months after the soothsayer�s death, the Sea Life aquarium in Oberhausen unveiled an outsized memorial to the World Cup’s most unlikely star: A 6 1/2-foot (2-meter) tall plastic replica of Paul clutching a ball in his eight arms.

Photographers surround the monument of Paul

Aquarium spokeswoman Tanja Munzig says Paul’s cremated ashes were placed in a gold-leaf-covered urn visible through a see-through screen on the over-sized ball covered with different national flags.

The ashes of the tentacled creature are contained in a golden octopus urn visible through a see-through screen

The urn of a sculpture of Paul inside the ball

“We acted upon the wishes of fans and created a place of remembrance.

“This monument was also built to show visitors just how much people around the world loved Paul,” Munzig told The Associated Press.

In addition, the aquarium created “Paul Corner”, which includes newspaper clippings in many different languages that tell of Paul’s global fame and exhibits gifts sent to the museum.

A family in Spain sent a glass of mussels in oil as a reward for Paul after he correctly predicted that Spain would win the World Cup, Munzig said.

A fan from New Zealand tailored a red, sleeveless football shirt for Paul – with a hole for each tentacle.

A successor to Paul, a French octopus named Paul II, was unveiled at the aquarium on November 3 after spending two months in quarantine.

He has yet to attempt to follow his predecessor’s fortune-telling but it is thought the Sea Life Centre may tempt him with flag-covered mussel treats for the 2012 European Championships in Ukraine and Poland.

After the original Paul’s death last year, Stefan Porwoll, manager of the Oberhausen Sea Life Centre, said: �Paul delighted people from all continents with his seven consecutive correct predictions for the matches of the German national team and for the final.

�He was dear to all our hearts and we will sorely miss him. It is a comforting thought that he had a good life with us with the best possible care delivered by a committed team.

�His success made him almost a bigger story than the World Cup itself.’

Paul the Octopus has finally got his tentacles permanently wrapped around a giant soccer ball.

Paul the Octopus's monument unveiled at the Sea Life aquarium in Oberhausen yesterday.

Here in Malaysia, there was a glut of Octopus Paul t-shirts on sale last year as businessmen capitalised on Paul’s fame. Just look at a few samples of the t-shirts available here in Malaysia.

Paul the Octopus told me so

Paul, the psychic Octopus, ROCKS!

Pulpo Paul t-shirt

Football fans in the Spanish city of Madrid are a lucky lot. Last summer, Real Madrid dished out more than $200 million to sign Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka

Now the city’s Madrid Zoo Aquarium has launched an audacious bid for Paul — the psychic octopus who correctly predicted Spain’s triumph at the FIFA World Cup 2010. The aquarium had offered to beat any offer already on the table in its quest to clinch Paul�s transfer from Germany�s Oberhausen Sea Life . The zoo�s spokesman said they were also ready to offer other animals in exchange for the octopus and said Paul would be accorded the “best care” befitting of a national hero.

Madrid Zoo Aquarium

Oberhausen Sea Life staff �announced Paul’s retirement from the predictions game earlier this week but said they were considering a host of offers from around the globe. Paul is on course to be the world’s first multi-millionaire octopus should the Oberhausen Sea Life choose to cash in on his global fame.

Paul�s 100 percent record is incredible but the minute he gets it wrong his credibility all disappears. Paul has thus ended his oracle days at exactly the right time.

Considering he is more consistent than all the top football stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, the winning bid should be quite a hefty sum. But taking into consideration that Paul may be around for only another six months to 2 years, Spain needs to expedite the transfer so that they can rake in millions from tourists and from advertisements and endorsements.

There is no limit to the ways in which Paul could be marketed. The gaming industry would be the logical use for Paul. Paul can be licensed for children’s toys, video games or cartoon shows. He can be an icon for a brand. A good use for him would be in adverts featuring two competing brands, such as Coke versus Pepsi or DHL versus FedEX. Which does Paul prefer?

I personally feel that it is most effective to use Paul in light-hearted commercials. Imagine Paul sitting on a tin of Coke in his aquarium and saying �This is the real Coke�nothing can beat it!�. Or picture Paul delivering a heavy FedEX package and saying �FedEX is the best�.trust me!�.

And maybe launch a new tv reality show “Who Wants To Be An Octopus”.

Who Wants To Be An Octopus?

FIFA World Cup 2010 is finally over and Octopus Paul has really stolen the limelight from all the soccer stars. Despite being dismissed as pure fluke, Paul has defied all odds and achieved a 100% correct track record in his World Cup predictions. For the grand final, a lot of cynics worldwide bet their money against Paul and threw their support behind Netherlands based on their perceived superiority of Netherlands over Spain.

And Paul is having the last laugh now. Spain, Paul�s choice to win the world cup, beat Netherlands 1-0 through an extra time goal by Andres Iniesta in the 116th minute to win their first world cup title.What a heart-stopping game it has been! The photo below is taken from ESPN Soccernet.

Andres Iniesta celebrates his winning goal!

Those who have faithfully followed Paul�s predictions when they placed their bets are now grinning from ear to ear. What a bonanza world cup this has been for them!

Fans who had placed bets based on Paul's predictions are grinning like this dog now!

It is truly amazing that an octopus can pull off such a feat. I know it is probably just coincidence but the coincidence borders on eeriness. I would not be surprised at all if Paul is featured in a show like �Ripley�s Believe It Or Not� in the near future. And Paul has put to rest the widely-held notion that a single person is too insignificant to make an impact in this world. An octopus can make such an impact in this world so humans should not seek refuge behind the excuse that they are too small to make an impact in this world.

Paul, thank you for livening up this World Cup and hope you will still be here to keep us entertained when the Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup comes around. A backlash against you by incensed soccer fans will see many of your cousins ending up on dining tables as charred octopus, octopus ravioli, grilled octopus, octopus calamari and the like. But we are consoled by the knowledge that you will be well-protected at the Oberhausen Sea Life Aquarium. In case you really feel the need to migrate, Spain will welcome you with wide open arms.

Octopus ravioli

Octopus salad

Octopus in cooking pan

Grilled octopus

This world cup will also be remembered for the vuvuzelas.� The popularity of the vuvuzelas resulted in brisk sales worldwide and many far-sighted sellers on Ebay saw sales of vuvuzelas shoot through the roof. I personally bought one yellow vuvuzela from an Ebay seller based in Hong Kong a couple of days ago but I will probably have to wait another week or longer before I can receive it. I am really curious as to how loud the horn can be. And it will be a great souvenir to remind me of this world cup in years to come.

A vuvuzela

There has been a lot of curiousity as to the origins of the vuvuzelas.� And someone sent me this email about the possible origins of this noisy horn.

Origin of the vuvuzela?

But I cannot see how the “vuvuzela” in this photo can be blown unless the man’s “little brother”� has some special power. To verify that, you would need to fly to Papua New Guinea.

It’s already 5.10am here in Malaysia. I have not slept any wink for the whole night but it has been worth it. I will catch up on my sleep in a few hours’ time. Have a great week!

Octopus Paul proved yet again why he has been accorded the title of Oracle Paul when his choice for the Germany-Uruguay match lived up to his prediction. Germany beat Uruguay 3-2 after coming from behind in a pulsating match in Port Elizabeth to secure third place for the second successive World Cup.

Germany’s midfielder Sami Khedira headed in the winning goal in the game that saw both Thomas Muller and Diego Forlan move onto five goals for the tournament.

Sami Khedira's Winning Header Goal (photo taken from ESPN Soccernet)

With his prediction materialising yet again, Paul has thus continued to maintain a 100% correct record in his predictions for this World Cup. It could be pure fluke but there is no doubt that Paul has undeniably become the star of this world cup tournament. The most intriguing question now is whether Paul will again be right in his prediction for the Spain-Holland final. Will Spain really lift the FIFA World Cup 2010 championship trophy as predicted by Paul?� The whole world waits with bated breath!