Upsets and surprises are quite common in international sports and games. The early exit of a top-seeded player or a super performance by an underdog are part and parcel of such international games but champions bounce back after overcoming the unexpected setback and the underdogs just get a breakthrough.

Nobel prizes, too, are unpredictable at times, but bereft of any excitements as such. Of course, the names of the winners find a place in the GK books of the students or become the topic of the day. If one of the winners happens to be your country man, you are eager to know who else in your country had won this prestigious prize earlier.

So, it was the usual, physics, so and so; chemistry, so and so, and literature…. Wait a minute. Yes, Miss Herta Mueller of Romania’s ethnic German Minority. The title of one of her books is “The Land of Green Plums”. Very soon you will get some idea about this one from Book-Review-Columns.

Then came, the surprise of the year. I took it for granted that the Nobel Prize for peace, as usual, would go to some elderly person or some diplomat who would have contributed his bit towards the cause of peace.

But, No; the winner is none other than Mr OBAMA, who has always something up his sleeves. Of course, not all were happy about this; but it gives rise to the hope that USA will play a major role in spreading peace. Whatever it may be, Obamaji, it is a huge burden on your shoulders. You have to be cautious of each of your steps- Congrats!