WITH GOODSIES - AN INTERVIEW

Uzma Saeed, founder and owner of Goodsies, a home run bakery of sorts, sat down with two of Nixor Media's writers to discuss her approach towards the business, further aspirations and what keeps her motivated. 

Q1. Goodsies. It's a name that's cute and warm. What's the inspiration behind its uniqueness?

A lot of people don't know this, but Goodsie is my nickname; a lot of people from my family call me Goods or Goodsie. I wanted to start a page, and I didn't want to use my name, because then it would've been Uzma's Cakes or something, and there are actually quite a few Uzma's who are in this business. I thought, why not Goodsies?

Q2. What kind of reception have you gotten? Do people like the name, or do you think people would prefer that you use your own name?

No, I think people prefer this. It's a brand name, and that's what I was after. I do have issues with people not pronouncing it right. A lot of people call it Goodies! But otherwise, I'm happy with it.

Q3. Cupcakes-  really a unique field to choose as a passion.  What was it that made you want to choose this career? 

I've been into baking all of my life. Since I was eight or nine I helped my mother; an expert baker, by the way. She conducts cooking classes, has written a cook book and goes on TV shows. So my mother is definitely my inspiration.

I've always been into baking rather than cooking. I still, to date, haven't made daal, biryani, qeema and things like that. I make Italian, Chinese, pizza - anything baked. I love baking. I used to make cakes for my children every year for their birthdays, and I used to get great feedback. Things like 'This is better than the best bakery cake we've had ever'.  So I thought 'Why not? I'll just start a Facebook page and see how it goes.'. So I did, and one order led to another. People liked it.

One thing a lot of people have said is that they order from many places, but what they like about my cakes is that they don't just look good, they taste good, too. For me, taste and looks go hand in hand. I mean, how long can you just look at a cake and admire it? You have to enjoy the taste also. It can look amazing, but if it tastes bad, people won't come back to me for another order.

Q4. So with things like sheet buttercookies with coloured icing and double chocolate caramel cupcakes that look like pieces of art, what is your typical approach to the cake making process?

Well, most of the time, people are very specific about what design they want on their cupcakes, so for those orders I make it exactly the way they want it.

Others just tell me it's an anniversary cake and then leave the rest to me. That's what I like.  It gets my creative juices flowing, and that I can have this and that. I might try and deliver on something special about that couple, or maybe try and copy them onto the cupcake.

I love creative freedom. My perfect order would be 'Make me an amazing cake. I'm leaving the design up to you. It's for a this-year-old's birthday'.

Q5. So they give you an empty canvas and leave the rest up to you?

Yeah, it’s like an empty canvas. I actually do love painting on cakes, and literally as well, because I have an art background. I studied at Parsons School of Design.  I studied graphic design. I’m a graphic designer. I worked before I got married, and for a little while after. But when I had my kids I thought that working full time just wouldn’t work out. I needed to be home.

My business actually suits me very well. I’m in my comfort zone. I’m working from home. If I have commitments, I can not take orders for that day.

Q6. So speaking of this comfort zone, we all know you are a wonderful mother and a phenomenal chef. So how do you manage to balance these very different aspects of your life? What’s the secret recipe for making it all come together?

Family comes first. Always. Which is why I’m not taking any orders in Ramadan. I’m heavily booked for Eid and afterwards as well, but not now. My kids are home, and they don’t want to see their mom dedicated to baking all day while they’re fasting. Family comes first and after that everything falls into place. My family is number one and then baking comes at number two.

Q7. So when you have so many flavors, do you feel likes some flavors get more preference than others? What do you think would be you most popular flavor?

Well, I’ve experimented a lot. When I started out I had the basic flavors like chocolate fudge, red velvet, vanilla. Some people said they wanted nuts, so I added caramel walnut and banana walnut, but it was a select few who wanted that. For the majority of people I would say the most popular flavor would be caramel chocolate and vanilla caramel. For people who don’t like it too chocolatey, it’s a vanilla base with a layer of caramel and cream cheese.

Red velvet really was a craze at one time. A lot of people were going for red velvet. One thing I really don’t like about red velvet is the artificial coloring. Although all my flavors, essences and chocolate are from abroad, artificial color and flavor isn't really such a great idea for a cake base.

Q8. What’s the strangest or most difficult order that you have made to date?

There was one order for a Lego Star Wars © themed cake. When I googled it and saw the picture, I was regretting why I took that order in the first place. It was one of the most mind-boggling designs that I’ve had to work with, because of all the lego pieces. In a cake you can’t go into too much detail, because if I had made an actual replica of that it would have taken me a week. There are time constraints that I have to work with. I can’t take 12 hours on one cake.

That said, I’m a detailed oriented person. I like to deliver. I like to give a properly detailed cake, with nothing rough or unfinished. I myself wouldn’t feel good about it.

Another issue is the weather in Karachi. It’s not good for fondant cake. I have to have the air conditioner on 24/7 while I’m working on the cake. If I don’t have it on, the cake starts to melt -- it starts to sweat, and starts to get a wet finish on the outside.

In the summer I dread making fondant cakes, especially if there are power outages. The other day I was working on a three tier cake. Everything was done, and I was waiting for it to set, and then the power went out. No AC. These things are really nerve-wracking for a baker. I have had to cancel orders because there was no power. I need electricity to run my machines. I can’t make the dough and everything else by hand. If there’s a long power outage, sorry, I can’t make your order.

Q9. In recent months, the food industry in Pakistan has boomed. Have you ever considered appearing on shows like Masterchef Pakistan and showcasing your talent to the rest of Pakistan?

I was asked once to come on a cooking show to demonstrate cake-decorating techniques, but coming on TV doesn’t fancy me. I’m a private person; I don’t want to be on television. I prefer it at home. Like I said, I’m in my comfort zone.

Q10. Where do you see yourself and your business 10 years from now?

I can’t really see myself ten years from now, but I do see myself expanding. I see myself hiring more people. Right now this is a one woman show. I do everything from baking to decorating and everything else, which is why I take very limited orders. The main complaint I constantly hear from my clients is that I’m always booked. They always have to order two or three weeks in advance. So yes, I need some hired help.

As far as an outlet is concerned, I don’t see that in the near future, quite frankly, because I like the personal touches on my cakes. I’m a perfectionist for the taste and the decor, and if I do this on a commercial basis I think somewhere along the line something will suffer.

Q11. So you think that going all out commercial would result in Goodsies losing what is special about it and its true essence?

Yes. I want to bake and decorate the cakes myself. For other things I can have hired help do, like help me with some aspects of decoration, but everything else I need to do myself.  I guess I’m a control freak that way, because I need to have control over quality.

Q12. For people who are starting their own businesses and trying to pursue their dreams, what advice would you give them?

No matter what you do, you have to give it your 101%. That is my advice for anyone who wants to make it in their career. You can’t be laid back and say ‘I’ll give it 50% and then things will fall into place.’. There are no shortcuts and no easy way to success. People who think that success comes easy are absolutely wrong. It is actually a lot sweat and hard work to achieve anything.

By: Adeel Pasha and Humza Hemani

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KARACHI'S CIRCULAR RAILWAY

Karachi is big. This one city has more people than dozens of countries, packed into an area smaller than your typical tropical island. In other words, it's the perfect recipe for mindblowing traffic jams.

Karachi is the largest city on Earth without some kind of government run mass transit system—not even buses. That means that if you want to get anywhere too far to get to by foot, you have to deal with the private transport sector, which has turned moving people into a business. Travel is usually subsidized in megacities to boost commerce and productivity, but here those involved are bent on making travelers pay as much as possible.

Believe it or not, Karachi once had a very successful transit system—the Karachi Circular Railway. Established in 1969, the system was a quick success and actually made a profit during the 1970s and 1980s, with 6 million riders per year. Unfortunately, like many government run enterprises, the system fell prey to mismanagement and bribery from the private transport sector, and started making losses during the early 1990s, eventually closing in 1999.

Recently, however, the government has decided to revive the railway line, which starts near Karachi Port and ends at the Drigh Road flyover, by Shah Faisal Colony, running through Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Liaquatabad, Nazimabad, SITE, Baldia, Lyari and Kharadar. There will be 23 stations, and after completion the track expects to see 700,000 commuters a day. An additional track will also be constructed to Jinnah International Airport.

Surprisingly enough, finances will probably not be a major problem for the Railway: Japan agreed to loan Rs. 2.5 billion for the project, which covers more than 90% of the cost. What may pose a problem is land encroachment, as buildings have been built far too close to the track for safety. An 83 foot wide corridor is to be cleared before operations begin.

Hopefully this time around we won't see the private sector take the project down. The railway will add much needed relief to Karachi's monstrous traffic problems, but will by no means fix it. For that, the railway needs to be extended into a comprehensive metro system, like those already existing in other cities Karachi's size. It'll be a long while before that happens, but the revival of the KCR will be a good start in creating a functional transport system for Pakistan's largest city.

By: Humza Hemani

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THE BLIND MAN'S GARDEN: A REVIEW

In Nadeem Aslam’s haunting new novel, beauty and pain are intimately entwined. The novel starts in late 2001 and takes place largely in Pakistan, though some sections are again set in the newly invaded Afghanistan. Elderly Rohan, eventually the blind man of the title, his vision gradually dimming, founded an Islamic school called Ardent Spirit with his wife Sofia. After her death he was forced out as the school became intolerant, a virtual nursery of jihad, but continues to live in the house that he built on the same site.

Before the main characters are properly developed, a minor figure is introduced who administers a dose of symbolism in the book. He is the “bird pardoner” who sets up snares in the trees on Rohan’s garden and traps the birds to set them free so he can get their prayers. Then there’s also a mendicant who goes around wrapped in hundreds of chains. The idea is that each link represents a prayer, and disappears as Allah grants it.

Unprotected by the gorgeousness of Aslam's language, the story is potentially novelettish or TV movie-like: two foster brothers (Rohan's son and a boy raised with him) in love with the same woman run away to war. The adventures they face and their family waiting in anguish stretches the storyline a bit. Rohan’s daughter Yasmin is also introduced later in the book and fails to develop as a character in her own right.  Perhaps Aslam did this deliberately, as marginalization of females is demonstrated by "a framed family tree that displays only the names of the males" and is a recurring theme in the book.

Like Nabokov, Aslam, whose mother tongue is Urdu, came to English as an immigrant. He learned it as a teenager, copying out the whole of Moby-Dick and Blood Meridian to expand his vocabulary. His prose are armed with allusions to history, literature, religion, science, and nature; which made many chapters of the book a delightful read.

All in all, The Blind Man’s Garden is an impressive piece of literature which captures the calamitous effect of ‘war on terror’ in a way that is magically realistic and definitely gripping.

By: Sana Ahmad

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WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR GAZA

Social networking sites are overflowing with enraged posts speaking up for Gaza. Blaming people for inaction, coaxing people into action, almost every fifth post is somehow commenting on the issue, and rightly so- the atrocities have continued for too long and so has the silence. However, realistically speaking, none of these posts are furthering the mission to save Gaza than those who they blame for silence. So what do we do? Frankly, from my Newsfeed, it seems as if nothing “can” be done other than changing my display picture or uploading a status. Thankfully, that is not the truth.

Before we examine the range of ways we have for helping Gaza, we need to first discuss those that are barely helping, if at all. Changing our profile pictures and status updates that support Gaza, serve the same purpose, that of showing solidarity. They speak out against the horrific violation of human rights and demand justice for innocents. Sadly, these posts and/or pictures create a ripple effect so small, that it is almost negligible. Mass cyber protest is definitely a possibility, just a very distant one with very little chances of making any difference at all.

Boycotting products that are US/Israel related is sadly ineffective too, in fact it’s self-damaging. First of all, the proof of any particular company funding the Israeli government is very little and in most cases debatable. Secondly, most of the products that are allegedly funding violence in Gaza, are owned by innocent Pakistanis, here at home. Our boycott which will probably not even deal enough damage to a multi-national company would definitely make a fellow Pakistanis life hard, if not miserable. In other words, we cause ourselves difficulty by boycotting products that can barely be proven guilty of funding Israel, while dealing almost no damage to the real aggressors, if they are aggressors at all.

 “..the least and all we can do to show our solidarity for the people of Gaza is protest on social media…”

 Thankfully that’s not true. Countless organizations are collecting money for donations for Gaza through websites, some of these are either collecting money to provide medical or rehabilitative aid to the victims of the Israeli violence like the “UNRWA” which supports around 5 million Palestinians, “Save The Children” which works specifically for the betterment of the Palestinian children, “Muslim Aid” which specializes in helping Muslim victims of disasters or human rights violations, all over the globe and has launched the “Gaza Emergency Appeal” project to specifically help those in Gaza.

 Other organizations are collecting funds to send in terms of social activists that are ready to endanger their lives in order to carry out mass -peaceful- protests in the region. It sounds dangerous and it is, yet these groups are not ready to let that stop them from helping those in need. If they can risk their lives, then the least we can do is support them monetarily if not physically. Such initiatives include the “Free Gaza” organization and “Gaza Ark”.

These are only some of the projects currently underway for the betterment of the Palestinians, and while we all want to do all that we can for those currently being tortured in Gaza, we should not donate blindly, lest a website is fake. That’s why I would personally suggest spending some time researching about the organization you are donating to, especially if it’s online.

Besides these initiatives, all of us can pray for those in Gaza, and moreover we can abstain from spreading hate between the Palestinian and the local Jewish communities of Israel. Palestinians have been subjected to war and suppression for years on end; the crimes against them definitely surmount any justification that the foreign authorities will ever be able to provide, but these people are trying to forge bonds with the local Jewish communities in Israel. Justice for Gaza is imperative but so is peace in that region, anti-semitic posts will eventually destroy any chance there is for peace to be reached in that region. Our anger is justified but we cannot forget who the enemy is, and it is certainly not the local Jewish in Israel, it’s the authorities. Our efforts should be focused to help those in Gaza not only for now, but for the future as well, without peace there is no future for Gaza, and without harmony, there is no peace.

Good thing is, it doesn’t end here. Rather than sharing photos of brutalized children, we can spread the message of all those organizations that are currently helping those in Gaza, not only does it show our solidarity for our brothers and sisters, speaks out against the mayhem created by the Israeli authorities, but it has the potential of changing the lives of millions.

By: Rabab Ahsan

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10 TEENAGE CLICHÉS

(This list contains ill-disguised humor, and copious amounts of sarcasm. You have been warned.)

1. The teenage boy types www.facebook.com into the browser of his school’s public computer, only to find that one of his other male friends is already logged in. He smiles smugly to himself, and clicks on the ‘update status’ button- ‘I’m gay’ he types in, and laughs maniacally to himself. It’s the greatest hack in the history of the human race, and everyone in the class erupts into laughter. 

2. A fifteen year old guy logs onto a social networking site, scrolling through the front page, checking the pictures other people have posted. Disgusted, he begins to type- ‘GIRLS! Have some respect; cover yourselves when you post something on the internet! This is facebook, not the-rest-of-your-body book!’ Everyone applauds him for his chaste, chivalrous ways. He goes on to become the next male Taylor Swift, teaching young girls that they’re only allowed to be blonde, and rude to other girls for a guy's attention.

 3. Justin Bieber? HAH, more like JUSTINE Beiber! You see, I made a hilarious joke because an eighteen year old boy once upon a time did not fit into the patriarchal definition of masculinity, and should therefore be considered a woman- because women are awful, obviously.

4. ‘Ppl who type lyk dis need to get off the internet and die!’ says the thirteen year old boy, smirking to himself as he thinks of the millions of social networking site users that have not yet learnt to type the way he would like them to. Suddenly, a beam of light shoots out from the sky, and Kurt Vonnegut descends down to Earth, caressing his face in both his hands. ‘Congratulations,’ he says. ‘You’ve done it. Bad grammar is over.’

5. ‘I’m not mean,’ says the girl who insults other people for the sake of mindless entertainment, rips apart everything a girl does because it does not fit into the values she has been brought up on, and judges anyway who decides to not go with the flow. ‘I’m REAL.’

6. ‘Women, you don’t need a man to feel good about yourselves! You are all beautiful, no matter what!’ A boy says, patting himself on the back for his selfless ways. Thank you son, you’ve done it! Sexism is over!

7. ‘But you’re not allowed to like THAT character! He’s evil!’ Well, now I know! I fall into a pit of despair, realizing that my evil, malevolent ways must be diminished, and I too, should only like characters in books and movies that are kind hearted, caring, and most of all acceptable in the eyes of my peers. Remember- no people deserve second chances, not even the fictional ones.

8. ‘LOL, if my boyfriend looked like Chris Brown, I’d let him hit me any day!’ The teenage girl tweets, giggling to herself, imagining Chris Brown’s smarmy smile. All the women in the world who have been raped, beaten, humiliated, or subjected to domestic violence no longer feel pain, because hark; a teenage girl has told them how girls should behave when a man beats the living daylights out of them.

9. The high school kid uploads a picture of himself, and types out a caption: ‘photo credits: [insert name of friend here]. Everyone gasps as they stare at the grainy picture that has been edited on an online photo editing website- what beauty! What art! Surely, this fifteen year old girl who took a picture of her best friend pouting will go on to become the next Annie Lebowitz!

10. YOLO, says the teenage boy. He’s right- we really do only live once, and instead of taking that as a sure sign that wearing your seatbelt when sitting in a car that is driving down the highway is important, the boy proceeds to go to a party where cigarette smoke is blown into unassuming faces and girls are insulted in the mask of compliments.

And with that, I conclude this list. As many profile picture captions have said before- ‘haters gonna hate’.

And indeed, they do seem to continue.

By: Sarah Quraishi

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THE MONTH OF TOLERANCE THAT ISN'T

About 1435 years ago, a struggle had already begun; a change of faith that soon swept the Arabian Peninsula, a faith that many say was the epitome of righteousness, fairness and tolerance. Fast forward to present day and you'll find many 'versions' of Islam, each although centered on the belief in a Supreme Being, having its own set of traditions, practices, esteemed leaders and so on.

Some of these versions in their teachings, however, deviate so far from the original (as I would like to refer to it), that, in practice, they fail to maintain a connection with the fundamental concept, while still being associated with it. Jihad is one such example that comes to mind. Unfortunately, Pakistan's legislature is plagued with individuals who embrace such irrational beliefs which inevitably lead to dubious laws such as the Ehtram Ramzan Ordinance of 1981.

The ordinance* prohibits eating and smoking at public places and restaurants are not allowed to serve food after sehri and before iftaar. Theatres and cinemas can only open for three hours a day after iftaar. Cafeterias and restaurants in hospitals, railway stations and bus stands, however, are exempted under the ordinance. Any violations can be punished with a fine and a maximum of three-month prison term.

There are many issues to be highlighted regarding the abovementioned ordinance. Fasting, one of the five pillars of Islam, is the ultimate test of self-control where Muslims must practice patience and tolerance while temporarily being subject to trying conditions of hunger, thirst and restraint, just to name a few. Therefore, the fact that those claiming to propagate Islam are adopting a dogmatic attitude of utter intolerance towards those of other faiths seems essentially hypocritical. Refraining from consuming food publicly should be an act that stems from within an individual out of courtesy, rather than being enforced by legislation. The Holy Qur'an itself states:

“…There is no compulsion in religion…” (2:256).

If not from the Holy Book, why not take an example from the life of the Last Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.), the man whose qualities are the benchmark for all Muslims. The same man who prayed for the forgiveness of the people of Ta'if, after they had chased him out of the city by hurling stones and the same man who stood up in reverence when a funeral procession of a Jewish woman passed by. Can no parallels be drawn here?

More disturbing is the fact that in the original text of the ordinance, a public place is made to include “…any hotel, restaurant, canteen, house, room, tent, enclosures, road lane, bridge or other place to which the public have access.” Yes, even a ‘house’ and ‘room’ are included; a clear sign that religious policing does not care to respect the privacy of our homes. No government should have the freedom to exercise such policing as it takes away from the sanctity of the act; as I mentioned earlier, wanting to do something and being forced to do something involve two very contrasting thought processes.

But wait, wasn’t Pakistan made based on Islamic principles with a focus on the Muslim majority? Yes, but Islamic principles neither discriminate against non-Muslims nor do they dictate a need for such a law. Now with this statistical approach to legislation in mind, that so many Pakistanis have come to accept, why was there an uproar then, when the ‘burqa’ was banned in France? The majority of the citizens of France feel uncomfortable by the garb and needless to say, Muslims there are indeed a minority (this is not to say that I agree with the ban; merely citing a reference for comparison). But anyway, that topic warrants its own article.

And let’s not forget that although the law is supposedly only for Muslims and excludes all non-Muslims; however, in 2009 two Christian men were arrested from the city of Silanwali for eating in public. There is little in this news bite that comes as a surprise; with the prevalent poverty and corruption, there is little (if any) anyone can do to prevent some of the law enforcers from making a quick buck or two. Protection of minorities is already almost non-existent and during Ramadan, there is an additional possibility of falling prey to the misuse of the ordinance by those who have suddenly become religiously devout.

Other than an irrational religious basis, the ordinance is also impractical. Consider, for example, those individuals who suffer from chronic illness or injury and women who are in their final stage of pregnancy or are nursing mothers; for them, fasting is not an obligation. Why must they refrain from consumption of food when they are in a condition beyond their control that prevents them from fasting? There may be emergencies where a fasting individual may require food and water with no hospital nearby. Should they be denied dietary requirements which they may possibly need to survive? To put things in perspective, imagine the sale of sugary foods being banned due to the presence of many diabetics in the populace. Clearly, most of us would disagree with the rule.

One might even say that a sound argument may not even be required for the ordinance to exist, simply because religion, just like any lifestyle, boils down to individual choice. Choosing to be Muslim is a matter of choice and with it, comes all the duties and responsibilities that the religion entails. Surely, no one else must be held accountable for it, nor must their freedom be curtailed simply because they do not follow a lifestyle that the majority takes pride in.

Put simply, it is not the abstinence from food and beverages that captures the essence of Ramadan, it is the constant struggle to be good human beings and practice righteousness even in the most challenging of circumstances. Here's hoping to a month filled with the true essence of Islam instead of mindless religious fervor. Ramadan Mubarak!

*The original print of the ordinance can be found at http://goo.gl/vW3YnW.

By: Ashhad Qureshi

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The Iftari Diaries: Sumy’s

Sumy’s is a refreshingly new, yet surprisingly old little burger joint a few steps away from my house. I never knew it existed- maybe it was the logo which shockingly resembles the Bake Parlor symbol, or the fact that it always looked closed. It’s one of those places whose existence never seems to make any difference to our lives. That is, until we actually try it. After the recommendation of a friend, I decided to try it out. The experience was a rather unusual one. The fact that it was emptier than a cricket stadium during a FIFA world cup final match wasn’t very encouraging and the air conditioning-less, fan-less atmosphere only seemed to add to that. Don’t make up your mind just yet, this is where it gets interesting. 

Empty or not, the names of the burgers complemented by the tempting pictures and ridiculously low prices would make anyone, budget or not, salivate. The choice between the ‘Cheese Wiz’ and ‘the Big Kahuna’ was a tough one but I decided to go with the latter. No secrets here, it cost me PKR.380 which is astonishingly cheap if compared to other burgers on the market that house two quarter pounder, char grilled patties.  Apparently, if the posters there are to be believed, it’s been voted “best burger in town by some guy who likes burgers”. That one made me chuckle. Finally the behemoth of a burger arrived at my table with a handful of golden French fries neighboring it. The fries were too soft for my taste but good nonetheless. I’m not a huge fan of their fries, considering that a piece of fried chicken there would cost you just as much. Now to the Kahuna itself. Two lusciously good looking patties separated by a slice of cheese oozing some red sauce which I didn’t bother asking about; and no, it wasn’t ketchup. It was one of those rare moments when a burger actually resembles itself on a poster, like a model who looks the same without make up. Right from the first bite I could tell that Sumy’s means business when it comes to their burgers.

As filling as it was tasty, I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who likes burgers regardless of the price which is just an added benefit. If I had to grade it out of ten I would give the fries a six and the burger an eight. This should be encouraging as McDonalds’ “big tasty” only managed to score a seven. If two don’t seem enough, add a third or a fourth patty if you’re feeling particularly daring just for an added hundred rupees per patty. Sumy’s has firmly put itself in the hot seat for a good candidate to be my afternoon snack. I would seriously think twice before going to McDonalds or KFC with Sumy’s lurking in the shadows.

By: Mujtaba Khalid 

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FIFA Through The Ages

Every four years fans around the world join together to watch the FIFA World Cup, the most viewed and followed sporting event on Earth, with more fans than even the Olympics. This year's Cup in Brazil is no exception; nearly 3 million tickets have been sold, and the knockout stages haven't even begun! Football is by far the most widespread sport on the planet, but this hasn't always been the case.

In fact, it wasn't until the beginning of the 20^th century the football began to be played between countries – the first official match between two national teams outside of Britain took place in 1902, between Uruguay and Argentina. Football was played in the Olympics from 1900 onwards, but at first between clubs instead of national teams, and more importantly, only by amateur players. FIFA, which was formed in 1904, tried to organize a tournament outside of the Olympics in 1906, but it was a failure – even according to FIFA's own official history.

Eventually, FIFA agreed to recognize Olympic football as the world football championship for amateurs, and took responsibility for the event. However, the 1932 Olympics, which were to be held in Los Angeles, were not to have football because of it's low popularity in the United States. This, along with disagreements with the International Olympic Committee over the amateur player policy lead to FIFA deciding in 1928 that they would organize their own tournament. This was the beginning of the World Cup as we know it today.

The inaugural World Cup was held in 1930 in Uruguay, with selected national teams invited by FIFA. However, the decision to host the Cup in South America meant that the European teams would all have to endure the trip across the Atlantic. The FIFA president himself had to persuade teams himself to play, and in the end only four European teams did. Thus, the first World Cup was played between just 13 teams. 

Ironically enough, one of these teams was from the USA, whose Bert Patenaude also scored the first World Cup hat trick. Eight years later, Poland's Ernest Willimowski became the first player to score four goals in a single World Cup game, which wouldn't be beaten until 1994. The next two World Cups, meant to be held in 1942 and 1946 were canceled because of World War II.

The World Cup resumed again in 1950, and the final saw the highest attendance of any match ever: 199,000. The next one saw the highest average goals per game, the highest scoring team and the most goals in a single World Cup match. Frenchman Just Fontaine would then score the most goals in any World Cup in 1958. 1962 would see Colombia's Marcos Coll score a goal directly from a corner kick, the only time that feat, known as an “Olympic goal” has been achieved in a World Cup.

England hosted the first World Cup to have significant marketing in 1966, where there was an official mascot and logo for the first time. The trophy was stolen before the tournament, but found a week a later by a dog named “Pickles”. The English Geoff Hurst scored the only ever hat-trick in a World Cup final that year. The next Cup would see what has been called the best save ever by the English goalkeeper Gordan Banks. 1974 brought in a new trophy, and was the first time the Total Football tactic, in which every field player can play in every position, was used in the World Cup.

The 1982 World Cup saw an expansion to 24 teams. During the group stages, Hungary beat El Salvador 10-1, the only time a team has gotten 10 goals in a World Cup match. There was incident between Kuwait and France when the Kuwaiti team stopped playing because they heard a whistle which turned out to be from a fan in the stands. The French defender Maxime Bossis scored, but the referee disallowed the goal after hearing an earful from the president of Kuwait's Football Association. Bossis scored again a few minutes later. Kuwait ended up losing 4-1.

The 1990 World Cup witnessed a strange record from the Irish team, who reached the quarterfinals without winning a single match. They drew all three matches in their group stage and made it past the Round of 16 by winning a penalty shootout after drawing yet again. The following World Cup saw tragedy when Colombian Andres Escobar was murdered ten days after he hit an own goal that knocked Colombia out. However, it also had the highest total attendance of any World Cup, and the most goals by a single player in a match by the Russian Oleg Salenko.

The World Cup was expanded again in 1998 to 32 teams. Iran beat the Maldives in a qualification match 17-0, setting a new record.  Australia beat that record in 2002 in 31-0 win against American Samoa – which translates to a goal every three minutes or so. In 2006, four African teams debuted, with Ghana beating the Czech Republic, who were ranked third, and then making it to the quarter finals. The 2010 World Cup final saw a record number of yellow cards, with the Dutch playing nearly violently. They eventually lost thanks to header in the last five minutes of extra time by the Spaniard Iniesta.

That brings us, of course, to the present day, with the 2014 Cup being held in Brazil, which has already shockingly seen Spain getting knocked out and upsets from Costa Rica. World Cup favourites, Brazil, were taken apart by the German side with a shocking result of 7-1, as Germany inch “Klose-r” to the title. Looks like we’ve got a World Cup just as exciting as its predecessors, and perhaps even a few more records getting broken to boot!

By: Humza Hemani

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