Flashback: Emirates Stadium; or, the Pilgrimage of a Gunner

When it comes to sports, I generally pull for the home team - Bulldawgs, Braves, Falcons, etc. Sure, I've had a few other favorites in the past, the Packers in the 90s, the Steelers until recently. As embarrassing as it is to admit, I also used to really like the Nets, but let's be honest. It was pretty much just Jason Kidd. As it stands today, there is only one team that I hold dear to my heart: Arsenal F.C.

I don't remember the first time I watched an Arsenal game. It must have been sometime around my sophomore or junior year of high school. There was Pires, Vieira, Bergkamp, and, of course, the French maestro up top, Thierry Henry. There's a new crop of Gunners these days, and they play beautiful football. Absolutely wonderful football. Last summer, I was fortunate enough to visit Emirates Stadium. It was as close to a religious pilgrimage as I had ever come. I spent around two hours exploring the grounds, and I raided the gift shop without shame. Although I wasn't able to watch a game, I am happy to have seen Ashburton Grove in person, and this, I think, in some strange way, makes watching home games on television that much more special for me.








The man who started it all:

Tintern Abbey

"...Nor wilt thou then forget,
That after many wanderings, many years
Of absence, these steep woods and lofty cliffs,
And this green pastoral landscape, were to me
More dear, both for themselves and for thy sake."

-William Wordsworth, 1798
Lines Written a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey

The first thing I did when I saw Tintern Abbey was reach for my camera, but I've come to realize that no photograph could ever capture the magnificence of this mighty ruin. After exploring the grounds, my classmates and I sat in a small patch of grass and read our Wordsworth. I think that I will always remember that Welsh breeze.

Here are a few of the pictures I snagged, but before you look at them, I must warn you: Ancient Monuments can be dangerous.



Tintern Abbey:











Tintern Abbey, interior:





The old monastery:





The River Wye:

Oxford, Thus Far

Much to my surprise, Oxford is nothing like the sleepy town I had originally envisioned. In fact, it's turned out to be quite a busy place. Throughout the entire day, the streets are crowed with tourists on holiday. Truth be told, I've struggled to keep up. I can best describe the experience as a constant feeling of sensory overload. I have been totally lost in the beauty of this town. The architecture and the gardens are sublime. I find myself walking the same paths, yet discovering something new each and every time.

At this point though, I will say that I feel fairly well-acclimated to my new, albeit temporary, residence. After the first day, I learned to look left, not right, while crossing the street. I'm also proud to say that I'm no longer tempted by the familiar aroma of the Burger King, although I've yet to treat myself to an obligatory meal of fish and chips.

I'll be spending most of next week acquainting myself with Jane Austin's Mansfield Park as well as matters concerning the Medieval Papacy. Perhaps I'll share some of it with you.

And now, dear reader, please allow me to share with you a brief glimpse out and beyond my window sill.


My desk, already characteristically cluttered:




To the left:




Straight ahead; note the library on the right:




A fierce, barbed-wire lion: