City of Football

The English Premier League (EPL) season 2016/2017 is opened with the triumph of a promoted club over the defending champion. I am hoping to see a lot of surprises in EPL this season as there were in the previous edition. Wishful as it may sound, Leicester city's cinderella-like victory is not expected to happen again as big clubs have learned their lesson the hard way; they have spent money to buy stronger players and install high-profile managers expecting better results in the end of the season. Even the champ admits it would be another miracle to retain the title. 

As a temporary Londoner, my support is for any of the London's clubs, either the Blues, the Gunners, the Whites, or the Boleyn Ground's boys. 

When the world conspires

Back in the edge of the 90's, I studied English at a private institution named IEC in Cirebon, a city 7,377 miles away from London. I remember very well I liked to use a computer on one corner of the hall, the only computer in that hall indeed, just to play an interactive PC game simulating the London tube system. The purpose of the game was to practice some English phrases and expressions related to using transportation. I learned phrases such as "get on/ off" "transfer" etc.
I remember I learned that I need to use the Piccadilly line from Heathrow to get to the city. But I do not remember if I ever, for once, dreamed of really going to the city. Not that I did not want to, but rather because I did not dare to even dream about it. I was just a student studying to be a mechanic at a vocational high school, STM Negeri Cirebon.
Now that I am here, getting on and off the tubes in London, I feel so much blessed and realize how I have underestimated what life can bring to you.

The Godless College

Established in 1826, University College London was the first higher education institution open its door to students for any race or religion, separating it from the two existing university at that time, the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, that were open only to members of the Church of England. Its motto: "Cuncti adsint meritaeque expectent praemia palmae" (Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward) epitomises the UCL's ideological view of education for all.

University College London

This view of opening education for all is believed to be inspired largely by Jeremy Bentham's utilitarian principle of "the greatest happiness for the greatest number," and for this secularist view, UCL was once nicknamed as "the godless college" or "the godless scum in Gower street".

Jeremy Bentham's Auto-Icon

However, being secularist does not mean UCL is against any religion. UCL respects and acknowledges that religious faith is important for many of its students.




This is represented with UCL providing a special place for its students to observe their religious rituals, the Contemplation Room located in Hut 34 inside the UCL main campus.

UCL Contemplation Room