Sleeping à la nude is so much more comfortable.

Today was the annual Varsity basketball match pitting the Oxford Men’s Blues against the Cambridge Lions.

While most of the crowd was entertained by the actual playing, I instead spent most of my time endlessly amused by the fact that neither of these two teams — supposedly representing the best these two fine institutions could find — had a single Afri– oh hell, black player.

Yep.

Let’s see, there were a (surprising?) number of East Asian players, mixed in a flurry of European and English players. Oh, I might have spotted a South Asian at one point, but it could have been a trick of the light.

Having played basketball a great deal in my Canadian youth, I suppose it’s just the first time I ever saw something like that — barring say, the Swedish Olympic Basketball team.

Then again, it really does give you an idea of the slight demographic problem we have here in the City of Dreaming Spires.

Spotted at the shopping mall…

A girl with her back against the glass window of a video game store.

Awkward and pouting.

Just across from her is a boy — his back also against a glass window, but this one framing a woman’s clothing store.

He’s got his arms folded across his chest and a look of feigned coolness and nonchalance that says, “Yeah, I’m usually a bad boy, cept’ not when I’m standing in front of a billion pink brassiers.”

Their eyes meet.

And they just stand there, grinning sheepishly at one another.

This morning, as I walked through town — seeing all those guys going out to buy flowers and little heart-shaped chocolates, I thought of a cutesy story to write.

You know, about love, and all that jazz.

Now, however, it’s 12:11 AM. Post V-Day.

And you know why I’m not sharing my cutesy story?

Because I’m up marking a hot, steaming pile of assignments for third year students who, well, to put it gently, don’t give a damn.

Happy Valentines day, bitches.

For some, godforsaken reason, it’s been sunny in Oxford.

No. Seriously. It’s been sunny for like, three days now. According to the weather forecast, it’s gonna be sunny for the foreseeable future, which, y’know, completely blows my mind. Where are my depressing clouds and gray skies? Where is that somber drizzle I’m so used to feeling?

I tell ya, I’m really worried. I’m worried that this is all some elaborate trick of nature and that we’re gonna pay for it some day. (Think: Summer of 2007)

But I suppose I should just enjoy it.

So that’s what I did today, if only for a few moments. Here’s a little picture I took while strolling along the River Cherwell in the Christ Church Meadows.

I think it’s a real telling sign that one of my favourite locations in Oxford is here, away from the normally picturesque (and touristy) colleges and city centre.