Year of the Royal

This will be my last post of this year, unless Queen Elizabeth dies tonight and I feel compelled to have a post in her honour.

But because Her Majesty is still alive and sending out Christmas messages to us all, I will instead write about what a year it has been. Indeed, the year of the royal.

In twelve months, there have been so many major events that have drawn the royal crowds. The ever expanding royal crowds, I should say, because while monarchy is replaced by other forms of government, the royal families stand strong, and add to their team in anyway that they can.

This year especially. We had two Jubilees,

The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth the Second of England and forty years of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark

One addition to the great, extended family,

Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg married Countess Stephanie de Lannoy

And two announcement of prospective additions.

Princess Madeleine of Sweden (pictured) got engaged to her boyfriend Chris O'Neill
Luxembourg's Prince Felix got engaged to Claire Lademacher

There were also two new princesses born into royalty,

Princess Estelle, born to Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden

Princess Athena, born to Prince Joachim and Princess Marie of Sweden

With another one on the way.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have announced that they are expecting a baby

And the Olympics. How could anyone forget the Olympics?

Yes, there were a couple of unmentionable scandals (not pictured, because, well, the privacy of these people must be respected. To some extent.), but those aside, 2012 has been a most fabulous year for the royals.

And for us royal watchers.

Happy New Year, people on the Internet! Here's to hoping that next year brings us greater joy, royally and otherwise.

N

Made It.

I've become such a lazy writer. And the fact that I have to work on Saturdays doesn't help either.

I wonder why I chose such an unfeasible day like Saturday to be my day of correspondence each week. I might just as well have chosen Monday or Thursday or some other day ridiculously in the middle of the week. I'd probably have been able to write more consistently on those days, because I have a schedule for my weekdays. On my weekends, I try to get things done in the few minutes I take as a break between getting two things done.

But never matter that.

We made it through the Mayan apocalypse!

Go Science indeed.

I think congratulations are in order.

Congratulations! For still being alive and able to access the Internet, if that is anything to congratulate anyone for. 

Also, people on Twitter are being surprisingly not-annoying about still being alive. Apart from the occasional "Making 'end of the world' like there's no tomorrow" jokes, it's been pretty bearable.
I don't know whether that says more about the general population or the celebrities I've chosen to follow on Twitter (You can follow me @JustAsSaneAsMe). I like to think the former, although it probably is the latter.

I'll write again next weekend. Unless the Mayans were off by a few days, and we die the day after tomorrow.

N

Hyperemesis Gravidarum

Is what the Duchess of Cambridge's condition is called.

I don't know it existed, and I'm sure neither did the rest of the world, but when I typed the letters 'hy' into my Google search bar, the first result that came up was Hyperemesis Gravidarum.

The Kate Effect really is amazing.

Anyway, five days after the big announcement, I've been coping pretty well. The reason I say coping is because after the initial excitement wore off on Monday, I just felt like Suri.
(Yes, I regularly read Suri's Burn Book. No, I am not ashamed of it.)

I took me a while, but I finally found the reason. For the last year and a half of my life, the first thing I did after waking up in the morning was brush my teeth.
The second thing was to Google the Duchess of Cambridge to see if she was pregnant.
Infact, I'd Google that so many times, I even created a keypad shortcut for Duchess of Cambridge.

And now I can't, anymore. I've just lost a big part of my life. And that makes me sad.

But then, yesterday morning, the Duchess was discharged from hospital.

Just look at her. She looks so happy.

And just seeing her so happy, and seeing Prince William so happy, made me feel happy for them too.
It made me realise that I still have so many royal events to look forward to; this child being born, Prince Charles ascending the throne, Prince Harry getting engaged and..... so many things, that I can't even think of them all.

I know it matters very little to them, but I wish William and Kate all the best for the next year and the rest of their lives.

N

Blimey, A Baby!

I think a special post is in order, because the Duchess of Cambridge,

Pictured here playing hockey.

is finally, FINALLY (And I say finally because I've been expecting this day from two months after the wedding last April), expecting a baby.

Now, if there's anything I love more than royal babies, it's non-existent, because there is nothing that I love more than royal babies. Just look at them.

Sweden's Princess Estelle

And Denmark's Princess Athena

And now that William and Kate are having one, I've gone completely mad with joy.
Literally. I've taken to Twitter and Facebook and my phone's address book, and made life hell for everyone who knows me.

Oh, I really hope it's a girl.

N

A Change In Plans

In my plans, that is.

For today's post, I intended to do a second part of YouTubers. I had even decided upon the Youtubers I wanted to feature, and selected a few of my favourite videos, but I had to change my plans for the following reasons:

1. I got hopelessly stuck when I had to choose a few favourites. I could have watched all their videos, and made notes and stuff, but that is where number 2 comes into effect;
2. I realised that I had a project due this weekend, and that I had just barely begun.

I think it was number 2 which prompted me to change my plans.

So, instead of a post on Youtubers today, I'm hastily finishing a project I was supposed to have done a month ago. And neglecting my blog.

I disappoint myself.

Picture:

Cliff Walk at Pourville. It's a Monet. 

N

Lock Away Your Heart

I'm home. And I took pictures.

Yes, all of them were from the plane.

While I was away, I heard about the Most Ljubavi, or the Bridge of Love, in Serbia. It's an interesting story, and I thought I'd tell it on my blog.

In the early 1900s, a school teacher from Serbia fell in love with an officer, serving in the army. As often as they could, they would meet on the Most Ljubavi, the bridge which would later become famous because of them. They had only just gotten engaged, when the First World War began, and the officer was forced to go off to war and fight for his country.
While his lover patiently waited for him back home, he fell in love with a nurse at his army base. He wrote a letter to his fiancee, calling off the engagement, and she was so devastated, apparently, that she died of a broken heart.

Oh, a fun fact: Elephants really can die of a broken heart.

The story passed through generations, and teenage girls, with their penchant for tragic love stories, and fear of their own relationship turning tragic, took it to heart. They began to go to the bridge where the two lovers would meet, and there they began the curious tradition of writing their name, along with that of their lover's, onto a padlock, fastening the lock to the railing, and throwing the key into the river which so conveniently flowed under the bridge.

I presume this meant that their love had been sealed in that lock, and that nothing could ever let it out (thereby, causing it to end), because the key was somewhere in the river.

As time passed, it wasn't just teenage girls who did it, but everyone crossing that bridge, afraid that the love of their life might not be the love of their life forever. And tourists, who just like doing weird things in other's countries.

As a result, the bridge now looks like this.

I've never been to Serbia, but I would like to go there, and I would like to see this Bridge of Love.

And maybe fasten my own lock.

N

I Lost My Keys

I'm going to be quick because the situation I'm in does not allow for anything else.

I arrived at my grandparent's house today, bags in tow, and would have begun to unpack already, except I lost my keys. So now I've got to either get a new one made, that fits the lock on my bag, or I've got to break the lock using a hammer. Or a crowbar.

It's complete pandemonium here. Because my grandparents are old, and because they aren't very adept with technology, they have only one computer and a dial-up modem. A dial-up modem! I haven't had one of those since 2006.

Anyway, discounting my grandparents, there are six of us here (four cousins, my brother and myself) and we all need the Internet. So it's going to be a massive fight every time I need to post something on my blog or update my Facebook status. Somehow, I beat everyone to it this time, but I have a feeling I'm not going to be so lucky the next time.

And, because no post of mine is complete without a picture and a sentence that starts with 'and', here's a picture.

Here's Madonna of the Rocks

Enjoy your week.

N

This Post Has No Title

Before I begin, a moment of silence for those lost their lives as a result of Hurricane Sandy.
.
.
.
That's enough silence.

The New York subway is back in order following the devastation caused by the hurricane, and so, I presume, is the rest of New York.
Of course, New York is the most resilient city in the world (I mean, look at how many times it's been destroyed in the movies), so it's not them I'm most worried about. It's the rest of the places affected.

And, in the time that New Yorkers have been going without power, I have created a Twitter account. You can now follow me @JustAsSaneAsMe, if I don't annoy you enough with this blog.

My holidays have begun, but I haven't gotten a lot of time to write, or think of anything to write about. Infact, I'm posting this from a mobile device, so I can't even bombard you with pictures.

I'm going to be visiting my grandparents the next weekend, so I won't be able to write much then, either, and I'm going camping the weekend after, so I won't be able to write at all.

To end my post, I'm going to leave you with another picture, since my post Busy, Busy, Busy, in which I included a Degas has received more views than anything else on my blog.

This is Van Gogh's Starry Night

Next time, I'll have something better.

N

Love In The Air

What a week it's been.

I discovered this song which Bryarly made for Charlie, which just reminds me what a wonderful relationship that is, and how happy I am for them. Taylor Swift released her new single Begin Again, a song about falling in love again. Princess Madeleine of Sweden got engaged to her boyfriend Chris O'Neill and they announced it in the cutest way I have ever seen an engagement be announced.

And I got my first ever boyfriend, which is fantastic.

And with all this love in the air, I'm going to tell you about my ships.

I began shipping the minute I learnt what it was. I used to ship before that too, but then I referred to it as 'pairing people together'. In the last few years, I have acquired a considerable number of romantic pairings, and I watch with bated breath every time the two people who form the pair come together.
But, partly because no one really wants to know about someone's ships, and partly because I don't remember all of them myself, I'm not going to tell you about all the couples, but only the five couples I ship the hardest.

To begin with, my OTP (or One True Pairing).

Neal Caffrey and Sara Ellis, from White Collar

I don't know what it is about this couple that appeals to me so much. Perhaps it's because they have such conflicting lives; he steals things and she recovers them. Or perhaps it's because they always have so much fun. Whatever the reason may be, they are fantastic together, and I nearly cried when they broke up in Season 3 (Oh, spoiler alert.)

At number two.

Charlie McDonnell and Bryarly Bishop, from real life

It was hard to find a picture of these two because they are so rarely seen together, but when they are, there's no doubting their love. The thousands of GIFs on the Internet at enough evidence. Besides, I think it's great that they can survive the distance, which brings about most couple's downfall. I hope they stay together forever.

Number three.

Simba and Nala, from The Lion King

Lions. One of the best couples ever are lions. What does that say about human beings?
Simba and Nala were my first ship, because I saw The Lion King when I was three, and I loved the idea of them getting married and having a daughter since then. And they were a part of the most amazing love song I have heard till date.

Four.

Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood, from Harry Potter

Luna and Neville are both really misunderstood and underestimated people, and I think it would be absolutely lovely if they both had someone just as misunderstood and underestimated as them who loved them. I've been saying it since they fought the Death Eaters at the Ministry of Magic, along with the others. I'm so glad the makers of the movie listened to me. Or, atleast, thought like I did.

And, to finish the list off, number five.

William and Catherine, also from real life

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Despite the strict laws and traditions of the British monarchy, they fell in love, overcame the odds, supported each other, and made it. I want a relationship like they have. And I wouldn't say no to a throne, either.

And that's another week of blogging for me. Tell me if you enjoyed it, tell your friends if you think they'll enjoy it, or just keep dropping by each week.

N

Fandom Wars!

I'm a week late because I kept my post on royal wedding dresses at the forefront for the duration of the countdown on Order of Splendor, and I maintained Internet silence yesterday because I was tracking Prince Guillaume's wedding.
The ceremony was great, the bride looked stunning, I loved what the guests were wearing, but I've forgotten all about it already.

After reading Twilight for the second time (I had no choice) I've decided to move onto New Moon. I read a bit about it on the Internet because I haven't seen the movie and I don't want all it's awfulness thrust upon me without warning. As I read, I realised one thing; there are a lot of Twilight fans on the Internet.

Fandoms are a big part of everything. How far would any book, movie, television show or franchise have gotten without one? Not very, that's how far.
The bigger fandoms have collective nouns for their community and, if they really are fantastic, symbols. Every fan knows these symbols and every fan reveres them.

So, you've got the Potterheads,

The Panemics,

The Twihards,

I don't know if that's the symbol Twihards follow. I've never been associated with one in any way.

The Olympians,

The Narnians,

The Whovians,

The Bronies, 

And the Pegasisters. I haven't forgotten them.

And the fans of Sherlock. I don't know what you call the fans of Sherlock so that's what I'm going to call them.

The Fans of Sherlock,

In the world of fandoms, it's usually a war. The Potterheads are perpretually at loggerheads with the Twihards, the Panemics have strained relationships with everyone, but are peaceful (which is odd, because you would have thought that obsessed readers of the Hunger Games would have been more cut-throat), the Olympians and Narnians don't like anyone much, the Whovians face constant competition from the Fans of Sherlock (because David Tennant cannot compete with Benedict Cumberbatch, how mcuh ever he travels through time) and so on.

Of course, some people become a part of multiple fandoms and then wander around torn between the two until they're driven mad. 

I'm a Potterhead for life, although I don't mind members of the other fandoms. No, not even Twihards.

After all, they are what makes the Internet fun.

N

A Wedding Fit For A Queen

Everyone loves a wedding. I'm no exception to this, and I think that royal weddings are the best kind.

As a build up to Luxembourg's Prince Guillaume's October wedding to Countess Stephanie de Lannoy, The Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor has been covering the top ten royal wedding dresses of all time. Readers were asked to choose their top ten in a poll, and the final list was created of their choices.

I didn't participate in this poll, for reasons that even I am unsure of, but after a lot of deliberation and consideration last night, I created my own list.

The Top Ten Royal Wedding Dresses Of All Time

10. Princess Caroline's wedding to Stefano Casiraghi

9. Princess Anne's wedding to Captain Mark Phillips

8. Claire Coomb's wedding to Prince Laurent of Belgium

7. Lady Helen Windsor's wedding to Timothy Taylor

6. Mette-Marit Tjessem Hoiby's wedding to Crown Prince Haakon of Norway

5. Grace Kelly's wedding to Prince Rainier III of Monaco

4. Crown Princess Victoria's wedding to Daniel Westling

3. Catherine Middleton's wedding to Prince William

2.Countess Matilde Borromeo's wedding to Antonius zu Furstenberg

Note : The Countess is technically not a royal, but may well be one. Besides, her dress is so fabulous, I thought I had to include it in the list.

And finally,

1. Charlene Wittstock's wedding to Prince Albert of Monaco

I'm sorry there could not be more writing, or indeed any writing, to accompany the pictures. This week was so hectic, that I didn't realise that it was Saturday and time to update my blog until today morning.

I hope you enjoyed it anyway.

N