Went to see The Devil Wears Prada! It was quite the most entertaining movie I’ve watched for a while. Thoroughly enjoyed it! I’m going to go see it again with someone sometime (no Vyoma, I’m only going with someone who doesn’t make loud sarcastic comments during the movie).
It wasn’t very true to the book, which I was glad for, because the book simply isn’t as good. I missed James, one of Andrea’s more supportive friends. He was among the only appealing and well-drawn characters. The other appealing ones didn’t even make an appearance, and got by on their real life fame (the occasional references to Oscar de la Renta, Maria Silvia Venturini Fendi), so I wouldn’t willingly read any more Lauren Weisberger, though I definitely want to see the movie again. Other unfortunates were Andrea’s boyfriend (called Alex in the book, but Nate in the movie) who was a bad actor, and Christian, the fashionable writer. Christian wasn’t as alluring as the book suggested he should be.
Meryl Streep was amazing though. She did the pretentious British accent and the “Ahn-dre-ah” better than I’d imagined.
Valentino, the real life one, actually made an appearance as himself. I was delighted, because it added an element of reality, and deepened the impression that the fashion world really is the way it was portrayed in the film. Besides, it’s nice to see the face of a person behind craft that you admire. It was all so glamorous!
I also caught a flaw in the movie. For those of you who haven’t been yet, keep an eye out for it when you do go: when Andrea and Miranda are in Paris, there’s a catwalk scene at Valentino. A white model comes out wearing a red dress with two roses at the waist. That dress is actually a Valentino from last year, and was worn for him by Naomi Campbell. Gisele Bundchen’s brief appearance is very cool. Also, look for Heidi Klum. I couldn’t spot her, but the credits said she was there. There’s the issue about the Hermes scarves as well: during Emily’s accident, a whole lot of allegedly Hermes scarves go up into the air. I wonder of they really are…didn’t look like anything they’ve offered recently.
So now off you go to see the movie.

I have really missed blogging. Once it gets into your system, it’s really difficult to stop. So as you can imagine, it’s been really difficult to stay away these past few days, but I’ve had to because of the sheer volume of work that needs to be done.
Theory of Knowledge presentation is on Monday. I’m doing it on why Her Majesty The Queen should rule a sizeable portion of the world. I’ve been collecting quotes to support my position, and am rather pleased with an Aristotelian one that I recently came across. It’s from his Poetics, and essentially says that the state of advancement of any civilization can be measured by the state of its arts. The presentation argues that since Her Majesty is the epitome of the arts, it follows that she is a being elevated above those others of the human race.


A portrait of Her Majesty by His Lordship The Earl of Snowdon, to celebrate her 80th birthday.

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Off to see The Devil Wears Prada with the family tomorrow! I’m really excited. It has all the juicy details about the inside workings of the fashion industry. In fact, Miranda Priestly is supposed to be a caricature of that formidable (though rather tasteless) Anna Wintour. Merly Streep, I’m sure, will make up for Ann Hathaway’s amazing lack of expressive variety.


Note: Readers who wish to discuss the role of the monarchy today on this blog are requested to take note. All references to the monarch must be made such: Her Majesty The Queen, Her Majesty or The Queen. If you wish to cast aspersions on the monarchic institution, your comment must make excessive use of the euphemism. They must also be deferential, even if it is presenting a feature that perhaps could be considered disadvantageous in that most venerable institution, the crown.

I could feel the suppressed snoring of the rickety old bus, somewhere under me. I wished I could sleep through my journey on the fissured roads, like it.
It began raining outside. I wondered if I’d feel better if the cool rain feel on my face. But I didn’t want my blazer to get wet. The books in my school bag too. Once I concluded that I might like to feel the rain, I began deciding if I’d be able to open the window.
The rain stopped. I was at my stop. I couldn’t get the image of the boy sleeping next to me and the girl who opened the window and wet herself in the smile of the rain out of my mind.

I'm feeling rather pleased. I wrote off to the Japanese Prime Minister yesterday, expressing my views on the succession issue. Getting in touch with him requires you to fill out a short form giving your age, country and e-mail address. I hope a sixteen year old Indian monarchist writing to him is unusual enough to solicit a response. I tried to keep it in the same tone as his slightly literary speeches. I also tried to keep the sentimentality attune to the sort exuded by Japanese haikus. One the whole, I think, I was fairly successful. The line “I sincerely hope that Japan’s forward thinking people will be able to implement an historic step such as this in the near future and once again show the world that Japan is indeed The Land of the Rising Sun”, I think, was well writ, though I do say so myself.

It’s certainly good news for Japan. I’m thrilled that Princess Kiko’s given birth to a baby boy. The only question in my mind is what’s going to happen to the plan to allow women to accede to the throne? My mum and I were discussing this yesterday, and we both feel that with a Harvard educated, foreign service associated, cosmopolitan mother like Crown Princess Masako, little Princess Aiko is bound to be a good Empress. Besides, the two women rulers – one Empress and one Regent Empress that Japan’s had in the past have both been very powerful and successful.
The succession issue isn’t the only thing I’m worried about. I think it’s awful that former Princess Sayako lost her title when she married a commoner. Nobody is saying give the commoner a title, but once born royal, always royal, so why take the title away from her?


I wish the Emperor and Empress would say something but there's little chance of that. The Imperial Household is very traditional. All the same, here's a brilliant picture of them.

Dear loyal fans,
My computer has packed up! It shuts itself down as soon as I start it!! This means that I could lose... EVERYTHING!!! Can you imagine doing everything all over again? Those chemistry labs, world literatures, extended essay drafts, Math portfolios, VIVUM letters, the vast music collection, the authoritative collection of photographs of Her Majesty, all gone! Gone, GONE, gone gone.
But most of all I miss your adorations. Please, bear with me till I get my computer back. Then I'll be back online and pasting once more.

Yours,
The Acropolian Oracle,
(fortelling disaster in the IB program)