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It has all the ingredients of a classic James Bond movie, and at the same time, pulls the brand into the modern era. Read on (no spoilers below) : 1, James Bond has been humanized in this movie. No longer the womanizer we once knew him to be, he is emotional, romantic and vulnerable, thus making him attractive to the women of today. The movie doesnt have the cheesy ending of prior bond flicks with the camera panning away as he beds yet another Bond girl. And thankfully, there is no objectification of women in the entire movie. 2. It was a great decision to "retire" Daniel Craig. Although still hot, his age shows. This, along with "retiring" other regular Bond characters, gives the producers an opening to spin the story any which way they want, ala Marvel franchise. This movie has opened a Pandora box of possibilities for the next installation. Great way to keep the audience engaged with the now fast becoming "Bond Universe". 3. It pays homage to the old James Bond movies. Via the sets, they have made subtle references to Dr.No, You Only Live Twice, etc. There is even a portrait of Dame Judi Dench in one of the scenes, if you watch closely. 4. The title song for all Bond movies is performed by someone famous. This time it is Billie Eilish. And she actually sings, not whispers, but sings the song. We can finally hear her singing abilities in this one. The ending soulful score by Louis Armstrong is a perfect farewell song to Daniel Craig. 5. The scenery, as always, is spectacular. If Norway and rural Italy sees a spike in tourism, it is because of this movie. Along with all of the above, the movie comes with the usual edge-of-the-seat thrills, gadgetry and fast cars. Watch it. It is the end of an era. And the beginning of a new one.

Here are a few tips on how to have a successful group photoshoot. 1. Saree selection : For a large group, keep sarees simple and uniform. Heavy silks will look very busy and will only create unwanted noise in the picture. I highly recommend staying away from any silk sarees, light or heavy, as the sheen can also be distracting in the pictures. Select sarees that do not have any design/prints, and are plain. If they are all of the same weave, or material, even better. I always suggest this saree on Amazon. There are a number of colors for the group to choose from and they are inexpensive and look colorful in pictures. Chiffon/georgette sarees are also lightweight and flow freely and blow nicely in the breeze. Wear your pallu long and dont give in to convenience and comfort and pleat and pin your pallu at your shoulder. 2. Blouse : Any contrast blouse will add a pop to the saree. And if it has a sexy back, even better! 3. Jewelry : Dont forget your earrings, necklace and bangles, but keep them simple, so they dont draw the eye away from the saree or the group. 4. Poses : If the group is big, breakup into smaller groups for the pictures. Groups can be created with similar attributes, such as saree color. If taking shots of a large group, ensure folks wearing similar colors do not sit/stand close to each other 5. Hair & Makeup - This is based on individual's comfort level, but do not come to a photoshoot with bed hair or dark circles under your eyes :-) There is only so much magic a photographer can do :-) Hope the above tips help you with your next group photoshoot. If you have other suggestions, do drop me a line and let me know, and I will incorporate it in this blog.

Are you or your partner a hardcore snorer? If yes, then read on (or skip to the bottom for the "climax")... I have been a loud snorer for as long as I can remember. I attribute it to my genetics, as my father is one as well. My family tells me that sleeping next to me is like sleeping in a railway station. Be it a short nap during a car ride or a night of restful sleep, the snoring comes on like a ravenous bear at a campsite. Talking about campsites, my camping buddies can now vouch for my snoring too. Many years ago, when I first heard of the term "sleep apnea", my hubby implored me to get tested right away. The results came out negative - I slept like a baby through the test, with no sign of chocking myself. I looked into surgery as well, to remove my Uvula (thats the one in the mouth, for those with a gutter brain), but backed out of it a couple of hours before the scheduled procedure, fearing having to be on a liquid diet for weeks. Back then (early 2000s), there were not many options for anit-snore devices. After that, hubby resigned to wearing industrial strength earplugs while sleeping next to me, and I continued to enjoy my snoring zen. Until now. Of late, my adult daughter refuses to take a nap or sleep in the same bed with us, and even dreads sharing the same hotel room with us because of the "family-owned big-rig", to put it lightly. This once again set me on the path to finding "Snorevana". Putting all the technical advancements in this field in the last 20 years to good use, I first took the assistance of an app (what else??) called Snore Lab. The app recorded my snoring, night after night, and labeled the sound as "EPIC". In other circumstances, I would have been proud of this categorization, But not this time. I did try a couple of expensive options, such as SmartNora - a device that raises your pillow each time you snore. It kept me awake all night and made my dark circles even darker! I tried a couple of cheap ones too, like medicated drops to relax my throat muscles. That did nothing but leave a bad taste in my mouth, like other liquids associated with the bedroom, if you catch my drift. Then I came across an anti-snoring mouthpiece called "Vital Sleep". I was a little skeptical at first to fall asleep with a foreign object in my mouth. But I decided to go ahead and give it a try as it had a lofty 60 day trial period. It looks and feels very much like dentures or a retainer and is easy to adjust to ones own mouth. The first night I wore it, hubby teased me as he kissed me goodnight that he now has to sleep next to a Dracula (it looked like Dracula's teeth). But within 2 nights that "Dracula" had turned into a mouse! My snoring had greatly reduced. I would even wake up in the early hours of the morning feeling fully rested and ready to start the day. My loyal bedside buddy, the Snore Lab app, now demoted my snoring to "LIGHT"! The way this mouthpiece works is it moves your jaw slightly while asleep and increases the airway passage in your throat so your tongue, Uvula and the roof of your throat dont collapse and cause the vibrating noise which comes out as a snore. This is not a solution for snoring caused due to issues in the nasal passage. This morning, after less than a week of use, when hubby commented that he woke up alarmed in the middle of the night because the bedroom was so silent, I thought - Hallelujah! After 20 years, I have found my snoring solution and made haste to make a PSA on this product. Do check out Vital Sleep, if you are in the same boat as I was. You really have nothing to lose. If this post helps even one couple, my job is done. PS : This is not a paid promotion of any sort. Just some ramblings from a happy (and snore-free) camper.

Showcase the saree: Many a times you want to take a photo of yourself to put emphasis on a new saree purchase, or the type of weave of the saree, or the grandeur of the drape. Much of the grandeur or intricate work of the saree lies in the pallu. So display the pallu in such a way that the focus is on it for the picture. Dont pleat your pallu and pin it at your shoulder for those sarees with grand pallu. The beauty of the saree is hidden if you do so for the sake of convenience. Photographing with the pallu falling over your left arm is so 5-years-ago and overdone. Showcase your pallu creatively, as shown in the examples here: If you dont feel comfortable being in the picture, then you can showcase your saree by spreading it out on a chair as such : Showcase your blouse: Many a times, a blouse is what makes or breaks a saree. An ill-fitting blouse or one that does not contrast or match well can bring down the look of a saree, no matter how intricate or expensive the saree may be. So give a well stitched or well designed blouse the limelight it deserves. Here are a few ways to highlight your blouse : Showcase your Jewelry : I am a firm believer that no saree ensemble is complete without earrings, bangles and necklace. Sometimes in that 6 yards of cloth, the jewelry gets hidden, or goes unnoticed. Make sure you photograph your jewelry separately. Here are a few photo ideas to showcase your bling : Hope the above tips help you ace your next saree photoshoot. If you have other suggestions, do drop me a line and I will incorporate it in this blog.

Next time you are in LA, skip the crowds at Griffith Observatory and instead hit the Peak trail for some totally stunning views of Downtown LA and a birds eye view of the architecture splendor that is Griffith Observatory. We parked at the bottom of the Griffith hill and took a shuttle to the top. The trail starts right in front of the Observatory, and the trailhead is well marked. Although the hike is rated as moderate, you gain only 725ft of elevation in the 4 mile round trip. The trail is well defined and may sometimes get crowded on hot summer nights. As you round the corner to the top, you also catch sight of the Hollywood sign. The view of the city of stars below and of the observatory makes this short hike totally worth your while. Griffith Observatory, with the skyline of Los Angeles in the background, engulfed in smog.

A recent post about old sarees in an FB saree group I am a member of reminded me of my mother's tireless way of collecting old zari borders. In the 70s and 80s in Bangalore and Chennai, there used to be street vendors who went house to house buying good zari for steel, yelling "steel patrae samaan" to advertise their wares. When my mom had sarees which were too worn to hand down to the maids, she would cut down the good zari borders and pallus and recycle the remaining cloth for various household chores. She would collect such zari for a year or two, and when she had enough, would flag down the zari vendor to barter with him. The vendor would test the zari by rubbing it on a calcium painted wall or on the ground (in later years, they carried a chemical liquid tester). If the gold threads turned black or colorless, they were made of plastic and hence worthless. Mom would haggle back and forth about the authenticity of the gold zari and its worth. They would finally settle on a price and the vendor would either pay in cash or give a new steel vessel of her choice for the price agreed upon. I always found great pleasure to watch the back and forth between my mom and the vendor and the shiny new vessel which came home in place of some old cloth I didnt care about. Its amazing how we were enamored by the tiniest of pleasures in our childhood. It feels so nostalgic now to visit those small things in life which used to elate me to no bounds, but now hidden in the depths of my memory.

Goat Yoga is a great way to destress, combining light physical activity (yoga) with some fun (baby goats). Lemos Farm in Half Moon Bay offers goat yoga sessions every Saturday and Sunday morning. The sessions are an hour long and you sign up on their website. They even host private events and birthday parties for this activity. The yoga session itself is instructor led and held in a barn with 15-20 super cute baby goats (kids) roaming freely. You are asked to bring along a yoga mat, but bring an old one which you can dispose off afterwards, as the goats pee and poop everywhere, including on your mat ( I did not see them do so on people, however). Although the yoga poses are easy and for beginners, it was hard for us to concentrate or be mindful, with the cute goats roaming around you. At one point, I just gave up doing yoga and just enjoyed the attention I was receiving from these babies. There is a yoga assistant who helps with photo ops by coaxing the goats to climb on you by laying treats on your back while doing the cat-cow pose. At the end of the yoga session, you get multiple opportunities to hold the goats for some Instagram gratification. Word of Caution : Goats love to nibble on your hair or anything that is hanging. So do not wear any jewelry and tie your hair in a tight bun, or better still, hide it under a cap. At the end of our session, I found bits of my hair lying on my mat. Ended up getting an unwanted hair trim of sorts :-) All in all, its a great family weekend activity, and its double the fun if doing it with girlfriends.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - Let me preface my review by saying I am NOT a superhero or a Marvel fan. So I went to the movie with very low expectations, even though the movie was rated at 98% by Rotten Tomatoes. I was taken by surprise when this Marvel movie turned out to be more of a fantasy flick than a superhero franchise. The storytelling is very slick, the martial arts fight scenes keep you at the edge of your seat and the character development is excellent. And best of all the magical cinematography kept the whole film visually stunning. Great performance all round, but only wished Aquafina's dialogs had more punch. Dont wait for it to be streamed online. Go watch it on the big screen. Its a treat for all the senses.

Apple TV's Ted Lasso has become my new favorite TV show. It is loaded with lovable characters and subtle English humor with a generous sprinkling of cuss words thrown in to keep the audience engrossed all the way. Although a soccer romcom, you dont need to be a fan of soccer to be a fan of the show. Jason Sudeikis does an excellent job as the protagonist - highly optimistic, insightful, humorous and complex, all at the same time. His character makes a good person out of everyone he comes across while fighting demons from within (revealed at the end of the second season). Each and every character is so hear-warming that you cant help but cheer them on with each episode. The Boss Lady, Rebecca's fashion sense is spot on and you are left wanting for more of her and her beautiful dresses, tresses and long legs. The love triangle of Roy, Jamie and Keeley is hotness overload. Its no surprise that this show had a windfall at the 2021 Emmys a few days ago, bagging 7 Primetime Emmys, including Best Comedy Series, Best Lead actor, supporting actor and actress. Although only two seasons old, I hope this show keeps going for a few more. Watch it! You will be hooked right from the first episode!

This drawing brought back memories of how I traveled to school when we lived in Chennai in the 70s. I even remember my poor, old, cycle rickshaw-walla's name : Veerappan - in his 60s, sun-drenched dark skin, tall, lanky, each wrinkle on his face telling a tale of hardship and misery, and always in a shirt and lungi, with the lungi hitched up high, so it didnt get caught in the pedals. The most privileged seat was the actual "seat". The "top" was where no one wanted to sit, as our uniform skirts could easily provide a "peek show" to the passers-by. Every morning, his rickshaw bell in the next street served as a warning for me to hurry up and pull on my white socks and black shoes and grab my school bag, as he'd be at my doorstep within minutes. In his heydays when business was doing well, Veerappan had two rounds. The first round in the morning was the most in demand, as it ensured you'd reach school early and have time to catch up on your homework. On the way back, everyone wanted to be in the second round, as it guaranteed you a "seat" and we could play longer in the playground after school. If we were nice to him, he would even stop at a store in Pondy Bazar for us to buy maps, posters and stationary the teachers had demanded at school. The worst days for Veerappan were during the monsoons, when he had to transport a rickshaw full of snooty, chubby girls through the unforgiving Chennai floods, with only his "beedi" to keep him warm as he peddled in the rain. Or the days when some kid delayed the first round, because of which he had to face the wrath of the parents from the second round. Ah, those days of yore, when we didnt have to worry about how unsafe this mode of transportation was, didnt have to worry about carpools, or pollution, or strangers whisking your kid away, not caring two hoots about the sun, wind or rain, and sadly, not giving a thought about human exploitation. We never knew what became of Veerappan after we moved out of Chennai. He was heavily in debt to my parents for numerous cash advances (much of it spent on "sarai" or toddy). But my parents were forever indebted to him for transporting their precious bundle everyday. I hope his end was kinder to him than his life