Casino Royale - Suspenseful but not too Fashionable

I tried to catch up on my movie "to watch list" over the holiday by
watching Casino Royale. I must say that if you diva-socialistas expect great female fashion trends this movie is not for you. James as usual was very debonair in his suits and tuxedos. His look was of course very European from bathing suits to sportswear. And his great physique didn't hurt. Vesper (Eva Green) his female co-star on the other hand was rather drab. Her outfits were dated and matronly and unexciting as the name of her character. M (Judi Dench)looked way classier as usual. Love her character!

The selling points of this movie are the action and chase scenes. They are so amazing that even after the movie is over you are trying to piece together the possible plot. But for the 144 mins you are glued to your seat.

I am an avid James Bond fan and I must say I was really skeptical about Daniel Craig as James Bond. I usually have a knack for knowing which celebrity would make a good James even before they are chosen - Pierce Brosnan was on my list since the Remington Steele days. Eventhough I did not originally see Daniel Craig as James, he was able to pull off a great 007 in part because of his great body and athleticism.

In this movie we see a harder, more realistic side of James. He is not the cavalier, one line spewing Don Juan but rather a spy who kills with his bare hands, drinks hard liquor rather than "Martinis shaken not stirred". He does not leave his escapades unshaken and ready to fight another day but is rather a man who feels the strain of his new job and love lost. As a newly minted 007 Bond is unpolished and literally feeling his way in his new job.

I wonder if the new trend will be to portray Bond as a modern killing machine who loves the ladies or if the movie just showed the beginning of the evolution. I guess we will all have to stay tuned for the next installation...





And yes for his fans Jeffrey Wright is in this movie too.

Turkey Day recovery - Meet up groups

Ok, so I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. As usual I had a great time with my family. Now that Turkey day is over we are still plowing through the turkey and leftovers. Hmmmm.... turkey soup tomorrow... with the right spices this can be a interesting experiment.

For some time now I have been hearing about the DC Meet Up groups scene. These are groups - started by anyone and geared towards various interests, beliefs or hobbies. Stay tuned in the next few weeks while I visit some of these groups and let you know of my escapades.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Don't forget to give thanks for everything even the most mundane!

Christmas shopping! Diva Bugs, Black Friday

Thanksgiving is almost here and I just finished seasoning my turkey with my special marinade. So, glad that's out of the way. There is nothing worst than bland tasting turkey...

Ok, now that you have decided what purchases you will make on www.divabugs.com - you can find out about the other shopping locations on either http://www.bfads.net or http://www.blackfriday.info/ads/

Happy shopping and happy Thanksgiving!

Be safe,

-H

The Website is READY!!!!

http://www.divabugs.com

Babel ... thought provoking.

One shot fired and international controversy is sparked while the domino effect entangles the lives of fours sets of people - Moroccan goat herders, wealthy American couple, illegal immigrant maid and nanny to the couple’s children and hearing impaired Japanese teenager and her father.

For those of you who are not aware – the story of the Tower of Babel is the story of the creation of races and the various languages of the world. It is a biblically perspective on the division of the races and our various languages and how because we separated as a people we could not work together or communicate on any level.

Likewise, Babel (the movie) deals with political, physical and racial barriers to communication. This story is loosely based on the Biblical tale but in this modern day error of mistrust, terrorism border patrols and rules of trade. You are captivated from the start and emotional exhausted in the end.

Because I am drawn to the unique perspectives I found the side stories more captivating than the Brad Pitt/Kate Blanchett depiction of the American husband seeking help in rural Morocco for his injured wife. Nothing new here - the Americans focus on terrorism - not a surprise; diplomatic barriers to getting her help - expected; his arrogance and immediate anger at the locals - American stereotype. However, Brad Pitt's acting skills were amazing with his effective use of his emotions.

More intriguing is what happened to the Mexican maid and the Japanese girl. Their pain is from within and they are victims of society and that which they cannot change. The maid has to go back to Mexico for a wedding. Because she can’t find a babysitter for the children whose parents are in Morocco she has to take the blond hair, blue-eyed duo with her. On the way back border patrol holds her and her nephew under immediate suspicion of kidnapping without question. The rash decisions that ensued led to her deportation. All because she was trying to do the right thing. No one spoke on her behalf even after 16 years of living in the US. No one wanted to listen to her.

On the other side of the world we have a deaf girl tormented by not being able to communicate, her mother's suicide and keeping the police away from her father - who coincidental owns the gun involved in the shooting. Imagine going to a club, watching everyone dancing and having fun but not being able to hear the music. Imagine finding a guy cute but being rejected because you can’t talk and he can’t sign. It was fascinating seeing the world of the deaf through their ears. Seeing about a week of her life was eye opening.

A must see…go with an open mind.

Great DC Find: See Plays For Free

Wanna see plays at local theaters for free well that should not be very difficult. Many of these theaters will gladly take your help and services in ushering in return for a free ticket to that nights showing.

Contact the theaters to find out more information.

http://www.shakespearetheatre.org/about/opportunities/ushering/index.aspx
http://www.studiotheatre.org/contact/index.php
http://www.fordstheatre.org/Pages/home/home.htm
http://www.thingstodo.com/states/DC/theaters.htm

Stay tuned.....

for the new Diva Bugs website.

Coming soon....

West Virginia is for Friends!

It did not take long for me to say yes to another day trip to West Virginia. The first time was a water tubing trip. This time it would be a day spa excursion to help a friend celebrate her birthday.

At last Sunday was finally here! I woke up in a great mood eventhough I had forgotten about daylight savings time again this year. (Note to self: add to calendar, outlook, yahoo, etc. etc.) I got up, did my early morning Sunday duties, stopped by Starbucks, grabbed my chai latte and headed off to meet the ladies.

All five of us got in the same car and drove off to Berkeley Springs. There is nothing like a short day trip to bring out the best in everyone. With a low playing melody in the background we were able talk about everything from relationships, work, past events and life in general. We were not distracted by telephones, television or work. Very relaxing.

Two hours later we were in West Virginia. We checked into the Spa in Berkeley Springs. They offered mineral water baths with the option of roman or relaxing, steam baths and full body massages. The package we chose was the roman or relaxing bath coupled with the full body massage. The total was $45 tax included. What a bargain...

I chose the relaxing bath which was offered in a victorian tub located in a private curtained off room. To be honest the room was private except for the attendant being there in the beginning (interesting) and when she came back to turn off the bubbles. But if you are in relaxed mode like I was ... nothing should bother your groove.

Don’t get me wrong the facilities were not on the same level as Elizabeth Arden or Cultura Med but they offered the West Virginia experience - clean air, starlight skies, rustic and away from the city feelings. My massage was definitely worth the trip eventhough the masseuse used olive oil that you can purchase from like ... the grocery store, but which is still really good for the skin. Most importantly, I felt the calming effects of that massage way after dinner. In the end, some of us liked various aspects of the experience more than others. But overall, the experience of a girlfriend getaway overshadowed our expectations of luxury.

After our spa appointments we drove around to various campsites and then we had dinner at the restaurant Panaroma near an overlook and only 3 miles from the spa.

Perfect end to a perfect day for diva-socialistas!











Scene near the restaurant.












Toast to a great day and the birthday girl!











Tesia and Schwanda(birthday girl).












Me and Nimu.

(Photos courtesy of Schwanda Rountree)

Here are some cool websites just in case you are interested in taking a day trip too.

http://coolfont.com/spa/index.cfm?ContentIP=40
http://www.berkeleyspringssp.com/spa.html
http://atasiaspa.com
http://bathhouse.com

For white water rafting and tubing try -
http://www.rivertrail.com