Just one look at his fingernails and shoes, and you know if you’ll love him or leave him. And when it comes to a client meet, you can assess the potential in the first five minutes. Clearly, first impressions count.

Our Trendy Scout found a way to make them count even more. Now you can ‘Braille enable’ your visiting cards so they can be read by the visually impaired, as well as the sighted. You’ll make a personal step towards making the business world more inclusive, and when you present a Brailled card, you’re bound to land up explaining what it’s all about to your curious associates. Making a quiet statement about your sense and your sensitivity.

Nidhi Arora, whose concept this is, runs Esha, a Delhi-based institution, which also conducts disability sensitisation workshops. She explains how visually-impaired workers in Bangalore use a Brailler (a kind of Braille typewriter) to enable your existing cards. If her team has enough orders to work eight hours a day, they each earn about Rs 17,000 a month, which is more than the average blind person can usually earn.

Doing the right thing comes easy to you. It just got easier.

Place orders with KN Chandrashekar, #11, Villa Suchita, I cross, 17th ‘A’ Main, JP Nagar II Phase, Behind Giri Apartments, Bangalore 560 078; Tel: 094498 64777; E-mail: esha_braille@yahoo.com. Price: Rs 100 per 100 cards, plus courier actuals.

You wield your chopsticks with mainland elan. You do sake and sushi for at-homes. You know your boeuf bourguignon and your bak-kut-teh. But you shrug off fusion — it mostly gets served up as confusion.

The Maurya’s out to change your mind with My Humble House’s ‘contemporary Chinese’ fare. Having conquered tastebuds in Singapore, Beijing and Tokyo, the Tung Lok group’s pride is the newest gem in ITC’s crown. It’s a match made in foodie heaven — MHH is in Restaurant magazine’s top global 100, as is old stalwart Bukhara.

The rooftop view is an irresistible appetizer if you lounge outdoors. Get a Geisha, their signature sake cocktail. Inside, there are private alcoves. Vietnamese silk cushions against black velvet complement a haiku-esque menu. Still Water, Deep Thoughts — foie gras, grape salsa, Peking duck. A Million Tiny Eyes Looking Back at Me — spinach soup with enoki mushrooms. Willowy Cotton Balls High Up in the Sky, A Soft Pillow of Dreams — superb steamed cod.

No dragons here. Only culinary creativity on fire.

My Humble House, The Maurya, Diplomatic Enclave, Delhi; ph: 26114444 extn 1978.
Price: Rs 1500-3000 for 5-course set menus; a la carte Rs 325 onwards.

The big fat book in the library still holds a pressed rose from ‘98. Scrapbook ‘07 has old lace from gramma’s ‘86 curtains. And cobbled streets are the go-to spot for vintage velvets and satins in olde worlde shades.

If the above fits you, then the below will thrill you.

Haldi’s Winter Collection is an ode to the Renaissance in soft silks, crinkly crepes, enchanted chiffons and ethereal organza. With classic prints and old rose hues, this collection comes straight out of the past with dresses that kiss the knees and cuts that gently cling to the torso.

Kanick and Roopa of Haldi have been inspired by the 17th and 18th centuries, a period lauded for its rich colours and intricate workmanship. From delicate silver threads lining intricate embroidery to rich ornamentation sprinkled with twinkling sequins, all the dresses in this line spell R-I-C-H. With their creativity, it’s no surprise that Haldi is one of only six all-new Indian design teams invited to participate at Lakme India Fashion Week this year.

Olde is new again.

Bangalore: Haldi. At Collage, Wood Street, Ph: 2556818/9; 100 ft, 777/1, 100 Feet Road, Indiranagar, Tel: 25277752/ 25278616. Marmalade, 3 Magrath Road, Tel: 41221814.
Mumbai: Haldi. At Sattva, 11-13 KharCHSC, Junction off Ramakrishna Mission Marg, Linking Road plot 67, Khar. Tel: 26498446. Mogra Blooms, 10 Quorum, Phoenix, SB Marg, Lower Parel, Tel: 24960808/9. You, 2 Cornelian, 104, Kranti Marg, Kemps Corner, Tel: 23826972.
Website: www.haldi.in. Prices range from Rs 950 to Rs 9000.

Tired of bad remixes? Had enough of immaculately polished international releases, or of Rakhi Sawant and Mika’s ding-dong verbal war? Let the sounds of ‘Sahi Bol‘ drench you like a welcome splash.

Underground artists from Delhi come together for the first time in this double CD album. The sound is fresh, fiercely indie, eclectic, with a strong Sufi strain. Our Trendy Rocker picks out the best of the best.

Sajid Akbar’s ‘Mira‘, which leaves you with the final words ‘stop turning in my head‘. Sweet acoustic guitar sounds.

Abhishek, follows with an almost visual treat with a simple electro-acoustic ditty, ‘Ghar jaaney dey‘. Groovy, chilled-out.

Don Bhat’s ‘One Way Circle’ — ‘So you talk about the meaning of life and everything, but I know you read it off a Cosmopolitan‘. Smart, soulful, real.

Advaita’s ‘Light‘, filled with the band’s sense of the spiritual, insightful song-writing, and tasteful use of multiple instruments, as well as western and Hindustani Classical vocals. Fine blend of real and the surreal.

Mandeep’s crisp Sufi vocals in on ‘Pardes‘. Good old drum and bass romp.

Sahi Bol, The Urban Transmission, on Sa Re Ga Ma, Rs. 395, available country wide in music stores. www.sahibol.com.

He beat off the bullies, coaxed your parents to extend your curfew. Kicked up a fuss when you wore your first skimpy top — oh, so long ago — and bought you your first pair of stilettos with his first salary. Brothers are like that, a bundle of contradictions.

Like the shine of silver. With its edge.

When Raksha Bandhan rolls around tomorrow, commemorate your unique relationship with this precious metal. Frazer and Haws has come out with silver raakhis that combine tradition and modernity — just as your brother does.

To symbolise the elemental bond you share, pick from the fire, earth, air, water, ether designs of Tatva: Each has a distinctive shape and uses different coloured threads. Fire is depicted in an oval shape with bright red silk thread, air captured in a square space and tied down by light blue thread.

Or choose from the handcrafted Kesariya range, where fine stone particles are inlaid with resin, resulting in a mosaic of colours. The Vigneshwar range is based on two avatars of Lord Ganesha, while the funky Bar Code designs are perfect for kid brothers.

Each one of them is meant for keeps. Just like your relationship.

In Bangalore: Frazer and Haws, C-9 Leela Galleria, The Leela Palace Hotel, Airport Road. Tel: 41159766.
In Delhi: The Next Shop, N-22 Greater Kailash-I. Tel: 29239381. Centrestage Mall, Ground Floor, Sector 18, Noida. Tel: 120-2510320. DLF Mega Mall, 118-119 First Floor, Phase I, Gurgaon. Tel: 124-4101952. Ogaan: 4A, Santushti Complex, Chanakyapuri. Tel: 24672429. H2 Hauz Khas Village. Tel: 26967595. 17, Khan Market, First Floor. Tel: 41757301, 41757302.
In Mumbai: Landmark building, Pali Naka, Off Turner Road, Bandra (West). Tel: 66750200, 26403914/5
Prices: Bar Code: Rs 1000, Tatva, Kesariya: Rs 620, Vigneshwar: Rs 550.

You’ve often walked through the narrow lanes of Majnu Ka Tila. Feasted on steaming hot thupkas and potent chang from the hole-in-the wall joints at this colourful Tibetan outpost in Delhi. Now see what Tibet is really like through rare photography exhibit, Tsampa on my shoulder.

Vidura Jang Bahadur’s remarkable b&w collection takes its name from the Tibetan tradition of dabbing roasted barley flour (tsampa) on someone’s shoulder to wish them safe journey. The country comes alive through 32 contemporary works — of young people on cell phones, playing snooker, doing their thing.

Bid the retreating monsoon farewell with another set of superb photographs at Monsoon Light. Part of Red Earth’s monsoon festival, Bandeep Singh, Ravi Agarwal, Christina Zuck, Sanjay Bhattacharya and Leena Kejriwal showcase the many moods of the season. The standouts: Kejriwal’s very Calcutta-in-the-rains pix, and Zuck’s ‘water disco’ of drenched young men in a Dehradun amusement park.

Come wearing Red Earth’s quirky director Himanshu Varma’s fave garment — the sari. He loves sporting one. Don’t forget to accessorize with matching bindis and choodis.

Tsampa on my shoulder, at Bodhi Art Gallery, Grand Mall, M G Road, Gurgaon. On till Sept 8; 0124-4375190, delhi@bodhiart.in.
Monsoon Light, at Max Mueller Bhavan, 3 K G Marg, New Delhi, On till Aug 29; 011 23711401, contact@redearthindia.com.

You love shopping. But lately, you’ve been wondering why stores love to focus on stick-thin tweenies instead of real women with real curves. And, okay, a couple of inches to hide here and there.

After years of supplying garments to topline designer stores, Seema Bagla’s an ace at gauging a girl’s mood. She knows you seek sleek cuts, not unshapely cover-’em-ups, brights, not borings. That’s why she designs tops, kurtis and jackets that are picture-perfect for your persona — not what some anonymous retailer wants you to be.

For those quiet times, Seema offers off-whites in textured cottons and muls. Subtle block prints add colour to uncertain days. Tops embellished with crocheted lace and frills pep up the pleasure factor; vintage appliqué and delicate embroidery dazzle casual evenings. Pair them with leggings. Or even capris and skirts.

To abolish the horrors of mass-produced ill-fits, Seema also adjusts details like sleeve length and collar size. And to finish the look, she has designer footwear handcrafted in Jaipur.

Because you know now clothes don’t make the woman. Experience does.

Seema Bagla at Kastha. 340/A, 4th cross, 10th Main, Indiranagar, HAL II Stage, Bangalore 560038. Tel: 9342873362. Exhibition of new collection on August 25, 27, 28, 10.30 am-6 pm. Westernwear starts at Rs 700, footwear at Rs 550. Ethnicwear also available, starting from Rs 1800.

He pulled your pigtails, spanked your favourite doll and tattled when you broke that special plate. And when you had your first call from a boy, he listened in and teased you about it relentlessly. But today, you know your brother’s the one who understands you best. And vice versa.

Which is why you know he’d like something different from the regular box of barfi to go with that raakhi this Raksha Bandhan. Our Trendy Taster found something for you at Deliciae, the dessert café — raakhi cakes! The owner, Bunty Mahajan, has come up with the idea of baking eggless cakes in designs that actually resemble raakhis.

So you can get your bhaiyya any of his old faves — Chocolate Truffle, Death By Chocolate and Mars Haven (a two-coloured mousse with a scrumptious Oreo cookie and Mars bar filling) — in Raksha Bandhan mode. The raakhi look is wrought in butter cookies, flower-shaped biscuits and creamy icing in various colours, embellished with paper decorations and ribbons.

And even if he doesn’t admit he liked all the frills, you can be sure he’s secretly thrilled.

Deliciae — the Dessert Café, Hotel Pali Hills, Union Park, Khar (W), Mumbai; Tel: 26003002; Price: Rs. 400 onwards for 650 gms. Order by this Saturday for Tuesday delivery.

Your favourite childhood read was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Later, Chocolat was your kind of movie — and not because of dishy Depp either. Now, you quote from Matt Rosenblum’s Chocolate when the subject of cocoa beans crops up. Chocolate, you know now, is a pleasure for all ages.

To enjoy it to the fullest, sink your teeth into a Gallianoz chocolate. Cut through the couverture to feel the filling ooze out onto your tongue. Is it butterscotch? Or a 12-year-old whisky? Caramel? Or cashew? Walnut truffle? Or maybe coffee?

Any which way, it takes one bite for the senses to discern it’s the real thing. Gillan Divecha bases these exquisite confections on his Swiss grandmother’s secret recipes. The ingredients are imported, the emotions are all authentic Indian. No wonder he counts the King of Good Times himself among his connoisseurs.

Wrapped in colour-coded cellophane and available in all sorts of weight and packaging, they’re the perfect gift for chocaholics.

If you can bring yourself to give them away.

Gallianoz, 14/2 Rhenius Street, Richmond Town, Bangalore 560025. Tel: 9845024645. Call rightaway to place Diwali orders. Prices start from Rs 856/kg for filled chocolates, Rs 1500/kg for liquor chocolates.

As a child, you clashed together pots and pans with the confidence of a clever percussionist. Later, you vented your teen angst on zinging guitar strings. Even now, you’re game for karaoke night with your girl gang even though you aren’t exactly the Pussycat Dolls.

So you understand that what may be mayhem to some can be music to your ears. Which is what theatre actor Shaun William’s Dissonance (Making some noise) is all about. Encouraging new artists and new audiences to try something offbeat. Tinged with his trademark zaniness, it’s an hour of listening pleasure that’s guaranteed to get you out of the FM-VH1-karaoke menu rut.

Folk music (mellow originals and covers) performed by two talented music makers. Imaad Shah (yes, the inimitable Naseeruddin’s son) and Gowri Jayakumar.

And then there’s 30 minutes of stand-up comedy by playwright Anuvab Pal. ‘Observations of a Fool’, about a child of the ’80s who just doesn’t get what the world is coming to, is quite a chuckle-fest.

An evening of interesting music and a lot of laughs. As long as you’re on the same wacky wavelength.

Dissonance at Banana Bar, Hotel New Castle, below Tangy Tamarind, Linking Road, Khar (W), Mumbai; Tel: 26498549; Date: Sunday, August 26; Time: 9 pm onwards; Entry free.