Delight in the fragrance of fresh printers’ ink? Been there, read that? You’re going to love this one.

Random House has reissued three novels by three-time Booker nominee, Padma Shri Anita Desai to celebrate her being made a lifetime Fellow by the Sahitya Akademi. Look out for redesigned covers and forewords by famous wordsmiths in these collectors’ editions.

Clear Light of Day: The sepia gramophone on the cover evokes the world of the four Das siblings in Old Delhi in 1947. The more things stay the same, the more they actually change. Kamila Shamsie compliments Desai’s superior powers of observation.

In Custody: The cover’s blue-grey pigeon could be one of the many that flutter through the home of Urdu poet Nur, who finds a ray of hope in Deven, a Hindi lecturer with Urdu aspirations. Don’t miss Salman Rushdie’s introduction likening Desai to Austen or the Merchant-Ivory film, being revived for the occasion.

Baumgartner’s Bombay: The cutting chai of Mumbai’s Irani cafés is immortalized along with Baumgartner, the wandering Jew. Suketu Mehta adds his insights.

You might just need a week off from this world once you enter her charmed one.

Available at leading bookstores; Price: Rs 295 each or Rs 695 for set of all three.
Dec 1: Desai in conversation with Rana Dasgupta; 4 pm, Triveni Kala Sangam, 205 Tansen Marg, New Delhi.
Dec 3: Desai in conversation with Jerry Pinto; 7 pm, Landmark Bookshop, Infinti Mall, New Link Road, Andheri (W), Mumbai.
Dec 7 onwards: In Custody playing at Metro Adlabs and IMAX, Mumbai.

Ticket giveaway details: The first 5 readers to email incustodymovie@gmail.com with their contact info and the subject line “Trendy” will receive a pair of tickets to the ‘In Custody’ movie premiere in Mumbai.

Classical, folk. Ghazals, filmi geet. Jazz, rock. What you want is what you get in the spoilt-for-choice Capital.

Now lend your ears to a cross-border medley. Over the next three days, India’s neighbours get their acts together at the first-ever SAARC (South Asian Association of Regional Co-operation) bands fest.

Pashto and Farsi tunes, set to the strains of the guitar and violin. Soulful sufi and Baul, fused with the beats of the drum. Or plain ol’ heavy metal, with eastern influences.

Nov 30: Delhi’s own Advaita opens, with its cool combo of sarangi, tabla and guitar. The 3-member Bangla Folk Fusion Band, from Bangladesh, sings sufi-inspired folk, mixed with pop, jazz and rock, next. And then, swing to Pakistani heart-throbs Strings.

Dec 1: Sway to the heavy metal riffs of Sri Lankan Stigmata, in their maiden concert in India. Next up is Indian Ocean, with its confluence of Indian classical and intense rock.

Dec 2: Ten-member Afghan band, Aryan, makes its international debut. The 20-somethings who ‘rearrange’ Afghan folk music with modern sounds got together five years ago, in the post-Taliban era. Jam to the home-grown Midival Punditz’ s electronica and Shankar Ehsaan Loy’s carnatic-and-western rock groove. And to Nepal’s Abhaya and the Steam Injuns, with their collection of ten very-popular-back-home songs.

Come, be part of cross-border solidarity.

SAARC Bands Festival 2007, Nov 30-Dec 2, 4.00 p.m. on daily at the Central Park, C P. New Delhi.

Sushi
And four joss sticks
Celebrate four glorious winters

Feeling Haiku-esque? Satisfy your poetry-craving soul with a visit to Joss, chef-owner Farrokh Khambata’s South-East Asian restaurant. His regular menu may have delighted the city’s gastronomes since late 2004. But the new specials, created in tandem with Japanese Master Chef Hisa (formerly of Wasabi at the Taj), are almost lyrical.

The six-course spread is perfect for days when you want to nourish your spirit. Start with a seaweed-and-vegetable clear soup that will surprise you with its very Indian triphala tang (called ’sansho’ in Japanese). Appreciate the visual poetry in the carefully constructed mains — Aubergine and Tofu for vegetarians, or delicate Chilean Sea Bass with Sweet Soya Ginger Sauce. Try hand-rolled Temaki with salmon and cheese or fried sweet potato in spicy mayonnaise. Wrap your tongue around delicious Maki rolls with fillings like eel, cucumber or pickled radish.

The Trendy Taster couldn’t get enough of the Mini-Ikura Don: Orangey-red globules of salmon roe on a bed of sushi rice that reminded her of the Japanese flag as each mouthful was a sunburst of intense flavour on her tongue.

After that, dessert was extraneous. The poetry flowed freely.

Joss: 30 K Dubash Marg, Kala Ghoda, Mumbai; Tel: 66356908/66334233; Prices: Veg set menu Rs 1,100, non veg Rs 1,850 per person, sushi from Rs 550 onwards.

The aroma of freshly baked bread. Bright linen on overladen tables. Vendors hawking their wares. Voices hailing old friends. Heavy bags and light purses.

Nope, not Morocco or Italy. This is Bangalore’s own Christmas Bazaar, organised by the Overseas Women’s Club, and a festive way to spend a mellow Saturday afternoon.

Usher in the holiday spirit by browsing through the best the city offers by way of brand names and cottage enterprises. Yamini will have a stall to show off their handmade Christmas ornaments. Cinnamon, they of the cool threads, will be there too, as will Studio Revola with their functional art products — including faux leather bags with canvas prints of original Shan Ré paintings. Check out the art objets from Kynkyny, Artefact and Abstract. Or pick up pretty wooden trinkets from Eka.

Also on the cards: Olive Beach’s delectable breads and cold meats — they’re actually hosting their monthly Gourmet Bazaar here, just this once — handmade paper, cards and exclusive gift-wrapping paper from Temple Tree. And home-made jams, pickles, jellies and preserves by the cartfuls.

Carry a big bag.

Christmas Bazaar. At St Marks Cathedral, MG Road. Noon to 5pm, December 1. Admission: Rs 100 for adults, Rs 50 for children. Parking: Rs 50. Gate collections go to 26 charities supported by the OWC.

All that gift-buying has left you counting change. You need a new lipstick shade for that big party tonight. And you are like, oh my gawd, what do I do now?

You may need a pricey base for flawless make-up, but a low-cost lipper in a great shade is just as good. (We saw Yatan Ahluwalia and Mehera Kolah use less expensive brands for lips backstage at Wills India Fashion Week.) So with the colour trends changing practically every other week, we suggest you invest in a bunch of budget lipsticks.

Here are our Trendy Tester’s fave brands for the season

Lakme Nine To Five Lipcolor, Rs 295
Trendy Take: Soft rich shades, creamy, and smudge-proof. Pick this if you want smooth, matte neutral pinks or nude hues.

Lotus Herbals Moistpetals Lipstick, Rs 249
Trendy Take: Nourishing extracts of comfrey and other botanical extracts is the base of this 99 percent natural lipper. Try the red brown shade to complement a winter evening.

Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lipstick, Rs 179
Trendy Take: Thirty-four shades in warm reds, plums and browns enriched with vitamin E. Super creamy, glides on beautifully. Our Tester’s fave.

Oriflame Power Shine Lipsticks, Rs 169
Trendy Take: Super shimmery hues of pinks and peach. Pick this one up for megawatt, 3D shine.

Prettify that pout.

Available at all leading beauty stores. Oriflame available through Oriflame Beauty Advisors. Call: Delhi: 40549500, Mumbai: 67893333, Bangalore: 41511878.

So, what do you wanna do?
What about, um, a nap?

What, in the middle of the morning?
Well, there’s this luxe water bed I’ve seen. At this new snooze store, Encore Siesta. Great looking interiors — graphite woodwork, textured walls, sleek wood flooring.

I thought you were telling me about beds
Hang on, just coming to those. A whole range to choose from — king-sized platforms, sleek lines in their iron designs which compliment our flat-screen. The mattresses are made from the sturdiest vinyl imported from Belgium, and can happily accommodate an elephant!

Tell me more
What’s not to say yes about hydrotherapy of the squishy kind? It helps everything from ailments like cystic fibrosis to the common backache.

Does it leak? What about maintenance?
Nah, it’s leak-proof. Comes with a five-year warranty against defects. Get a bottle of their water conditioner, and squirt it in every once in a while; the water within stays mould-free, and fresh.

How about, um, a nap?
What, in the middle of the morning?

Encore Siesta, 216 Square One Mall, Saket, New Delhi , Ph : 9313375607. Price: Rs 1 lakh and up.

A resolute no to the last slice of chocolate cake. 365 good deeds before the year’s out. And if he tries to get to second base without commitment, he’s struck out. Santa doesn’t need to check his list twice to know you’ve been nothing but nice. Perhaps that’s why, Christmas is coming to you a whole month early.

The Style Essentials show is ample reward for your sweetness. Our Trendy Shopaholic has her eye on fresh off-the-block jewellery from budding designer Tara Zaveri, elegant chunk ‘n’ funk from Jamini Ahluwalia and Trupti Bellad’s eclectic garments. Accessories by Alisha and Twisha Chinai of Bea, eco-friendly fabric bags from Pooja Bajaj of Hiremath and gift bags by Preeti Kothari of Dots & Stripes. Burmese home accents by Urvi Kanoria Sheth, cushion covers by Rasika Shroff and Aradhana Nagpal’s indi-chic lamps, candles and home yummies.

Besides, the feel good factor is high, as you get so much to choose from while 34 young entrepreneurs get a platform to sell their talent.

Go on, Ms Goody-two-shoes, fill up your stocking already.

Style Essentials, Nov 27-28, at Sunville, Dr AB Road, Worli, Mumbai. Prices: Bags/accessories: Rs 300-1500; clothes: Rs 300-4,000.

Water. Fluid.
Wind. Free.
Dance. Movement.
Joe Ikearth. All of the above.

Nature metaphors come in suddenly handy while browsing through a rack of Joe Ikerath, now available for the first time in Bangalore in the design haven at Grasshopper. Clothes that flow. Lines that swing. Fits that flatter. In colours that would make the sun blush and the grass go green.

Discover your inborn rhythm in seemingly seamless ruby-red silk harem pants. Or go for the charcoal grey fitted skirt, lifted from restrained conformity by its hand-printed silver sunbursts, sunflowers and geometric borders. Team it with a square neck sleeveless blouse with funky embroidery. In silk, cotton, linen, fabrics that breathe as naturally as the wearer.

His classic blacks are relieved by scarlet or silver, his simple shirts highlighted by a perfectly placed pintuck or a dreamy swirl.

The drama in Ikerath’s clothes has roots in his stage background: A graduate of the NIFT, New Delhi, his first assignments involved crafting costumes for contemporary dance performances. A sense of drama and movement slipped easily into his label, created in 2000, and so far available in France and Japan, and Goa and Cochin closer to home.

Release your inner dancer.

Joe Ikareth at Grasshopper, 45 Kalena Agrahara, Banerghatta Road, Bangalore 560076. Tel: 2659 3999. Website: www.joeikareth.com. Entire collection available till December 5; after that a few pieces will be stocked. Prices: Rs 1,100-7,000.

Your friend’s just moved into her new apartment. And you’re hunting for the perfect house-warmer. Crockery? Boring. Bedcovers? Her mum gave her a stack. Wall-and-shelf thingies? She’s got no space for more.

What about a plant? No one can have too many. Pick one or several from Just Plants’ ‘Seriously Easy Collection’. These are “so hardy that you’d need a chainsaw to kill them,” says Rasham Taneja, co-founder of this new enterprise, born of a passion for gardening and a desire to spread the love.

Rasham and partner Pragnya will wrap a plant in muslin, gold and silver net, tie it up with string, attach a concise set of instructions and deliver to any place in Delhi.

For sunny homes, choose from the ‘Bright Spot’ collection of ponytail palms and aloe vera. For dark corners, there’s ‘Shady Characters’: including kentia palm, philodendron and the peace lily with dark green leaves and anthurium-like white flowers.

Our Trendy Spotter ordered an orange blossoms-and-leafy green ‘Jungle Parrot’. It arrived promptly in a pretty ceramic pot, decorated with silver tinsel. It’s brightening up her window-sill — and her life.

Go green.

Just Plants. Contact Rasham on 9871456714, Pragnya on 9810620722. Visit www.plantex.in while their website www.justplants.in gets uploaded. Prices range from Rs 80 to 300, delivery charges extra. Customised options available.

Fashionistas are made in heaven. Which is why their taste is divine and their style goddess-like. Just occasionally, they come down to earth to help ordinary mortals scale pinnacles of hip.

Right here, right now, they assume the form of Kavya Peerbhoy, Namrata Sudhindra and Prasanna Pandarinathan, ex-models, stylists and fashion experts. At the Nimboo Closet, these three beautiful entrepreneurs have created a space that allows you to discover new vistas in funk and cool.

Check out the breezy in-house brand, Nimboo, which retails at the store. The Nimboo New York collection has flowy spaghetti dresses in geometric prints, and satin kimono tops that work for night or day. The Temple collection uses rich Indian fabrics that dance with western fits to create delicious party wear.

Work sourced from other designers has a home here as well. Handmade silver jewellery from Plamak, Mumbai, flirts with wooden bead belts in reds and greens. Silk and leather bags by Emma in London share shelf space with cotton crossover tops and embellished tunics from Tiramisu. Finish your look with uber-cool patent leather heels and silver/gold cut work ballet slip-ons.

Who’d want to come out of the closet?

Nimboo Closet. 12 Aga Abbas Ali Road (next to Peaches salon), off Ulsoor Road, Bangalore. Tel: 25320432. Email: nimboocloset@gmail.com. Tuesdays closed. Accessories start from Rs 350, clothes from Rs 700.