I just splurged on that lovely psychedelic dress from Manish Arora. Now all I need is a great fitting bra to give me the right silhouette. But not for me those full cup frumpy granny inners. My inner girl craves excitement, and lace, and frills, and the just-right hold.

In search for that exact size that would make me feel good and look good, I walked into the Debenham’s lingerie section which has just put out its Spring Summer 2008 collection. Every single thing on display — the neon pink balcony bras, lace encased plunge bras, frilly knickers, bright yellow boy shorts, paisley print slips and silk and lace corsets — looked so yummilicious, I wanted to pick them all.

The lingerie specialist at the counter helped choose my style and fit. I was taken to the fitting room, where I told her what I was looking for. She made sure that the bands didn’t pull my shoulders and the under wire sat just below my breasts on the rib cage. The secret to picking the right bra, I was informed, is when you feel you are wearing nothing, a complete sense of comfort.

These are what I bounced out the store with (aren’t the names just lovely?):

Red Herring Spot Mesh Balcony Bra: Loved the bright sunny yellow summer colour and the lift it gives me, without being too covering. I am wearing it with my deep round neck tops.

Floozie By Frost French Spot Satin Plunge Bra and Thong: Ultimate pastel fantasy in powder blue. Bra will go well under my V Neck Tee or a plunging top. The frills on the thong are tres feminine.

Ultimate Mesh & Lace Gel Bra: Whoopee! My cleavage finally looks classy. Plan to wear it under that LBD.

Manish Arora, here I come.

Debenhams, Ambi Mall, NH 8, Gurgaon. Phone: 95124 4029185 Price: Bras range from Rs 895 to Rs 3,145 and Thongs/Panties range from Rs 265 to Rs 1,255.

“Oh mum, Switzerland was so beee-yoo-ti-fulll. And do you know, we got roti, rajma and even idlis on the chhutti. I was miles away, but I felt as if I was right at home,” crooned my cousin Malavika to Auntie Sita. I sat in the corner and watched her, aghast. Idlis on the Swiss Alps?!

To rescue me from my shock, my friend with roller-skates for feet told me about The Backpacker Co. As the name suggests, they help me to travel like the original backpacker. But since I’m not on my gap year, they organise everything — and I can still make changes. Which make them that much superior to the package tours Auntie Sita favours.

Europe. South America. North America. Australia. New Zealand. Name it, and The Backpacker Co has a trip lined up. Pick one and Yogi, who owns the website, will take care of tickets, visas, bookings. And if I just want his help to figure out the route, I can sign up for that as well.

I love the idea of the overland trucking trip through the deserts and game parks of Africa for 23 days. What could be better than standing over the Victoria Falls, taking sunset boat cruises and going abseiling and bungee jumping from one of the highest commercial bungee points in the world?

Maybe a Bohemian trek through Croatia, Slovenia, Austria and the Czech Republic for seven days, followed up by another week in Hungary and Romania? And, dare I say it, seven days in Italy? I can almost visualise the Apennines, the rolling hills of Tuscany, and the city of Bologna — home to my all-time-fave Spaghetti Bolognese!

Gear up world, here I come.

The Backpacker Co. 90/5 Mahakali Caves Road, Andheri (E), Mumbai 93. Log on to www.thebackpackerco.com or call +91 9820027727 for details. Prices can vary widely. A 15-day trip to Europe will cost around Rs1,20,000, including airfare.

I’m a Libran. ‘Well-balanced’ is my middle name. Chick-lit or Chimamanda Adichie, I enjoy both. I hot foot it to the theatre for the latest Bollywood slapstick, but when a seriously serious photo show comes to town, I save an evening for reality, up close.

And I’m glad I did, for at ‘The World As One’, an exhibition put up by the German Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (Institute for Foreign Relations), 19 photographers tell big stories in little frames. Focusing on Germany after the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the photos cover a startling range of human achievement and emotion, angst and ennui.

I lingered for hours, taking in the arresting composition of the lively face of a young boy against the stark backdrop of darkened rooftops in a dilapidated neighbourhood. That moved me as much as one depicting a couple holding each other with a gutted church in the background. In yet another, a lonely old man sat stolidly amidst the remains of his once-opulent home, now destroyed by war.

Each independently mounted work of art portrays a different aspect of life, yet they all encompass a common theme: faith and hopelessness, innocence and wisdom. One doesn’t need to be a Cartier-Bresson to appreciate the photos: I, an amateur photographer, was floored by their sheer content though I’m sure their technical specs have a lot to teach as well.

Unfortunately, not all the photos were credited, so I don’t know the names of the artists whose work touched me so much. But when I walked out of the show, I carried back images and emotions that’ll stay with me for a long time.

The World As One. At Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, College of Fine Arts, Art Complex, Kumara Krupa Road, Bangalore 560001. Till April 19, 10 am - 7 pm. Entry free. Tel: 22261816 / 22263424. e-mail: chitrakala@vsnl.net

Royalty doesn’t excite me. I don’t crave my own palace, I’m not dreaming about a prince and I’d never curtsy to the queen. But I just had a taste of the royal life that I sure could get used to.

I might just get that opportunity, as over the next ten days starting today, Chef Narayan Rao at the Oberoi’s Indian restaurant Kandahar, is serving up extraordinary dishes from five different royal households. Last night, he gave me a foretaste of the super fare off a fine silver platter adorned with beautifully shaped silver katoris.

Of the food, there was such a variety to choose from. Kashmiri yakhni — thin and zesty like all of us aspire to be. The yogurt and spinach vegetable from Benares, whose apparent blandness was a foil for its subtle flavours. A full-bodied and cardamom-fragranced Pomfret Korma from Travancore. The glorious Hyderabadi Dalcha — made with succulent mutton, slow-cooked to perfection with a blend of many spices including aromatic cloves and fiery little red peppers. The wonderfully innovative mince dahi wada from Rajasthan, which seemed like the vegetarian snack until I realised the rich complexity of textures and flavours from its finely ground meat!

Chef Rao, who has researched the culinary history of the various Rajwadas for over two years, was a wealth of information and tantalising little tidbits of food-related folk lore. He promises that after creating all the special dishes for this menu, he’s going to be there at meal times, personally looking after guests and explaining the finer nuances of the cuisine to them. Like he told me, “They say in Hyderabad, that food must be cooked with fursat (time) and mohabbat (love) for it to be truly outstanding.”

Perhaps that’s what makes this menu so drool-worthy.

Rajwadas of India festival: The Oberoi Pool Level, Nariman Point, Mumbai; Timings: 12.30 pm-2.45 pm and dinner: 7.30 pm-11.30 pm; Telephone: 66326210; Price: Approximately Rs 3,000 for two, exclusive of alcohol and taxes; Schedule: April 17-18 nizami thaali (Hyderabad), 19-20 pure veg saatvik thaali (Benares); 21-22 vindyachal thali (Kashmir); 23-24 Rajputana Thali (Rajasthan) and 25-26 Arcot Thali (Travancore).

It’s always a good idea to start with a new slate, I think. Our fave bite banquet, Tabula Rasa, has just added fresh pages to its menu. Go for the healthy pickings, if that’s what you like. Or all the way with the heavier, equally delish stuff, if you’re being naughty after playing nice!

Beside the ’small bites’, unmatched in any other restaurant, we love Tabula Rasa for its location. While footfalls crowd into Select City Walk and Metropolitan, breathing space is one thing not at a premium at designer destination Square One.

However, the real reason to drag your girlfriends over is the all-new fondue spread. All griping from my gang stopped when that bubbling dark-chocolate cauldron appeared. Instead a scramble to grab the skewers ensued (ask for extra forks). Plunge into profiteroles, exotic fruit, meringues, macaroons, biscotti, marshmallows, sweet rolls — and dive! If it weren’t mid-afternoon, I’d plumb for the fondue mix with splash of Scotch (or amaretto, or rum, though beer with cocoa is a bit much for my belly). But hey, all the better to return for dinner!

What else is new? Well, with sushi reigning as flavour of the season, Tabula Rasa’s written in these healthy mouthfuls too. Only it’s several bites ahead of the delivery brigade, with a decent dole of sashimi and bento boxes packed with sushi and grilled salmon.

Too dainty even for a diva like you? Supplement with ‘Japanese curry-rice’ combos, tempura or donburi bowls.

Psst: on the way out, pop into the Met Shop — a 70% discount this month makes those gorgeous Tiffany-inspired silk scarves a steal!

Tabula Rasa, Square One, C2 Saket District Centre; ph: 9910588228 , Prices: bento box Rs 900; sushi from Rs 250, sashimi from Rs 275 (for 2); fondues from Rs 495.

It’s April and already the summer sun shines bright, bright, bright with each passing day. So what does a girl like me do? Stare the summer sun in the face, of course! But with protection.

I did the rounds to pick out some of the best sunglasses for this summer. Thought my finds might help you too.

Just Cavalli
I loved Cavalli’s Spring/Summer ‘08 collection in satin-finish metal. So shiny, so bling, so me! And I’m still reeling from having to choose between all the colours – tomato red and fluorescent blue China to this season’s hot picks — bright acid green and golden yellow.

Esprit
Here too, there were multiple hues. The Sunwear ‘08 collection has a colour for every mood: thoughtful blue, wacky orange, passionate red and seductive demi-amber.

Oakley
Last, but definitely not the least, is Oakley’s latest range. Just right frames for those days when I’m off to work in a serious frame of mind. Simple lines and classic colours, this collection is both functional and fashionable.

I’m watching my friends turn all shades of green.

Available at exclusive brand showrooms, leading multi-brand outlets and opticians; Prices: Range from Rs. 5,000 to Rs 15,000, depending on the brand.

It’s been ages since I’ve seen something I liked. Usually, I like something and the next day I see it on someone oh-so-eww. So I just quit looking at clothes in this city. But when Qlue came up on the side of a quaint street, I said I should give it a dekko.

What’s inside is very different from what’s out there, and what’s in our wardrobes. I’d describe it as nouveau boheme. The materials used by Kalpesh and Purobi Dresswalla (isn’t the name the bestest?) are the ones we’re comfy with. Cottons, linens, chiffons and touches of silks here and there. What’s exciting, however, to a picky-wicky like me, are the cuts and the ideas behind them. The colours are super, and in keeping with the season. There are a lot of lemon greens (wonderfully complemented with chocolate browns), there are fuchsias that go amazingly well with the crinkled lace and the dash of sequins. There are brilliant reds and stark black-and-whites. And what the duo has done with cutwork embroidery and the placement of belts on the outfits are both quite new.

Tops (long ones you can wear with a belt, and short ones you can wear with a belly-ring) with very feminine cuts, bustiers, skirts and dresses sit to one side. I spotted a couple of bags, but they couldn’t match the clothes, so I let it pass.

They even had a counter for silver jewellery, from Image Inc in Italy. Some refreshingly evolved designs here as well. Stark and beautiful, yet blingy! Tucked away in the other corner is the men’s range, which I found quite exciting too. Very retro. With paisleys and hakobas on shirts, and printed soft pants.

So, sigh, there you have it. My new wardobe. Hope you like it.

Qlue. 329, 7th Main, HAL 2nd Stage, Indiranagar (Off 80 Feet Road), Bangalore 560008. P: 91 80 32940465, F: 91 80 41161665. Email: dresswalla@gmail.com. website: www.qlue.co.in. Prices start at Rs 799 for women’s tops and go up to Rs 6999 for men’s blazers.

My man and I usually concur over where to get dinner. It’s the afters that drive us up the wall. He’s all for a sophisticated drink and a smoke at the pub or a quiet coffee. While I either want to shake my bon-bon at a cool club or go binge on Belgian chocolate.

But recently, we’ve found the perfect post-dinner place that’s like a match made in heaven. Just like us, we like to think! A month-long fest at the Trident’s Opium Den, has us going back for more and more and more.

While he enjoys picking from eight different coffee cocktails and Cuban Partagas cigars, I indulge my inner chocaholic with the various types of gooey homemade chocolates (my fave: the nutty pralines). Of course, since love means sharing your coffee (even though the chocolates are only for me, me, me), I take liberal sips of his drinks when I feel too stuffed to get my own. Both of us have found a shared passion for Black Jack (Cognac, Kirsch, Kahlua and cold black coffee) and warm Irish Chocolate Velvet (a creamy hot chocolate drink with a touch of Irish Whiskey).

And I like to think that some day, when the guilt from all the calories hits me, I’ll just go there for the fantastic aroma of curling cigar smoke, freshly roasted coffee beans and rich, dark chocolate. But right now, sin city, here I come.

Coffee, Chocolate, and Cigar Trilogy till May 31st at the Opium Den, Trident, Nariman Point, Mumbai; Tel: 6632 6320; Timings: 7pm to 1 am; Price: Rs 850 per head (inclusive of taxes).

Summer dresses deserve a defined waistline. The latest ’secret diet’ in my set — stylish sushi trays, 300-odd calories each. Filling a girl up fashionably while not blowing her cover! (’What diet, Ma? I’m eating fish and rice like a good Bong girl, a la Sush, Rani and Bips!’)

The dial-up sushi revolution stormed the NCR, with G-town at the vanguard. Laying siege to Gurgaon plates — and palates — is Sushi King, the capital region’s third such service. All per a masterplan hatched by IT entrepreneur Sandeep Bansal while he munched away at a Michelin-starred California sushi bar.

Marching out: neat green leaves of wasabi paste. Dipping cups of light soy. Fish from Kochi and Tsukiji. Sliced, diced and spliced with rice by ex 5-star chefs. Transparent-topped black trays from Malaysia encase the delicate mouthfuls as tightly as a tortoise shell — no snapping open in transit, no mushed sushi. Stacked into custom-developed stainless-steel cases. Nested inside double-walled hard plastic Sintex ‘tanks’, in foam-insulated packs, bypassing summer’s scorch.

For seafood-savvy sistahs, there’s unctuous hamachi (yellowtail) and crunchy roe-rolled California maki. What’s good for raw fish is great for fresh veg too. Avocado, mango, shitake and silken tofu for the shakahari slimmer.

Secret weapons that win Sushi King the crown: (1) Ham-asparagus and bacon-cheese rolls pack the fin-doubting veg-phobe’s ‘meat lover’s platter’! (2) To breach the shells of raw-fearing sushi sceptics, warm pink cooked ebi (shrimp) and smoked salmon. (3) Warm yang miso broth to complement cool yin rolls, free with most platters.

Call for doorstep delivery. Watch your cheesy pizza-munching cubemate go wasabi-green with envy. Of your waistline and good taste.

Sushi King, S-56/19, DLF City Phase III, Gurgaon; ph: (95124-)4005000; www.sushiking.in. Prices: From Rs 99 (2 pieces shrimp nigiri) to Rs 2,499 (60-piece assortment). Minimum order Rs 500; delivery charges vary per distance.

I’m finicky about what I put on my hair. I am wary of styling stuff. The very thought of what those chemicals can do to my strands freaks me out.

Now if I had something more organic, I’d be tempted. My first brush with Toni&Guy’s nature-based hair styling label.m proved to be just that. I got catwalk-worthy hair without feeling stiff or laden. Afterwards my hair looked as fresh as if recently washed.

The British brand has just launched 40 care and styling products. Unlike many existing high-end hair styling products, only pure plant extracts, sea-based ingredients and natural minerals go into label.m. Brand creator Toni Mascolo says that these products are developed, tested and created by hairdressers to give us salon style hair at home.

I liked these the most:

label.m Protein Spray: A spritz of this post shampoo, and my hair was soft and pliable throughout the day. My natural texture never felt better. It’s a sunscreen for the strands. Has jasmine, vanilla extracts and wheat and soy proteins. My fave.

label.m Sea Salt Spray: Added instant volume. Great for that beach-head look, with algae and aquatic extracts.

label.m Matt Paste: Loved the way it held my tousled hair look. The paste didn’t feel sticky. Natural minerals malachite, rhodocrosite and ozokerite strengthen and detoxify hair strands.

label.m Gentle Cleansing Shampoo: Another fave. Daily use added a new shine to my strands. Had less breakage too. Soy and wheat proteins add strength while vanilla and sweet pea extracts wash impurities from scalp.

label.m Peppermint Treatment: The peppermint extracts really cooled my sun-scorched scalp. It’s so light that this moisturising treatment can be used every other day to stimulate hair follicles.

Enough to turn me into an expert stylist!

Label.m products available at:
Delhi: Affinity Salon, S-4, Green Park Main Market, New Delhi. Phone 26852662.
Mumbai: Benny’s Beauty & Hair Care, 1F, Juhu Supreme Shop Centre, JVPD, Vile Parle (W). Phone: 26209616.
Bangalore: Bounce, 1st Floor Magnolia, Vittal Mallya Road, Bangalore. Phone: 41329100.
Prices: Rs 675 to Rs 2,745.