Drum & bass trio Pendulum are back in Beijing this Saturday (March 10), and we've got tickets to give away to readers overflowing with wit and creativity. Luck doesn't come into it.

The JUE Music + Art Festival 2012 gets underway this Tuesday (Mar 6), and Death Cab For Cutie's gig at Tango this Saturday (Mar 10) is one of the highlights among a packed schedule featuring local and international bands and musicians, art exhibitions, film screenings and more. If you haven't picked up a copy of the March issue of the Beijinger, you can read our interview with Death Cab later this week on the blog, but right now we've got a chance for you to win a pair of tickets to the concert, courtesy of our Vedett-peddling friends at Duvel Moortgat Beijing.

While St Patrick’s Day only falls once a year, there’s no reason that the celebrations can’t begin before March 17. The Irish craic begins this weekend with a Celtic concert that will feature music, singers and dancers. We talked with Hong Kong-based Scottish harpist Katie Targett-Adams to bring us up to speed on Celtic tunes, her small harp and drinking Guinness. We’re also giving away two pairs of tickets to the Irish Connections Concert on Saturday, March 3, read on to find out how to win.

Most emerging local brands target the increasingly influential Chinese consumer, not us humble expats. And when they do come after us, they tend to meet with limited success. Not the case with Dutch Items Shanghai, a Shanghai-based boutique designed by and for expat women. D.I.S opened its first shop in 2007, but already has four branches and counting – the latest of which is in Hong Kong. None in Beijing yet, but thanks to their recently launched web shop, Beijingers now have ready access to their high-quality clothing and accessories as well.

"Back for More” is a regular magazine column in which we revisit old favorites.

Like steering a fan boat through alligator country, the weekday lunch buffet at Nola (11am-3pm) is a down-home southern thang. A steaming cauldron of gumbo, cute little cornbread muffins and Cajun deviled eggs are displayed on tables, with a salad station featuring thoughtful additions like crumbly blue cheese and pumpkin seeds. A cauliflower gratin and serviceable mac ‘n’ cheese are kept warm over paraffin lamps, and dainty homemade cookies peer up appetizingly from a tiered tray.