Pencil This In: Spicy Art, Dragon boats, and the Habesha Fashion Show!

Today
Tonight Shanghai's awesome music webzine Layabozi is organizing its first "Spicy Art Hang," a pretty cool music social gathering/open mic/party at Kuluska. They've got "tropical acoustic rock" band Break for Borneo playing for the evening, but are welcoming anyone else to share their music. Just bring instruments or albums, CDs or iPods. The point is just to play music and meet other people who like it.
Kuluska and the neighboring Exit Bar will have food and drink specials.

Kuluska, 528 Kanding Lu, near Xikang Lu, 康定路528号, 近西康路, 13482675524 / 13564033105. No cover.

Tuesday
Tuesday? Shanghaiist Happy Hour, of course! Cheap drinks and the chance to win one of the three 500rmb vouchers we're raffling off, plus some of the greatest drinking buddies in Shanghai. We're just going to keep telling you about it until you come...

6 to 10 pm. Cotton's, 294 Xinhua Lu, Changning near Fanyu Lu (新华路294号, 近番禺路). No cover.

Wednesday
Earnshaw Books is celebrating the release of Tales of Old Peking, written by Shanghaiist's very own Derek Sandhaus! Besides great conversation and good reads (the book will be sold for the discounted price of 100rmb Wednesday night only), they'll have live jazz and two free drinks for the first 150 guests.

7:30 pm. Moonsha, 3F, 5 on the Bund (Entrance at No. 20 Guangdong Lu) 中山东一路外滩5号3楼 近广东路. No cover.

Thursday
If you're free Thursday afternoon, you might check out Shanghai's 6th Suzhou Creek Dragon Boat International Tournament, which invites 500 athletes from teams at home and abroad to race from Changhualu Bridge to Jiangninglu Bridge. Just grab a spot along Suzhou Creek. The competition starts at 1 pm.

Then in the evening, Dr. Karen S. Kingsbury will be giving a lecture about iconic Chinese writer Eileen Chang, whose work Kingsbury has translated into English. The talk will revolve around Western and Chinese cultural influences, women's literature, and Chang's Shanghainese identity.

7 pm. ‘Factory’ Building 4 No. 29 Shajing Road HongKou (opposite 1933), 上海市虹口区沙泾路29号4号楼. Entrance 30 rmb for Royal Asiatic Society members, 80 rmb for non-members, RSVP at: enquiry@royalasiaticsociety.org.cn.

Friday
Habesha will be hosting a fashion show at Moca to showcase its 2009 summer collection of clothes that blend African, Asian, and European fashion. Designer Sheilla Constance Sidney was born in Guyana, raised in Paris, and now lives in China, giving her the perfect background to experience the three cultures. Come for runway show, the all-you-can-eat buffet barbecue and live music, and the after-party!

8 pm to 11:30 pm. Moca Art Lab Restaurant & Lounge, Gate 7, People's Park, 3/F, 231 Nanjing Xi Lu, People's Square near Xinchang Lu, 南京西路231号人民公园7号4楼 近新昌路. 400 rmb at the door, 300 rmb pre-sale, 200 rmb after 10 pm.