Snap caption: Martin Sheen charms everyone at the Dubai International Film Festival; I wish he could be my grandfather

Dear BBC: Thanks for the A Canadian in Abu Dhabi shout-out!

A colleague pointed out that this piece from Sunshine Flint about life in Abu Dhabi lists this space as a way to find out more about life in the city.

The article was likely being prepared just as Abu Dhabi lifted the five per cent cap on rents, which has everyone (myself included) a little worried about what will happen when we re-up. 

Highlight of my week: Painting otters at the Dubai Acquarium and Underwater Museum

Yes, I saw Blackfish. I know all about aquariums. But, but - these otters are painting, with little tiny brushes!

Happy 42nd National Day, you crazy kids

This official National Day Car Parade (as opposed to the many rolling unofficial similar events happening down on the Corniche right now) comes courtesy of the Life&Style Show UAE, on Thursday-Saturday at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, and the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi).

Overheard on a Etihad Airways Toronto-Abu Dhabi flight

Canadian oil and gas worker (en route to Saudi) to oil and gas worker from India (previously worked for Hibernia, off the coast of Newfoundland):

"I travel halfway around the world to work offshore, you travel halfway around the world to work offshore; it's ridiculous."

Look who's coming to Dubai: Paris Hilton at Cavelli Club

Dubai wins World Expo 2020; UAE proceeds to have best day ever

So you may have heard that Dubai won the right to host the World Expo 2020 last night. The country had fireworks ready to go from the Burj Khalifa as soon as the news was announced in Paris - special enough, one would think. But the celebration did not stop there, nooooooo it did not.

Among the hard-to-imagine in Canada awesomeness that sprung from this news: today was suddenly proclaimed a national holiday, free coffee at Tim Hortons and free ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery, a cool Google doodle and this, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, triumphantly raising the UAE flag atop the tallest building in the world.

There is some pretty cool video at his Facebook page, too.