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Dubai has been billing itself as an international tourist destination complete with a 7 star hotel, the tallest building in the world and an indoor ski slope operating in outside temperatures that can go beyond 50 degrees C in the summer.

The facade, however, is razor thin and covers a society governed by tribalism and a murky set of Sharia based laws that should give potential visitors pause. Here is yet another episode for my “cultural sensitivity” folder – or should I file it under “welcome to the 21st century”?

And to answer the question in the title: one month in jail and subsequent deportation.

The National: Appeals court hears the case of the kissing couple

I was a world traveler long before Starbucks existed; and a coffee drinker too. In Vienna, for example, having a coffee could involve a complex social ritual with the waitstaff. You’d walk a fine line between asserting your rights as a customer yet allowing the staff to give the impression that they were doing you a favor by doing their job. In Andalucia I enjoyed walking into some roadside comedor and having a sweet black coffee with brandy for breakfast; dusty workers and billowing smoke from cigarettes included.

Now, however, urban landscapes are becoming the realm of franchises like Starbucks. The soft background music is the same from Mexico City to Dubai, as is the menu with its bland offerings. Lucky for us consumers, Starbucks USA is finally adding spice to its sterile subculture by allowing gun toting yokels entry to their establishments. You can now order your low-fat, double-shot latte while standing next to an armed stranger.