Beirutista

The motivation to travel to Athens was two-fold: (1) the direct flight from Beirut is a mere hour and a half, and (2) my understanding of Greece had heretofore been limited to its coastal resorts. It seemed appropriate to visit the capital of a country considered to be the cradle of Western civilization, where landmarks like the Parthenon at the Acropolis date back to the 5 th century B.C. So we booked our flights, homed in on an Airbnb in the heart of the city, and dashed away during the second week of April. Our first impression upon landing was how unusually quiet the airport is. We completed passport control, claimed our baggage, and nabbed a cab at the curb all within 10 minutes after deplaning. When will we ever be able to say the same for Beirut? The drive into the city takes about 45 minutes, with lush green expanses of olive trees and fields on either side of the slick highway. Once you reach the periphery of Athens, however, the scenery changes markedly. In fact, it...

Over the past five weeks, I’ve been participating in a unique campaign with Dunkin Donuts Lebanon . The aim is to capture and spotlight awesome customer service in action, which will eventually be rewarded with a prize trip to the most outstanding staff member. How do I fit in? Think of me, and nearly a dozen other social media stewards, as a mystery shopper. I have the opportunity to visit outlets at will, interact with DD personnel, and watch my order materialize. The upside, of course, is that I’ve gotten major exposure to the extensive menu at Dunkin Donuts, which, believe it or not, transcends America’s favorite pastry and the accompanying cup of Joe . You could literally waltz up to DD and have a picnic without ever coming near the donut (I dare you to!). There's a whole lot more to DD Lebanon than the standard donut and cup of coffee! Here’s a quick tour of what the menu has to offer, comprising mostly permanent items and a few perhaps seasonal – we’l...