The T-Shirt Seller of Beirut
Brian Whitaker
Thursday July 27, 2006
The Phoenicians were the greatest traders of the ancient world and the Lebanese are their descendants. In Lebanon, every situation - no matter how dire - is an opportunity for someone to do business.
Ammar runs a shop selling decorative inlaid boxes, hubble-bubble pipes, necklaces, keffiyehs (cotton headdresses), historical-looking artefacts and just about anything else that a tourist in Beirut might be induced to buy.
"You can’t be selling much at the moment," I suggested after he had almost dragged me inside.
"You’d be surprised," he said.
Only the other day, a diplomat who was due to leave Beirut had called in and spent $500 (£270) on souvenirs.
PRESS DON’T SHOOT
"If you don’t like the words I can print something different," he persisted. "You want a car and driver? I can get you one. Very reasonable price."
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