Hezbollah by day and Dunkin' Donuts by night. And that was just our first 24 hours in Beirut. I didn't go into the Dunkin' Donuts shop; I just stared in the window. Wherever we go around the world, the brands follow us, of course, but only a few hours after visiting a Hezbollah office? And after walking the streets of south Beirut where you need the party's permission to take out a camera? And after listening to the anger -- at Israel, certainly, and also at the United States (home to the donuts) -- over what's happening in Gaza?

This is what I like to call an "Only at the NewsHour" trip. It's not meant as a boast, rather as something that always fills me with some wonder at the opportunity to travel abroad to talk to artists, musicians and writers in places where we typically focus on politicians and generals. A year and a half ago, I visited Israel and the West Bank for a series of conversations with poets and writers. The idea was to view the Mideast conflict through their eyes and words. This trip started with a similar idea: The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., is holding a three week Arabesque Arts Festival in February and March in which hundreds of artists from all over the Arab world will come to perform. Our idea: Visit some of these artists in their home countries ahead of time to tell their stories on the NewsHour and offer a glimpse of life in this part of the world.