For centuries, Eastern cultures have embraced this simple, yet
curious device known as the hookah. Though the designs and
materials have changed through the years, the hookah's social
function is still intact. Too few things exist that are able to
bring people - sometimes complete strangers - together in such
an intimate fashion. Struggling for a place in the United States
and European countries, the hookah has found its place in
college and university towns.
Hookahs have seemingly always had a place in Eastern cultures.
The hookah has, however, only recently begun to grab footing in
the United States and European countries. Less than 10 years
ago, you'd be hard-pressed to find a hookah bar or cafe outside
of the cultural areas of larger cities. These days, if you
survey the land around large university campuses, you will find
a strange, new type of business cropping up. Though some offer
exotic coffees and others offer alcoholic beverages, hookah
cafes and bars are giving today's college students a much-needed
place to unwind after a day full of studies. Drawn by curiosity,
students find themselves in a world of sheer imagination that is
truly unique among the countless hangouts that abound around
colleges and universities.
Hookahs were created to solve a problem among tobacco smokers.
When heated, tobacco creates a smoke that, without cooling, is
harsh and nearly unbearable. The hookah introduced a simple, yet
novel way to cool the hot, harsh smoke. When a smoker inhales,
the smoke first travels through water and is cooled before it
ever reaches the smoker's mouth. This smooth experience is quite
different from smoking cigarettes or cigars and is almost always
commented upon by first-time hookah smokers.
In addition to being a cooler smoke, the tobaccos used in
hookahs are generally flavored. These flavors range from fruits
like apples and oranges, to modern-day flavors like bubble gum
and cola. It's this flavored smoke that has really made hookahs
the preferred smoke among college students.
Look around a hookah bar or cafe and you will see
tightly-huddled masses sitting around a dozen or so hookahs,
talking about everything from this week's exams to next year's
newest cars. This simple device has an extraordinary power to
bring together people of all backgrounds, cultures and
ethnicities. It knows no boundaries and performs its social
function with relative ease.
Business owners recognize the power of college towns. They
provide businesses with a constant flow of fresh customers from
semester to semester. New students arrive and seasoned students
bring the new students to the cafes and bars. It's a process
that repeats itself over and over again.
So, if you're looking for a new, fresh place to meet new
friends, go on a hunt for your local hookah establishment.
You'll be glad you did!
About the author:
Ethan Frost is an editor for Hookah Hoopla!, the Web's premier
hookah education site. For more information about hookahs, visit
Hookah Hoopla!
