Off to the land of the sheesha today. Or the West London variant in any case.
I've worked in various countries around the middle east, where the caterpillar's favourite smoking device seems to be referred to as a sheesha rather than a hookah. Adding it as a suffix to an order for coffee seems to bring the full paraphernalia.
In London it's fairly commonplace to see them around Edgware Road, mainly in those cafes that can have a sort of sheltered outdoor section, which is a kind of weather adaptation.
The system reminds me of a sort of reverse barbecue, with the coal on the outside and the smoke going downwards into the water. I was once told that a single session with one of those pipes was the equivalent of inhaling the smoke from 100 cigarettes.
We were inside the restaurant to enjoy Fattoush and maybe some Sambousek Jebneh and even a Kafta Khosh-khash whilst chatting in the early evening.
I did think briefly about that pine nut and rose water rice pudding too, but it will need to wait for another day.
4 comments:
I've never heard of any of these things that you mention in this post.
I'd love to know what the foods are....And I am afraid I don't understand the purpose or reason for that smoking thing....Scary to think it is equally horrendous as 100 cigarettes!
Even if you don't indulge there is the danger of passive smoking.
Living dangerously?
Naomi The foods described were (e.g) a type of middle eastern salad and those little pastry shapes filled with spiced cheeses.
Pat Maybe I was the other side of some glass.
Hookah bars are a common sight these days. It is an alternate life style to flaunt. The youth likes the ethnic quotient of the Shisha and the innumerable herbal essences that are quite mesmerizing I must say. The nicotine in tobacco is dangerous for health as we all know. Despite the threats to health, people find it difficult to get over their habit of smoking.
Glider Express
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