What Got You Into Hookah

[Sonthert]

Here's the complete genealogy of my life's events and the coincidences that led up to me smoking hookah:

I went to a special program for high school, I didn't like it too much, I flunked out. I was 16, the options were the local high school or go to a California Junior College. I decided to go to Grossmont J.C. because my half-brother went there. I used to study at a coffeehouse, "The Living Room" near my house, which is near San Diego State University. I met Rodney at Grossmont and he started going to the Living Room, too, beause there weren't that many coffeehouses back then. Pre-Starbucks. He got me into playing chess competitively. We used to practice at the Living Room. One day, I played chess against Sean and he asked me..."Have you ever played backgammon?" I said I hadn't. He introduced me to his friend Murph and they taught me how to play backgammon. I needed a job, so I got one, in an adult bookstore. The only other straight guy that worked there was Craig Myers and we became friends. He got me smoking cigars. I left Grossmont for University of California at San Diego (Where they taught me acronyms are a tool of a lazy mind), but kept playing backgammon and smoking cigars. When I got to UCSD I realized there was not a surfeit of social opportunities. Joining a fraternity was the only sensible thing to do. In my fraternity, there was a guy named Dennis. Dennis was friends with Dave Johnson, they were suite-mates in freshman year. Dave was in his mid-20s, older than most of the undergrads at UCSD, the same as me. He lived near campus, and I lived a long way away, so we hung out between classes at his house. We used to play cards, but lacking a better 2 player game, I taught him how to play backgammon. He loved it and started playing it all the time. Dave also liked cigars. On Fridays, we'd go down to coffeehouses/cigar stores downtown and play backgammon and smoke cigars. Parking in Downtown San Diego can be challenging, if you don't want to pay. One time, we parked all the way up on 1st, between G and F Sts. On our way back, there was a fairly small place with people in. Dave said "Thats Fumari...its a hookah Lounge. McKenzie's (Dave's Girlfriend) sister Adriana's boyfriend Abe knows the owners. We should go sometime." I said:
"I don't know...I don't know about smoking those things."

[SmokingDjinn]

Well, I've always been fond of tobacco and the different methods of partaking in it. I started out with cigarettes like most folk, then later on in life got into snuff, not the oral stuff but the traditional english nasal snuff. After that I started smoking cigars which I enjoy alot and occasionally pipe which I don't enjoy as much as hookah or cigar. Then, about a week ago I was reading "The Count Of Monte Cristo" and they were smoking hookah and I had to have one. Well, today I got my 36" al fakher and I love it. "The Count Of Monte Cristo" also turned me on to reading "The 1001 Arabian Nights" (or just Arabian Nights). So here I am.

[Rani]

The first hookah I ever smoked was my own. I've been enchanted with the idea since I saw the cartoon version of Alice in Wonderland back in 19(cough-cough) and saw the catapiller smoking one. One day I was surfing online, saw a website and got lucky with one of the better 22" Sahara's. When it arrived, I sat down, read the instructions twice, set it up, lit it up and was so amazed that when that bowl was done, picked the whole thing up, drove to a friends house where we set it up again, smoked the rest of the samples and ended the evening by her ordering her own. I've never looked back and have been collecting them ever since.

'Rani

[JByer323]

I work at a camp, and probably four years back a guy who I worked with offered to let me smoke his one night. I didn't know him real well, but we sat on a picnic table, watched the stars, listened to Miles Davis, and smoked his hookah. I was hooked. Started going to a hookah bar that also had amazing food, and got my first hookah. Lucked out, because all they sell there is MYA.

So now I have four or five hookahs, all my friends have hookahs, and it's one big happy family.

As a funny side note, I've turned into a bit of a hookah snob. I look back on those nights long ago when we sat around and smoked Nahkla, and I laugh my ass off. Now if it's not Tangiers, I sorta turn my nose up at it.

[Christama]

About 3 years ago, I was living in my first apartment, and it had just started to snow. My friend calls me up and says "You need to come pick me up, I've got to show you something." So I head over, and we head to the mall. Of all places, Spencers Gifts was selling MYA Acrylics. So for $40, i had my first hookah, having the only job and having never used one. A quick stop by a local smoke shop for some shisha and coals, and we were smoking. Smoked for nearly 4 hours, and I have been hooked ever since.

[Sdzier2]

First time I hookahed I was in Sweden with my girlfriend, in a park on a warm summer night. Didn't really understand it so I only took one or two hits. Then on my 18th birthday a friend and I decided to hit up a hookah bar instead of wasting money at a strip club. This place quickly became a regular hang out spot and eventually I decided to buy my own hookah because it was more practical and economical. Been smoking on my own and have owned two hookahs in the past year or so and I have been loving every second of it. Found this forum a few weeks ago, decided to join a few days ago and my smoking has already changed so much since then.

[guyt]

Peer pressure.

[thecoalition]

Started about 5 years ago when I moved to Richmond. My freshman dorm was the honors dorm and we had about 50% indian/middle eastern kids (yes they are all smart I know). A couple of the kids I met kept talking up about nargileh and I asked them what it was so they brought me to a local hookah bar. They said not to get too excited because they only had naklah at the bar and there was much better out there. But I smoked with them and they taught me about the culture and history of hookah in the middle east. Well I made friends with the owner of the hookah bar so he sold me a syrian hookah for 80$ and then i was lost to the world.

[thomas]

Started about 5 years ago when I moved to Richmond. My freshman dorm was the honors dorm and we had about 50% indian/middle eastern kids (yes they are all smart I know). A couple of the kids I met kept talking up about nargileh and I asked them what it was so they brought me to a local hookah bar. They said not to get too excited because they only had naklah at the bar and there was much better out there. But I smoked with them and they taught me about the culture and history of hookah in the middle east. Well I made friends with the owner of the hookah bar so he sold me a syrian hookah for 80$ and then i was lost to the world.

hahahah that is freaking awesome.

I got into becuase I heard my friend talking about it. I was intrigued because of the unique look of hookahs and what they actually . I also thought, flavored smoke? I wondered how that taste, and now I know. Now that hookah has become a part of me , I dont see myself in the future without it.

[EternalSoil]

Here's the complete genealogy of my life's events and the coincidences that led up to me smoking hookah:

I went to a special program for high school, I didn't like it too much, I flunked out. I was 16, the options were the local high school or go to a California Junior College. I decided to go to Grossmont J.C. because my half-brother went there. I used to study at a coffeehouse, "The Living Room" near my house, which is near San Diego State University. I met Rodney at Grossmont and he started going to the Living Room, too, beause there weren't that many coffeehouses back then. Pre-Starbucks. He got me into playing chess competitively. We used to practice at the Living Room. One day, I played chess against Sean and he asked me..."Have you ever played backgammon?" I said I hadn't. He introduced me to his friend Murph and they taught me how to play backgammon. I needed a job, so I got one, in an adult bookstore. The only other straight guy that worked there was Craig Myers and we became friends. He got me smoking cigars. I left Grossmont for University of California at San Diego (Where they taught me acronyms are a tool of a lazy mind), but kept playing backgammon and smoking cigars. When I got to UCSD I realized there was not a surfeit of social opportunities. Joining a fraternity was the only sensible thing to do. In my fraternity, there was a guy named Dennis. Dennis was friends with Dave Johnson, they were suite-mates in freshman year. Dave was in his mid-20s, older than most of the undergrads at UCSD, the same as me. He lived near campus, and I lived a long way away, so we hung out between classes at his house. We used to play cards, but lacking a better 2 player game, I taught him how to play backgammon. He loved it and started playing it all the time. Dave also liked cigars. On Fridays, we'd go down to coffeehouses/cigar stores downtown and play backgammon and smoke cigars. Parking in Downtown San Diego can be challenging, if you don't want to pay. One time, we parked all the way up on 1st, between G and F Sts. On our way back, there was a fairly small place with people in. Dave said "Thats Fumari...its a hookah Lounge. McKenzie's (Dave's Girlfriend) sister Adriana's boyfriend Abe knows the owners. We should go sometime." I said:
"I don't know...I don't know about smoking those things."

it leads up to you not wanting to smoke haha! and you own a lounge!


I first smoked with some friends once, dont remember what flavor but it was a red egyption, 28" if i remember right. Then some of my other friends got one and we smoked that thing stupid. Then, on my own last summer i bought a 17" chinese hookah offline and smoked more nakhla double apple than i care ot mention. Was introduced to a forum (not this one and not the other (bad) this one) by a guy who i hadnt even met. Ended up getting a nammor hose cause i needed a new one and the guy at work said they were awesome, he also said i needed to get some tangiers so i grabbed some pineapple along with the hose from H-S. Lurked on here for a while before joining. Picked up a phunnel after a while and more and more shisha as the months went by. Bought my Chic after another guy at work broke the vase which forced me to use a platic milk jug for a week and a half.

[UGAHookah]

I had heard of it many times but it wasnt until my friend from Israel came to visit that I tried it. He had me look up a hookah bar in my area for us to go to. He said Hookah in Israel is huge and he wanted me to try it. I went and he made all the arrangements and picked out the flavors. He showed me how to do it. I was instantly amazed at how much I enjoyed it. In fact the next day he came with me and I went out with my roomate and bought a hookah. Smoking hookah has been a great relaxing part of my life since and I'm glad my friend introduced it to me.

[KYLE]

my friend took me and my wife to Marrakesh Cafe in raleigh Nc. ha ha then after that i talked my wife into getting me a hookah from there for my birthday, ever since ive been hooked!!!

[SafeSearchOff]

my lebanese friend, freshman year of high school...

[thejoshman]

Early February of this year, my best friend bought one, and my brother and him had gone to a lounge once. I was still 17 at the time, he invited me over, whipped out a small nicely decorated hookah his girlfriend had just bought. He put in some watermelon shisha, and a golden coal on top. And we sat out there in 30 degree weather smoking. It brings me back every time I get a good watermelon.

[MechAnt]

Junior year of HS, some of my upperclassmen friends had a hookah and invited me one time. Ever since then, I've been hooked.

Eric, UCSB uses acronyms to the max. It's not for lazy people

[likespaceships]

About 4 years ago my friends kept telling me I had to go to this new "hookah bar" in the area.
We went and I enjoyed it and occasionally went back from time to time.
This summer I finally moved out of the parents house and moved into an apartment with my girlfriend. We both enjoyed smoking hookah so we decided to why not go ahead and buy our own. My smoking experiences have been so much better since joining the forum.

[f22a4bandit]

Let's see...it was over a year ago that I started smoking. My friend Will took me to a hookah lounge in Austin known as the Hookup Lounge (now, Smokin' O's). I was hooked the instant I started. I loved the atmosphere of the lounge! I wanted to start that atmosphere in my own house, so I bought my first hookah last December. I've been smokin' ever since! Edited December 10, 2007 by f22a4bandit

[mathuv]

summer of the last world cup (last year?) we met up with an old friend of ours who had moved to italy and came back on holiday and went to a hookah bar, ive never had hookah before so i was curious. it was mango and i loved it. i took too much and got a bit sick. first and last time i went to that bar (it closed). then round beginning of this summer my friends and I started going to this hookah place and it became a regular almost every saturday night. i got to know the hookah-setter-uppers and it was more fun, trying new shisha mixes (whilst all the other tables had single mixes, made us feel special ) my favourite there was double apple with mint. now i have my own hookah (after hitting legal age here) and dont really smoke alone, gets boring. but i enjoy it still.

[JillyIsJustKidding]

My best friend and I were chillin' at another friend's house on halloween a few years ago.

He had a hookah and he lit it up for everyone to smoke. I was kinda curious about it so I decided to take a hit. Hehe I instantly loved that stuff! But then it got harsh and and I had a coughing fit. I thought that it was always going to be harsh, no matter what you do, so I thought hookah was nasty. (whoa I was hella wrong >_<)

A year after that, we were over my same friend's house who introduced me to the hookah and I smoked again. I finally started to kinda like it and I decided to get my own...That's how it started

[Canon]

thought about making a new post, but decided to bump this one up for the new members to spread their love

[SupremeOstrich]

Hey neat post.

One of my friends decided to interrupt a LAN one night and force us all to go eat at some restaurant called "Cafe 360." So I thought, what the hell, eat and play Halo on the 360, sounds good enough. Well, I was disappointed to find that there were no 360's there, and the numbers simply meant they were open all the time, but the food was good and that's what counted. So everyone was smoking a hookah, and he orders "Jasmine" flavored. I had previously been opposed to smoking, but he told me it was completely herbal (it was Nakhla >.<) and I was buzzin on the second hit.

So I went back, got a flavored I picked (think it was mint/apple) and kept coming back.

It got kind of expensive after awhile (20 mins away, food + $12 hookah split = ugh) so my friend bought a hookah under the condition he could keep it at my place. I also bought one for another friend, who had to keep it over here because of parents, so lo and behold I had my collection going.

Ever since, i've just gone down to the tobacco shop across the street from the hookah bar (which I still hit up now and again) and restock my Nakhla and Pharaoh shisha.

[ryno]

It would have been my jr year in high school when I first smoked hookah. My friend brought over his brothers and we didnt have any screens (didnt know about foil) or any coals, so we actually lit cotton balls on top if it on fire, or just used a lighter, it was not the greatest at all.

About a few months later, my other friends brother sent us a 4 hose rotator from Iraq and we absolutly loved it. After that 2 of my friends got hookahs and I loved it so much I bought one. And recently I've gotten some more friends into hookah. i took mine over there a few times and they liked it. Come back a few weeks later and I see this nice 2 hoser sitting on the table.

[mjdx88]

This past Christmas break, I was at my cousins house and his friends Tim and Leo called us up and said they were going to a hookah bar and my cousin was in to it, so I went with him and met up with his friends. We got there and it was a one hose hookah in a very upscale hookah bar called Fire n Ice in Jersey. We smoked vanilla which I hated there was no flavor but I had a good time. Later in the break my cousin and I were taking a trip to Delray Beach in FL so while down there we came up with an idea to check out a hookah bar since there wasnt much of a night life. A few miles away we went to the Funky Buddha Lounge and smoked a bowl of Strawberry and Banana Shisha, I have been hooked since, I even got my GF in to it who hates the idea of smoking. Here I am now with my first hookah and smoking like a champ.

Mike

[nat3r]

in high school, went with some friends
friend then bought one
came to college, other friend bought one
then i bought a hobo

[wilbde01]

Two of my friends bought hookahs on Spring Break.
Ever since, we've been smoking it where ever we can.
It's great to carry around to parties and just sit around it all night.