This post appeared online at http://www.cbc.ca/manitoba/scene ; Farpoint Films and CBC created a half-hour documentary called ' Cultural Secrets of Winnipeg', and my friend Angie Lamirande ( http://www.popsportsent.com ) asked me to take part in it.
If you see me with a Cheshire cat smile on my face it’s because I have a little secret. You see, the only thing that makes me happier than having a little secret is sharing my little secret. That’s why I was so excited to try out the Firefly Shisha Bar on Ellice Avenue; not only
was it not very well-known, but it felt a little dangerous and if I may say so,
slightly illicit for a suburban Mom. Truth is, I am not a stranger to the
hookah; I’ve actually had one in my own home for over 20 years, but never used
it. I valued it for its beauty but doubted its utility; sort of like Kim
Kardashian.
While still in university, I met my future husband. His bachelor pad décor
had the usual elements: the homemade futon, the questionable nude photography,
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9YvKPbTiPSvTnAWWDSbF_hr3Wpt0YGEiE9ScivJmwK0a0MFXF5mMBvuHrCZuL9roopMWZNyy9heHg8lH7vOANiLdVeuTvVDwq6W4i7Ph21eiaNB5_O2VPU7T0Zdsmb972g0nuhyda4gV1/s640/richard_avedon.jpg),but
,but something else stood out: a large brass vase with several hoses
attached. He explained that it was a gift from his world-travelling parents; it
was from Saudi Arabia and it was called a hookah. Middle Eastern families would
lounge together and smoke, he told me. Then I asked about the rather large
black leather horsewhip also hanging from the hookah. He said the whip was not
really for family activities in that same cultural sense. I stopped asking
questions but I felt immediately jealous; the best souvenir I ever received from
my parents had been Mexican jumping beans . Surely this new boyfriend came from
quite elegant stock; either that or he was the biggest druglord in Portage La
Prairie .
After getting married, we moved across the country and the hookah always
came with us. We viewed it as a conversation piece at a time in my life when
the rest of my art pieces were IKEA prints and questionable nude photography.
Less exotic times ensued; three kids in four years made us slightly dull.
Somehow those risqué art pieces disappeared over time, but we always kept the
hookah.
As I relaxed on the leather lounger and admired the colourful murals, the
owner of Firefly set up the hookah with a chocolate-mint flavoured shisha and
ignited the coal for me. When I sipped my first smoke, I was surprised at the
smoothness. As a nonsmoker I assumed this smoke would be irritating but it
wasn't; I inhaled and exhaled over and over , feeling calm and enjoying the
flavour as well as the novelty of the experience. I would love to tell you I
made perfect smoke rings all evening but in all honesty, I mainly looked like an
extremely civilized and relaxed dragon. I was happy to share the exp[erience in
front of the cameras but also look forward to returning with some friends, if
only to blow a smoke ring in honour of my old brass hookah.
