Hava nargile

So this is our nargile, or hookah pipe, from Turkey.

While we bought it mostly because it was a gorgeous handmade piece of art, we also bought it because, well...it's a big hookah pipe, and there's some element of novelty with having one.

Our pipe came with some orange-molasses tobacco, and we also picked up some apple-molasses tobacco. Until now our nargile has graced our living room as a conversation piece and something for the cat to sniff disdainfully at. (He's a cat, it's what he does.)

Tonight we had the Hansons over and decided to give the pipe a try. We'd tried a nargile twice before, both times at Anatolia, the Turkish restaurant in Jakarta. Once was on my 25th birthday when Bork and Mark and Kim were here, and another time was when we went out to eat with Kale and Katie.

We decided to make an event of it and hauled one of our Turkish rugs (the one in the photo) out on our back porch to sit on. We also broke out the raki, which is basically anise-flavored Turkish moonshine--most Turks may be Muslim, but this doesn't appear to seem to stop them from liking to drink a lot!

Raki is a clear alcohol, but when you add it to water and ice it turns white. Katie, Ms. Chemistry Teacher, got all giddy and analytical about the different layers and chemical reactions. As exciting as the drink looked, though, it tasted like a combination of licorice and paint thinner. And also possibly feet. So much for our fabulous Istanbul Ataturk Airport duty free purchase.

The nargile was all kinds of entertaining. Katie jokingly asked if we'd accidentally been sold wacky tobaccy, so we reasoned that if we had the munchies for these icky cookies later (our maid baked cookies earlier in the week and forgot to add sugar...we haven't had the heart to tell her they're gross yet so we just keep taking a few to school each day and throwing them away there) we'd know. I am pleased to report we felt no urge to eat the bad cookies, so our apple tobacco was legitimate.

The pipe was fun but, being a non-smoker, I'd have to say it's something that will probably continue to serve its main purpose of looking pretty and just being something else that needs to be dusted.

So don't worry, mom. :)