Hookah lounge has unique atmosphere
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MARIETTA - Hoping to give residents and college students something different to do in downtown Marietta, a resident of the city has opened a hookah lounge on Front Street.
Located at 122 Front St., Rajah's Den Hookah Lounge is a place where people can go to smoke flavored tobacco, spend time with friends and make new ones, says its owner.
It is open from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 4 p.m. to 3 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Its first day of business was April 20, according to owner Ian McKain.
"Essentially it is a calm atmosphere kind of place during the day and during the night it's a nightlife kind of scene," said McKain, 21. "Marietta doesn't have anything like this."
Source: Parkersburg News
Arabic Day Festival educates students
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Last week, the Arabic Language and Culture Club (ALCC) and Professor Wasan Manati hosted an Arabic Day Festival for which the UAB Green was transformed into a Souk, or open-aired market.
In the midst of Dabke dancing, hummus, fashion shows and hookah smoke sessions, cultural exploration was in full force. Over 150 UAB students attended and were eager to explore Middle Eastern ways of life.
Because the media primarily exploits Western culture, the ALCC took the opportunity to educate students about Arabian etiquette, fashion and more.
Not only did I learn that Dabke is an Arab folk dance or that Arabian fashion, especially the traditional Arabian dress called a thawb, has greatly influenced Western fashion, I also discovered hookah etiquette.
Source: UAB Kaleidoscope
For 22-Year-Old, His Business is His Passion
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While smoking out of a hookah has been popular in other parts of the world for thousands of years, recently, its popularity has grown in the United States, a recent CNN.com story reported .
The young entrepreneur said he was first introduced to hookah when he was a teenager in the Middle East.
“It’s a Middle Eastern style of relaxation,” he said of the practice, which is often done in large groups. “It’s laidback.”
At Blue Eye, customers, who are charged $10, can sit back with friends on the establishment's couches and choose from one of 25 flavors of tobacco to smoke.
“(Smoking flavored tobacco out of a hookah) tastes good, and it’s something to do that’s fun and not illegal,” customer Jen Kinney, of Feasterville, said.
Source: Patch.com