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A short walk from Glasgow University, Tchai-Ovna is a uniquespace where one can relax whether inside or outside in our beautifultea garden. as well as providing over 80 kinds of tea, shishas andvegetarian food, Tchai-Ovna is gathering a good reputation for hostingalternative music events and exhibitions.

Tchai-Ovna House of Tea, 42 Otago Lane, Glasgow G11 9PB,(0141) 357 4524

Click here fordirections to our shop.

Click here fora listing of music and arts events in the shop.

UK's best tea house: House of Tea, Scotland's Original

St. Charles County moves fast on fake pot banShop owners split on uproar over K2

By Raymond CastileTuesday, March 9, 2010 6:35 AM CST

Monday afternoon in Joe Aiello’s smoking lounge, gray-haired men in dress shirts puffed cigars as they reclined in leather chairs, watching a flat-screen television. it was not the image usually associated with K2, or “fake pot.”"This is not a head shop,” said Aiello, owner of the Tinder Box-St. Charles tobacco store, located on Mid Rivers Mall Drive in St. Peters.Tobacconist Aiello calls his shop a “true, traditional cigar store.” He carries cigars, briar pipes, wine, tobacco and K2.But perhaps not for long.Monday night, the St. Charles County Council was scheduled to discuss a proposed K2 ban. The bill, if passed, would ban in unincorporated areas the sale and possession of K2 and other products containing synthetic marijuana. Punishment would include up to one year in jail and a $1,000 maximum fine.

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K2 is an herbal potpourri mixture combined with a synthetic cannabinoid, a compound that mimics the psychotropic effects of tetrahydrocannabinols, or THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. other companies produce similar products, including DaScents, Blayze, Texas Gold, Genie and Zohai.In a statement released Monday afternoon, St. Charles County Council spokesman John Sonderegger said a provision in the bill might call for a countywide ban that would outlaw the products in incorporated areas, such as municipalities.The bill was scheduled for a first reading Monday. Ordinarily, it would require a second reading at the next meeting on March 29 before passage. But Sonderegger said the bill could be moved to emergency status and passed into law Monday night.Aiello said he had “no doubt” the council would ban K2.”It has so much similarity to pot,” Aiello said. “If they are going to make marijuana illegal, this should probably be illegal, too.”Aiello said he ordered one shipment of K2 in early February after reading news reports about how it brought in business at other smoke shops.”I was looking for a way to supplement my income during the winter months, when tobacco sales are slow,” Aiello said. “I was hesitant to carry it, concerned about my reputation and about the product.”Hesitant to even display it, Aiello waited until last week to place K2 on the shelf alongside the shisha, or hookah tobacco.Aiello said he does not sell K2 to anyone under 18. His clientele is mostly age 35-60, he said.”This is not a kid’s atmosphere,” he said. “Most cigar smokers are older gentlemen.”The K2 has not sold well, he said.”I just want to blow out of the remaining inventory, then I’m done,” Aiello said. “I don’t need it.”A countywide ban could have a greater impact on Linda Weber’s business. She owns The Vise, a smoke shop located behind a shopping plaza on Centre Pointe Drive in St. Peters. Weber said her business has probably doubled thanks to K2 media publicity.Weber said she planned to attend the County Council meeting Monday. She said she thought the council was “jumping the gun” by proposing a ban without any hard data proving K2 was harmful.Anecdotal feedback from her customers varies widely, Weber said.”Some come back and say, ‘I don’t get it. I don’t understand what all the hoopla is about,’” Weber said. “Other people come back and say, ‘It rocked my world.’ Everyone is different. But I have not heard anyone who has had a bad reaction.”Anthony Scalzo, director of toxicology at St. Louis University School of Medicine, was scheduled to talk to the council about K2 Monday night. County officials said K2 users have reported effects that included “feelings of excruciating pain.” Officials said synthetic marijuana could be up to 100 times more potent than the active ingredient in real marijuana.”One hundred times more potent? Pah-leeze,” Weber said. “That is not true, in my opinion. no freakin’ way. That is propaganda.”Gary Grafeman, owner of Retro Active in St. Peters, called the county proposal “a waste of time and taxpayers’ money.”"They will find something else to sell, something to replace it,” Grafeman said. “Will this be endless? Pretty soon we will outlaw grass seeds.”Grafeman’s store sells Blayze II, a product similar to K2. He said the product is popular, so a ban would hurt his business.”Things like this always seem to be a bigger deal in St. Charles County than anywhere else in the country,” he said. “Here, they make a mountain out of a molehill.”

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St. Charles County moves fast on fake pot ban

We live in the Escondido area and a bunch of our friends, under 21, would like to go to a hookah bar. Where should we go? A place with music would be awesome too.

What the best hookah bar to got to in North County?

I want to go to a hookah bar and I’m not sure if theres an age limit to get in and smoke away.

How old do you have to be to get into a hookah bar? Or is there no age limit to get into them.?

how does a diving hookah work?

I want to buy a super pack from hookah-shisha.com and while I’ve smoked my share of hookah, I’ve never tried Romman shisha. I want to know what flavors of Romman would be good enough to be worthy of buying it in the 250 g size?

Generally, I know Romman shisha is supposed to be very good, but what flavors are best?

Fancy meeting you here.

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Flavored Hookah Shisha – Starbuzz Tobacco

February 26,2010

Dean Morrison
News Reporter

Cairo is the setting for a languid romance that is a throwback to another era.

Cairo Time won the best Canadian Film prize at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2009.

Montreal-born director Ruba Nadda presents a film that is set in the Middle East, but is devoid of the usual tension and violence often associated with this region.

The film centers on Juliette (Patricia Clarkson), a Canadian magazine editor who arrives in Cairo to meet her diplomat husband, mark (Tom McCamus), for a vacation.

When her husband’s work keeps him from meeting her, he sends a friend and former colleague, Tareq (Alexander Siddig), to show her around.

Out of her element, Juliette is appreciative of Tareq’s company and finds herself drawn to his old world charm.

The heart of the story is about a middle-aged woman’s search for herself after her children have left the house and she is experiencing loneliness and seeks a new direction in her life.

Waiting for her husband to join her, the loneliness and alienation she is feeling in her marriage is reflected in this strange and exotic city.

A beautifully acted and photographed story of two people trying very hard not to fall in love, the main characters bring untold layers of emotion to a very simple story.

Director Nadda has crafted a story that shows that not all love affairs are based on sex.

This is one of emotion and quiet respect.

The city of Cairo is as much a character here as the people involved.

The Nile, the pyramids, the hookah bars and bustling markets all play significant roles within the film.

The end result is a low-key movie that lingers in one’s mind long after the end credits have rolled.

The Nicola Valley Film Society presents Cairo Time at the Merritt Civic Centre at 7:30 p.m., March 8.

The movie is in English.

Cairo brought to life in Egyptian love story

9th Street Hookah Lounge brings eclectic sophistication

The hookah lounge opens Friday.

By Justin Whaley

Published Feb. 19, 2010

• 

  Nick Agro/Staff Photographer

  A hookah pipe sits in the front of Columbia’s newest hookah bar, 9th Street Hookah Lounge. the cozy new establishment, which opens Friday, offers both tobacco and molasses-based smoking experiences.

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Sweet aromas rise up from the beautiful vase-like structure in the middle of the table. Hoses go ’round and ’round as a smoky haze envelops the room. Chatting about music, people and the wonders of life, savants puff gently as they pass the pipe from person to person. Whether it’s flavored tobacco or the healthier flavored molasses you’re into, hookah can be social and relaxing. But during the harsh Missouri winter in which we reside, sharing hookah is nearly impossible outdoors. where can hookah enthusiasts turn?

Hookah-ists, fear the cold no longer. take refuge from the brutal weather at 9th Street Hookah Lounge, the first of its kind in Columbia. the idea sprouted for owner Marcia Davis when she fell in love with hookah lounges near her home in Chicago. Soon after, she realized the cool, calm personality of the lounges and the cool cats who frequent them.

“I was really impressed with the atmosphere,” she said. “The kids were relaxed and having a great time.”

And so the endeavor began. Davis’ love of Columbia, hookah and Columbia’s prosperity for new businesses compelled her to pursue this dream. with the help of friends and partner Buck Jennings, she began developing and renovating the lounge, which sits right across from the Blue Note, a primo location.

Some hookah lounges have lavish furniture and belly dancers. And though she won’t rule anything out, Davis said she wants her lounge to be almost like an inviting living room. Walking into 9th Street Hookah Lounge, you’ll find tall tables, low lying sectional seating and even two faux fireplaces. with its lodge-inspired design, the lounge could be a homey place to study, socialize and share hookah.

“It’s a nice place,” Davis said. “Very upscale but comfortable.”

What’s on the menu at 9th Street Hookah Lounge? Try 36 flavors of shisha and six flavors of tobacco-free molasses, ranging from raspberry to peach and many others. for the caffeine fiends, try some “power bull,” a flavorful representative of Red Bull energy drinks with a little kick. Devour these delectable flavors through extravagant hookahs: their brushed glass, bejeweled vases and wooden pipes can make the experience all the fancier.

Although the lounge sells shisha and provides customers with a hookah, bring your own beverages (non-alcoholic beverages, that is). Davis said though the menu consists of only the tobacco and molasses, she hopes to soon be able to sell lavish hookahs and accessories.

What type of scene does Davis want to see on opening night? A huge crowd, an eclectic mix of people and a friendly setting with much meeting and greeting. She hopes to meet future lounge regulars and give people a place to kick back and relax after a long day’s activities.

“I hope people are standing in line to get in!” she said.

Finally, a smooth lounge for people to indulge and relax becomes local. 9th Street Hookah Lounge opens at 4 p.m. Friday. Hit up this new hot spot to escape the cold, make some new friends and have a flavorful good time. Marcia Davis gladly welcomes all to her lodge-like abode.

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9th Street Hookah Lounge brings eclectic sophistication

As hookah smokers know the atmosphere is big in smoking. I am going to get my first hookah and I would like some suggestions as to what kind of music would go good with the hookah atmosphere. of course there is stuff like Pink Floyd and the Doors, but I am curious about more world music/middle eastern/indian music that would go well in such a setting. Any song suggestions would be great.

Hookah Music?