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Who? What? Hoo-kah!
Puffin' in Plattsburgh is welcome indoors
Go ahead, put it in your mouth. Notice the smoothness of it. Share the remnants of the previous user's saliva. Suck. Keep sucking, and enjoy the sound. Inhale. Hold it. Now release. How does that taste?
Yes, the experience of smoking from a hookah pipe at Oraja Lounge can be something like this. As the initial lightheadedness wears off, relaxation calms the nerves and bliss envelopes the body. While allowing the body to unwind, stare at the device ahead. Notice the glass base and the water. That's what made the bubbling sound as the shisha tobacco was inhaled.
Tobacco? You might think. But the pull was much softer than a cigarette and the taste was rather fruity. Then there was that guy who called it "hookah."
Hookah and shisha can be used interchangeably when referring to the tobacco smoked in a hookah pipe, Plattsburgh hookah spot, Oraja Lounge, owner, James Catalfamo, says. "Terminology gets tossed around but it's all used to mean the same thing." Catalfamo opened Oraja Lounge in Plattsburgh on Sept. 4, 2008. It's an evening/late night spot attracting mostly college students who desire to chill after long days of classes, or go somewhere low tempo while enjoying the buzz from their previously acquired alcohol. "About 95 percent of my customers are college students," he says. "It's a great way to end the night or start the night."
"Pass, don't hog."
When entering Oraja Lounge, feel very at home. The comfy sofas, coffee tables with intricately designed table cloths, and big screen television near what looks like a kitchen counter resemble a living room set up. Wi-fi is also available, allowing students to do homework as they puff on their flavored tobacco.
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"It's just a place to hang out," Catalfamo says. To prepare for an evening at work, he wakes up around 9 or 10 am. "I watch daytime TV, eat breakfast with my tea, take a shower, and then head to work. Then I run errands, check emails, brainstorm and make flyers." The next step would be waiting for his guests.
SUNY Plattsburgh student, Raina Asid is a frequent visitor at Oraja Lounge. "It's just a chill spot. If I don't feel like going downtown, I'll just go to the hookah lounge," she says.
Asid is from Saudi Arabia and compares the hookah experience at Oraja Lounge to her homeland. "Saudi Arabia is where hookahs are invented. Back home, there's a different ambiance." Asid reminisces about the more sobered crowd back home and compares them to some of the intoxicated patrons who grace Oraja Lounge. "There's etiquette," she says. "Pass, don't hog."
Despite the drunkenness of some patrons, there have been no complaints in the area requiring the Plattsburgh Police Department to pay Oraja Lounge a visit. "I haven't gotten any hate mail," Catalfamo says. "A health inspector came in once to make sure I was carding people and I had my license in order." Since then, Catalfamo has been good to go.
Chris Cruz, also a Plattsburgh State University student who goes to hookah bars near his home in the Bronx during school breaks. "There's dozens down in the city. They're Arabic run, with belly dancers and beads," he says. Cruz wasn't expecting Plattsburgh to have a hookah bar for his leisure. He owns a hookah pipe himself and uses it every weekend. "Before pre-gaming, it's a way to relax. I go out after that."
Catalfamo buys pipes coming from Potsdam and as far as Egypt. He sells them to patrons for $40 to $60. His tobacco comes from a California based company, Hookah Wholesalers. He tends to shy away from head shops, not because of quality, which he finds debatable, rather his amount in resources. "The wholesale price is $7.35 per 250 gram container. It's a lot cheaper than paying $20-25 for retail." Now is the time when Catalfamo feels he needs to save money. As school ends for the semester, he sees less business at Oraja Lounge. "The first month was the busiest," he says. "I may close during the break for a while then open it when the college students come back. Right now, this place pays its own bills."
Finances don't squash his spirit though. Catalfamo is in the process of brainstorming ways to bring in more business for next semester. He started the group on facebook, Oraja Lounge, for members to receive information on upcoming events. "There are about 112-128 people in the group," he says. "I see maybe six of them." Catalfamo believes that marketing needs to be his main focus.
Anita Giambruno, 20, of Dannemora spontaneously visits Oraja Lounge. She is painting a canvas to be placed outside the lounge, an attempt to attract more people.
"They gave me business," she says. "I've only been here three times and I like it."
"It's a great way to end the night or start the night."
Catalfamo tries to help others out. He is gracious to other neighboring establishments like Wong Kwon Restaurant and Taco Loco, promoting their businesses with flyers and menu pamphlets. "I promote local businesses more than local businesses promote me," he says. Alan Woo, owner of Wong Kwon Restaurant, says he does not do anything to promote the Oraja Lounge.
"I have a whole timeline set for next semester." On the weekends, he'll have live music and performances. "Monday night will be half-off hookahs, Wednesday will be poker night, and Thursday will be Stoner Movie Thursdays."
Oraja Lounge is located at 12 Brinkerhoff St Downtown Plattsburgh. It's closed on Sunday, open Monday-Wednesday 7pm-midnight, Thursday 7pm-1am, Friday 7pm-2am, and Saturday 3pm-2am.
"I think I'm going to start coming more often," Giambruno says.
The tobacco smoked from a hookah pipe may cause serious health related issues. Here is something to think about:
"Thanks to the hard work of scientists throughout the past few decades, we now know much more about smoking's health-related impact than ever before," Dr. Jerimy Blowers, Director of Health Education Services at SUNY Plattsburgh, says. "Smoking tobacco damages lung function, inhibits the immune response, and is linked with various cancers."
The hookah pipe is designed to absorb a bit of the smoke from the tobacco, and create a feeling of ease among users because the smoke they inhale is not so harsh. "Greater volumes of smoke invite greater opportunities for the carcinogens to damage tissue and other body systems. Holding this smoke longer in the lungs also increases the risk for this damage," he says.
Blowers addresses smoking, or hanging out in a smoke-filled environment for long periods of time, pointing out that people inhale more smoke than if they were to just smoke a cigarette by themselves. "If someone chooses to smoke from a hookah, make sure that the vessel is cleaned properly after each use. Unclean pipes can be teeming with unhealthy microorganisms and make users ill. Also, since the smoke is essentially communal, remember that any airborne illnesses from other users may infiltrate and be passed on."