The Beauty of Pipe Smoking

In today's crazed fast food, disposable society many small things have been lost; one of them includes what some consider to be a nasty habit that humanity picked up in the last five hundred years or so: smoking. For centuries the staple and most normal way of enjoying tobacco was through the use of some sort of pipe; it wasn't until the mid 19th Century that cigarettes became the dominant force behind the tobacco industry; and nowadays cigarettes dominate the scenes. It is only a select few that have taken the time to actually look into what many call "The Gentle Art of Smoking" and revere the briar pipe as the means to achieve this Art. I was lucky enough to be introduced to pipe tobacco in my late teens, and acquired my first pipe around the age of 19 (I still have this pipe and I cherish it with all my heart), thus I did not find the idea of pipe smoking to be archaic or outdated; it is simply a misunderstood artform, something that has been slowly lost through the blatant advance of our mass media civilization and culture.

Cigarettes are today asociated with stress and bad habits, a quick five minute comforter for a stressful life; pipe tobacco and pipe smoking on the other hand bring with them a plethora of small rituals and a culture of their own. The process of pipe smoking is not as simple as just flicking a cigarette onto your lip and lighting it; there is much more to it. There are several steps to take: preparing the pipe, packing the tobacco, lighting, relighting and enjoying the different brands, cuts and mixtures that the different types of pipe tobacco can offer. There's sweet Virginia tobacco, spicy Latakia, surprising Perique, and a myriad more of different blends.

For those of you who smoke and feel that its time to give up cigarettes, but feel that going cold turkey is going to drive you insane, I suggest that you turn your attention to pipe smoking since it offers another alternative. You'll feel more relaxed, you'll actually enjoy the different tastes, and with time can turn your smoking into a deeply personal and reflecting experience.

A Month of Change and Sore Muscles

Well, I haven't written anything here in quite some time now. Almost a month and a week (five weeks to round it up). What has happened is nothing much in terms of life-changing events, basically I have comfortably settled myself into the routine of a healthy, non-smoking, sport-inclined university law student.

I started my classes with no hitches and also rejoined my old rugby team in order to feel the burn and the fitness. Nothing like getting back to the gym and running my heart out in order to feel better. The only downside, is that my hamstrings haven't stopped hurting for the past three weeks. At least the pain's subsided meaning that it's slowly healing up.