Psmith
Well-known member
For the last few days I have been in Seoul attending a Google Education Summit. Where I live is actually 3 hours away on the East coast in a mountain/coastal town called Sokcho. As far as I know there is only 3 pipe smokers there...me, myself and I. Although I have been smoking a pipe now for about 5 years I have never had the experience of smoking with a fellow piper. My enjoyment of different tobaccos, appreciation of different pipes and thoughts while smoking have been completely solitary. No complaints really as I am naturally a creature of solitude.
But as luck would have it both the Summit and little guesthouse where I have been staying for the last few days is in the same neighbourhood as the best pipeshop in Seoul, Pipe Story. And even better, Mr. Lee, the proprietor has made space for a humble little smoking lounge for those Seoulites who cherish the leaf. Every night I have finally had the opportunity to sit, talk and share tobacco with people like me. Luckily I speak Korean so I could converse with all the guys there.
And you know...pipe smokers really are a fantastic breed. I will be honest and say that I have always found it difficult to make friends with Korean guys. They are always competitive and overly insecure so it makes hanging out with them awkward (they're either bragging or asking you questions for the purpose of judging). Not these guys...like most people drawn to pipe smoking they were mellow, thoughtful and down to earth. Its been a real breath of fresh air for me.
Tomorrow is the last day of the summit so I shall have to grab a bus back to the hinterland and get back to my usual routine of smoking with no one but my own shadow. I just had to write and express my joy at having had the opportunity to sit among my own kind.
What did we smoke?
I had some Escudo which I willingly shared and was gladly appreciated by all because its not readily available here. In turn I got to enjoy some SG Winter Time Flake and Bothy Flake. I was also offered some aromatic mixture called Harlekin or something. I wouldn't normally put something like that in my pipe but I graciously accepted because who knows when someone will share tobacco with me again. In the name of friendship I figured.
We then hit some cigars and I had an Arturo Fuente Shortstory and today I had a Jaime Garcia robusto.
Cheers everyone!
But as luck would have it both the Summit and little guesthouse where I have been staying for the last few days is in the same neighbourhood as the best pipeshop in Seoul, Pipe Story. And even better, Mr. Lee, the proprietor has made space for a humble little smoking lounge for those Seoulites who cherish the leaf. Every night I have finally had the opportunity to sit, talk and share tobacco with people like me. Luckily I speak Korean so I could converse with all the guys there.
And you know...pipe smokers really are a fantastic breed. I will be honest and say that I have always found it difficult to make friends with Korean guys. They are always competitive and overly insecure so it makes hanging out with them awkward (they're either bragging or asking you questions for the purpose of judging). Not these guys...like most people drawn to pipe smoking they were mellow, thoughtful and down to earth. Its been a real breath of fresh air for me.
Tomorrow is the last day of the summit so I shall have to grab a bus back to the hinterland and get back to my usual routine of smoking with no one but my own shadow. I just had to write and express my joy at having had the opportunity to sit among my own kind.
What did we smoke?
I had some Escudo which I willingly shared and was gladly appreciated by all because its not readily available here. In turn I got to enjoy some SG Winter Time Flake and Bothy Flake. I was also offered some aromatic mixture called Harlekin or something. I wouldn't normally put something like that in my pipe but I graciously accepted because who knows when someone will share tobacco with me again. In the name of friendship I figured.
We then hit some cigars and I had an Arturo Fuente Shortstory and today I had a Jaime Garcia robusto.
Cheers everyone!
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