Smoking Anywhere and Everywhere

Last December, I was waiting at Dubai Airport for my connecting flight to Dhaka. No need to mention that I was tired and was bored waiting there for my flight. Every now and then I would lift my head up to see people around me. Same people - everybody either rushing to catch a plane or somehow killing time for their flight. I look past them and to my surprise, I noticed a lady smoking a cigarette only a few chairs away from me!  I could not believe that she was smoking inside the terminal building. I was very surprised. After watching her smoke for a few minutes, I got confused. Why there was no smell of tobacco. And why so little smoke!

My curiosity compelled me to approach the woman. Wearing a smile, I asked her about her cigarette. I guess she read me very well and felt pity for all the confusion that I had on my face and could not hide. With a reassuring smile, she calmed my confusion but not my curiosity. She started to explain why that cigarette was not a cigarette in the traditional sense. She said that it was an electronic cigarette! Being an electrical engineer, my curiosity got even stronger. What is she talking about - electronic cigarette! Man, I have read about diodes and transistors, and what not, but electronic cigarettes!

Unfortunately, the conversation had to come to an abrupt end when I realized that I had to run to catch my plane for the connecting flight. All the excitement of reaching home to friends and family drowned out the surprise that I felt when I saw the woman smoking something that I have never seen before. It remained dormant for a while until last night.

Yesterday evening, my fourteen year old was researching on the internet for school work. I was sitting at the next desk browsing the web as well and keeping an eye on him. That is when I accidentally came across a manufacturer that makes electronic cigarette. I even came across a video clip where a guest was smoking electronic cigarette at the Late Night show with David Letterman. Watch.

I instantly realized that many of my smoker friends could be interested in this type of device. I did a little bit more research. Rather than rehashing them here, if you want to read further you can click here.