Cali By Night Part 4: Cigarette And Wine

One of the most peaceful Cali evenings for me is when I don't have any other work. That's when my family went to bed and I snuck out onto the balcony to smoke and drink a glass of wine. It sounds like I'm a self-indulgent and fallen person. But it has been an indispensable routine for me every evening.

A view from a balcony

When I traveled to Washington and New York, I saw that most people smoke a lot in public places. You will come across anyone walking on the street with you and find them smoking a cigarette in their mouth. They may be talking on the phone, waiting for a green light to cross the street, talking animatedly with someone, or standing on the corner of the street to smoke during a break. The image of smokers has been in my mind every time I watch noir movies of the 40s and 50s of the last century. How can I forget the image of actor Humphrey Bogart with his characteristic seductive deep voice, romantic face but full of seriousness that has made many girls fall in love, and always has a cigarette in his mouth? Humphrey Bogart's detective roles have always held my heart, and I love looking at him whenever he lights a fire and smokes a cigarette. At the same time, he ponders over a certain case, or sometimes when he's having sex with her. a female character in the movie. When it comes to film noir, known as black-and-white crime detective movies, one must immediately mention dangerous female characters, also known as femme fatale. They have the common feature of being very beautiful, sexy, and seductive, ready to invite men, and those girls often bring deadly danger to men who have unfortunately fallen into the trap. Love. The most dangerous femme fatale I've ever seen is Phyllis Dietrichson in the movie "Double Indemnity" directed by Billy Wilder. She proved herself innocent, considered herself a victim of the world’s games, and felt unhappy even though she had a wealthy husband. Her ambition was fulfilled after she met an insurance salesman named Walter Neff. She successfully seduced him and used him as a tool to fulfill her ambition. Her sharp eyes and unfaithful voice drove a gentle insurance salesman down a sinful path. She had calculated everything, and when it was all over, she betrayed the other guy and intended to destroy him. But perhaps her bottomless malice and greed had killed her just before she was about to kill him.

The fact that I smoke only a few people know. I started smoking in October 2022. At that time, I was having some crisis in my life. I did everything I could to get through that crisis. But all to no avail. I felt stressed and annoyed until I saw a pack of Marlboro light cigarettes on the table when I went to a friend's house. That friend also smoked a lot. It looks like he started smoking at the age of 15. Gradually cigarettes for him became an indispensable thing. One day he can smoke a pack of cigarettes. That addiction made him burn money on cigarettes. He told me he might get some lung disease later and accepted it. But he told me, which I thought was a surprise, that smoking made me feel more chill and relaxed. I don't know if it's accurate, but if you pay attention, you’ll probably see that people often smoke after every love affair. The reason for that is scientifically proven that smoking after making love will make our body relax and increase stimulation during orgasm. So smoking makes people more comfortable is possible, although it is not good to smoke either. I took a cigarette out of my friend's bag of Marlboro lights and put it in my pocket, intending to go home to take it out to smoke. When I got home, I lit a fire and smoked it. Oh my gosh, I choked so many times. My body is not used to having smoke in my lungs. I was going to throw that cigarette away right away. But when those choking episodes passed, I resumed smoking. Then just like that, I finished that cigarette without being hurt. My body immediately felt like relaxation flowed through me, and I felt so good. Just like that, I started smoking. Smoking for me now is not only to relax but also to get ideas for my articles. Whenever I'm blocked with ideas, I close my MacBook and run to the balcony for a cigarette. Naturally, there will be an influx of ideas from somewhere after the cigarette has worn out. I'll go into my room, open my MacBook, and scribble until I'm done. I don't consider myself a smoker because I smoke just one cigarette daily. That's why my clothes or my body don't smell like smoke. Smoking is boring. I drink an extra glass of wine to complete the set. A glass of red wine in one hand, a cigarette in the other, and I sat on a chair on the balcony. Sometimes I turn on some jazz and enjoy Cali's evening.

The cali night is like that. It's not an evening that Cali is sad. It's all about how you choose to use it. There are many things you can do. It can be outside, or it can be right inside your own house. Through the last four reports on Cali evening, I hope you can experience and love this Cali for yourself more.