I miss smoking.

Now, let's get one thing clear. I've never smoked in my entire life, so I don't mean I miss me smoking. Nope, not even as a teenager doing the ooooh-rebellious-smoking thing (and I've not managed to set myself on fire yet, either).

What I miss is the way Germans smoke. Mainly because it made me laugh.

Here in Australia, often people mostly smoke in a way that's as surreptitious as possible, sneaking in a cigarette while looking around in a way that seems to imply they're expecting someone from the anti-smoking lobby (or just a random passer-by) to leap out and randomly assault them with a fire extinguisher.

After all, smoking is pretty restricted here and it does seem like not all that many people do it. Although, admittedly, our population is about one quarter of Germany's. Smoking in public areas has been banned in South Australia for ages, I think the laws restricting it more are starting soon (or have started) in Victoria, etc. Not many places allow it freely.

In Germany smoking is free-range, and lots of people do it. And it's done in the least surreptitious way possible, more like, "Yes. I am enjoying zis zigarette. Und ven I finish it, I might just have anozzer." *insert long, pleasure-filled draw on cigarette* "Und... I vill enjoy zat one too. If you don't like it, I shall extinguish it on your tongue."

Should have bought a gas mask from the Russian guys in Berlin, though. The smoking in restaurants is a bit gross. But the "smoking stations" at airports and train stations were amusing.

I think if you had to put up with it long-term, rather than simply on holidays, it would have become something really irritating. So hurrah for being back in Australia where smoking is a social evil!