I've never been the member of a private club before. Honestly, I didn't think there were any private clubs in Memphis that weren't country clubs. But there I was Saturday night, standing at a counter, showing my ID, filling out a form and paying a $6 membership fee to get into the Oasis, a hookah bar near the University of Memphis. The Oasis isn't really a club, so much as it is a smoking lounge. In order to get in, you have to be 18 years old and purchase a membership that's good for one year. Here's how it works: choose a tobacco flavor from the Oasis' list (they've got more than 50 flavors) and a number of hoses. Take a seat on one of the couches, and in a few minutes, the staff will bring a huge water pipe with long snaking hoses to you. They'll drop a hot coal on top of a foil-wrapped packet of tobacco and give you sanitary tips for the hoses. The rest is up to you. I shared a hookah with cinnamon tobacco with my friend Tracy. The flavor wasn't overpowering and it went well with my cappuccino (The Oasis doesn't serve alcohol). The Oasis is easily one of the quietest, most laid back social spaces in Memphis. People were hanging out on the couches, smoking and talking or working on laptops. Two guys near us were having a bit of a smoke ring competition. Even though most people were smoking, they were smoking hookahs, not cigarettes, which kept the club from smelling like a bar at last call. The Oasis is open from 12 p.m. - 1 a.m. Sunday - Thursday, and 12 p.m.  -  3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. It would make a great late-night work spot, as it's open later than all of the other coffee shops in Memphis. Go There: The Oasis 663 South Highland Street Memphis, TN 38111 (901) 405-3011