For proper aluminum foil ventilation, less is more — I mean a small number of small holes is better than a large number of medium sized holes.  This prevents ash from falling into the shisha and it makes for a more even burn.

Here’s something new (as reported by the LA Times): Carving out real fruit to make hookah bowls.

A fellow named Alfonso “Abou Salim” Ramirez (He is Hispanic, not middle eastern) has perfected the art of making a bowl from an actual fruit. He is shown making a bowl from an apple in this article. He supposedly can also make hookah bowls from pineapples, watermelons, lemons, pomegranates, oranges and, maybe someday, also bananas.

His customers come from all over Orange County to sample his fruit-hookah bowls. While this method of hookah preparation is rare in the U.S., apparently is is much more common in the middle east.