Is Mah Jongg Class a Party?

There is a difference between a class and a party? Mah Jongg is no different. You can go to a Mah Jongg Class or you can go to a Mah Jongg Party. At a class you are going to learn things. The teacher should have a plan for how you will learn. Will it be fun? It should be. If you are not having fun learning a game you need a different teacher. Eventually at mah Jongg class you will get to play mah Jongg. Food and drink is not the focus, although you may have some of that.

At a mah Jongg party you you should also have fun. You should get to play and perhaps enjoy some libations and food. You can talk to your friends and make new ones.

The big difference between a class and a party is at one you are there to learn at the other you are there to play. At both you can have fun.

When I teach beginner Mah Jongg the first class is hard. There is a lot to learn and I have spent years perfecting the process so that the most people can learn the most information in a systematic way. The first class is foundational and if you don’t get a firm foundation it is not as much fun further down the road.

Today I had a lovely group of students at their friend’s beautiful house. Half of the class showed up with a bottle of wine. Before a cork was popped I told them that if they were a person who thought they could learn to fly a 747 on an active runway, then they might be able to drink a glass of wine and learn Mah Jongg. Most of them waited for wine until later.

It was a good idea. Learning something complicated is hard enough. Wine does not aid you in anyway to learn. It is not like learning a dance, where a little loosening up might help you. It is more like learning to fly a jet.

So thanks to those ladies today who heard my message and waited. It will pay off in the long run. Once you “learn” mah Jongg you can have a glass of wine while you “play” mah Jongg. Class is not a party, but it still can be fun.