Mah Jongg Class

As any regular reader to this blog knows I have more than a few obsessions, but out side of food probably my most long term and consistent ones is for the game of Mah Jongg. I first learned to play from my game-loving grandmother Mima in Knoxville, Tennessee. We played the Chinese way. I am not sure my very Episcopalian Grandmother had any idea there was an American version.

Many years after learning to play with Mima I moved to Durham and quickly was adopted into my friend’s Roz, Jan and Judy Woody’s group. Soon after it became one of my addictions I did what I always do when I love something – I started spreading the love of the game by teaching Mah Jongg lessons. It started with Academy Nights – a fundraiser for Durham Academy, but when Academy Nights was discontinued I found lots of people still wanted to learn. So I just kept holding classes, either at my house or at my club. I calculated that I have taught over 300 people how to play over the years.

Every month or so someone asks me when my next class is going to be and I tell them I will let them know, but then I don’t write down who they are. I figure the blog is the best way to spread the word that I am going to be holding a class. It is going to take place on three consecutive Tuesday evenings, starting October 7^th from 7-10PM. It will be at my house and will include snacks. The cost of the class is $50 a person plus $8 for your official National Mah Jongg League Card and membership. I will be teaching people how to play the American way, which is the way that is widely played around here.

If you are interested in taking this class or just have questions about it please e-mail me at Dana@onelangegroup.com. It is a good idea to sign up with friends so you can have a group to play with. The class will be limited to 12 people.

My only requirement is that you speak English. I’ve had non-English speakers sign up for my classes before and it has not been successful for them, and I hate that they don’t get my jokes.

Happy New Year Mah Jongg Style

I went to the mailbox today and it was like Christmas. The new Mah Jongg card for 2014 was there. For some reason the monopoly run by Ruth at the National Mah Jongg League in NYC has the New Mah Jongg year start April 1. That means that women (and maybe a few men) around the country are all getting their new cards that hold the key to what hands you can win with for the next 12 months.

What? You don’t know what Mah Jongg is? Well it is one of my best addictions, no calories and brain building at the same time. Mah Jongg is an ancient Chinese rummy type game, played with tiles. Seventy-seven years ago someone Americanized the game by adding jokers and creating a card that declared about 70 hands that would be the only ways to win that year.

In Chinese Mah Jongg there are thousands of winning hands that don’t change from one century to the next. The problem is that they are not written down in a form American’s can learn them, let alone memorize them.

I think the New Yorkers who started the American Mah Jongg League did it to put an end to arguments about what a winning hand is. Thus a business was started, which I know did not upset them any. Although they have a monopoly on the creation of the new card they have simplified the game by creating a card that sits in front of every player as a reference.

The new Mah Jongg year also is a great equalizer. In Chinese Mah Jongg the longer you have been playing and learning hands the greater your advantage. In American Mah Jongg new and old players alike all start at the same place on April 1, kind of.

As I take my first glance at this new card I see lots of hands that have been part of old cards. That helps a little, but also can add confusion to an old dog like me. Mah Jongg is all about recognizing patterns, but if I have not memorized what those patterns are it is hard to find them.

Nonetheless the new card is always a reason to celebrate. If you ever want to learn to play Mah Jongg this is the best time of year to do so. I have taught at least 300 people how to play the game and am happy to set up a class if I have enough interested students. Three three-hour classes with playtime are all you need to get started. Let me warn you if you take to it you may have to block an afternoon out a week to feed your addiction, but I will tell you it is time well spent with friends.