I believe I might have told y’all that I started blogging in order to cure my addiction to my computerized Mah Jongg Solitaire game. It didn’t entirely work. Occasionally, I see that icon on my computer and open up the game. Then, I get lost in it for a few hours. Do y’all get caught up in those computer solitaire games? They can be real time wasters. I’d much rather play card games and board games with friends. I think I’d like to try Mah Jongg.

I remember that my Grandmommy Duncan had a beautiful set of Mah Jongg tiles in a wooden box with carving on it. We liked to shuffle through the tiles when we were kids, but we didn’t know how to play the game. I was fascinated by the dragons, and the wind signs and the bamboo signs on the tiles. Grandmommy had played Mah Jongg back in the late 1920s and 1930s, but I never saw her play. It was a pretty popular game back then.

When she passed away, I didn’t take that box of tiles because one was missing. I’ve regretted that ever since, but I think my Big Bubba got it, so it’s in good hands. Several years ago, I read The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan.

In it, Mah Jongg was featured, and it got me interested in trying it. But, that game you see above is a pitiful excuse for a game in comparison to the actual game. It’s more like the game of “Match” that I played with my children.

Today, I got the opportunity to see Mah Jongg played for real! At the Southlake Senior Center, I met with Alice. She’s one of my volunteers for Share A Square, and she had a new afghan for me. She was meeting with some friends to play the game, and they allowed me to watch and tried to explain it. Mah Jongg is named for a Chinese word that means “sparrow.” Don’t ask me why. I have no clue. I need to sit down and read more about the game here to learn the rules. Alice’s friends said they were playing “American Style” and it reminded me a bit of the game of “Rummy.” They collected tiles in certain patterns (and they had “cheat sheets” to tell them the patterns). I didn’t understand everything they were doing, but I had a vague idea about the game after watching them play three rounds.

I’m glad I knew they were friends! Those gals got plumb rowdy as they stole tiles from each other and blocked each other’s plays. As they discarded tiles, they called out words like “dot,” “bam” and “crack.” They said that was what they called the pictures on the tiles. The “dots”, of course, were circles on the tiles. “Bam” stood for the ones that had bamboo images. “Crack” included any tile that had characters on it. I don’t know if those are traditional terms, but it was a hoot to hear them yelling out the words. The game looked like great fun to me, and I’m going to have to get all into this.

I’ve got to get me a set of those tiles, and I think that the opportunity might present itself next week. We are going to San Francisco, California to visit my youngest son, and then up to Mendocino for a family reunion with Eric’s family. I think it’s still a surprise visit for his Dad, who just had his 80th birthday and celebrated it with cancer surgery (he’s doing very well, thank you). So, y’all don’t let the cat out of the bag.

I think that while in San Francisco I should take a little trip to Chinatown and see if I can find a set of Mah Jongg tiles that appeal to me. Don’t y’all think that would be the place to find them? But, if I get the tiles, then I’ll need to get three more people to play. Y’all wanna come over and give it a try? I’ll supply the chips and dip. You bring the Margueritas.

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