Mahjong playa

I should have been already familiar with the clack-clacking of mahjong tiles from my earliest days of life while still in mom's womb. She was an MJ fiend. It apparently was a sticking point between her and her husband, although I've heard a story that it was due to one person's suspicion of a wholly different type of extracurricular activity. Men and their insecurities - oh bother!

If you know how to play mahjong, how did you learn? I had ample opportunity to learn but it seems the patience required was not to be found. Every week, one parent or the other seemed to be involved in a game either at home or at a relative's house. Watching the adults play, it bored me to tears. I'd try to follow the example of my cousin, trying to engross myself in learning the game and willing myself to understand what she saw when she watched the adults. I coudn't find a clue.

Actually, I did figure out a tiny bit like stacking the tiles (that was probably the only skill I enjoyed practicing), peng and shang. I also realized I could derive much pleasure from building things with the tiles not related to mahjong at all (e.g. floorplan of a dream house).

A few times, my older cousins and I would play together but being the youngest and others concentrating on their own tiles, I'd invariably lose... and get sore. They used to call me names, "sorehead" being one of their favorites (bc I had that kind of temperament? bc I got fed up at being often jerked around?). I'm sure people have tried to explain the game to me. I was probably just too thick-headed.

Mr. P plays. At least he can teach the little ones the game if they have the inclination to learn.