Yesterday, I played Mahjong for the first time in 10 years. The last time I played Mahjong was in August 1998 with one of my Uncle’s family in Southern California visiting my house. I read a MahJong book and read an article on Mahjong on Wednesday and Thursday to learn the basic rules and the Japanese rules. The Chinese and Japanese versions are different; however, the basic rules are the same. My friends play the Japanese rules.
I did terrible as expected. My biggest weakness was having no knowledge in the different Japanese hands, kanji or symbols, and terminology. My goal was to make mistakes, to be disappointed, to be depressed, and to experience the play style feeling. The game was also observational seeing how my friends played the game. If I know the NFL football teams, MLB baseball teams, most NBA basketball teams and most NHL hockey teams, then I can know the Japanese hands ^__^
Learn Mahjong is important for me because it is a new game and a new hobby. I learned nothing new in 2008, and even though Mahjong is just a game (with no assistance in my career skills), it’s a game requiring memorization, practice, and thinking just like learning another skill. Mahjong is another way to meet new people. Mahjong is like poker with more options and more critical thinking. I’m not going to be a master . . . it takes two minutes to learn and a lifetime to master. I want to learn to be confident and comfortable I play Mahjong with my friends who are, in my perspective, masters.
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