Still from Lust Caution by Ang Lee

For a few months now I've been toying with the idea of a Mah Jong evening. We used to play a lot as children. One particular family friend had a lovely early bakelite set of tiles with bamboo backs and we would go around to her house regularly with a Chinese take away from the Ping On and oddly  sugared donuts for an evening of gaming. We gave a lot of the tiles our own family names circles = plates or press studs, 8 bamboo = underpants, white dragon = tv set. Our friend called the mixing of the tiles 'washing' them but reading histories of the game it seems to have been traditionally called the 'twittering of the sparrows'. The tactile nature of the tiles and the clicking as they are moved is so much more satisifying than a western card game.

Anyway at last the friend who was interested in learning and I made a firm date for the Mah Jong event (Easter Sunday lunch) we divvied up the meal I would bring frozen Dim Sum from Leith Chinese Supermarkets, jasmine tea and fortune cookies, my parents arrived with  easter eggs and wine and my firend C's mother made a fabulous cardamon, rose and chcolate easter cake.

My mother who learned Mah Jong in the dying days of the British Empire then attempted to teach and remind me and my dad of the rules. Twelve or so games later and much hilarity intersperced with gossip and arguement I wanted to go out and teach the world to sing .. no play Mah Jong !

I think that we were engaged in something which used our brains kept us present and learned something new was very refreshing to the spirit.

History of Mah Jong here.