Big sister JieJie and her little brother, DiDi watch as their Chinese-American parents and extended family pass the time playing mahjong, along with enjoying family chats, singing, good food, and hot tea.
Join Fern and a colorful cast of characters in her debut memoir titled Mah Jongg Mondays. Fern, married and a mother of three sons takes us into her modern middle-class suburban Long Island world where one day she gets the "Big Idea" to learn the Chinese tile game called mah jongg. Weekly games provide the setting for deep-seeded relationships to form around the mah jongg table. These Monday gatherings become a source of support and strength for Fern as her husband is diagnosed with cancer. Fear, insecurity and potential heart-wrenching loss become challenges she must overcome. The author weaves the themes of destiny, faith, friendship, time and love throughout the story. Fern takes us on her journey around the mah jongg table, eastward to the seaport town of Greenport and through her husband's battle with cancer as she relies on faith, friendship and her personal relationship with God. Read this heartwarming story about the wonderful things that can happen when five women are destined to come together to play an old Chinese game, sitting around a table with 152 tiles, dice and a mah jongg card. Love always; love all ways, for time has no guarantee.
"I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Whether used as a reference or a beautiful keepsake, it's a very worthy addition to the world of Mah Jongg." --Ruth Unger, President, National Mah Jongg League This is the first book to fully capture the story of the exotic and exciting game of Mahjong or "Mah Jongg", offering an intimate look at the history of the game as well as the visual beauty of the tiles. When authors Ann Israel and Gregg Swain began playing Mahjong, they were unaware of the vintage collections that existed not only in the United States but also across the globe. Slowly, they started to collect their own sets of Mahjong and as their collections grew, so did their appreciation of the history of, and interest in, the game. Finding few references, Israel and Swain set out to create a book that chronicles the early beginnings of the game and documents Mahjong sets from the most basic, made simply of paper, to the most precious materials such as ivory and mother-of-pearl. Recognized and respected scholars and game experts have collaborated with Israel and Swain, contributing important chapters on the game's history and its pieces as well as technical information on the tiles. Lastly, great collectors from around the globe have shared their incredible sets and memories for the first time in one book for everyone to enjoy. With hundreds of beautiful new images by renowned photographer Michel Arnaud, and including historical documentation and ephemera, Mah Jongg: The Art of the Game fills the void between the past's and today's game, providing vision, inspiration and resources. Anyone who has ever been intrigued by a Mahjong tile will find in these pages visually stunning photographs that will entice them into becoming an enthusiast of the timeless game of Mahjong.
"A must have. I warmly welcome this milestone work." -Tina Christensen, President of the European Mahjong Association. Welcome my intrepid adventurer to the wonderful world of mahjong. This is the game that legends adorn, of scholars, and treasures, where dragons are borne. With winds that blow and fortunes that flow, it's here through it all, our good fortune will call. "The best book about mahjong I have ever read." -Martin Divi, European Riichi Mahjong Champion 2013-2016. Prepare to learn about a four-player tile game of winning hands, lucky tiles, sacred discards, glory, and woe. Are you up to the challenge? ""A wonderful journey through both the rules and the spirit of riichi mahjong." -David Bresnick, President of the United States Professional Mahjong League."
How has a game brought together Americans and defined separate ethnic communities? This book tells the first history of mahjong and its meaning in American culture. Click-click-click. The sound of mahjong tiles connects American expatriates in Shanghai, Jazz Age white Americans, urban Chinese Americans in the 1930s, incarcerated Japanese Americans in wartime, Jewish American suburban mothers, and Air Force officers' wives in the postwar era. Mahjong: A Chinese Game and the Making of Modern American Culture illustrates how the spaces between tiles and the moments between games have fostered distinct social cultures in the United States. This mass-produced game crossed the Pacific, creating waves of popularity over the twentieth century. Annelise Heinz narrates the history of this game to show how it has created a variety of meanings, among them American modernity, Chinese American heritage, and Jewish American women's culture. As it traveled from China to the United States and caught on with Hollywood starlets, high society, middle-class housewives, and immigrants alike, mahjong became a quintessentially American game. Heinz also reveals the ways in which women leveraged a game to gain access to respectable leisure. The result was the forging of friendships that lasted decades and the creation of organizations that raised funds for the war effort and philanthropy. No other game has signified both belonging and standing apart in American culture. Drawing on photographs, advertising, popular media, and dozens of oral histories, Heinz's rich and colorful account offers the first history of the wildly popular game of mahjong.
The Red Dragon & The West Wind is the perfect introduction to this ancient game of strategy and subterfuge, covering all aspects of the two most common varieties, American and Chinese, along with an overview of other global approaches. The book begins with the history and origin and moves on to the rules of play and ways to win and avoid essential errors as well as the etiquette to follow. With everything from clear instructions on dealing, building, and distributing tiles to a look at the history and future of the game, this is the essential book for anyone who wants to have fun–and win–while playing mah–jongg.
Master the fascinating and rewarding game of American Mahjong with this guide for beginners. "Strategies, strategies, strategies! If I only knew more strategies I could win more games!" is the frequent lament of beginning Mahjong players. Following up on the success of her acclaimed book, A Beginner's Guide to American Mah Jongg, bestselling author Elaine Sandberg's new book offers novice players the advice they need to excel at the game of Mahjong. Winning American Mah Jongg Strategies: A Guide for the Novice Player is the strategy guidebook that provides American Mahjongg beginners with the practical information they need to build hands, improve game-play skills, strategize, and win! This easy-to-follow, comprehensive book teaches players how to overcome common difficulties and provides the knowledge to sharpen strategic skills and increase win ratios. By showing beginners how to see and utilize different strategic elements and scenarios, players learn how to elevate their skills. Challenges covered in this Mahjongg book include: Finding the best hand The use of defensive tools To Expose or not to Expose and why Determining an opponent's hand And many more… Winning American Mah Jongg Strategies is a gem of a book that is the perfect gift for Mahjong players of all ages!
Master the game of Mahjong while learning about its legends and history with this entertaining and useful guide. An excellent way to learn Mahjong or "Mah Jongg"--The Great Mahjong Book is the perfect resource for beginner or experienced mahjong players. Richly illustrated and easy to follow with detailed instructions and clear examples, it can help all players improve their game. Mahjong beginners get a solid introduction to the rules and equipment they need to get started, while better players will find invaluable tips for mastering the game. The Great Mahjong Book also includes the entire history of Mahjong as it spread around the globe, the equipment and accessories used in the game, basic rules, how and where the game first developed and all the international variants of Mahjong--including China, the U.S., Holland, the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Hong Kong. Filled with hints, fun facts and numerous illustrations of memorabilia and artifacts, this authoritative and thoroughly enjoyable book is a perfect gift for anyone interested in this ancient and beguiling game. Mahjong players love the game because it's colorful, exotic, and fun! Whether you're a first time player or a pro, The Great Mahjong Book is a perfect companion to the wide world of Mahjong.
Sio Huay (Little Flower) was born at the Sintan Village, a few months before the Japanese invasion. The invaders ravaged the village, raping, killing and robbing the defenceless villagers. A shameless urchin, Sio Huay, lived a colorful life even after her marriage to Ah Goo, a laborer at the Singapore River. She continued with her wayward lifestyle even after her husband’s death. Her ‘love-child’ eventually chased her out of the house and abandoned her in a Nursing Home where she lived the rest of her lonely life among strangers.