November 28, 2010 | 8:38 pm

THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY

Posted by Elaine Sandberg

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THANKSGIVING HOLIDAYS

It’s once again, that time of year when all things traditional are in vogue—the week-end for family reunions, preparing the Turkey feast, the football games and shopping on Black Friday.

But I always wondered why it’s called Black Friday. To me, it conjures up visions of a tragic day.  And on this Friday, for me, it was kind of Black.  Well, not really Black, it was actually a fun day.

I was invited to a Mah Jongg game with a group of former students on Friday and I was eagerly anticipating reconnecting with them and to see how well they had progressed.  It was a happy reunion and after exchanging the news about family and friends we settled down to the game.

We played most of the afternoon and much to my surprise, delight and applause, they won most of the games.  I finally won one game out of the dozens we played…  But I received the most wonderful compliment.  They all warmly thanked me for teaching them and all agreed “They had a great teacher”. It was very gratifying to see how well they played.  It was a really fun afternoon.

Since the season of giving is upon us, let me give all of you, my readers, a warm and grateful Thank You.  I wish you all Happy Chanukah, Merry Christmas and a Joyous Kwanza.

Til next time…
MAY THE TILES BE WITH YOU! 

November 22, 2010 | 3:39 pm

THE SYMBOLS OF THE SET

Posted by Elaine Sandberg

THE SYMBOLS OF THE TILES

Part of the enjoyment of Mah Jongg is the sensory aesthetic of the set—the color, feel and the different depictions of the Suits, Dragon and Flower tiles. But newer sets are pretty standard in their depictions of the one Bam, Dragon and Flower tiles.

For example, in older sets from the 40s, 50s, 60s, etc. the one Bam tile has a great variety of representations. Some are various poses of peacocks, some are a soaring sparrow or it is perched on a bamboo twig, some are of the bamboo flower, etc.  Some sets use the Chinese symbol for Red and Green Dragon, some use different looking Dragons.  And Flower tiles have the greatest number of variations in these sets. 

In spite of the variations of these tiles, the meaning behind them remains the same as it was since the beginning of the game. The symbolism is a reflection of the values predominant in Chinese culture and well as in the culture and values of all of us.  For example, the red symbol on the Crak Suit literally means 10,000.  That’s a very large number and so it has come to represent the “10,000” virtues of man: honesty, fidelity, loyalty, etc. Hence, the Crak Suit in American Mah Jongg is often referred to as the Character Suit.

The Bam Suit is a salute to the most versatile plant in China—Bamboo.  It’s used for building, furniture, food, clothing, and a myriad of other things, including Mah Jongg sets. And because bamboo is a staple of Chinese life, it symbolizes service, strength, versatility and usefulness.

Dots, called balls or circles in Chinese sets, are reminiscent of coins, or money——associated with business, commerce, wealth and riches. As a matter of fact, the one Dot is a representation of a precious pearl. 

As you know, most modern sets have Flower tiles that come in two distinct categories.  There are the “Flowers” and there are “people” tiles. The Flower tiles reflect the Spring Plum Blossom, the Summer Orchid, the Autumn Chrysanthemum and the Winter Bamboo.  But the People tiles reflect the occupations and/or trade of ordinary people—farmers, fishermen, scribes, philosophers.

But in older sets, the representations of Flowers vary with the whims of the designer. The people part of these tiles can be the Emperors, concubines, animals such as roosters, cats, rats (or mice), fish and all manner of objects. And each older set has its own variations of these tiles. The Flower portion of sets also vary.  Many Flower tiles are called Vase Flowers because they are set in vases.  Some designers created delicate and wispy Flowers, some straight-forward, uncomplicated versions. Again, each designer used his own creative and artistic talents to produce these “variations on a theme”.

But whatever the version of tiles in your set, knowing they represent the values and ideals of the world in which we all participate, can only add to its pleasure.

Til next time…
MAY THE SYMBOLIC TILES BE WITH YOU!

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November 15, 2010 | 4:20 pm

THE MAH JONGG SET

Posted by Elaine Sandberg

There are many reasons people love the game of Mah Jongg—the challenges, the excitement of winning, the friendships and the fun of it all.  And even sometimes the food and drink top the list.

But beyond that there is one reason perhaps you’re not aware of—that is the Mah Jongg set itself.  Players are pretty particular when it comes to acquiring a new set or when purchasing an older, perhaps antique set.  The color of the tiles, the size, the “feel”, the depictions of the   of Flower, Dragon and one Bam tiles, the racks and their color and/or the material—wood vs. plastic, the case—all these make for the “character” of the set and are part of the aesthetic of a Mah Jongg set.

But how was the “set” created?  Almost all Mah Jongg sets, except the very oldest from the late 1920s, are made of plastic. Yes, the very first sets were ivory.  But as the game took off in popularity in the late ‘20s and ‘30s, ivory became too expensive to mass produce. There weren’t a huge number of ivory sets made then and there are almost no ivory sets around anymore.  Which is why when I hear “My Mom’s old set is ivory”, I am very skeptical. 

So bone, actually cow bone, (in short supply in China), and bamboo (in great supply) were the choice of materials.  Since there were(and are) few cows in China, the bone was imported from the United Sates. The tiles were mostly hand-engraved and hand painted.

But with demand increasing for mah jongg sets, mass production became the watchword and a cheap material, a synthetic, a plastic, called Bakelite was invented. It was used not only for mah jongg sets, but for radios, household products, jewelry and many other things.  Yes, Bakelite is an early plastic, and now after many decades, highly collectible.

As the Second World War approached, the chemicals used to manufacture Bakelite became scarce and expensive. A cheaper version was created, very similar to Bakelite, called Catalin.  It became the stuff of most mah jongg sets from the late ‘30s, ‘40s and into the ‘50s. As new kinds of plastics were created, they were used in the sets of the ‘60s, 70’s and so on,—one tried to resemble ivory, called “French Ivory”. Another material in an older set is called “Chinese Bakelite”, which is thought to be made of meerschaum, a material for tobacco pipes. 

Today most sets are made of fiberglass plastic. But no matter what plastic your set is made of-—modern or older, rejoice—-they are all wonderful to play with.

Til the next time….

MAY THE (PLASTIC) TILES BE WITH YOU!

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November 7, 2010 | 6:02 pm

STRATEGY CLASS FOR NOVICE PLAYERS

Posted by Elaine Sandberg

STRATEGY CLASS

FOR NOVICE PLAYERS IN LOS ANGELES
AT AMERICAN JEWISH UNIVERSITY

NOV. 11, 16, 18

FROM 1-2:30 PM

TO SIGN UP—-CALL 310-440-1246

Join the class and your game will improve by leaps and bounds!
       
And you’ll have FUN!

A LITTLE PREVIEW

Here’s a preview of one of the situations we will be discussing in the Strategy Class.

This is one dilemma you have, no doubt, already faced.

An opponent has made two Exposures and you think you know what she needs to Mahj.  You are also waiting for one tile to declare Mahj.  There are three picks left in the Wall and you pick the opponent’s Mahj tile. 

What do you do???

We’ll be resolving this and many other issues about

FINDING A VIABLE HAND, QUICKLY AND EASILY

DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT TO KEEP, WHAT TO PASS, WHAT NOT TO KEEP, WHAT NOT TO PASS IN THE CHARLESTON,

EXPOSING AND EXPOSURES,

WHEN AND IF TO CHANGE YOUR HAND,

DEFENSIVE PLAYING,

And much more…

See you there….

!

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November 1, 2010 | 12:27 pm

ATTENTION L.A. NOVICE PLAYERS: Class registration

Posted by Elaine Sandberg

A WINNNING STRATEGY CLASS FOR THE NOVICE PLAYER will be held at the American Jewish University.

Strategies, Strategies, Strategies!  If I only knew some more!  Yes, it’s the lament I hear from so many novice player.  And it is often the critical element you need that can determine whether you win or lose.  Although many people think of “Strategies” as a separate element of the game, I don’t.  To me, everything you do from a first peeking at your tiles to the last discard in the game affects your “strategic” decisions and your win/loss ratio.

It will deal, in depth, with topics ranging from how to quickly and easily select your hand, what is “defensive” play, its role in the game, “reading” Exposures, which hand to choose, changing the hand and the   many, many more problematic situations you encounter in every game you play.  The class is open to players who are fairly familiar with the card and have been playing steadily for about 6 months to about a year or so.

Come to the class!  It will sharpen your skills, improve your play and add to the fun of the game!


CLASS DATES: 3 CLASSES——NOV. 11, 16, 18

CLASS TIME:  1-2:30 P.M.
REGISTER AT: AMERICAN JEWISH UNIVERSITY (PHONE: 1-310-440-1246) or
                      (ON-LINE:  wcce.ajula.edu)
LOCATED AT:   15600 MULHOLLAND DRIVE, BEL AIR, CA. 90077
DIRECTIONS:  405 EXIT SKIRBALL/ MULHOLLAND   FOLLOW SIGNS TO AMERICAN JEWISH UNIVERSITY.

See you there!

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