Mah-jongg is the name of this bird in Chinese, the language of the country where the game was popularized in 1880 - though some form of it has been played there since the 1300s. I found myself laughing and making faces of surprise at various strategies, at someone obviously hoarding the tiles I needed, and having a great time, especially when I unexpectedly drew a wild Joker that made me a winner shouting “MAH-JONGG.”īetween games, we quietly listened to the melodic shuffling of the smooth tiles clinking against each other, thought to echo the sound of sparrows. This group of playmates was as fascinating to me as the game, as between pondering our moves the all-women group spoke briefly about our families and backgrounds. My table of women included a judge, a retired FBI agent and a 70-year-old artists’ model, who poses nude. I learned the Charleston was not only a dance but also the first steps of passing tiles in the game. Janet circled the room advising us which hand to pursue - craks, bams, winds, flowers, dragons or dots - from the random tiles we picked. I signed up for mah-jongg lessons with Janet Heller, a retired public school principal, who organized games pairing women at tables of four whose skills - or lack thereof - complemented each other. As I work from home, I was also enticed by the idea of having companionship - and fun. I imagined the camaraderie of me playing poker, though without cigars and maybe with glasses of wine.

My love for mah-jongg began with viewing social media posts of friends, seated around a table covered with tiles.

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