Countdown to the Card!

The countdown has begun and very soon the new card will be in the mail and headed to the hundreds of thousands of players who placed their order.  If you have not already heard, the National Mah Jongg League has closed their offices as a result of the public health crisis that our country is facing.  The League office, which is located in New York City, is considered nonessential (!) and will not re-open until at least April 1.  However, the League has advised that cards will be mailed to all those who placed orders as of March 16.

What does this mean for the members of the League?  It means we will be getting the new card on schedule - the first mailing will go out in the coming week, if it has not already, and the second mailing will go out a short time later.
Through all of the uncertainty, there is still excitement and anticipation as we await the new card!  As long as our heroic Postal employees are delivering the mail, we can still participate in our time-honored tradition of watching and waiting, albeit from six feet away.  Enter the digital age.

It falls on us to find ways to enjoy the game we love, while staying safe and protecting our neighbors. This means getting creative and using the resources that we may have shied away from not so long ago.  Let's get digital!  I, for one, am using Informed Delivery which shows me what is coming to my mailbox.  (No card today, darnit)!  And, since I am in NYC, alone in my house with my new co-workers (Nico the dog and Nelson the refugee cat who belongs to my machatunim in the hospital) I am scouring the 'net for ways not just to play, but to play with friends.

So here's what I found:
There are some sites where you can play online, and they are doing a stellar job.  Just yesterday, one of the sites had over 1500 games going - that's 6,000 people.  Here's a list of digital resources posted by Lynn Kaplan, a mahjongg teacher who runs a lovely social game at the Manchester Community Library:  http://mclvt.org/digital-resources-mah-jongg/
Don't forget to add the National Mahjongg League's online game as well which you can download at https://www.nmjl.org/game/home.html.
IMPORTANT TIP:  If you want to play the NMJL online game, you will need your MEMBER ID NUMBER.  Because the League office will be closed, you will not be able to call the League to find out what it is - so KEEP THE ENVELOPE YOUR CARD CAME IN.  YOUR MEMBER NUMBER WILL BE ON THE ADDRESS LABEL.  Do not fear - the online sites will make a very quick switch to the new hands, BUT, you can still play the 2019 card until you get the new one.

For those of you who aren't lucky enough to have a husband, kids or willing roommate(s) to play with at home, here's what we've been doing. 
Find three other players and a mutual time to play.
Register to play on the same site - Make sure you each have an account with the same digital mahjongg site.
Put your phone or tablet next to your laptop -  It works best if you have a phone and a computer, so you can chat on the phone and play on the computer, but if that is not possible you can play and talk on the same device, but you won't be able to look at the video and the game screen at the same time.
Set up a live chat - this can be audio only, or audio and video.  Everyone must have the same chat program running on their phone.  Some popular programs are:  FaceTime (Apple products only), Facebook Messenger (requires Facebook account), Google Duo (requires account).  Please leave a comment if you know of any others.  (Hint:  Ask your grandkids) All four can chat together.
Log in to the agreed-upon game site: Decide who will set up the table (East) and then the others join.  Turn off the sound and call the tiles yourselves! 
Kvetch about your hand - This part is optional!  Poof - you are now a "gamer."

This is almost as much fun as being there, and it has the added bonus of meeting and playing with friends in different parts of the country.  The only downside is that only four can play.  Someone will need to find a way to set up a virtual tournament!
Any takers???????

How are you playing?

Linda