The Mah Jongg Playlist

Marlon Brando sings "Luck Be a Lady Tonight"

Has mah jongg ever made you feel like singing?  Somewhat to my embarrassment, it has for me.  It seems that at the most inopportune times I burst into song - and practically give my hand away.  I have a veritable playlist in my head during mahjongg games - it would make a great musical!

For example, when I open, a Motown classic comes to mind - It's Gonna Take a Miracle by the Marvelettes.  When you hear me singing that song, it means I have no jokers.  So many tiles - consecutive run?  But which one? 

One, two, three? 

Look At Mr. Lee.  

Three Four Five?  

Okay.  Flowers, one dot, two bam, three crak. But I don't have any flowers and I only have one three crak.  Time to sing that old Dusty Springfield favorite:

Wishing and hoping

and thinking and praying

planning and scheming

The passing ends, the play starts.  Time for Carol King - So Far Away, right?  The two bams start going out,aaaggghhh... So I try to change my hand to the 2013 hand.  I throw a 2 bam, then pick a joker.  

Foolish Little Girl!  

Fickle Little Girl!  

You didn't want it when it wanted you!  

I still need a flower, there are none on the the table.  

Where have all the flowers gone

 (long time since passing)?  

Someone else must be playing them.  

I pick another two bam.  

Where were you when I needed you? 

Where were you when I wanted you?

Where were you when I needed you?

Where..ere...ere?

I don't have my soap yet and suddenly the flowers start going out...one after the other.  Someone calls and puts up four flowers.  Two are on the table, then three, then I pick the soap.

It's too late baby, now, it's too late,

 though we really did, try to make it....

I throw out my discard and someone calls for mahj!  I say "very nice" but I'm really thinking......

I'm a loser

I'm a loser

And I'm not what I appear to be...

Do you sing while you play?  Or does your unconscious mind give you away in a different way?  Tell us about it!

N E W S

Such a busy couple of months (is it May already?) and I have been a very lucky grandma.
Highlights

• March 17 I came in first at Janice's tournament in Bellmore.  I felt very lucky that morning and was on my game all day - making the Big Hand pushed me over the top!  Shout out to Janice Windwer, who runs a great fundraiser.
• One week later the new card came!  Now I have to start all over again!
• April 8 I went to Florida and, lucky me, I found the South Florida Mahjongg Club.  Even though I was an hour late because my GPS sent me to a different library, I was given a warm welcome and played with some wonderful ladies.  Shout out to Lynne Kaplan!  She is a patient teacher and really puts her heart into it. 
• Playing on the new card has been interesting.  Even though it is an "easy" card, I find vestiges of the old card in my brain, and I'm making "rookie" mistakes, like exposing a closed hand (numbers and dragons) or playing a hand that isn't on the card anymore (NNNN 55 55 55 SSSS).  Won't be winning another tournament for awhile!  However....
• On Friday, April 17, at our regular game, I was dealt another crappy hand and decided to keep winds.  One thing led to another and suddenly I, who was East, had mahj before a tile was even thrown!  How cool is that??  Shout out to Arlene Conboy who took my picture and captioned it (see above) as proof, and to Georgie Katz who passed me a N,E,6 bam to give me mahj!

More NEWS!!!!!

• Last night we visited our friend, Joyce Sherman, who took a fall and needed surgery.  We played mahj in the rehab center until we tired her out (or was it the meds?)

And, last but not least....

• I was recently contacted by the New York City Parks Department and asked if I wanted to develop a "mahjongg hangout" at Bryant Park in midtown Manhattan.  Are you kidding????  The park already has a number of games (see http://www.bryantpark.org/things-to-do/games.html) and is looking to attract players to learn and play.  Already my mind is turning - is this my Major League Mahjongg dream come true?  Queens v. Manhattan, World Series!!  Lessons start on May 30 - check back for more details.

Till next time - Happy mahj!!