I've agreed to meet with three other women and learn to play Mahjong - a very popular game in the retirement community where I live. I think I played it once before way back in the seventies when I lived in the South Pacific. But I can't remember anything about it. Back in my younger days I played all kinds of card games. I learned Bridge in high school and played it until I married my first husband in 1961. I also played Canasta in those days - I remember playing it with eight decks of cards. And, my dad taught me to play Gin Rummy when I was quite young. He was an expert player and teacher. I also played War and Go Fish as a little girl. But I haven't played any of those games in years. So what is Mahjong's attraction? Probably because it's a way to socialize and make friends where I live, though I don't expect it will become an addiction. And now that I've committed to learning the game, I've done a bit of research. Here's what I've found out: A brief description: Mahjong or … [Read more...]
Is Mahjong for me?
Is life and death a game?
On a long drive yesterday I listened to a lot of NPR, including an interview with Gary Ross, the director of The Hunger Games, a movie opening on March 23 with a lot of hoopla. Since I didn't know about it it's geared to teenagers and adapted from a young adult novel series by Suzanne Collins in which she explores the effects of war and violence on those coming of age I decided to Google the book when I got home. I wasn't pleased with what I found. The Hunger Games is about youngsters as young as twelve and as old as eighteen fighting each other I understand there has been a rebirth of bows and arrows as a result until the last one is standing. Also the people who live in the surrounding area are commanded to watch this war on television. That the game of life and death is so revered in this story appalls me. Must be my age. Still with all the very young men and women killed in real wars, the gang-related youth killings, and suicides by children as young as nine … [Read more...]
