 |
| Chinese Mahjong Today |
|
Compared to 60 or 70 years ago, mahjong and its social atmosphere
has undergone a considerable change. No longer are there people
on street corners demonstrating the game nor are there any special
clubs set up for the purpose of housing mahjong games. However,
that is not to say that mahjong does not exist. It still is a leisure
activity every weekend, at least in my household.
Almost every weekend, my mother gets together with my relatives
to engage in a game of mahjong. Games are arranged a few days
ahead of time, although sometimes a game is decided only a few
hours before play. The location of play varies. One weekend it
could be at one relative’s house and the next weekend at
another relative’s house. Games usually begin around 12
or 1 o’clock, which is after lunch is eaten. On special
occasions, such as birthday parties, lunch is served at the host’s
house. Otherwise, lunch is expected to be eaten before the start
of the game. The game is played on a special mahjong table, which
is different from when people used to play it on dining room tables
or bridge tables. This table folds and has drawers to hold the
playing chips and cup holders to accommodate drinks. Most of my
relatives have a mahjong table, but if they do not, other players
are expected to bring one.
Once the game begins, the intensity lasts for the entire day,
from noon to around 9 or 10 o’clock at night. Occasional
breaks are taken for the restroom and meals. During the game,
it is considered polite not to disturb the players while they
are in complete submersion of the game. Also, it is expected of
the daughter of the host to serve the guests tea and cookies.
This was my job for years. At times, the game can be quite noisy,
sounding almost like an argument but it is considered customary
to shout or comment on another player’s move. It is also
considered customary for players not to carry on a conversation
because it could be a distraction to the other players. At the
end of each round, all the non-winners are expected to pay the
winner (cash). Sometimes this can be a rather large amount or
small amount, depending on the stakes which are agreed upon at
the beginning of the game. At the end of the game, players usually
count their money to see how much they won or lost. Players who
lose money often walk away griping but nevertheless, are back
to play the following weekend.
Personally, I do not like the game of mahjong because I think
it is gambling and too much gambling is not healthy. I find that
my relatives focus a lot on the gambling aspect of the game. At
times, disputes have arisen because one player claims that another
player owes he or she money. This suggests that money is more
important than family relations. This is consistent with the often
stated theory that America is moving more towards a materialistic
and greedy society.
Also, mahjong is often played on special occasions, such as birthdays,
Thanksgiving and Christmas. These are holidays I consider to be
family holidays where family should get together and enjoy the
company of one another. However, mahjong seems to take precedence
and the meaning of the gathering is lost. This observation seems
to say that holidays are not what they used to be. The meaning
of special holidays are lost in other priorities, such as Christmas
shopping or in this case, mahjong.
However, mahjong does have some positive aspects to it. Much
like the past, mahjong still offers its players a relief from
the pressures of everyday life. Most of my relatives who play
mahjong work six days a week and nine hours a day. The only time
they have to relax is one day during the weekend. With such a
busy schedule one might wonder why they spend their free day playing
mahjong. My mother’s logic is that it helps her forget work,
the bills and sometimes even us. With Americans being more stressed
out than ever before, leisure activities are still in great need.
Mahjong is proof of that.
Mahjong also allows my relatives to get together more often than
they would without mahjong. Even though most of the day is spent
playing mahjong, a small portion of the day is spent conversing
with one another about the happenings in each others lives. Even
a small amount of interaction is better than none. In today’s
hectic culture, it is very important that family keep in touch
with one another, even if it is for a short period of time.
Based on the observations of my family, mahjong still does play
a role in today’s culture. It conveys certain things about
my family but more importantly, at least pertaining to this project,
mahjong says certain things about America as a whole.31
|
|
