Seriously... Mahjong Certified?!?

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”  I am pretty sure that “teaching Mahjong” wasn’t the “change” that Mahatma Gandhi had in mind when he wrote those words (well, IF he even wrote those words… a debate for a different time!) but it was my solution. You see, several years ago, my lovely summertime neighbor on Cape Cod taught me how to play Mahjong. She brought me into her group of friends to play weekly and I was quickly obsessed with it!  I loved the strategy, the challenge, the social aspect, the weekly laughter and updates on everyone’s lives, the camaraderie.

When would go home to Hingham each fall, I was always desperate to find a local group to play with.  I would ask (seemingly) everyone I came into contact with if they played and the  answer was always the same:  No, but I’d love to learn. And this was typically followed by: Will you teach me?  To which I would laugh (not even subtly) at their naïveté!  No chance I could teach it, or so I thought at the time!  I wouldn’t know where to even begin, I’d say.  This pattern (play with the Cape ladies and seek out hometown players) continued for a few years to no avail. But fast forward to this past October when I finally found a friend that "knew" how to play and then how quickly things changed! 

This friend admitted from the get go that their group “sort of” knew how to play - they had been taking lessons when their instructor unexpectedly took medical leave. I was so happy to find local friends that played, that was good enough for me!  The first time we got together, her “sort of” disclaimer proved accurate: they knew most of the basics but not quite all the steps and nuances  - and, Lordy, there are many in Mahjong!  As we played, I found myself trying to gently explain different elements of the game and I realized I knew/understood the intricacies much better then I gave myself credit for. But I still was overwhelmed by the thought of where to even begin when teaching.

Enter a night searching Google:  how to teach Mahjong. I read a few articles and then stumbled across an “instructor certification” program. Trust me, I know what you are thinking - “certification” for teaching a board game?🤣. A game that has been taught by neighbors, family members, and friends for generations!  I found it silly, too, but I also thought it sounded like a solid plan to bring me up to speed on how to teach. And I was right. The folks at OhMyMahjong! helped me build on my knowledge of the game with a methodical teaching outline and tips. A few weeks later, after much planning, preparation and practicing, I had my first trial group of friends over for a lesson and I have never looked back since!  It was a blast! I absolutely loved helping my friends grasp the concepts and go from clueless about Mahjong to obsessed so quickly. What I didn’t expect was how quickly it would catch on in our community:  one friend told a friend and she told a friend and so on and so on (anyone else out their remember the Faberge commercial?).  Thus SouthShore Mahjong was born.  Through this I have met so many wonderful women - and men (yes, men mahj, too!) and there are now more weekly games going on then I could have imagined.