Mahjong Life and Living

This was an old bit of writing dated: April 21, 2010.  Fast forward to today, I decided to include into this blog, as it is a piece of myself.  And yes, in terms of memory lane, I went as far back as my childhood life in the Philippines.  This was before 1986. Learning the Bicycle Here is a story of how I learned to ride a bike, and the pattern it had set me for life.  Yet, only recently, I had realized this pattern. My parents were buying a bicycle for my sister.  As for me, I was outright refusing a bicycle.  Yet, regrettably, it was I, not my sister, who ened up riding that bike more often.  Or at least, it appeared that way in my memory.  With the training wheels on, I rode it where ever I could.  Eventually, one or both of the training wheels would break.  If only one broke, then I still would ride it.  In the case of both, then I'd wait (or ask) for them to be replaced. One day, my neighbor decided to help me.  Wh...

At Anime Central last May , I got the chance to ask Mai Nakahara a mahjong question.  I asked her: To prepare for the role of Miyanaga Teru, did you learn/play mahjong? Initially, her answer wished that she could.  However, she was not into gambling. Immediately afterwards, I had to clarify by pointing out "kenkou mahjong", or clean non-gambling mahjong.  There, she iterated the word "shoubu".  So, her follow up answer noted how personality can reflect in a person's play.  So, she feared showing bad parts to her personality. She's right.  We put ourselves into the mahjong, as we express ourselves via our decision making abilities.  Everyone can point to the luck factors of mahjong.  Yet, the one thing we can control in the game is ourselves and what we do.  This concept is true in life. The real life example here.  I could have cowered and sat in the audience.  I never would have gone to ask the question.  I have ...

At least, this is my prime directive: Play as much as you want, or as little as you want. Well, that is: if time allows you to anyways.  I will elaborate on this later.  This thought just needs to sink in. In case you're wondering, yes, I am very much influenced by Star Trek.

All who enter this game    Began a journey Where no path is the same. Whichever form we choose    We walk a path of new Experience as we win or lose. A long, treacherous way of pain    Yet, we continue to learn With knowledge each day we gain. Just talk to every player    You will hear a different Story, layer by layer. We all have our joys and tears    For the game brings out Either the best of us or our fears. How long do we continue,    I wonder as we walk With no end seemingly in view? With mahojng of all things    We subject ourselves to all That this game brings. So as you play, I suggest    That you only do so By playing your best. With irrelevance, regardless of skill    To the game, you bring Yourself, your spirit, and your will. In doing so, you can grow    Within this game, in your Journey, the more you know. As you play, it is you who de...

I managed to find a very interesting quote from the #mahjong IRC days: Many years later, I managed to embrace the  ⑨.  If you do not know what that is, then you are not aware of Touhou.  The  ⑨ is one of the more prominent memes .   When it comes to mahjong, I shall admit to being bothered about being called an idiot or my suggestions labeled as stupid.  That is only when I am taking things seriously.  Otherwise, in pure  ⑨ mode, I can just lay back and smile at everyone.   In terms of my mahjong (and even chess) play, I've had plenty of silly moments.  Case in point, I had a feud with the player named Rosti and even much longer ago xkime.  If you mix in a passion for something and the wish to display your thoughts and ideas, sometimes these things clash.  Arguments get heated, and it becomes one big internet mess. At the end of the day though, it is all bygones bygones.   With xkime, I can go a...