Mama Jong: An Apology

I got a lot of hate from my last article so I decided to take a step back and think what I had said. The conclusion I came to was that in this internet day of rage, reaction is good and something about “harden up snowflakes!”

However, there was something in the article that in retrospect made me feel contrite. Gemma advised me against it but I surged on. It’s this paragraph.

And don’t whinge that it’s not possible. Blah blah blah. Let me give you the horrifying reality: Many many many more people play American Mahjong and I know what you all think about that “deplorable” version of mahjong. But you know what they do right? They actually teach people in a welcoming positive environment.

This was friendly fire in my gung ho attempt to have the riichi players re-evaluate their elitism. I would like to set the record straight that the NMJL (American mahjong) community is something that I admire.

Just step on to their Facebook groups and you can see positivity and active help for new and old players. There is content being created in an atmosphere that welcomes it rather than wants to tear it down. Check out Michele’s Youtube if you’re interested (she does riichi too!).

So I apologize if you as an NMJL player thought I was dissing you (and I also apologize for the 90s slang). My point was that the riichi community often casts disdain on yours and you don’t deserve it. You’re working hard and doing good. I’m jealous.

As a peace offering, I’ve made a simplified riichi version of the NMJL card. This is like beginner-level riichi. If you like it, let us know and we can take you to the next stage!

You can download it and print it and share it with your friends as much as you like. If you’re so inclined, please feel free to donate to your favorite charity if you like it. We recommend an Alzheimers one if you want some advice.