Monday 12 March 2012

Games People Play

the rules to the game of Mah Jong originally priced at 2/6

It will probably come as little surprise that we do not participate in games. But, for the sake of accuracy, read sports. Unless unavoidable, as was often the case at school, we were never to be found dribbling the ball up the wing, occupying the position of scrum half [or whatever] in the midst of a mud bath, eagerly anticipating bully-off on the hockey field or fervently attempting to shoot, should that be the correct term, at netball. Cricket, rounders, lacrosse, these are all anathema. In short, we do not embrace the team spirit.

However, if by games we are referring to Tiddly Winks, Ludo, Snakes and Ladders, or the more advanced Monopoly, Cludeo, et al, then that is an entirely different matter. These, in a household where television was banished some thirty years ago, are the joys of long winter evenings, of lengthening spring days, of the summer solstice, of autumnal nights.

Cards too we enjoy although seldom, if ever, can we recall the names of games. Indeed a favourite, in which the number of tricks to be won in each round must be guessed in advance, has become Revis and Glyn's Game after the friends who introduced it to us.

the tiles used in the game of Mah Jong - of ivory and bamboo

Alas, for too long now we have been absent from the Mah Jong table. This, at least to us, exciting, centuries old Chinese game is played with ivory tiles which are used at the start to form the Great Wall of China. Combining three suits of Bamboos, Circles and Characters with Dragons, Winds, and Flowers to boost scores, the game demands skill, patience, concentration and quickness of play.

a glimpse inside the rule book dealing with Pungs, a form of trick

For years we would play with visiting parents, often well into the night, and then more recently with our young Russian friends whenever they visit us here in Budapest. Sadly, amongst our Hungarian friends we have yet to find partners; to date none has shown any interest at all. A cultural difference?!!

the contents of the Mah Jong box with tray for play

So, for now, we content ourselves with Patience and Solitaire, or the occasional flick of a coin as we pass the Shove Ha'penny board en route through the Main Hall.

the Shove Ha'penny board on a table in the Main Hall

Now, anyone for tennis?

225 comments:

  1. Hello Jane and Lance. I am completely with you in preferring board and table games to anything more active and that has been true all my life. I have never played Mah Jong, but learned a little of its intricacies when it was used as the main theme in a mystery novel I enjoyed recently. Serendipity again!

    PS Thank you so much for changing your comment format. It makes commenting easier and more enjoyable.

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    1. We are still experimenting with the new format for replying to comments and we are pleased that at least you are in favour of this particular version. It seems to us that each method has both advantages and disadvantages but somehow the best of all worlds never seems to be available!!

      We thoroughly recommend Mah Jong as a most satisfying and stimulating game. Perhaps if we all are ever in one place together then we can get the tiles out for a foursome!!!

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  2. In my time I have played board games, and Monopoly is a favourite. Trivial Pursuits used to be too, but it doesn't play well with different cultures. I do like the occasional game of bridge, but all seem to have dropped off the activities list in recent years. Perhaps it is time to revisit?

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    1. Monopoly is the favourite game of our Russian friends. They simply adore building houses and hotels on their sites....we have often thought that this must reflect upon something deep inside the Russian psyche!!!

      Rather unfortunately we were introduced to Bridge by an extremely competitive player and that has made us nervous participants. However, rather like you, we wonder if it is time to revisit as we love the complexities of the game.

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  3. Dear Jane and Lance,
    Should you every be this way I would most enjoy having you both for a “civilized” game of croquet. Mild summer day, assorted friends well versed in the arts, champagne, and pate. Well, yes it does sound more like a garden party with mallets! But that is how we play it here and depending on the invited guest, a game can last for hours. – gary

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    1. Dearest Gary, oh how we should love to play Champagne Croquet with you at Fox Paw Lodge. Although, whether we could promise to be still standing after hours of fizz and fun, we are not certain!!!!

      A garden party with mallets, what could be better? And, would there be cucumber sandwiches for tea?!!!

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  4. delightful reading and photos, sugarpies! my mama played mah jong when she lived in san francisco. it was the common ground between the asian and non-asian communities. i wish she'd kept her old set. xoxoxox

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    1. How interesting that your mother played Mah Jong years ago in San Francisco. We can totally see how the game could have bridged these two very different cultures.

      Our set is an old one and the tiles are ivory and bamboo, newer sets have plastic tiles and are not nearly so attractive. Yes, if only she had kept the old set!!

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  5. Dear Jane and Lance,
    We were bought up on boardgames ( any games for that matter) from simple 'snakes and ladders' to a wonderful game called 'Scoop' which was a game of newspapers and newspaper reporters.It was a race to get the best stories and fill the front page of your newspaper.I also loved my 'Jacko' skates and my game of 'Jacks, that came in a litle canvas bag. Then there was 'Beetle', 'Careers', 'Sorry', 'Pick-up-sticks' and 'Cluedo' of course....I'm pretty good at 'Cluedo' !! I also like some of the newer games like 'Pictionary' as I like drawing.
    Then, when I got older and could go in the pub, my friends and I would play Shove Ha'penny, bar billiards and skittles !! ....and, although I don't like to live in the past and things must move on , I feel it's a shame that boardgames are a thing of the past now. Some older children still play boardgames but the younger ones have new technology to play with now I guess.
    Thanks for the trip down memory lane Jane and Lance. XXXX

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    1. Oh, if only we were closer, dear Jackie, what fun we could have with all these games!!!'Scoop' sounds very good although we have never played it but we should probably give 'Pictionary' a miss as we are hopeless at drawing. We do not know if you have heard of 'Rat Race' but that may be something you would find amusing. As its name suggests, it is all about the class system and working one's way 'up' in life......more like reality than a game!!!!

      Yes, board games really do seem to be out of favour with the younger generation who seem to look to the new technologies for amusement. This is rather sad we think as one misses out on the social element of playing with other people.

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    2. Couldn't resist popping back to say that all 3 of our grandsons really love board games, so hope is not lost for the younger generation. I do like the colour contrast. (PS No need to rely to this)

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    3. Couldn't resist replying!!! This is such good news that your grandsons are also devotees of board games. Perhaps a revival is taking place.....all things come around eventually in our view!!!

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  6. Although we do not often play Mah Jong, it is a game which I like very much. One of the problems is finding another two to play with. I like this game so much because of its tactileness (I know of no such word, but it so describes what I mean!) and because of the sounds the tiles make -- its a 3-D experience!

    I do like this way of being able to reply directly to a comment. I also like that you have figured out a way to give your reply a different colour. How did you do that?

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    1. How sad, that here we are and there you are since what fun it would be to play Mah Jong together!! As you say, it is a wonderfully tactile experience 'twittering', building the 'Wall of China' and arranging the tiles. Not to mention the mental gymnastics needed to remember all the various permutations and combinations of winning hands.

      If we knew how we had produced the reply in another colour we would certainly tell you. We have absolutely no idea.....but we are warming to it!!!

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  7. Board and card games are a must in our house. Little man (aged 8) has just discovered the addiction of Patience (with real cards, not the computer version I might add) and loves Monopoly and Scrabble along with numerous other board games. He is also attempting to teach us Chess (!) ... he belongs to a school chess club. And, in our house no Boxing Day is complete without several games of 4 card Brag (for pennies of course!).

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    1. We are delighted to hear, Marina, that your small son enjoys playing board and card games. And, Scrabble too, another favourite of ours. Yes, Boxing Day is a perfect occasion for playing, when family and friends are assembled and one can while away the hours with such amusements.

      Chess we have never mastered although we do love beautifully made chess boards and chess pieces. Friends of ours have a chess game permanently set up in their kitchen which we think is a particularly fun idea for a diversion whilst waiting for the potatoes to boil!!!!

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  8. Hello Jane and Lance,
    I have never been one for playing the real game of marjong despite being invited several times to join the local ladies morning Marjong group at the bowls club. It all looked far too competitive to me. And cucumber sandwiches were involved... I will confess that I am quite partial to the on line version of the game though. Does that make me shallow?

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    1. Dearest Princess, no-one could possibly accuse you of being shallow!!!

      Now, here are we desperate for Mah Jong partners and you are turning them down as if they were last week's cabbage....and cucumber sandwiches as an added incentive too. It is all NEARLY enough to get us on the first plane heading 'down under' and seeking out these wonderful ladies at the bowls club.

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  9. Dear Jane and Lance,

    Tennis? Alas, the only sport that I ever cared for. It ended with tennis elbow, in my college years (oddly, enough, acquired from vacuuming - not swinging a racket).

    "Tiddly Winks, Ludo, Snakes and Ladders, or the more advanced Monopoly, Cludeo"

    These are the stuff of myth and legend. Played by our favorite characters in British novels. and, Ha'penny? We've all been absolutely fascinated watching Lugg play it in the Campion television series (a rented video from the library.)

    It's so funny that you should post about this. The boys and I just cleaned out the game closet, last week. (every closet in the house is 'getting it'. ;)) There were the most frightening, teetering piles of boxes and, now, I think there's room for more.

    I gave up television when I moved from 'Hollywood' to Vermont. In these green mountains, we don't get any reception unless we pay for it. We still have a TV, though, for movies and popcorn. It's making me think of how fun life is - indoors and out!

    and, I really hope that you do, eventually, find a like minded couple in Budapest to play - happy times!

    Love, Katy xo

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    1. Dearest Katy, we must confess to teetering piles of board games but they have been hidden from the sight of our dear readers!!!!

      Do we really sound like characters from a novel? Perhaps we do. Somehow, it all seems so very 'normal' to us, but perhaps we are starting to live in an alternative universe where games consoles, Avatars and X-boxes have no meaning......come to think of it, this could easily describe the previous thirty years!

      And, how wonderful that you too do not have a television. We were beginning to think that we were the only people left on the planet without one. Such a splendid idea to use your television as a home cinema, complete with popcorn.....so clever the televisions they make these days, don't you think?!!!!!!!

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    2. Yes, the television screens are tremendous. My sister just got a 'bluray' screen and, when watching, it really does seem like one is right in the middle of the action. Actually, sometimes - really, most of the time - I'd prefer to sit in the audience. (heh, heh) Once, we replaced an old Christmas record that we'd loved as children, with a digital version. It was such a disappointment without the sound of all the scratches. They just don't make them like they used to! ;)

      After I'd left my reply, I was thinking of how your list of board games sounds to me like one of the lists of appealing but foreign-to-us-Americans teatime treats that I would read about in favorite British children's novels. My most favorite list of sweets and cakes being in Elizabeth Goudge's novel, "The Little White Horse". The magical chef in that novel was suspected of being part fairy. Since I didn't have any personal experience of these treats, they were surrounded with a haze of mouthwatering and magical, childhood imagination. I've never seen the games you've mentioned and know them only because I've read of them and, so, all of the mood and mystique of these well and deeply loved books comes to mind with your mention of those games. For example, when I read your list, immediately, I had a sense of the nursery curtains drawn against a storm outside, a crackling fire, crumpets and something steaming and soothing to drink. Mahjong makes me think of Poirot for some reason. =] Then, since you play them, it only follows that you're characters, yourself! =D

      Aren't doors on closets a blessing, though? =D

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    3. Dearest Katy, what a wonderful romance you give to all of this. From what you write, we too are transported back to our childhood days when we were surrounded by tales of Enid Blyton, Angela Brazil, Richmal Crompton, Beatrix Potter and so on and so on.....

      One could well imagine that Mah Jong could be the game of choice for Poirot since it combines a challenge for the 'little grey cells' and a touch of oriental and exotic. We are sure that you should like it too as the pieces are all so exquisitely marked.

      Your sister's television sounds to be an amazing experience to watch. When we yearn for the 'big screen' we are fortunate to have a selection of the most marvellous Art Cinemas in Budapest to which we can go.

      Doors on cupboards are indeed a blessing....until one opens them of course!!!!

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  10. I have only ever played Mah Jong on a computer. It seems like it would be fun to play with one of those wonderful antique sets some day.

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    1. We are certain that once you touch those delicious ivory and bamboo Mah Jong tiles, you will never return to the computer screen. Try a set out.....and be prepared to fall in love!!!

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  11. I'd like to become acquainted with Mah Jong, but have not so far made the effort to do so.

    Was your list exhaustive, or do you dabble in other games? Scrabble? Dominoes? Chess?

    Shove ha'penny is a splendid game - though shouldn't it be shove ha'filler over there?!

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    1. No, not an exhaustive list as we are mindful that we should not wish to be bores!!!! Scrabble and Dominoes can instantly be added, we also play 'Colditz','Risk', 'Trivial Pursuit' and 'Rat Race' and still have croquet balls and mallets and a clock golf set from the days when we had sufficient green sward on which to play.

      We were much amused by the thought of a ha'filler or, indeed, ha'forint in today's money!!

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  12. I will take tennis,lol.Board games for me ended when the girls grew up.Lovely memories of them though....laughter and the winners and loosers ha.


    A lovely new week to the both of you.

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    1. We are so pleased that the post revived fond memories for you. And, are delighted to note that there was laughter from both the winners and the losers!!!

      Wishing you a very pleasant week too!

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  13. We just bought ourselves a beautiful Mah Jong game and have yet to play it. We have been studying the tiles and rules and I must admit to finding it a bit intimidating. How I wish you could teach us! I am inspired to get the family to finally try it though....tonight is the night!

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    1. Oh, play, play for that is the way to remember the rules and to develop the strategies. Best, we always think, to avoid highly competitive players when one is still learning....otherwise, it can so easily end in tears!!!

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  14. I loved playing hockey, netball, tennis, swimming and squash myself, and I love watching other people do it properly :) Just as well the Olympics only come once every 4 years - I sit up all night watching.

    But we all get past the age where a vigorous game hockey is fun. Or even wise. Perhaps 22? After that, you are quite correct - Monopoly and Mah Jong are the sensible ways to share an evening. In fact I met the man I went on to marry when he was waiting for a bridge fourth to arrive. It turned out to be me :)

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    1. We are just so pleased that we shall not be in England in August and it is our greatest wish that Budapest will not be successful in winning an Olympic bid. Still, each to his and her own!

      What fun that you met your husband over a game of Bridge. Come to think of it, this is probably a good way to meet one's life partner as if one can stay civilised throughout the game and are still talking to each other by the end, then it is probably a good sign that a happy marriage is a possibility!!!

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    2. I believe being compatible Bridge partners is as valid a basis for marital stability as are all the other things we look for eg sexual preferences, good income, sharing the household and child minding tasks. In fact since the children left home, we are having even more fun playing Bridge together :)

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    3. We agree completely! We never thought to ask each other about board game preferences, what luck that we were compatible!!

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  15. I have never played Mah Jong. And mostly never really bothered with a television, even when the children were small. Scrabble, Cluedo, Chinese Chequers, a game called Hedgehog, Pass the Pig, Monopoly and Chess were favourites here. Now the boys are older Poker is their game of choice, but at least they play sat at the kitchen table not gathered in a poker den! For me knitting and books are quite enough home entertainment.

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    1. As you say, Annie,it is something of a relief to know that the Poker game is happening around the kitchen table rather than some dimly lit 'dive'!!!

      We have never heard of 'Hedgehog' or 'Pass the Pig' and have laughed about what such games might involve....!!!

      We have never mastered the art of knitting, but books, yes, we are with you there.

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  16. Jane and Lance,

    You did not mention Scrabble, a favorite of my family, which I imagine you would excel at! I have never played Mah Jong, but my stepmother played regularly and I learned a bit about it from her, however I don't have the necessary concentration and patience to play it myself. Your Shove Ha'peny board is wonderful.

    Jen

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    1. Yes, Jen, we do play Scrabble although we must confess that we can become rather 'testy' over it, especially when a triple score is involved. Play is more often than not interrupted by cries of "that is not a proper word", "is that the correct spelling","is it in the shorter Oxford" or "are we allowing foreign words in common usage"......in the interests of a happy marriage, we do not play regularly!!!

      The Shove Ha'penny board is very heavy and has the most wonderful patina from decades of use and polish. A happy inheritance.

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  17. Somehow I was never bitten by the game bug. My grandmother used to play in a weekly Mah Jong game, and usually emerged victorious. Of course here in Taiwan it is ubiquitous. I have a set but have not even opened it since a friend once showed me the rudiments.

    What I do like is searching out old games and pieces of same. They seem so evocative of long-ago childhoods.
    --Road to Parnassus

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    1. Your grandmother sounds to have been a fiendishly good Mah Jong player, what a pity that her enthusiasm did not wear off on you.

      Yes, we also enjoy seeking out old games and toys and often regret the fact that we no longer have so many treasures from our own childhoods. Dinky Toys complete with their boxes, a pink Petite Typewriter, a tin farm and a Bayko building set. Oh how we wish we had them now!

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  18. Though we have never tried Mah Jong, but you have described it so beautifully that will go and purchase one this week and try. And obviously will report to you how it went :)
    Best wishes

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    1. Whatever, do seek out an old Mah Jong set for they are generally so much nicer than their modern counterparts. And then, should you tire of learning all the rules or, fall to our fate of not finding partners to play with, you can look upon it as a thing of beauty!

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  19. How wonderful that you banished the television thirty years ago!

    Now, as to the sorts of games you love, I say that the mind is kept sharp and plastic (this is a good thing) as a result of engaging in play which requires strategy, quickness and humor. In this regard, I am not at all surprised that these comprise a part of your entertainment!

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    1. It is amazing how, when the television went, we had so much more time on our hands. It is quite incredible what a time thief that box in the corner of the room can be.

      As well as playing strategy games, learning Hungarian was intended to be a way of keeping our minds alert. Well, at least, that was the plan.....!!!

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  20. I have never had the patience for game playing, but I always wanted to learn how to play chess. I do remember though that my Mother used to play Mah Jong and the tiles were so intriging. My father played cribbage and the cribbage board always fascinated me to.

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    1. For some reason we have never learnt to play chess and do feel that we are perhaps missing out. How splendid that your mother should have played Mah Jong and we do so agree with what you say about the tiles. Now cribbage, that is something we have never played and would, most likely, enjoy.

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  21. How welcoming are all the tables with games a'waiting! I especially love the MJ set, and wish I could remember where our own set has been stored.

    A dear elderly lady who had called on me off and on for little errands over the years (picking up groceries and mail and prescriptions, etc.) left me a GORGEOUS box with the same goldened-by-the-years ivory tiles back in the Seventies. I'd never known anyone who played, and so I asked one of my Mother's friends if I could hire her for a few lessons.

    She insisted that I just come to her house for one of their weekly games, and I'm afraid I was in DEEP WATERS, for she and several other Chinese ladies played exactly as I had expected---swiftly and expertly, with clicks of tiles and little words as they snapped down each one. It was a blurry-flurry of beautiful hands and clicking tiles, and though I enjoyed it immensely, I STILL had to get a guidebook and try to make my own way.

    I now enjoy a solitary, relaxing midnight game on my computer now and then, and though I have perhaps two dozen tile patterns to hand---from flowers to auto emblems to jewels---I still most love the characters and bamboo and dragons.

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    1. How splendidly you conjure up the picture of your learning to play Mah Jong with your mother's friend and her game partners and how readily we can imagine the speed of play. In our experience it takes much time to learn and even now, after many years of playing, we continue to fight over the rule book to establish what is allowed in a particular hand.

      But we do so hope that you are able to locate your set for they are attractive items in their own right.

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  22. When I was much, much younger, I was quite heavily into Basketball, both as a player and spectator. Other than that, I have - outside work - never been much of a team player, and have only recently taken up ballroom dancing (Standard & Latin) as a form of sports that could also be called a game, what with its rules and elaborate figures and all that - and it is very, very different from anything else I have done before, requiring much concentration and "tuning in" completely with another person, whose mere change of pressure on my fingertips or shoulder blade means it is my turn to do something specific.
    Board games are something I have to be in the mood for, but when I am, I like Monopoly (mine is a Star Trek collector's edition!) and Trivial Pursuit. Mah Jong I only know in the shape of a computer game, which I quite like for its meditative quality.

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    1. We are so impressed, Meike, that you are learning ballroom dancing, something which we are only too well aware of, but not from personal experience, requires enormous skill and expertise. But what great fun you must be having.

      Trivial Pursuit we much enjoy but always have great difficulty when it comes to the questions on sport to which we inevitably do not know the answers.

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    2. Same here - sports questions are usually the ones my team and I also fail at when we participate in the pub quiz, unless one particular team member is present, which unfortunately is not always the case!
      Yes, ballroom dancing is (to me) quite a challenge, but one I enjoy; good job I have my own personal trainer: RJ's mum used to dance tournaments, and he had his first tango lesson at the tender age of 7.

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    3. It sounds as if you have been bitten badly by the Ballroom Dancing bug, Meike. Next we are sure that it will be yards of tulle and gold shoes so that you look the part on the dance floor!!!

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  23. i have never been big on board games or cards but yes, i'd love to play you a game of tennis!

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    1. We think, Janet, that you would in all probability beat us hands down and in a very short space of time!! As a start, neither of us is any good at all at throwing a ball, let alone 'serving' one.

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  24. I have never heart of Mah Jong but it looks like an interesting game that keeps the mind smooth! We very often play cards in the family and that is always funny and such good entertainment! We still have a TV though... my husband loves to watch football and I love to watch comedy... Thank you for your good and interesting thoughts! Christa

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    1. Playing cards, we do so agree, Christa, is great fun and particularly enjoyable when the other players are as keen. Mah Jong is certainly a game worth playing but it does require four players.

      Your husband is by no means alone in enjoying watching football on television - we have many friends who are devoted to the game.

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  25. Owning up to loving to play cricket and croquet and to watch rugby.....but as a child we played Monopoly when the family met to pass the summer together and I can still remember the arguments!

    A neighbour's daughter has introduced me to a new game using dominoes....very testing for the memory - unless she is inventing new rules as we go along!

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    1. But how splendid that you play cricket and croquet we certainly played when, in the past, we had a large enough outside space. Now, sadly, the croquet set languishes, along with clock golf, in the back hall.

      The new take on dominoes sounds most exciting but always one does need to take care as rules, as we know to our cost, can be reinvented as games go along!!

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  26. Dear Jane and Lance - this new format, "pretty in pink", is almost a new game in itself.
    I am sure that with a bit of cultivation you could encourage a few your Hungarian friends into your elegant rooms for a game of Mah Jong.
    I do not have a clue how to play it myself, but spent pre Christmas a couple of years ago hunting for one for my daughter-in-law. They are quite hard to find.

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    1. We love the idea of'pretty in pink' but have absolutely no idea how it has happened. Serendipity!!!!

      Although our Budapest apartment has been filled with the chatter and laughter of our many Hungarian friends, we have yet to persuade a single one of them to play Mah Jong. It is true that sets can be quite difficult to come across, but they do appear from time to time in antique shops. Of course, it is vitally important to check that all the tiles are present and correct!!

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  27. That's a wonderful Mah Jong set you have, Jane and Lance! My brother and I played it as children, but ours was only wooden. Canasta was the other thing we loved, endless games to get us through the long summer holidays.

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    1. Oh, Faisal, we love to think of you, with your brother, playing Mah Jong as a child. A seriously grown-up game, we think for someone of such tender years.

      We have no idea about Canasta but are contemplating getting a book on card games in order to extend our repertoire. Sadly, we tend to think that most card games are so much better when more than two players are involved.

      We do so hope that you received our email about our difficulty in leaving a comment on your latest post. We shall call on you again, however, and hope that the problem may now be sorted.

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    2. I'm sorry this has happened, Jane and Lance. I've been having interminable problems with my computer, and I'm not sure, really, what's going on!

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    3. Please do not in any way apologise. We are just so very sorry that you are experiencing these difficulties. And thank you so much for the email and recommendation!!

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  28. How I would love to get my hands on your Mah Jong set! Like some of the previous comments, I have only played online, but would love to play 'for real' - indeed I was seriously tempted by a very nice set I saw recently in 'El Corte Ingles', (a department store found all over Spain, which sells a variety of rather nice things.) Alas, I did not have the funds available and probably never will!

    We enjoy a range of board games at home, though my children do prefer their Wii, if I'm honest - but I can press them to a game of Scrabble, dominoes, chess or Monopoly from time to time. Their favourite is Pictionary and we have our own home-made version (an envelope with lots of challenging words in, as they are all good drawers, to which I add and remove constantly so there's always something new to draw.) Our game-playing is rarely quiet and never displays drawing room manners, but it is definitely participatory and does not involve gazing at a TV screen. So that's good.
    (We have an unblemished croquet set too!)
    Axxx

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    1. Annie, if you brought yourself to Budapest along with another player, you could put your hands on our Mah Jong set immediately!!!

      It is true that some sets do fetch quite exorbitant amounts but there are still beautiful ones to be found at quite reasonable prices. Possibly a second hand one is the best buy.

      We love the idea that game playing in your house can turn into a rather noisy affair, this only serves to heighten the excitement, we feel. And, how clever you all are to be able to illustrate challenging words in the Pictionary game. We should be complete damp squibs at that, we know!!!

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    2. Just finished reading some of the other comments and was pleased to see 'Pass the Pigs' mentioned - you'd be amused to know this is a game where you throw two little pigs in the air and score points for how they land. One position I remember, for which you score maximum points, is 'Making Bacon'...

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    3. Oh, Annie, how we have laughed at this. We must urgently seek out 'Pass the Pigs' although goodness knows where we should start to look.

      This does not entirely sound like a fun game for vegetarians......

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  29. Dear Jane and Lance, Well just the names evoked by your Mah Jong game intrigue me. I should love to sit and hold those lovely tile pieces and hope to put matches together and announce 'Pung!" What a gorgeous storage box . . . drawers and all. No TV here either. Your way of spending an evening seem just perfect to me. I will have to seek out William Boyd! I confess to never having read him. Always a delight to visit you . . . I learn something new each and every time. Enjoy the swelling buds and sprouts of green. xxxoooe Carol

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    1. Ah, we see that you have spied the William Boyd collection on the Hall table! He is one of our favourite contemporary writers and we have all his novels. We can certainly recommend him to you.

      Yes, everything attached to the game of Mah Jong is beguiling. The names and decorations of the tiles, the rules of play and the gloriously descriptive 'hands'. 'Picking the Plum Blossom from the Roof' is a particular favourite. And, so appropriate for the time of year!!!!!

      Delete
  30. This brings back memories! I haven't played Mah Jong for about 30 years, proir to this we played regularly with some friends who were VERY keen. Although we enjoyed the games we were less interested. I could be tempted again though ...

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    1. Oh dear, we rather suspect that the VERY keen Mah Jong friends were not the happiest of playing companions. But, perhaps another try may be overdue? And, rather like riding a bicycle, one soon picks it up again!!

      Delete
  31. I think I must be a bit og a game person, I love watching games - the outside kind, although wouldn't dream of joining in (spill to much alcohol running about!)

    I adore trying new indoor games, the fun is in the learning, being funny, not very competitive.

    What a remarkable Mah Jong set you have, impressed. Although I've not seen a shove ha'penny board for years and years and years - get to see one again. Such memories, so thank you for that.

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    1. Yes, dear Jason, we do tend to think of you as the sporty type...... all that cycling along Brighton prom and nights and early mornings of disco dancing!!

      We are delighted that you like the look of our Mah Jong set. It is a precious heirloom and always brings back happy memories for us of times with parents, fortified by strong coffee for our lengthy playing sessions!!

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  32. Just the name of Mah Jong brings to mind silk bias cut evening gowns and diamond encrusted cigarette holders...long red nails clicking the ivories like Gershwin...

    Alas, that is as far as I can go as I really don't know the slightest about it otherwise save that it was the preferred game of certain society ladies in NYC. My dear friend Sonny has just signed up to learn how to play in Florida. So it must be a rather social game. I DO know how to play Gin Rummy but only with the "Robinson's Rules" that my family put into place, changeable as to how much tipple has been consumed...

    As for sports, the best I have ever done is acting. There was a famous study once performed on a troupe of actors performing "Hamlet"--the arenaline levels were the equivalent of jumping out of a plane!

    Bisous my friends, still working on Mr. Busy,
    Heather

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    1. Dearest Heather, what a wonderful, fertile imagination you have and which is so infectious to the point that we shall feel, on the next occasion we play, that evening dress is the order of the day and nothing less will do.

      We love the idea of playing Gin Rummy with flexible rules depending on the amount of wine being consumed and as for referring to acting as a sport, that is simply brilliant and something we shall adopt immediately. Do you think that Charades would count?!!

      And do keeping working on Mr.B. We really cannot wait until....!!

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  33. I have never heard of that game but it looks and sounds interesting. Im not interested in sports im afraid i think it stems from always having problems with my joints. I always did music while in school instead of sports. But i do like a good board or card game ;-) I bet there are hundreds of different sorts in the world. Have a lovely week, dee x

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    1. We think that you are rather after our own hearts where sports are concerned although we shall, in saying this, be severely scolded by our friend Sheila who is a champion of all things sports related, as well as much else.

      Have a lovely week yourself, Dee.

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  34. I haven't played any board games in ages! I prefer to curl up with a book (or Kindle) at every opportunity. I can just imagine you two settling down to an evening of Mah Jong - which one of you is the most competitive?

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    1. Like you we very much enjoy reading and would consider it to be one of our principal interests. As yet we have resisted a Kindle but can readily understand how convenient they are.

      Now, to admit to which of us is the more competitive would, perhaps, be to reveal just that little bit too much.

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  35. Talk of Mah Jong conjures up images of ladies with coiffed hair sipping cocktails sharing gossip above the clack of the tiles. The contents of the Mah Jong box are charming, as are you! I imagine it would be a pretty rip roarin' time if we could share a game of tiddly winks (be warned, I might cheat).

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    1. How accurately, dearest Helen, you have described our evenings of Mah Jong, the only small difference being that both men and women have coiffed hair at our soirées!!!!

      We are quite certain that you play a mean game of Tiddly Winks but, after plying you with copious quantities of Gin we are sure that we should find a way to beat you!!!

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  36. As a child I used to play all the games you mention, snap, ludo, monopoly etc. We are now trying to play scrabble every Tuesday afternoon in French!!!! Its hilarious, thank goodness someone usually comes and gives me some help from time to time. Guess who always comes last!! Diane

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    1. Oh Diane, how we feel for you over the French Scrabble playing. Surely with time, patience and luck your triple word score day will come!!!!

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  37. Well, Jane and Lance, I had you down as keen darts players, or maybe pool! Only joking, of course. I'm no fan of team sports either, I remember your post about a sporty friend of yours (Sheila?) and while I have utmost respect for active types, I cannot imagine spending my spare time engaged in strenuous sporting activity.
    A good mental workout is a great way to relieve boredom, stress and tension. Scrabble is my favourite, and always reminds me of the frequent power cuts in the mid eighties. My parents would light candles and the evening always took a more enjoyable turn as we played board games and drank milky coffee made on the gas stove.

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    1. Yes, Sheila is indeed our sporty friend and, at a fit 80, she is living proof of the power of exercise. Sadly, we lack the required self discipline and so we tend to keep company with lazy tarts, such as ourselves, in order that we will not be shown up in a bad light.

      Oh, those days and nights of power cuts, rubbish in the streets and strikes. The three day week was the best bit in our view as it gave far more time for good family fun such as those marvellous evenings which you describe so beautifully here. Those were the days.....!!

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  38. I found myself "clicking" on your photograph of the Mah Jong tiles and thinking how lovely they are to look at, and probably to handle too.......... What a lovely set to own. I have never played.

    With regards to sporting activities, school days ruined me for life there.......... I was always one of the outcasts never chosen by the more athletic in my peer group. Pah!

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    1. The Mah Jong tiles are indeed beautiful, Cathy, and so wonderfully tactile. They are a joy to play with.

      School days killed off all our enthusiasm for sporting activity too. P.E...... never did two letters create such dread!!

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  39. If I lived closer, I would come play. I love board games. My husband doesn't care for them. So, I rarely get to play. I have my telescope though. :)

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    1. OK Mary, here is the deal.......you can play with our Mah Jong set provided that we can gaze at the night sky through your telescope.Shall we meet up soon?!!!!

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  40. Jane and Lance,

    I have always loved games. As a child I would place dolls around a game board and have them play whatever game that caught my fancy. Word games are now among my favorites. Mah Jong has replaced Bridge in many of the formed groups. I am somewhat familiar with in as I play some on the computer. I hope you soon find a partner. I suspect you to be a patient teachers of the game. Bonnie

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    1. How intriguing that Mah Jong has now replaced Bridge as the game of choice in some circles. If only the network would extend to our neck of the woods!!!

      Well, Bonnie we must confess that we are not both patient teachers of the game. But, as for who is the difficult one of the two of us, we shall have to leave it to your imagination!!

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  41. I used to get obsessed by certain games and play them almost night and day. And yes, like you, these were not sports. There is absolutely no fun in standing out in a chilly field in shorts trying to see a ball being knocked around somewhere. Of course, I suppose it would have helped if I hadn't been extremely short sighted and astigmatic! (I draw a veil over the accusation of physical laziness...)

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    1. Dear Jenny, your comment made us laugh out loud! Lazy.....totally out of the question we are sure. If only one's hands were smaller or larger, if only one's legs were longer or shorter, if only one were faster or slower and if only one could have been picked for the team......then Olympic athletes we would have been!!!

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  42. No matter if you play sports or table games, the good thing is not watching television.

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  43. What a great post. I have never played this particular game but I do love the Chinese game of Go. It is rather addictive and very strategic. I do sense that board games are not as popular as they once were and it is sad that younger children and teenagers are not as engaged by them; instead preferring technology-centred activities. Mr B and I often play Go or the card game Uno. I will look into Mah Jong, as it looks terrific. Fifi

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    1. We were introduced to Uno by our Hungarian friends, Zoli and Viktor. Although they profess to have no interest in cards, we did have great fun with this particular game.

      We have never heard of, let alone played, 'Go', but we shall go forthwith and seek it out!!

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  44. While I don't know how to play Mah Jong, I do like eating at the restaurant called Mahjong. I can't remember where it was, but once I watched old Chinese ladies playing the game. What a clatter as the tiles were moved around at a great pace.

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    1. You are absolutely right when you refer to the clatter of the tiles being, to use the correct term, 'twittered' which can be done at great speed.

      The Mahjong restaurant is obviously good - we should wish for something similar here.

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  45. Hello Jane and Lance - I play a weekly game of dominoes, but if I were near enough to visit you, I'd certainly be up for learning Mah Jong! I too grew up in a house where the TV was banished, and am without one to this very day! That's freed me up for so many more interesting things, not to mention reading good books.

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    1. It is interesting what you say about the absence of a television having freed you up for other things. This is also very much what we feel, giving one no end of additional time. Now, we should certainly enjoy a weekly game of dominoes with you, Mark, which we could alternate with Mah Jong.

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  46. Dear Jane and Lance,

    this is so funny. Just as I was reading your blog I was also watching a documentary about China (I am very good at doing more than one thing at a time!). And, what did they talk about?? Mah Jong game. Of course, I have heard of it before, but never realised what big part it plays in the Chinese culture. Apparently, it was banned during the Cultural Revoluiton (well, nothing new there, it was expected) and once it was legalised again in 1985, Chinese people got back to it as if it was their second nature. They now play it everywhere and it is very popular in the small, remote villages around China. They also likend the game to the corruption in China, or rather how it is played. Apparently when the villagers play the game they also play the game of the politicans, their corrupt ways, how they are undemocratically elected and how they bring their policies about. I have never played the game, but after reading your post and watching this documentary, I would love to give it a go.
    Is there an empty space at your table?

    Red

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    1. This is all so very interesting, Red, and most of it entirely new to us. We had no idea, for example, that Mah Jong was banned during the Cultural Revolution. Now, what a surprise is that?!! It certainly can be a game which calls for wide ranging tactics!

      And, yes, there will always be a space at the table for you. Just get on that aeroplane!!

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  47. Such a delightful post! We here are playing all kind of games, from Monopoly to chess, romme (a card game) to scrabble... all often practiced and enjoyed in our house as well.
    My sons brought a game from Germany : Ligretto, fast and fun. Then there is Mikado and Domino, Chinese checkers, oh, I played it with my grandma every time I visited.
    Many (winter) hour is passed like this.
    I have never tried Mah Jong. Maybe I will.
    My husband and I are dancing Tango Argentino, which is as exciting as games....; )

    Hugs and kisses!
    Victoria

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    1. How exciting it all sounds, Victoria, that games are played in your household with regularity and enthusiasm. Ligretto is completely unknown to us - we shall investigate further for we like your description of 'fast and fun'.

      Your dancing, Tango Argentino, must be great fun - even the name suggests something very lively indeed!!

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  48. Dear Jane and Lance,

    Oh, we would sure enjoy you around our table. Our family members are game people and there is not a get-together where we don't end our meal with a game. Most of them have to do with words and are not the old standbys. By playing together, and sharing the laughter and fun, we have made great memories. With our grandchildren also involved now, I feel that this family tradition that has now been passed down to another generation and may be part of their lives for years to come.

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    1. You are absolutely right, Arleen, we should love to be part of your family group, sharing a meal together and then playing some game or other. We enjoy word games just as much as others, often playing them on long journeys by bus or train. And how nice it is that your grandchildren are now taking up the tradition. All very goodly!

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  49. Games are not usually for me. A long time ago, my dad and I used to play cards. Despite the fact that my dad is a skillful player, I easily won the games, with a very high difference in score. From that moment, I somehow I lost interest in games at all :)

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    1. We have friends, Olga, like you who really do not enjoy such games and so we quite understand how you feel. As we often say to each other, we are now old enough not to have to do the things in life we really do not wish to do.

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  50. I've long wondered what it might be like to play Mah Jong. The pieces are so splendid to look at, and no doubt to handle, as well. As for card games, my mother was for many years a master level bridge player. She handed me Charles Goren's tome (the bridge-player's bible) in hopes I might take it up, without success. My brief excursion with chess ended when the friend with whom I was playing threw over the board, scattering the chess pieces everywhere. These days, the mate and I have been known to break out the Scrabble board, though even as to that, it's been a long while.

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    1. We should very much like to play Bridge but struggle with it having only really played with, and been taught by, people with very little patience and no understanding of our general ineptitude. The result, pure panic on our part!

      Chess we have yet to master but Scrabble we very much enjoy although have not played for some considerable time. We must look it out again.

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  51. Hello Lance and Jane: I have never thought of taking up Mah Jong, but now you've whetted my appetite. My grandmother played it in the 1920s and 1930s, I believe. Our household game is backgammon, which I encourage if you haven't a board. Lots of fun, and one can become quite evil in a delicious way once one masters the intricacies of it, which aren't admittedly all that difficult.

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    1. And you, Reggie, have whetted our appetites for backgammon which we have never played. If we recall correctly, from one of your own posts, you and Boy have rather a fine set. We certainly like the idea of being deliciously evil which most definitely must add to the fun.

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  52. Hi, Jane and Lance! I do love your antique mah-jong set, especially the tiles, they are so beautiful. As a college student, I liked playing mah-jong but I didn’t like the smoky room. There was no words “passive smoking” back then. Among all the board games, I like reversi as it doesn’t require complicated rules and I like the sudden complete reversal in the end. Isn’t it interesting that the same ancient Indian board game developed into chess in the West and “shogi” (Japanese chell) in Japan?

    Yoko

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    1. We are delighted that you too enjoy Mah Jong, Yoko, but like you we should not have wished to play in an atmosphere filled with smoke. But then, as you say, passive smoking was completely unheard of as a medical problem.

      We are most intrigued to learn of 'Reversi' which we have never come across before and which sounds to be most unusual.

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  53. Well said! Im not one for sports either! LOL I guess we make up our own team. :) Boardgames? Bring them on! As long as my tush is comfortably sitting, Im game! :)

    Hugs,

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    1. Yes, we are sure that we should make a happy team! Surely what a wonderful time would would have pushing a few counters round a board whilst enjoying a glass of wine and great conversation!!!

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  54. I was awful at games at school, the only one I enjoyed was non -stop cricket for some reason. I love playing Monopoly on a wet day. I can usually beat my husband at Trivial Pursuits, which irritates him, his general knowledge is far superior to mine, but I stick to what I know. Husband and children play Chess. I confess I haven't a clue, although I love beautiful Chess sets. I wouldn't know how to play Mah Jong, but the set is worth owning for it's beauty alone.

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    1. Non-stop cricket sounds like our idea of Hell on earth, but maybe your school was very advanced in its outlook as we have certainly never played the game and clearly girls were also allowed to take part!!

      We have never warmed to Chess either but, like you, are very attracted to beautifully made sets. Acquiring the sports piece to complete the Trivial Pursuit 'pie' is always a source of frustration for the pair of us!!!

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  55. I have a Mah Jong set but I've not played it. I should think it's quite old because the case it's in looks nineteenth or early twentieth century. It is beautiful. Whether it's complete or not I've no idea because I have no book of rules. Just the scale of the thing looks daunting. That aside I cannot allow your post to pass without rising up in defence of cricket. It's a most satisfying and interesting game, with complex rules and conventions. There have been moves to demystify it, to strip it of its subtleties and ethics, reduce it to it's basic elements, to make it more palatable to an ignorant public from all points of the social scale. Whereas in fact cricket is a game best at leisure and laziness, it's best when it accomodates, as it can, eccentricity and individualism. Yes it's a team game, one which provides a place for the driven athletic type, but at the proper level values - like the best societies - difference, artistry, effort, philosophy, craft. It is inclusive. This is not the game of the money men. Cricket is big enough to provide whatever you want. And if you think that ott, you should read Neville Cardus! :)
    Got rather far from board games, which I do love.

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    1. Dearest Alec, what a marvellous defence you make in the name of Cricket. If it were merely a case of leisure and laziness, then we should be all for it. However, there seems to always be a matter of hitting a ball and running which are where the problems start for us!!

      However, we have a Mah Jong rule book, we need a partner, you have a Mah Jong set and you love board games....when we are in the same country at the same time with the pieces and the rule book, surely a good time would be enjoyed by us all?!!!

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  56. Games are the mainstay of our travel in the Aussie outback! Backgammon, various card games, Upwords - I associate them with being on the road. Where there's no sign of tennis racquets ...

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    1. Well, we had certainly imagined that television could not be a central part of your adventures given that you are usually zillions of miles from an electric point and, no doubt a signal!!!

      We really would like to learn Backgammon. We were once given a very basic set but it has languished for years without the lid being opened.....we must take a look inside!

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  57. Dear Jane and Lance,

    Games tend to create a very strange atmosphere in almost any company of people. Suppressed weaknesses break to the surface, men and women become like apes and that can easily spoil the joy.
    In spite of this all we do love games, especially table games. Even flexible work time and the dim moonlight entering our attic room give us little possibility to practice such games. In our world games are not like those in the advanced western societies.
    We play the local counterpart of the well-known game Monopoly, saving for a flat in a panel building and suitable furniture. Imagine how wonderful it is to own a Soviet vacuum cleaner called "Rocket", which is able not only to vacuum clean, but also to spray, let us say, wall paint, on the other side, when used with the matching equipment.
    Mah jong, having Chinese origins, is well suited to be played in an overly socialistic environment. Or were there not any socialists at the time of Confucius?? Well, it does not matter, all of us have our dark past anyway!
    Were you brave enough to visit our damp attic room, you would probably find your long-awaited partners for playing games. Distance and hard environment would maybe baffle the fun, but you know the saying: no pain, no gain!

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    1. A most intriguing idea about game playing and the primal instincts which emerge from the players. The Game of Life itself is surely testament to this.

      We love the sound of your 'Monopoly' equivalent and can imagine nothing more amusing than to 'own' the Rocket and no doubt several other pieces of quirky Soviet style equipment and furniture in the creation of our 'dream' panel flat.

      No matter the origins of games, we rather think that it is the strategies involved which we find the most beguiling and, ultimately, most satisfying. It is, of course, so interesting to note which games have lasted for centuries whilst others have withered on the vine in a season.

      We should love to take up your offer of partners at the games table. Perhaps more comfortable and more illuminating to be at our place than yours?!!!!

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  58. Dear Jane and Lance..
    I am chuckling to myself.. On going to bed a few nights ago. I was thinking about another blog story.. It came to my mind, how I grew up with my parents playing cards..
    I was sporty, well just a little. I played tennis when younger .. Then the sailing days came.. and it was games on board ..backgammon.. cards, monopoly.scrabble , thinking games.. and as you rightly wrote.. we became illuminated with the game of life itself.. If played with love and caring.. its a wonderful fullfilling game..
    As always so very well written and an enjoyable read..
    Thank you for this lovely blog . I Have always been fascinated with mah jong..but would have to have professional teachers such as yourselves ..
    Happy tuesday to you both.
    val

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    1. Hello Val:
      Yes, it is strange how certain games do tend to belong to certain periods in one's life. One plays a particular game over and over and then, just as quickly as the enthusiasm came, it goes again and one does not go back to it for years or, sometimes, ever again.

      Unfortunately, not everyone plays by the love and caring rules of the Game of Life, but we agree that it is wonderfully fulfilling given the right partners.

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  59. Mah Jong has been one of my greatest loves for the last forty years or so ever since I was taught to play by the owner of a house we lived in back in our Student days. I can still thrill at the sight of four red dragons or a beloved east wind.

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    1. Oh, Alan, if only you were closer, then we could have marathon Mah Jong sessions!! Four Red Dragons, ah, the stuff of which dreams are made.....

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  60. I have never played Mah Jong, but the tiles and that little box they're kept in makes me wish I had. They would be beautiful just to look at, and so to play a game with them would be a wonderful thing. Many card and board games were played when I was a child, and in my own student days. My parents loved to play cards and pinochle became a favorite pastime with them. Since they have departed, I haven't played much, just an occasional game of gin runny.

    My tennis days are long over, and I can't say it makes me sad.

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    1. Yes, the tiles are very beautiful to both look at and to touch so this does add an air of the exotic to games played with them.

      We think that we have never heard of 'Pinochle' but are rather bad at remembering the names of card games, so it is just possible that we might have played it once upon a time. Our Mah Jong playing days are also very much connected to parents who were fiendishly good players!

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  61. I do so agree with the two of you: sports are an abomination I've never indulged in, always having been far too busy thinking, reading, writing, day-dreaming. Team-playing? Pah, who could possibly be as interesting as my imagination?

    In my family we played a lot of the kind of games you mention, card games too; and every holiday in Germany had evenings filled with excitement and laughter over who exactly could trick whom into dropping concentration long enough to win a hand. I have never learned how to play Mah Jong, although I have long owned a very ordinary set (?). Perhaps, if I had as beautiful a set as you have I would have made a greater effort.

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    1. A kindred spirit, what joy!!!

      A vivid and lively imagination is surely the best of companions since it turns almost any occasion into an event of significance.

      How intriguing that you have a Mah Jong set but have never played. Well, keep it to hand since, should we call at your door one day, we shall know how to pass the time if the conversation fails us.....As if !!!!!!!

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  62. Absolutely NOT for tennis.

    When deposited at boarding school I took all of 10 seconds to decide that hockey [new to me] was insane and beat a hasty retreat. Having to 'do' something I fenced for a term and then opted for swimming. Niall wasn't an enthusiast of the mudbath, aka rugby pitch, and diverted to golf.

    Our game was/is Scrabble, many a family battle with my father and with Niall's sister have been had. Chess is another favourite and occasionally bridge, if one was foolhardy -- my father played competition level. Backgammon is another we still play, and yes cards too; but neither of us has ever played Mah Jong.

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    1. We have scars still to prove that Hockey and Rugby are barbaric if in the wrong company or, perhaps, to be more accurate,less skilled!!!

      Gosh, competition level Bridge sounds way out of our league. We have a friend who plays seriously and is keen as mustard but playing a game with her is a nightmare and, at the end, we are left as nervous wrecks!

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    2. Exactly!! which is why I tried to avoid playing Bridge with my father if possible. On occasions when I did I needed a lie down in a darkened room afterwards! Antoinette

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    3. And, is it meant to be fun, do you think?!!!!!

      How we have laughed at your description of playing Bridge with your father!!!

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  63. Sports? I grew up in a quintessential American football household. My grandfather was named an All-American in college (this is apparently a big deal in the football world)---and my dad was recruited by a professional team (NY Giants) but, luckily, he decided to go to medical school, instead! So, needless to say, sports were a huge part of my growing-up. Now? Forget it. I had to be told which teams were playing in the Super Bowl. The board/card game world is much more to my liking (although, in spite of all the keen interest in football, my parents were inveterate bridge players). Your Mah Jong set is gorgeous. I have no idea how to play...but I think it would be fun to just "play" with all those pretty pieces!

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    1. An All-American....a title we have never heard before now but we have to say that it does sound mightily impressive! With such athletic bloodlines, we are amazed that the sporting gene seems to have been lost on you.

      Although Bridge obviously demands entirely different skills from Football, there is most certainly, in our view, a 'killer instinct' amongst those who are serious about the game!!

      The Mah Jong pieces are, as you say, delightful to play with and, at the start of the game, when one has to mix them up and move them round the table, it is called 'twittering' and that is exactly how the process sounds!!

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  64. Board games were something we did when I was a kid.....we had loads of them. My Dad loved to play and we would sometimes spend an entire afternoon playing. Monopoly, Cluedo, Movie Maker (my all-time favourite), Scrabble...oh we had boxes and boxes of games, I forget them all now. But good fun. And I knew all the card games too, when I was little. Couldn't begin to remember the rules now though.

    Christmas Day afternoon was a prime day for board game sessions. very competitive we were too. :)

    My boys aren't interested though so all our games are in the loft. Sad, that. It's all electronic games now - which bore me witless.

    We were not a sporty family though - and none of are these days either - neither are our children.

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    1. It makes us rather sad to think of all your wonderful board games languishing unloved in the loft. Perhaps when you are next all gathered as a family you might try giving them an airing....who knows, perhaps even the novelty factor of these vintage games might spark an interest?!!!

      'Movie Maker' is new to us and sounds most intriguing, but we can well imagine that it might look a little passé with what can be created at home these days by way of technological gadgetry!!!!

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  65. It sounds interesting and much much better than sitting all afternoon watching the box...
    We try to learn our kids that kind of entertainment and it actually works. TV free evenings with the family around the table, playing, at the moment Ludo or Genius for kids. It's fun and very educating - and I include also the grownups on that ; )

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    1. Ludo is the first port of call for us when we look to have a fun time with a board game. On the face of it, it is simplicity itself, but there are a surprising number of strategic elements which one can include.....given the right roll of the dice, of course!!!

      How lucky you are to have ready made game players available at the table all year round!!!!

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  66. Dear Jane and Lance
    Thank you for stopping by to my blog !Budapest !!MMMMMM...
    My first European Town I have visit !!!It was 2000 ... When I have been there somebody told me that If I have visited first this town I have done a big mistake because any other capital in Europe is nothing in front of Budapest !!Big word but he had right ...I am so glad for this connection .
    Have a nice evening
    Olympia

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    1. We are delighted to welcome you as a Follower, Olympia and are touched by your most fulsome praise of Budapest, a City which we have grown to love and now call home.

      We were so pleased to have discovered your own enchanting blog and look forward to your future posts with much interest.

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  67. I'm crazy about games and big into Maj Jong! Very cool:)

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    1. It is quite some time since we can recall being called cool....love it!

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  68. You didn't mention word games, Jane and Lance, so I'm assuming you don't my favorite game of Scrabble?

    But I do know what you mean about sports and such. In school they were always trying to get me to play something or other, but my clumsiness as a baseball third baseman or my ineptitude at tennis or my boredom with golf soon disabused them of the notion of getting Yvette involved. I simply will not cooperate.

    However I do enjoy watching baseball, basketball and football, so all is not lost on me.

    I've never known anyone who played Mah Jong before - ever. You are my first Mah-Jong aficionados.

    Monopoly is more my thing, I suppose. That and Scrabble, that is.

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    1. Although we made no mention of word games, we love doing crosswords, particularly cryptic ones, and are very keen on Scrabble. So, we should be able to spend many a happy evening with you Yvette at the Scrabble board unless, of course, we are talking about films which we adore!

      We admire your highly determined stance against involvement in sports. We are afraid to say that we always took a rather weaker line and just performed feebly, so much so that in the end we were never picked for anything.And, as for watching sport.....well, suffice it to say that we should rather watch paint dry!!!

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  69. I have a beautiful vintage set which alas I have never even taken out of its box. Why?
    because I feel I lack the patience, and focus its takes to play the game. Perhaps it
    was all those years in front of the tv.

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    1. Oh, all those beautiful pieces just hiding away...perhaps a Mah Jong soirée is called for and, who knows, you may get carried away!!!

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  70. I have always been interested in Maj Jong (ever since reading Amy Tan Books back in High School). Seems like my type of game!

    I love Tennis too, by the way! Unfortunately it is snowing in my neck of the woods - so Rob & I will have to wait for warmer weather!

    love:love

    e

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    1. Mah Jong does have an exotic ring about it, the pieces and the winning hands are all so beautifully crafted in either material form or the words used to describe them.

      Ah, a sporty type and a fiancé of similar enthusiasms, definitely a good omen for a happy married life!! Snow Tennis we could imagine to be somewhat challenging.....it could take hours to find the ball!! Or see the players for that matter....

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  71. I might jump in my car and in 24 hours I'd be in Budapest and I'd challenge you to a fierce game of Scrabble. That is if you can handle ...the challenge :)). Kisses and hugs.

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    1. Who could resist such a challenge....not us!!! we shall get the board out ready!!!

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  72. Hubs and I are into tennis (kind of like Will and Kate! haha)

    Oh I hear you about organized sports and the organized "fun" aspect of it. Hated it. I'm not really a sports person nor was I any good at it, although I was ok at running at track & field and I liked floor hockey. That was about it. And I like watching Olympics coverage on TV. And the tennis.

    I'm a bit like Jackie Kennedy when it comes to organized sports. I stay out of it and let the family members do their thing!

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    1. Goodness!! To say you are no sportsperson must surely be the understatement of the year......a fast walk is as athletic as we ever get!!!

      And, as for watching the Olympic games, well our eyes are glazing over at the mere thought of it.

      Now, Jackie Kennedy, she always did seem to be a woman after our own hearts......she cut quite a dash too in our view!!

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  73. p.s. There's nothing worse than being forced to participate in organized sports. Bad memories of elementary and high school!

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  74. What a wonderful blog! I've always wanted to learn to play Go after reading about it in Shibumi, years ago. It looks so simple, but it is incredibly challenging! Nina

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    1. We are thrilled to welcome you as our latest Follower, Nina, and thank you so much for your very kind words.

      You are the second of our commentators to mention 'Go', game about which we know nothing. Our interest is now very much piqued and we shall have to seek it out. Simple yet challenging, those are the best in our book!!

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  75. One of my friends became a HUGE mah jong player in her retirement. Someday I'd love to learn to play as well. For now I'll stick to board games and cribbage.

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    1. Oh, how we should love to be in the presence of a HUGE Mah Jong player. Treasure your friend and pick her brains for we are sure that you will be bitten by the bug.

      We have not played Cribbage in positively YEARS....a timely reminder to revisit!!!

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  76. My parents had a lovely Mah Jong set, but it was stolen, unfortunately. I've forgotten the rules, but it always seemed quite complicated. I've always loved board games, but my husband doesn't so I never get the chance to play any more, except at Christmas when the family is here and there's time to relax.

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    1. How very sad that your parents' Mah Jong set was stolen. The rules, as you rightly remember, are very complicated and in the early, and not so early stages of learning the game the book is essential.

      It is a pity that your husband does not really enjoy board games, more so as you do. Is there no chance of enticing him to the odd game of Scrabble occasionally?

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  77. Dear Jane and Lance, i just wanted to say a big thank you for leaving such a lovely and kind comment on my blog, not only today, but always!
    I really appreciate it and i love it that you follow and are interested in things i post.
    As you know, i am a BIG fan of yours!

    And,... I am hoping to travel around Europe if not this summer than sometime soon, so i might just take that offer at your games' table :-)

    Red

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    1. But you must know that the pleasure is all ours for we so enjoy 'Boye By Red' and all that you post. However, thank you for such a generous compliment which is truly appreciated and when you do come to Europe, as surely you will, then be assured that there is a warm welcome waiting for you in Budapest. And we shall certainly get you around that games' table!!

      Delete
  78. Backgammon, Scrabble and The Hungry Hippos are my personal favourites. I bought a beautiful Backgammon game from Turkey several years ago, the marquetry was exquiste. However, I had the same problem as you, no one to play it with. I tried teaching Carmen with as much success as a walrus filling vol-au-vents cases. So I donated it to the church jumble sale.

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    1. Mitzi, how very rash of you and would that the church jumble sale had been on our social circuit on that particular day! But how 'delicious' is your description of encouraging Carmen to play. We love it!

      Delete
  79. Hi there Jane and Lance,
    Ah yes, games. Indeed, my illustrious friends, it was quite the game scrolling down to the section where I could actually grace you with one of my eagerly anticipated comments.
    Fascinating article, as per usual. I said to this chap,"My good fellow, what sort of bird is that?" To which he replied, "My esteemed friend, that is a 'game bird'. And without lowering myself to some inappropriate innuendo on this highly articulate site, I shall move on and note it was most 'pheasant' of him to say so.
    Speaking of games. Jane and Lance, I have never lost an egg and spoon race. One time I did a posting asking if you have ever seen an egg and spoon race? I went quite literal and surreal with that. I remember that 'clever' posting got very few comments. Unlike yours which get more comments that you can shake a stick at. That's if you wish to shake a stick, a jolly hockey stick, at a comment.
    Now dare I subscribe to follow up comments and have my email address blow up with comments almost exclusively leading back to your site. Hmmmmmmmm......
    Kind wishes, your starstruck fan, Gary

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    1. Gary, as always we are humbled to discover a Klahanie Comment waiting to be published not only for the content itself, but even more so for the way in which that content is wrapped in wit, verve, and a great deal of sparkling individuality. How we enjoy it all and in so doing, we beseech you to accept our grateful thanks.

      AS for the egg and spoon race. Even we should not have the audacity to challenge you on that charming way of filling the days which must, by now, have taken over from watching television.

      Delete
  80. I loved netball. I loathe board games. Perhaps because I was pretty good at the former (played for my school) and absolutely dire at the latter - which, when played with a tactical, smug, competitive (like his life depends upon winning) opposite number, is no fun at all! I seem to recall scrabble tiles flying through the air the last time I 'played' the game!

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    1. Oh dear, Isobel, and there we were thinking that you were a woman after our own hearts. Not so at all, and any cosy evenings which we had envisaged around the fire with you with the Ludo or Snakes and Ladders board [we dare not mention Scrabble having read this] is not, alas, to be. And do you really see us on the Netball field, picking us for your team?!!!

      Delete
  81. Hello Jane and Lance,
    I am delighted that you found my blog via Helen and a warm welcome at laBrocanteuse to you.
    Of course I immediatly signed up at yours as well, for I am mesmerised by your lifestyle.
    I have a selection of games and puzzels that we keep at the beach house for
    rainy days and visitors...somehow they actually get used over there...people hardly ever
    find time now days...warm wishes to you Colette - South Africa

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    1. We too are absolutely delighted to welcome you as our very latest Follower and thank you, Colette, for taking the time and trouble to leave a comment.

      Your beach house [how wonderful is that] sounds the ideal place in which, on wet days, to pass the time playing games particularly when, as you say, there is so little opportunity in the everyday life.

      Delete
  82. Mahjong saved the souls of the nurses who were prisoners of war in Singapore, I think, during the WWII. At least that's what I learned after reading the autobiography of one of them who returned at the end of it all. It is amazing to see how these sports occupy both the mind and a winter's evening in a way that is far more active than television. Although, in our house, DVDs of British dramas suffice sometimes.

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    1. This is most interesting, Christine, and something which we did not know about before now. Just imagine playing in those conditions - confirmation of how resourceful some humans can be in the most dire of circumstances.

      We have to confess to enjoying DVDs played through the computer - hardly the big screen but very enjoyable.

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  83. OMG! You took me back to my childhood days when my Mom was still with us, she loves to play board games with me and my brother... This is such an awesome post.

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    1. We are delighted that our post brought back such fond memories for you. We always think that board games are such a good way of involving family members in a joint activity, no matter what the ages of the participants.

      Delete
  84. What beautiful photographs!

    We too love to play board games and card games. In fact, tonight my sons have a Chess meet to attend.

    This is a lovely post.

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    1. We are so pleased to welcome you as our newest Follower. It was a delight to come across your blog and we hope that you will continue to be amused by our posts.

      Clearly we are kindred spirits when it comes to playing cards and board games, although we have never got the measure of Chess!

      Thank you so much for your kind comment and we look forward to keeping in touch.

      Delete
  85. I remember my parents playing card games with friends in the 1950's., Canasta and Pinochle, how interesting is that name ?
    I played Mah Jong a few times years ago, and I am starting to play now at my neighbors. They play a simple version and I think it quite fun.
    Any Tan, talks about Mah Jong in one of her books and my interest in the game was renewed. But I could never find anyone to play with till now.

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. We totally agree, Gayle, both Canasta and Pinochle are redolent with intrigue and mystery and remind us of rather glamorous casinos and their even more glamorous guests!!!

      At last, a set of Mah Jong partners!!! We shall dance a happy dance around the room in celebration....now, how shall we bridge the thousands of miles which separate us?!!!!

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  86. I have never played Mah Jong or Shove Ha'penny, perhaps some day, no tennis for me, my tired old bones wouldn't handle it, especially my back, just some walking I am afraid, there is much to see slowly ambling along.

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    1. You are so right, Linda, about the walking. We can often astound our Hungarian friends with what we have seen of Budapest as we walk virtually everywhere and have time to stop and stare!!Amazing what one can see, especially if one remembers to look up!!

      Delete
  87. I've NEVER been a "forwarder" or a sender of URLs, but the thumbnail of this was so eerily familiar. It was just the head-and-shoulders and so resembled your "Mad Boy" that I had to take a second look.

    http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/fan-made-poster-imagines-ryan-gosling-walt-195430408.html

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    1. Hello Rachel:
      Oh yes! We have looked up the link you have kindly supplied and think that he could be a definite Mad boy proposition. The problem we always have with our potential candidates is tracking them down!

      We have never heard of this graphic artist but like his work enormously. It reminds us rather of Eric Ravilious, an artist whom we very much admire.

      Thank you so much for thinking of us and for being on the look-out for our Mad Boy. One would think that, in the crazy world in which we live, finding him would be simple and yet, he still eludes us!!!

      Delete
  88. Maybe your Hungarian friends would prefer Rummy. ;)

    Thanks for the nice words on my celebration!

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    1. Interesting thought, Rose, but perhaps a Gin and Tonic would be more in their line!!!!

      Delete
  89. I have not a sporty bone either and it is hard to
    watch my kids in their ballgames and know what on
    earth they are doing Haha!!
    I like word games like Scrabble :)
    If you join Facebook let me know and we can match up
    for a game!

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    1. Phyllis, call us out of touch, think of us as Antiques, regard us as Luddites......but we really cannot imagine that we shall ever join Facebook!!!

      We have never seen the point in running around after a ball in whatever name of whatever sport....far better to sit on the sidelines and enjoy a game of Scrabble!!!

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  90. Yes, by all means, lets do keep in touch!

    Don't worry, I do not understand Chess very well either. I am more than happy to encourage my boys in the endevor as long as they enjoy it!

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    1. It is so good to encourage young people to take up as wide a variety of interests as possible we always think. There are so many wonderful opportunities for them and it is satisfying to see them develop their own enthusiasms.

      Now we have found each other, it will be good to stay in touch!

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  91. Dear Jane & Lance,

    Perhaps you will get some visitors in June you can play Majong with!

    My husband has grown up with board games and cards, but I have to admit I have never been much of player, growing up with a father who loves sports. Even now at 74 he is still playing tennis.

    Majong sounds interesting to me. I don't know how the game works, but I can learn :-)

    Enjoy your evening,

    Madelief

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    1. Oh what fun that would be!

      However, we anticipate with the friends that we are expecting to visit us in June that there will be so much to see, eat,talk about and do that there will be barely time to sleep let alone play Mah Jong!!

      National Holiday here tomorrow so we are in weekend mood already. Hoping that you enjoy your weekend too when it comes!!!

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  92. Dear Jane and Lance,
    Thank you so much for your kind comments on my blog. I feel so flattered that you have time to visit my site as you have many admirers and people commenting and you are certainly very busy! However, it means really a lot to me! I hope you are both well! Have a relaxing evening, Christa

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    1. Dear Christa, how really kind of you to write this, but we love our visits to your blog. It transports us to another country and allows us to share in your way of life and this is what makes the whole process of blogging so special to us.

      Wishing you a happy weekend!

      Delete
  93. I hope you will have a good time tomorrow! Enjoy!

    Madelief

    ReplyDelete

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