Written by Shlomit Ovadia of JCC Denver
If you’re looking for something new to hyper-fixate on, try your hand at Mahjong, the game that’s all the craze at JCC Denver, and for a good reason.
Originating in China, the tile-based game requires groups of four players to complete their hands by taking turns discarding, drawing, and trading tiles to form specific sequen
ces and combination pairs listed on a scorecard. The game promises a broad range of cognitive and socio-emotional benefits, particularly for older adults.
I recently visited Mahj Play at the J, a social gathering for all levels of players that takes place weekly on Tuesdays from 12:30 – 4:30 pm in the JCC Wolf Room, and overflow players set up games in the JCC Lobby. It’s not uncommon to see attendees lugging bags of homemade goodies, granola bars, LaCroix, and thermoses of coffee to share, as they get cozy for the next few hours of connection, focus, and play.
After arriving quietly at the scene, a few friendly ladies ushered me over to join their table. I was duly impressed and dumbfounded to watch them deftly shift tiles around while chatting animatedly. Mahjong games typically average 15-30 minutes per play, and require concentration, memory, and quick pattern recognition, which can be especially tricky when it comes to identifying the bamboos, flowers, and dragons character suits that look all too similar.
The woman seated to my right named Pam who was narrating the game for me has short hair and pink French nail tips. She and her husband Frank, both 75 years old, moved to Denver three years ago from San Diego after Pam’s job agreed to let her work remotely.
“When I moved to Denver, I needed a way to meet people, as I’m a very social person, so the JCC was a natural choice,” Pam says. She is used to the interpersonal demands of her job as a coach for software engineering teams, where she provides collaboration training to improve product experience.
Despite Mahjong being a competitive and technical game, the Wolf Room was alive with the sounds of many interesting conversations ranging from, “my grandson is in the Israeli military, thank God we get to talk every week,” to, “who did your hair? ‘Brenda’s hairdresser, I’ll give you her number,’” and everything in between.
Pam initially took JCC Denver’s Beginner Mahjong class to learn the basics and prepare for open play. Many of the folks from her class continue to play together and have stayed friends.
“We’re lighthearted souls. If we want to break a rule or two here or there, we’re all about playing and enjoying one another. You don’t just go play a game and leave. We’re very chatty for some, maybe even a bit too chatty. We like to talk,” she laughs.
Between taking Aqua Aerobics and drawing classes, being a regular at Mahjong, and moderating the Senior Book Club, Pam shares that “JCC really provides a way for me to fill all the social aspects of my life with people who I get along with. The activities are not only stimulating but encouraging of socialization. I feel comradery with the other ladies.”
Pam adds, “Mahjong makes you think differently, so I think it’s just another way to stay sharp as you get older and using it to stay alert.”
Join the Fall Beginning Mahjong cohort, which starts up in September, by registering here.