How do you play Mahjong?

I was invited to join my co-teacher Angela at her grandmother's house for a traditional Chinese New Year's Eve celebration.

I had a lot of fun.

I probably should have spoken a lot more Chinese considering that would have been a perfect opportunity to practice, but I was nervous and scared. I spoke a little though. And I was pretty good at listening.

We had SO much food and we ate family style. Everyone just kind of gathered around the table and had a little bowl of rice and then just used their chopsticks to grab whatever they wanted from each dish.

No separate plates. Totally efficient, especially since everything had to be totally clean by midnight so that they could bring in the new year with a totally clean house.

They even had to take showers before midnight.

It was pretty interesting.

Then we played games. I learned to play Mahjong tonight. It's SO hard, but once you get used to it, it's not too bad. The biggest problem was that everything was in Chinese. That and the having to think about a trillion things all at once.

That said, I won four times! Wee!

Then we taught some of her family how to play Texas Hold 'Em. I totally sucked it up and I was the first person out. Go figure.

Oh well, tomorrow I have to pack and then it's Hualien here I come!

I haven't decided yet but I might not have my computer with me the whole week and even if I do I won't be on it too much. Sorry, but that means there will be a lack of posting again.

新年快樂!