Year of the Rooster: A Photo Essay

 

Let the madness begin! After stuffing ourselves silly, we holed up in Phillip's uncle's condo for some all-night mah jongg. I mean, the older people huddled around the mah jongg table and the younger people slouched on the couches and made fun of all the people playing mah jongg. Not that they noticed. These people are SERIOUS about their mah jongg. They did not notice when I took pictures, they did not pay any attention when my mother-in-law stuck her fingers into the fray to try to explain the game to me (and good luck with THAT one) and my father-in-law did not even blink an eye when I asked what he was going to buy for me with his first and second round winnings. And I was so not kidding. Anyway, my mother-in-law says it's like gin rummy, except for the east/west/north/south tile that lives in the corners and oh the flower tile and then there's that extra suit and then those suits where there's only three of each and don't forget that you can only pick your tiles from the left and OH MY GOD MY BRAIN IS EXPLODING.

"Young people should not play this gambling game! But I don't mind sharing a few strategies with you. They might let you play one day. But not your wife- I can tell she has the learning curve of a two by four. Also, how come you are twice as tall as the rest of your family? Mutant genes?"

"No no no! Say it again! More respectful this time. I'm your ELDER. If you want this red envelope full of money my own parents put inside for me to give to you, you must GROVEL AT YOUR OLD MARRIED COUSIN'S FEET."

What I did AFTER the mah jongg. Bubbles, Dorothy Sayers, and a view of Saturday Night Live from the bathroom. Perfection.

Packing the requisite trunkload of duty-free liquor. Party at my house!

SNOW! DO YOU SEE THE SNOW? IN MY HAIR? THE SLUSHINESS IN THE STREETS? IT IS SNOWING, PEOPLE! MUST! ENJOY! SNOW! (And I want you all to know that I am posting this at the risk of the email my mother will send me in five minutes with a subject header of "Did you cut your hair YOURSELF or do you always go out like that?" THE THINGS I DO FOR YOU, INTERNET.)

DO YOU SEE THE SNOW? SNOW! SNOW! ON THE GROUND!

Phillip: It's snowing! What a great weekend! I ate fish lip soup, cold jellyfish, and had all the beef to myself because all those shorter smaller people were full, can you believe it! And then I got to eat SUSHI the next day! Maggie NEVER goes out for sushi with me! And now it's SNOWING? Could there possibly be a more perfect weekend? I think NOT!

Maggie: If I don't try really hard to suck my nose into my face, it will turn black and fall off. Can we go home now? And can you please try not to kill me with all your "driving in snow is cool!"?

Happy New Year!

Comments

[Phillip]

we're totally having Mah Jong night now that I think I kind of know how to score the points. Because if there isn't money involved... what's the point in playing?