Thursday, September 08, 2005

Mah Jong Heaven


In this city at least, the locals use their recreation time playing card games, chess, ‘mah jong’ (dominoes) or their version of the popular ‘scissors-paper-stone’ game, known locally as ‘hua cian’. A walk down the alleyways in the evening therefore is peppered with the sounds of cards or chess pieces slapping on tables, the shuffling of ‘mah jong’ pieces, or the shouts of the ‘hua cian’ game (which are often accompanied by a drinking forfeit). With the exception of ‘hua cian’ most of these recreational pastimes are quiet enough activities although at times they do become heated.

I’ve been trying to record some ‘mah jong’ shuffling for about a week now, but have been finding it difficult to get close enough to a game without being seen to intrude. Imagine my delight therefore when upon sitting down in a quiet enclosure for lunch I was joined on either side by two tables of earnest ‘mah jong’ players….

I think in every case I have experienced so far, these games have been played by adults. The young appear to favour computer games, which they play either at home or in the growing number of shops full of computer consoles expressly for that purpose and which spill a newer, multilayered, digital sound into the already congested Chongqing soundscape.