The games people play

The following is another in a series of articles prepared by the Jamaica China Friendship Association.

The Chinese have given many useful and meaningful inventions to the world. There are well known ones such as paper, printing, tea etc. But they have also given to the Western world other things which, depending on who is making the judgement, we could have done without.

Here in Jamaica until recently, Drop Pan and Peaka Pow were played all over Kingston and in some rural towns. These were then illegal gambling games that were mainly run by Chinese nationals. Very often there were raids on the vendors' premises by the police, but these only served to make the games more popular. We see that versions of these games are now legal and are part of the daily scene.

Mah Jong is another game that was given to us by the Chinese. It is now popular in Jamaica and the rest of the world and is recognised as one of the social games which is played in homes and clubs everywhere. This game is a favourite among the Chinese and is now popular with people of all races and all ages.

It was usually played by the Chinese on Sundays, sometimes for the entire day, and the noise the pieces made coupled with the voices of the players, could be heard coming from the back of shops or from upstairs at homes. Those in the rural areas would travel many miles to link up with their friends to play. It was for some, the only past-time activity.

Popular social event

It was, perhaps, their most popular social event and meals were sometimes served at the table when the players paused just long enough to eat. It was a tool of social communication. To the uninitiated, the game was as difficult to comprehend as a game of bridge, but that does not seem to be a deterrent to people who want to play.

Sometimes it was played as a gambling game with the stakes varying from a few cents to a few dollars to much higher stakes. But whatever the motive, it seems to grow in popularity with the young and old alike all over the world. There is now an international Mah Jong competition and about 200 players are expected to take part.

Mah Jong, it is said, originated in China around 620 AD and began to spread around the world at the end of the nineteenth century. It is estimated that the game is played worldwide by about 600 million persons. As it spread, people began to use it more and more as a gambling tool, and, for that reason, it was banned in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1664). This did very little to stop it. It was also outlawed by the later Qing Emperor. Millions are addicted to the game and when the People's Republic of China was founded, especially during the Cultural revolution ( 1966- 1976) Mah Jong was shunned as a symbol of the bourgeoisie, and people were arrested for playing the game. It was not until 1985 that the ban began to be lifted. People then started to play publicly and the game flourished once again.

Mah Jong as played in Jamaica had its own character. It was played through the day from about noon or earlier and sometimes through the night with players pausing only to eat and take brief toilet breaks. They were served their tea and meals and those who attended to them would be rewarded by the winning players with something called So Foo, tip, but Jamaicans called it Sore Foot - no doubt a mispronunciation of the Chinese. On some occasions, favoured Jamaican friends were invited to play.

Featured in films

It is a common sight to see old women gathering for a game, and it was featured in two films, Driving Miss Daisy, where four elderly American women were in a scene playing, and again in The Joy Luck Club, which featured four Chinese migrant women playing the game. You can now play Mah Jong solitaire in several variations online.

The rules are not complicated and people learn fast. But to play it well is demanding and though there are elements of chance, it is really a game of skill, demanding good concentration which the Chinese say sharpens the mind. This explains why they will tolerate no distraction especially when the game is being used for gambling. It is said that there were many businesses and properties lost and won on Barry Street many years ago over a Mah Jong table. It is rumoured that wives and sweethearts were also sometimes the stake.

Nowadays, on the streets of many cities, especially where there are many Chinese, there can be seen four men sitting around a makeshift table, and their chatter and laughter is punctuated and accompanied by the crisp shuffling and slapping of the pieces on the surface. It is rather like what we see with dominoes and, as a matter of fact, some people call it Chinese domino.

Originally the pieces were made from ivory, wood or bone. Now, good hard plastic is the preferred material, and they are packed in fancy plastic boxes. Whatever material is used, a set is a most prized possession of the proud owner.