June | 2020 | Mah Jongg and Me

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by Fern Bernstein, the author of Mah Jongg Mondays: a memoir about friendship, love, and faith.

But surely Fern was not calling me about her book…no, Fern was calling to ask if I would be a guest on her podcast, Mah Jongg Mondays. I was so honored to be asked! Fern has been doing these wonderful Mah Jongg-related podcasts for a while now with a new version airing each Monday. As Fern writes, “A podcast where we talk about all things mah jongg. Informative discussions and exciting guests help me create a fun and engaging podcast. Whether you are a new player or have been playing mah jongg for decades, this podcast has something for everyone. Bam! Crak! Dot! Let’s talk about mah jongg!”

So, I digress. As I said, Fern had called me and asked if I would like to be interviewed on her podcast. A date was set up for us to do the interview which would then be sent off to her producer for editing. Fern asked me to send her my bio and, at the same time, she sent me an outline of the interview. I cannot begin to tell you how much I appreciated her professionalism.

At exactly the time on the date we were scheduled for the interview, my phone rang and it was Fern. The interview followed the outline and there were no surprises. Fern is a skilled interviewer and I enjoyed the entire process. And so, I hope you will listen to and enjoy Fern interviewing me on this podcast called – what else?!! – Mah Jongg and Me

P.S. Take a look at these Flowers…don’t be fooled into thinking they are Winds! Even though they have NEWS on them they are definitely the Flowers from this set! I talk about these beautiful Pung Chow tiles on the podcast!

I hope you are all well and safe and looking forward to the day when we can play Mah Jongg in person again with our friends. With this in mind and in preparation for that day, Jill Fox has come up with a brilliant product line for sanitizing not only our hands but also our tiles! Yesterday my order arrived and it is just the cutest packaging ever (the flower is mine just to help you visualize the size of the packaging – and I have no idea why the flower’s water looks black…I promise you that it isn’t!).

After unwrapping the cellophane I found the following items – tile wipes, a hand sanitizer spray and a darling little Mah Jongg tile on a hook and wire that I will use (delicately) as a zipper pull on a sweatshirt or on a chain for a necklace! I immediately let Jill know how much I love this product line and she was kind enough to offer the readers of this blog a nice discount of 10% off all orders over $20 by using the code Mahjonggandme. Jill is selling all of these terrific items at www.mahjonggwipes.com. There are wipes, a wipe combo, sanitizer, wipes and the sanitizer alone. I know the holidays are a ways off but honestly, these are great hostess gifts and something to bring along to your Mah Jongg group when we welcome everyone back in person. In the meantime, I am using all of these products to keep that nasty virus away!

There is a disclaimer: This product has not been tested on and is not approved for use on older and antique Mah Jongg tile sets. These wipes may contain harsh chemicals that could result in damage to such items. Do not attempt to clean your Mah Jongg products that you believe are highly valued or sentimental. Nevertheless, I have had no issues using these products on my hands and the newer manufactured sets, racks, and other accessories. And both the wipes (which can be used as a hand sanitizer) and the spray bottle of hand sanitizer are small enough to carry around in one’s purse.

Incidentally, Jill’s story is a tear-inducing one…I love how she gained inspiration from loss…

“In February of 2019, my father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. My family knew the statistics of the disease, but we were still hopeful he would be the one to defy the odds and survive. My parents, having been married for 50 years had the perfect love story. After my father passed away my mom had a very difficult time. Through the grief, we managed to spend many moments together, making the best of a dreadful situation. She devoted herself to her children and grandchildren, we took a few short trips, and of course, we played Mah Jongg, both with her friends and mine. My mom was quite the Mah Jongg maven. In addition to teaching me at a young age, she explained the game to her grandchildren and my close friends. My mom passed away suddenly in February, just one year after my father’s diagnosis. My mother and father were the inspiration for this business. I started Mah Jongg wipes in honor of my parents, two of the most amazing people in the world.”