Latest / Cristy M. Diaz Podcast Conversations from the Heart / Heart to Heart | Mahjong Basics & The Wellness Ritual You Didn’t Know You Needed with Brooke Lam

Transcript

Heart to Heart | Mahjong Basics & The Wellness Ritual You Didn’t Know You Needed with Brooke Lam · Cristy M. Diaz Podcast Conversations from the Heart

0:28
Hello everybody. Hey, how are you my
0:30
friends and welcome to another edition
0:32
of our heartto-he heart podcast. We are
0:35
here celebrating the game that is
0:38
sweeping the nation right now. I have ma
0:41
fever and just like I told you all I was
0:44
going to bring it to Miami. Well, there
0:45
was no need for me to bring it to Miami
0:47
because we have Miami's very own Maang
0:49
Sherpa Broo Lamb in the house today to
0:52
talk to us all about this love of the
0:54
game. Hi Brooke.
0:56
>> Hi Christie.
0:57
>> Thank you so much for being here today.
0:59
Thank you for having me
1:00
>> and spreading the word.
1:02
>> Yes, I love that you love ma jang.
1:04
>> I love ma jang so much. I learned how to
1:06
play this summer and I promised that I
1:09
was going to bring it to Miami. Lo and
1:11
behold, it was already here. I had no
1:14
idea that the beginning of ma jang also
1:16
had ties to Miami. So, I am so excited
1:19
for you to get into everything. But
1:21
before we do, I want to hear all about
1:23
how you became a ma instructor and
1:26
please introduce yourself. Okay. Well,
1:28
my name is Broo Lamb. I have a very
1:32
varied past in terms of things that I've
1:34
done, various businesses. I'm born and
1:37
raised in Miami, so I've been here
1:39
forever. And ma jang to me kind of
1:42
encapsulated everything that I've done
1:44
in a very strange way to most people
1:47
because they think of it literally as a
1:49
game. Um, however, I have a past history
1:53
in I'm an attorney. call myself a
1:56
recovering attorney. Um, I have had
2:00
different types of businesses from store
2:02
boutiques to things with wellness and
2:05
I've had an education company for the
2:08
past 15 plus years of tutoring middle
2:11
school and high school students. So,
2:13
this actually originated this idea a
2:16
little over a year ago. I was playing ma
2:18
jang with a couple of my friends or
2:20
three of my friends and I was talking to
2:23
them about some business coaching that I
2:25
was doing for women. I was trying to
2:28
teach how you can have a passion-based
2:31
business that regardless of how many
2:33
degrees or certifications you have that
2:36
something you love, something you have a
2:38
passion about is really what you can
2:40
turn any business into and how to create
2:44
that. And while doing it, I was using ma
2:47
jang as an example. And while we were
2:50
talking about it, I was like, you know
2:51
what? I think I'm gonna start this
2:54
business. So, I was kind of originally
2:56
using it as a test case on showing
2:58
people how you can make really anything
3:00
you love into a business. And I happened
3:03
to do it at a time where it now
3:07
has it has been having its moment. Um,
3:10
it would, you know, like I said, it was
3:11
a little over a year ago. So, I was kind
3:12
of on the cusp of that. And so it's been
3:14
really cool and exciting to see how it's
3:17
taking off and how much people are
3:18
enjoying it because I've been playing it
3:20
myself for like 10 years now. I feel
3:22
like so
3:24
>> well I learned how to play this summer
3:27
in Colorado with a local Texan and Texas
3:31
is all the rage on the game and they are
3:34
playing it in every corner, every city,
3:37
every county. Um she taught me how to
3:40
play. She told me it's not so much about
3:42
the game, but it's about your gorgeous
3:44
table. And you have brought some
3:46
beautiful pieces here today. And one
3:48
thing that I love about this game is the
3:51
beauty that you are enjoying. Like it's
3:54
not just a tile. Every tile you
3:57
encounter is just gorgeous. And it's got
3:59
its own story, its own theme, and it's
4:03
it's just so beautiful. It's a beautiful
4:04
landscape to play. And it also I think
4:06
it relaxes you and it makes it just that
4:09
more special to play. So, I want to get
4:12
all into it right now. Um, I know that
4:16
you are a sherpa. You are an instructor
4:18
and a teacher. I am so um hesitant to
4:24
show my friends about it because they
4:25
find it so intimidating. But really,
4:27
once you start playing, it's not that
4:29
hard. It's everything has a learning
4:31
curve, but it's easier than it looks.
4:34
So, I was hoping that you could start by
4:36
showing everybody just a very easy,
4:39
rudimentary beginner class to show them
4:42
that it's not as intimidating as
4:44
intimidating as it looks. For sure, I
4:47
can definitely go into the tiles. I
4:48
think everybody walks in at the
4:50
beginning and thinks that it seems very
4:52
very complicated. And I think the
4:54
overwhelm at first comes from just an
4:56
immense amount of rules that really were
4:59
very much instituted
5:01
if you really go back to them because
5:03
people were cheating. So every single
5:06
rule kind of keeps that from happening
5:08
and keeps the game fair. And you know, I
5:11
know we're going to talk a lot about
5:13
friendship and things like that, but I
5:14
think in some ways the rules are just to
5:16
keep the game friendly. Of course, it's
5:19
different how you how you carry out
5:21
those rules and how you talk about the
5:22
rules, right? But it's to make it that
5:25
there's no question of what's right and
5:27
wrong. You just play by the rules and
5:29
it's not like, well, how come she got
5:31
away with it and I'm not? How you like
5:33
her more? It's all just about
5:36
being
5:37
friendly, right? So, the that's really
5:40
behind the rules. And I think a lot of
5:41
people are intimidated by that,
5:43
>> rightfully so. It's a lot at first, but
5:45
it's like anything else in life. you
5:46
practice it and then you know it becomes
5:49
much easier. But we can definitely talk
5:51
about the tiles. So tiles and the card
5:54
because I think the card is just as
5:56
important because that is the rule maker
5:59
kind of right.
6:00
>> Yes. Um can you talk about how you find
6:03
out where you go get your rules where
6:06
you get the card? The card is a very
6:08
important aspect and I know you and I
6:09
have spoken about it. I've actually
6:11
heard people that say, "I wasn't invited
6:13
to a game because I didn't bring my
6:15
card." So, talk about the card.
6:17
>> So, before we get into the tie,
6:19
>> sure. The card is an absolute necessity
6:22
for the game because it's basically what
6:25
standardizes the game. It's what makes
6:27
American ma jang or one of the things
6:29
that makes it American ma jang because
6:32
you know we can go back and talk about
6:34
history but the game originated as
6:37
Chinese maong which is a different game
6:39
than American ma jang. So when it came
6:41
over to America and started morphing
6:44
into American maong it was the early
6:46
1930s when this national ma jang league
6:49
was created with the intent of
6:51
standardizing the game. So
6:54
basically the way that the card is is it
6:57
shows you every single year what hands
7:00
you can play to win, right? So if you're
7:03
playing a card that's different from
7:05
everybody else, you're playing different
7:08
hands. You're playing with a totally
7:10
different mindset and it would take away
7:12
a lot of the strategy of the game
7:13
because once you learn how to play, then
7:15
you want to start being a defensive
7:17
player. Sure. So, you have to be playing
7:18
off the same card to be trying to figure
7:20
out what other people are playing,
7:22
>> right?
7:22
>> One of the coolest things about the card
7:24
in my opinion is that it changes every
7:26
year. So, no matter how long you're
7:29
playing this game, every year there's
7:31
something new to look forward to, a new
7:33
challenge. It keeps it fresh. But, you
7:37
do need the card because it has with all
7:39
of its variations probably about a
7:41
thousand different ways that you can win
7:43
and play. So that's why it's
7:44
overwhelming
7:46
because when you first look at it, it's
7:48
like a jumble of numbers and letters and
7:50
colors and you have to learn how to read
7:53
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goodness into our days, one drizzle at a
8:15
time. So, number one, get yourself a
8:19
Maong card.
8:20
>> Yes.
8:21
>> And you have to get the official card.
8:23
And I found out that the only way to get
8:25
the official card is through the
8:28
National Maang League website because a
8:30
lot of people sell fakes. This is true.
8:33
Yes. The National Ma Maang League
8:35
website, which is national
8:37
majangleague.org,
8:39
they sell their cards. Okay. I tell
8:41
people January, you go on the website
8:43
and you order your card for the year.
8:45
They usually don't come out until about
8:47
March. It's like a big
8:49
>> reveal when everybody gets their new
8:50
card, but there's a ton of copies that
8:53
are on Amazon and other places. And I've
8:56
seen I I was teaching somebody the other
8:57
day and one of the hands that they were
8:59
playing was wrong. It was wrong on the
9:01
card. It had an extra number somewhere.
9:04
So, if they had called Maong, they're
9:06
they would not have won because they
9:07
were playing with the wrong card. So,
9:11
I love I love Amazon, right? Um, you
9:14
know, but for Maong cards, it's better
9:16
to go to the National Maong League.
9:19
They're the ones that actually put them
9:20
out. And for our purposes in my company,
9:24
in our events, we always bring cards
9:27
that are always there for new players.
9:28
They're that they can use until they get
9:30
their card. But yes, in order to
9:32
practice, in order to play outside with
9:34
your friends, you have to have the card.
9:35
The card is $15 and it you become a
9:38
member of the National Maang Leave when
9:40
you get the card and it always comes out
9:43
on Lunar New Year.
9:44
>> Yes.
9:45
>> Which I think is just a fun tidbit.
9:47
>> Okay, so we've got the card. That's the
9:50
first part of the game. The other part
9:52
of the game that you need are the tiles.
9:53
>> Yes.
9:54
>> Now, let's talk about tiles. Okay. So,
9:57
similarly to a deck of cards, all of our
10:01
numbered tiles in the game are
10:03
categorized by suits. So, we have three
10:06
main suits. So, all of our numbered
10:10
tiles are categorized in suits similarly
10:12
to a deck of cards except in maong we
10:15
have three main suits. So, the first
10:19
suit that we're going to talk about are
10:21
called our cracks. C R A K. It's
10:25
actually short for character because on
10:27
any single set, you're going to see some
10:30
type of Asian characters on the tiles
10:33
for cracks. They will look different on
10:36
different sets. There are so many modern
10:38
beautiful types of sets that are out
10:40
now. Some of them, like the one I'm
10:42
showing here today, are they tend to be
10:44
a little bit more traditional, but are
10:46
more modernized in some of the graphics
10:48
and the colors. And then there's some
10:51
sets out now that are very, very theme
10:53
themy. So, oh, I love them.
10:56
>> Me, too. And I I actually I talk about
10:59
one of my themy ones, which is the
11:00
Taylor Swift set
11:03
when I'm explaining things about the
11:04
tiles because it's it shows you how no
11:07
matter what you're playing on, you can
11:09
look for certain things to tell which
11:10
tile you're looking at. So, if we look
11:13
at cracks again, they're always going to
11:14
have the different type of symbol on
11:16
them, the character, which actually
11:18
signifies the number itself. So, our
11:21
numbered tiles in the crack suit are
11:23
numbered 1 through nine. And we always
11:25
have four
11:27
identical tiles.
11:29
And in each suit, we have a dragon. So,
11:33
in the crack suit, we have what's called
11:35
the red dragon.
11:38
That's our first suit. Then, we have our
11:42
dots.
11:45
Our
11:47
dot suit will typically always be
11:49
circular, so you can see different dots,
11:52
different circles. Um, going back to
11:54
Taylor Swift, they use disco balls,
11:56
right? Circular things that you can see
11:59
to show that they're dots. I've had sets
12:02
that there's like a New York City set,
12:04
which I love, and they use apples for
12:06
the dots. So, you're always kind of
12:08
looking for that type of um of a graphic
12:10
to know what your dots are. And again,
12:12
these are 1 through nine. You have four
12:15
identical tiles. And then the dragon
12:16
that goes with the dots is actually
12:18
called the soap, just like a bar of
12:21
soap. And it will typically look
12:22
bar-like. And I always say to kind of
12:25
remember that they go together like soap
12:27
and bubbles,
12:28
but you don't want to call it a one
12:31
bubble or a two bubble, which has
12:32
happened before in some of my lessons.
12:34
They are dots, but it helps remember
12:35
that the soap goes with them. And then
12:38
our third suit is called our BAM. And
12:41
BAM is short for bamboo. So, you'll
12:44
typically see something that's more
12:46
long, plantlike, bamboo, like um if we
12:51
look back at Taylor Swift and her in her
12:53
set, they look like guitars. So, they
12:56
have like that long type of a elongated
12:59
graphic to know that it's BAM. So,
13:02
again, one through nine. And then we
13:03
have our dragon for our bams are is our
13:07
green dragon. So, thinking of green to
13:09
remember like plants.
13:12
And then that closes out our suits in
13:15
terms of our number tiles. Then we have
13:17
a few different types of tiles. We have
13:19
another category that's known as our
13:21
winds. The winds are directional type
13:24
tiles. We have north, east, west, and
13:26
south. These are an example of some of
13:28
them.
13:29
>> Beautiful.
13:30
>> And they just have like the N's, the E,
13:32
the W's, or the S. They're
13:35
known a lot in Mage as the news tiles.
13:39
And then our final tiles, we have two
13:43
different types. We have our flowers. So
13:46
flowers look very different on different
13:48
sets. Flowers don't even necessarily
13:50
look like each other. They're usually
13:52
similar, but they're often different
13:53
colors. They are the same. Flowers or
13:56
flowers are equal to each other in terms
13:58
of, you know, a value of what they are.
14:00
Some of the more traditional sets,
14:02
especially the originals, did have or do
14:05
have numbers on the flowers. Some of
14:07
them have seasons written on the
14:09
flowers. If you have a set like that,
14:11
you ignore the numbers in the seasons
14:13
when you're playing American Maong. And
14:15
these are special tiles that we have
14:16
eight of. And then our final tiles,
14:19
which is also unique to American Maong,
14:21
are our jokers, which we also have eight
14:23
of. The tile that everybody wants to
14:26
get.
14:28
And that's it. Brooke, I just noticed
14:30
that you didn't show any blanks.
14:32
>> I did not show any blanks.
14:34
>> Why? So, I actually have a strong but
14:37
friendly opinion about blanks. Tell me.
14:39
So, in your sets, you will get tiles
14:42
that are blank. They are there to be
14:45
replacement tiles. If you lose
14:47
something, you can use it as a
14:48
replacement for whatever you lose of
14:50
your sets. Especially these sets,
14:52
they're can be pricey, so you don't want
14:54
to have to start over. A lot of people
14:56
have incorporated blanks into their
14:59
game, especially in certain locations.
15:01
Um
15:03
there are something when you when you're
15:04
playing ma jang there's something called
15:06
the national ma jang league rules and
15:08
there's something called table rules or
15:09
house rules right so if you're at your
15:12
table of your friends and your four
15:14
people you can play however you want and
15:17
usually if you go to a game at
15:19
somebody's home like you want to ask
15:20
them what are your table rules if you're
15:22
joining their game to know how they
15:24
might play something differently
15:27
some people like to play with blanks I
15:29
do
15:31
ah
15:31
People like to play the blanks because
15:33
it makes the game easier, right? Yeah.
15:35
So, National Ma Jang League rules do not
15:37
use blanks. It's not part of the game.
15:40
Um, you can't use them in any kind of
15:41
National Maong League rule activity,
15:44
tournaments, anything like that. The way
15:47
I see it, and I can understand why
15:49
people like playing because the game's
15:51
complicated at first. So, right. Um, but
15:54
it's like anything else in life that you
15:56
know, you think about what you're doing
15:58
and something that you have a crutch for
16:00
or that you're bending the rules for, it
16:02
takes away some of the value of the
16:05
game. When we talk about strategy and
16:07
the brain health and all these types of
16:09
things of part of why people are playing
16:11
maong, making it easier takes away a lot
16:16
and it does take a lot of the strategy
16:18
out of the game. So that's why I don't
16:20
teach with blanks because I like people
16:22
to see everything up front. They see the
16:24
rules. They know how to play correctly
16:25
and because it's a standardized game in
16:28
terms of any of our events, the league,
16:30
we just play by national ma jang league
16:32
rules. So
16:34
>> is the joker in play?
16:35
>> A joker is definitely in play.
16:38
>> Yes. No.
16:38
>> But eight jokers. So also when you buy a
16:41
new set, many of them come with 10. Same
16:44
reason though, it's there to be extra in
16:47
terms of American majong. you're not
16:49
supposed to play with 10. I know that
16:51
there's some games that they're like,
16:53
"Let's throw in the extra jokers,
16:54
right?" Cuz it makes it easier.
16:56
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17:22
>> Well, and I say if you're starting too,
17:24
I think having a blank and a choker in
17:27
your beginner hands really helps you
17:30
just get more familiar with your
17:32
patterns in your card.
17:33
>> Right.
17:34
>> Also, I think that I can see putting in
17:37
extra jokers. The blanks change the game
17:40
though because of, you know, things with
17:43
calling, things with being able to go
17:45
back, missing the card. very much the
17:47
strategy especially with singles and
17:49
pairs and things like that. So I'm kind
17:52
of a stickler about the blanks to know
17:55
when we play with Brooke as blanks are
17:57
not her favorite.
17:58
>> Yes, play with blanks you know but
18:01
there's there's other ways to practice
18:02
not in the yard also not at my house not
18:04
at my table. So what's the purpose of
18:07
maong?
18:09
>> So I mean the purpose of ma jang to me
18:11
may be the purpose to other people. I
18:13
mean it's a it's a game like anything
18:15
else right? But it is so rich in
18:18
tradition. It's so rich in history,
18:20
right? So you see like why has it lasted
18:22
so long? Why has it morphed so much? Why
18:25
is it taking off so much? To me, there's
18:28
parallels to life. There's life lessons.
18:30
It's amazing for your brain. It's
18:32
amazing for your mental health. It's
18:34
amazing for connection. Um I I really
18:38
started this because I felt that when I
18:41
left Amage Table with friends, Yes. I
18:44
felt physically different. I felt
18:46
mentally different. And I think that,
18:49
you know, I originally started this
18:50
called the Maj Mom Club because I felt
18:53
like moms
18:56
were screaming with a need, especially I
18:59
think postco of this everybody coming
19:02
back full force and getting so busy and
19:05
there's so much talk now about mental
19:07
load and everything that goes on that
19:09
the mage table is like the ultimate
19:13
wellness hack to me.
19:14
>> I love that.
19:15
>> And we talk about this. Yes.
19:17
>> It slows life down.
19:18
>> Yes. It's It slows life down. It's
19:22
connection with your friends. It's
19:24
connection with new people. I've met so
19:26
many new people through Maj. And one of
19:29
the most interesting things is a lot of
19:31
them might be people that I probably
19:33
wouldn't either come in contact with or
19:35
maybe wouldn't even have a lot in common
19:37
with to talk about or to have a
19:40
connection with. But we can all sit down
19:41
at the majong table and play and really
19:44
enjoy each other's company for two hours
19:46
because we're focused on something else.
19:49
I think so many female relationships
19:54
have for years revolved around, you
19:57
know, going out socializing. Let's go
19:59
get a drink or let's eat or what. And we
20:01
bring that to the M table now. You're
20:02
welcome to if you want, but it gives
20:04
something else. It's something else to
20:06
focus on other than, you know,
20:10
everything else that goes on in life.
20:11
And it c it forces you to take this
20:13
mental break from the constant spinning
20:17
of everything that's going on, the to-do
20:19
list, the things that you, you know, you
20:21
have to do, and it forces you to focus.
20:23
And one of my favorite things about it
20:25
is it doesn't involve screens,
20:29
right? You know, it's funny. I before we
20:32
go back cuz I want to go back and just
20:35
circle back to how that connected with
20:37
how this all started. But uh about the
20:39
screens, a lot of people say, "Yeah, I
20:41
play ma jang on apps. It has nothing to
20:43
do with the game." I'm like, they're
20:45
like, "Is it just like the app?" I go,
20:46
"Yeah, but no, not at all." Like, so
20:50
there's some apps that people think
20:52
they're playing this game on that are
20:53
more like a matching type of a game
20:55
that,
20:55
>> right? And then there's and then they
20:57
come in, they're like, "Oh, this is not
20:58
what I thought it was." or oh, I told my
21:00
husband I was coming for a lesson and
21:02
he's like why? You know, it's a matching
21:04
game. So, there's that, which is nothing
21:07
with this game. And then there are some
21:10
websites um that I think are really
21:12
helpful for practice when you're first
21:15
learning to keep that repetitive uhness
21:18
going to practice rules, to practice
21:20
hands, and to practice playing because
21:22
you can't always sit down with four
21:24
people and and play. Um, if you do own a
21:27
set, there's ways you can practice as
21:29
well, but you know, that's more of a
21:32
it's more of to do to help or to
21:35
practice or in the meantime you're
21:36
traveling, whatever it is, right?
21:37
Instead of the the regular game itself,
21:41
>> right? So I want to circle back because
21:44
you mentioned that you know this brings
21:46
everybody to the table together to um
21:50
compart is the Spanish word to partake
21:53
sorry to partake in something that
21:55
everybody knows how to play and that's
21:56
actually how maong came to Miami is it
21:59
not
22:00
>> yes you know the the origin story the
22:04
national maong league that was created
22:06
in you know the early 1930s there was a
22:09
group of five Jewish women that decided
22:11
we need to standardize this game. And a
22:13
lot of it was because of this travel
22:16
between New York and South Florida and
22:20
being able to no matter where you were
22:22
play with the same rules, the same
22:25
hands, the same intention. So, you know,
22:28
from the very beginning, it was about
22:31
trying to bring more people to the
22:33
table, be connected, have, you know, be
22:36
level playing field type of a situation.
22:39
So, there you have it. Miami was
22:40
involved from day one.
22:42
>> It was involved from day one. And that's
22:44
that's been an interesting kind of thing
22:46
with bringing Maj to Miami. An
22:48
interesting challenge even because
22:51
there's a lot of people that that know
22:53
how to play Maong here.
22:55
>> A lot of traditional players. I mean,
22:58
I've played for 10 years. I found very
23:01
few people that I knew that were my age
23:03
when I learned that knew how to play.
23:06
But there's a stigma with the game of
23:08
the grandma game. Right. Right. So that
23:12
came because of this trip this back and
23:15
forth in New York, Miami and roots in
23:17
South Florida of how the game originated
23:20
and it was very much a kitchen tables
23:22
and sitting at night in houses and you
23:24
know some people would say they remember
23:26
hearing the clinking of the tiles and
23:28
the chirping of the tiles, but
23:30
>> bringing it now to new people and you
23:32
mentioned Texas and how it's kind of
23:36
>> evolved there. It's it's taken on a new
23:38
life. And so now it's kind of
23:40
introducing people who have this
23:42
long-standing history to the game with
23:44
some of these other ways of integrating
23:47
social events and coming out and leagues
23:50
and things like that that they're not
23:51
used to the associating with the game.
23:53
>> Sure.
23:54
>> So it's a it's been an it's been a
23:55
different challenge in a way.
23:57
>> Of course. it, you know, speak no
24:00
further because Brooke along with her
24:02
friend Gabby, the Tile Society, is
24:06
launching a Miami Maj League thing.
24:08
>> We are. We are. Yes. Gabby is another
24:12
Majang instructor in Miami and we
24:15
co-launched it's called Maj and Miami.
24:18
So, Maja and Miami is focused on
24:22
bringing Maj social events around Miami.
24:25
So we partner with different
24:27
restaurants, different stores, different
24:30
locations, like any we can do our stuff
24:32
anywhere. Anybody that wants to partake
24:35
and bring people into their space and we
24:38
do different types of group events. So
24:40
we've done different types of theme
24:42
parties like we were planning a
24:44
Halloween party for Mage and things like
24:47
that and holiday parties and then also
24:50
the league. So the league is something
24:52
that's it's just supposed to add like a
24:55
new dimension to ma jang right a lot of
24:57
people like to get together they play
24:59
with their friends or it's more casual
25:01
this is a friendly and I've emphasized
25:04
friendly about that now
25:07
>> friendly way to open up eyes to more of
25:11
the competitive aspect of the game in
25:15
terms of scoring and how defensive play
25:18
kind of comes very much into the game
25:20
and almost changes it a little bit when
25:21
your sole focus isn't just winning maj
25:24
first. Sometimes you're sacrificing your
25:26
hand to keep somebody else from winning
25:28
Maj when you're dealing with scoring and
25:30
we do prizes and it's supposed to help
25:32
people set dates on their calendar that
25:36
they know that they're coming to play. U
25:38
they can meet new friends, they can
25:40
bring their friends. It's, you know, you
25:42
don't have to worry about cleaning your
25:44
house, having somebody taking care of
25:45
your kids, having your husband leaving,
25:47
you know, to go somewhere else, putting
25:49
out food for everyone, cleaning up
25:51
after, right? You show up, we set up all
25:52
the tables. And it's been a really fun
25:56
experience so far, and a lot of people
25:58
have met new people, and we hope that it
26:01
will grow and that more people will will
26:03
join us over time. Well, I'm in. I've
26:06
slowly been teaching my friends and kind
26:09
of indoctrinating and brainwashing, if
26:11
you will, for them to join me at the
26:12
league. But you don't need any friends
26:13
to go to your league. You do not need
26:15
any friends. That's one of the
26:17
advantages is that you can come, you
26:19
place the tables. Our league by design
26:22
has different people playing with
26:24
everybody that's there so that it's more
26:26
fair in terms of the scoring, right?
26:28
>> Um, obviously you're welcome to come
26:30
with your friends. We let everybody
26:31
request one friend at a table at a time
26:34
for the league. We do have other types
26:36
of events where you can come as a table
26:37
of four if you want or you can come by
26:40
yourself if you want and we make the
26:41
tables. So it's, you know, very adaptive
26:44
in that way. We know some people like to
26:46
play with their game but they want to
26:47
get out and some people want to be with
26:49
new people. So that's great. I am so
26:52
excited. And I just want to touch up on
26:54
the fact that you mentioned it's
26:56
friendly because I had an experience a
26:59
lot of the Heartful Living community
27:01
knows with a woman named Linda in Brian
27:04
Park in New York. And I was just trying
27:07
to spread the love of the game with a
27:10
friend, my friend Megan, who had never
27:12
played before. We heard that all
27:13
beginners were welcome to go to Brian
27:15
Park one day and it was just an open
27:17
play session. and she didn't know how to
27:19
play. So, I kind of decided to just sit
27:21
behind and kind of show her how to play
27:24
just so that I could, you know, give her
27:28
the love of Maj that I had. And we got
27:31
thrown out. And it really put a damper,
27:34
I think, on Megan's future play because
27:37
they had told her, "You don't know how
27:38
to play. You got to sit and just watch.
27:40
You'll learn by just watching." And I
27:42
thought that was so unfair. Um, and they
27:44
were offering the tiles. They were
27:46
offering the cards. I mean they were
27:47
trying to be very inclusive but they
27:50
didn't want a beginner there really
27:51
truly or I think they didn't want a
27:53
teacher there.
27:55
>> Mhm.
27:55
>> So have you encountered that same I
27:59
don't want to say nastiness but it was
28:00
like not nice. No, I I have encountered
28:04
in a different way. Um, one of my very
28:08
very early times of playing years ago
28:10
after learning the rules, I went to kind
28:12
of more of an open play that I was put
28:15
with random people at a table and I was
28:16
playing with an older woman who knew how
28:19
to play really well and I was very taken
28:22
aback with her. there was a rule that I
28:26
didn't know and it was immediately like
28:28
you're dead very aggressively
28:30
>> and you know I um I see the other side
28:34
of things now now that I've gotten so
28:36
much more into this and knowing the
28:37
rules and knowing how to run leagues and
28:40
sessions and everything. You do have to
28:42
get comfortable with the fact that your
28:44
hands might be dead, right? Have to come
28:47
up with a different way to say but your
28:49
hand might be dead. It's like any other
28:51
game, right? We're in play.
28:55
>> It's like any other game, right? You're
28:57
playing dodgeball and you get hit with
28:59
the ball like you're out, right? So, we
29:00
do it with a lot of other games. Um, so
29:03
I think people just needs to be a little
29:05
bit more comfortable with that aspect of
29:07
it. But there's a way to say and do
29:10
things. And that is part of why you know
29:13
we are we do follow national ma jang lee
29:15
rules when we play things like that is
29:17
because everything to the minute detail
29:21
is written down as an exception and a
29:23
rule because it's been so many years of
29:26
playing that they've seen it all I guess
29:27
right
29:28
>> and so what makes it that you you know
29:30
there's an answer to everything that
29:32
happens and if you just follow the rules
29:34
kindly
29:35
and I emphasize kindly then and you
29:38
accept them I you know I've had inst
29:40
instances where some players have said
29:42
to me, you know, they're not following
29:45
the rules, but they're not accepting it
29:47
and and having their hand out, right?
29:49
So, anybody that comes to any of our
29:51
things, we ask like needs, please be
29:53
friendly, right? If if you're in this
29:56
just about the game and it's going to be
29:59
upsetting to you if somebody's a little
30:01
slower or if somebody, you know,
30:04
whatever it is, you can't speak kindly,
30:07
then it's not the right it's not the
30:08
right space. It's not the vi that, you
30:10
know, for us it's it's we want to play
30:13
and we want people to get better, but we
30:15
want this to be a community of kindness
30:17
where everybody feels comfortable. I
30:19
know when we say the word league
30:20
initially, everybody's like, I can't
30:22
come to a league. Like, that's too much.
30:24
I'm not ready. Right. Right.
30:26
>> And as long as you know how to play and
30:27
you know the main rules, like you're
30:28
ready, you know?
30:29
>> Well, and the reality is apart from this
30:32
being fun, you have already said it.
30:34
There's so many wellness benefits to it.
30:37
Why are you going to put any animosity
30:39
or any anger or any nastiness towards
30:43
something that could be so good for you?
30:45
Right.
30:46
>> And there's so many parallels like you
30:48
mentioned the game to life. Um I know my
30:51
friend Carrie Scotty who's my sherba,
30:53
the one that taught me to play, she has
30:55
it put in her calendar as um every
30:59
whenever she plays, I think it's
31:00
Wednesday nights, she puts, "Okay, I'm
31:02
going to my national Alzheimer's
31:04
prevention game." And that's her that's
31:07
her therapy and that's her wellness and
31:09
that's what she does to keep her mind
31:11
sharp.
31:11
>> Yeah.
31:12
>> Um no negativity for that.
31:14
>> No,
31:15
>> we don't we're not mean to people when
31:16
they go to therapy and essentially when
31:18
you come to the table you're you're
31:20
going to therapy,
31:20
>> right?
31:21
>> No, it's true. It's true. So, you know,
31:24
it's with anything in life. I think
31:26
everybody has forgotten sometimes how to
31:29
be kind, right? So, it's it's just the
31:32
way the delivery the way you say things.
31:34
And we're there as instructors always
31:37
to, you know, help with rules and to
31:39
enforce them. But we want it to be an
31:41
inclusive, fun community.
31:44
>> And there you go. Your life lessons will
31:46
be patience, letting go,
31:49
>> strategy, resilience. What else?
31:52
>> Oh, there's so many. Uh, you know, I I
31:54
always quote Julia Roberts because she's
31:56
been quoted uh talking about ma jang and
31:58
how much she loves it. and she said that
32:02
ma jang as a game is making order from
32:04
chaos and it's so accurate because you
32:07
know you're dealt this jumble of tiles
32:10
and you have to figure out how to order
32:12
them throughout. So you know there's
32:14
that one. Um yes there's definitely
32:16
patience. Um, also one of my favorites
32:20
is
32:21
letting yourself let go of something
32:24
that seems like it should be good and
32:27
the right fit but isn't working for you
32:29
opens up the ability for something else
32:31
better to come in.
32:33
>> So, I that's one of my favorites. Um, I
32:36
was playing this weekend with my family
32:39
and my sister-in-law actually goes, "I
32:41
don't want to get rid of this tile. It's
32:43
just really pretty tough.
32:47
Yeah, actually. Well, that that's very
32:49
representative of a lot of things,
32:51
right? We can we can I had a I had a
32:53
student the other day that was at
32:54
something and she was like, "It's like
32:55
Bachelor. I'm getting rid of this." You
32:57
know,
32:57
>> that is so funny.
32:59
>> Yeah. But I was just Mari condo. It
33:01
doesn't Yeah. It doesn't give you joy.
33:05
>> Get rid of it.
33:05
>> Get rid of it. Things like that. Just
33:08
about also pivoting like knowing when
33:10
it's time to move on to something else.
33:13
um you know there's so many things
33:16
there's so many things and it's it's
33:18
also just you know lessons for yourself
33:22
but also really self-care and not even
33:25
just there's a lot with memory right
33:27
people talk about that with the brain
33:28
but also just I think there's so much
33:31
sensory aspect to Maj and a lot of what
33:33
you were talking about with the with the
33:35
beautiful sets and it's tactile it's
33:39
visual um I just I find that it's very
33:42
you you know,
33:44
therapeutic and I've had so many people
33:46
that leave and feel the same way. So, we
33:49
just took a quick break because I
33:51
actually wanted uh Brooke to set up a
33:53
winning hand for us here and um I
33:57
actually think Brooke that this is a
33:59
great lesson for kids. My daughter is a
34:03
ma jang shark. She loves to play. She
34:06
loves to call people out. Um, but I also
34:09
think it's incredible for executive
34:10
functioning skills and for kids critical
34:13
thinking. Um, there's so much involved
34:16
in play. Not just creating, you know,
34:20
the organizing your tiles, organizing
34:22
everything that you see on on the board
34:24
on the table, but just reading that card
34:26
alone is a lesson in itself for these
34:29
kids because there is so much going on
34:32
on that national maong card. There's
34:34
colors, there's patterns, there's
34:36
numbers, there's letters there. I mean,
34:38
it's it's complex for kids. And I'm
34:41
actually really proud of her for
34:43
catching on so quickly.
34:44
>> Yes. No, it's I I love that kids are
34:47
playing. I've actually taught a bunch of
34:49
kids and it's something that we've been
34:51
talking about expanding more because
34:53
it's amazing for the brain, which we
34:55
talked about for kids, too. And
34:57
ironically, the kids catch on faster
34:59
than the adults. They grasp it really
35:02
quickly. They love it. that it has like
35:03
that little competitive aspect to it and
35:06
it's just um they've actually shown how
35:08
it's improved IQ and all different
35:11
things so it's amazing for kids and
35:13
that's actually one of the amazing
35:14
things about Maong is it's generational
35:17
so everybody can play at a table you're
35:19
listening to the heartto-he heart
35:21
podcast with Christy Diaz for Heartful
35:23
Living where stories connection and
35:25
intention guide everything we do
35:27
interested in partnering with us we're
35:29
always open to collaborations that align
35:31
with intention creativity and community.
35:34
If you feel your brand is a match, we'd
35:36
love to connect and explore what we can
35:37
create together. And now back to
35:39
listening.
35:41
And anybody could just pick up the card
35:43
at any age and really learn how to
35:46
decipher it. Yes. Um I know that for
35:49
example, my sherba again, Carrie Scotty
35:51
in Texas, her son has one line memorized
35:53
and that's the one that he plays over
35:56
and over. I guess it's what he feels
35:57
more comfortable with. Um, but for
35:59
example, you showed us a winning hand
36:01
here, for example. Yes. Uh, talk to me
36:04
about this winning hand. Would you say
36:05
that this is like an easy one to learn
36:07
to play?
36:08
>> Um, you know, I don't think any of them
36:10
are necessarily easier or harder.
36:12
Learning to play and then actually
36:15
playing them are two different things,
36:16
right? Because we know there's all these
36:17
different rules that come into play of
36:19
things like singles and pairs and things
36:21
like that, right? This one is for
36:23
actually from the consecutive run
36:25
section on the card, which a lot of
36:26
people love, but a lot of people find it
36:29
to be challenging at first because it
36:31
has a lot of different variables way
36:33
that you can play it, right? So, you can
36:35
change it lots of different ways. But
36:37
with this one, it shows you have, you
36:39
know, four different flowers. You're
36:40
playing your flowers and then it's three
36:43
consecutive numbers. Okay?
36:44
>> So, one of the cool things about
36:46
consecutive section is you can play any
36:48
three consecutive numbers. One of the
36:50
challenges is that it's always written
36:52
with like one, two, three, one, two,
36:54
three, four. Right? So, you have to know
36:56
that that means I can change it to any
36:58
other consecutive number and then it
37:00
fits right into the pattern that you see
37:03
while also paying attention to the color
37:05
changes because the colors have to do
37:07
with the different suits that you play.
37:09
>> Right. And it's not necessarily the
37:11
color of a crack or the color of a bam
37:13
or a color of the dot.
37:15
>> Exactly. color on the card simply tells
37:17
you which parts are the same suit and
37:19
which parts are different suits. It
37:21
doesn't tell you anything about specific
37:22
suits, which is why it gives you so many
37:25
different options to play with. So, I
37:27
mean, hands down, the the most
37:29
challenging part about the game of maong
37:31
is figuring out which hand you're going
37:33
to play.
37:33
>> Sure.
37:34
>> And one of those again big life lessons
37:37
is to try to be adaptive and be open as
37:40
things go on instead of having, you
37:42
know, a fixed type of a mindset about
37:44
things. So, you know, it's it definitely
37:47
takes practice and I know at the
37:49
beginning sometimes we tell people it's
37:51
better to just pick one or two once you
37:54
get there, right? There's different
37:56
phases of the game. There's the
37:57
Charleston and you know, all these
37:59
different aspects of the game where you
38:01
do different things at different times
38:02
to help you with that card. And that's
38:04
kind of part of why we do our lessons
38:06
the way that we do so that everything's
38:09
kind of broken down and it kind of shows
38:11
you how to go throughout the whole game.
38:14
>> So there is a learning curve to this
38:16
game and you are a maong instructor. So
38:20
how do you set up your instruction?
38:23
>> So typically we have two different
38:26
options. I I offer a boot camp. I have
38:29
two different boot camps. a boot camp
38:31
one, a boot camp 2, and then something
38:33
after called beyond the basics. The
38:35
point of the boot camps are really for
38:36
people who want to be able to pick a
38:39
date and they want to come and maybe
38:40
they don't have their group, they don't
38:42
have people to play with or they want to
38:44
bring their friends. We do them in
38:45
restaurants, right? And the boot camp,
38:47
the intro to ma boot camp is two to two
38:50
and a half hours and we work the entire
38:52
time. Um we start with different types
38:55
of you know talking about tiles like we
38:58
did today but we get into different
39:00
types of exercises. We try to have
39:02
everybody understand like what ma jang
39:04
even looks like just like the hand that
39:08
we just displayed here what it how to
39:10
even make that hand before you even
39:12
learn how to play so you know what
39:14
you're working for. And then we go
39:16
through all the different stages of the
39:17
game step by step so that by the end
39:19
you've been introduced to the to
39:21
everything and then we build on that in
39:24
in other lessons. Some people like to
39:27
have private lessons. They have their
39:28
groups and they want somebody to just
39:30
come and teach them. And with those it's
39:32
a little bit more dependent on what the
39:33
group itself needs. So where I foresee
39:37
lots of birthday party promotion here is
39:40
it's great for birthday parties. It's I
39:42
mean it's great for anything. We've done
39:44
corporate events. There's a lot of team
39:45
building aspects to it. I worked with a
39:48
PTA board the other day that wanted a
39:50
team building activity at the beginning
39:52
of the school year and we did things
39:54
with partners and you know it's just
39:57
it's a really valuable way to bring
40:01
everybody to the table. I love that. So,
40:04
how can people find you? Because I'm
40:05
sure you're going to be seeing a lot of
40:07
people from the Heartful Living
40:09
community that want to learn to play.
40:10
Well, I hope so because my whole thing
40:12
is about like spreading the ma magic of
40:14
American ma jang and wanting people to
40:17
figure out how to make it more of a
40:18
lifestyle. So, I have an Instagram page
40:21
that's majam.
40:27
Um, independently we do things with
40:29
lessons, we do things with events, but
40:32
together we have the league, we have
40:34
social events, we do larger parties,
40:36
corporate events and things like that.
40:38
So Instagram, I always say, is the
40:39
easiest place to find us because we post
40:41
everything there. I also have a
40:43
newsletter and people can message me.
40:45
They message me on Instagram all the
40:46
time to set things up. So I slid into
40:48
her DMs. It's true. And she answered
40:52
immediately because of course Miami
40:54
being the big little city it is, we have
40:56
how many people in, right? We every day
40:59
we find somebody else.
41:00
>> Exactly. So Fro, I can't thank you
41:02
enough for helping me spread the good
41:04
word. And um I just want to close out by
41:08
asking you how Majam has shaped your
41:10
idea of intentional living. You know, I
41:14
think we life gets so fast, right? Um
41:19
they say like the days are long and the
41:22
years are short and and time flies by
41:24
and we're so busy, we're so scheduled.
41:26
Maong to me is being able to be
41:29
intentional and take the time to sit
41:31
down to take me time for yourself to
41:34
benefit yourself and it's opened up the
41:37
doors to so many different experiences
41:39
and people for me and I've just really
41:42
hope to share that with other people.
41:43
Well, I' it's actually been my pleasure
41:45
the past, you know, it's been less than
41:48
a year that we've actually started
41:49
teaching and doing events and seeing all
41:51
the people that now play and what it's
41:54
done for their lives and how much
41:56
they're enjoying it is just like such a
41:58
nice thing to see because it's, you
42:01
know, we need more. We need more good.
42:02
We need less Linda's.
42:05
We need less Linda's, more, you know,
42:08
happy moments. I have people come to my
42:10
boot camps and they are so different.
42:12
different ages, different backgrounds,
42:13
different, you know, lifestyles, and
42:16
everybody has always gotten along, and
42:18
they feel like they're like a little
42:19
family by the end. So, it's been it's
42:22
been a really nice thing to see because
42:26
things aren't always so nice out there.
42:28
Well, there you have it, my friends. I
42:30
told you guys somehow I would find Maj's
42:33
way back to Miami. Little did I know
42:35
that it was already here. I am so
42:37
excited to be joining the Miami Maj
42:40
community and join the fun. This game is
42:43
sweeping the nation. I'm drinking the
42:45
Kool-Aid and I know that once you guys
42:47
start drinking it, too, I'll be seeing
42:49
you at all of these wonderful events
42:51
with Brooke and Companies. Thank you so
42:53
much for joining me today. And Brooke,
42:54
thank you so much for being here.
42:56
>> Thank you. I'm so glad that you found
42:57
us. That's all for today. You guys have
42:59
a wonderful day. Bye-bye.
43:00
>> Bye.
43:03
Heat. Heat. N.
43:13
Heat. Heat.