Everyday as we go to work, we've passed this temple along the side of the road. Most temples in China are either Buddhists or Daoist temples and I've been very curious about this one. Tonight, on our walk, we decided to pay this building a visit.

I've been to many Buddhist temples in Japan, so I was hoping that it would be a Daoist shrine. The only thing I know about Daoism is that it's main precepts are written down in a book by Lao Zi. That is the extent of my knowledge. I've never read the book. (although, it is available on Project Gutenberg) I've never met a Daoist. That is why I would really like to see a Daoist shrine, since I might learn something new. No such luck...

I recognized the religion the minute I turned the corner and saw the statue of Buddha sitting there. There was no doubt. Still, the people who ran the temple were very kind and they allowed us to stroll around and have a look. Out of respect, I didn't take any photos of the inside. It was magnificient, however. This temple is still fairly new. It was only built in 1999 and was relocated from another place. It was interesting to note the differences between Chinese and Japanese architecture. I actually learned a little bit, after all.

After dinner, we started having a discussion about what toys John would like to buy and bring back for his kids. He thought a Mah Jong set might be a good idea, so we went shopping for one. Larry was kind enough to offer his help in teaching us to play. We got back to the hotel, broke open the tiles, and the lesson started.

Mah Jong is a game that I've always wanted to learn, but thought it to be too complicated. This turns out to be a half-truth. From what I can tell, the rules to the game are not overly complex. It reminds me a great deal of the card game "gin rummy", only it is played with tiles. You have to be able to read some simple Chinese characters, but this is not a great obstacle. The important thing is to know the numbers in Chinese, and I could write this down for anyone. (In fact, we did this for John)

The part that I find difficult is the scoring. I'm not sure I fully understand how to keep score. This doesn't keep anyone from playing the game, but it does change the strategy quite a bit. For example, I was playing simply to win the round. Larry was forfeiting his chances to win in order to obtain a larger score when he did win. That part gets complicated.

The other part that is semi-complicated, but which I now understand, is dealing the tiles. You don't just select your tiles from a "boneyard" like you do in dominoes. They aren't really dealt out, either. There is an elaborate ritual you have to go through to determine which tiles are yours and how your next tile is to be selected. I think the logic behind this is to prevent cheating and keep everyone honest since the Chinese *LOVE* to gamble on this game. At any rate, it appears like it would be effective towards this end.

Now that I know how to play, I would very much like to get a Mah Jong set and teach some other people. It really is a fun game and reminds me of Western style cards. To tell the truth, I'm not sure it is an ideal game for John's kids. (His youngest is five) I think they'll enjoy it more when they grow up, however. I'm not going to buy a set here because the tiles are heavy and they would add too much weight to my luggage. Still, I'm sure I can find the game in one of the many Chinatowns in America. If so, I'll be asking for volunteers!