first HAND
WORDS BY JULIE WALLACE TRYING MAHJONG FOR THE FIRST TIME
I expected to learn a game. I didn't expect to leave my tables across the North Shore. It seemed to appear everywhere at once, and I didn't understand the obsession. Growing up, my family loved Monopoly. Games stretched well past midnight, phone untouched for two hours. Like many people, I'd noticed mahjong making its way into conversations, social calendars, and beautifully styled coffee and what everyone else considered family fun felt more like endurance training. As an adult, whenever friends suggested a game night, I secretly hoped someone would suggest we do literally anything else. So while everyone else seemed to be falling in love with mahjong, I remained skeptical.
Curious to see what the fuss was about, Kelly Maguire and I signed up for a lesson with local instructor Adey Hannis of Holy Mahj. Adey patiently guided us through strategy while Kelly and I bounced between laughter, friendly competition, and the kind of smack talk that only happens when neither of you has any idea what you're doing. And yes — for the record — I won our lesson. Some may call it beginner's luck. I'll say it was Adey's excellent teaching. Two weeks later, Kelly and I returned for a mahjong social at Towne & Oak, feeling just confident enough to be dangerous. I'll admit, I expected a little Real Housewives of the North Shore — cocktails, neighborhood gossip, and catching up disguised as game night. Instead, conversation naturally gave way to concentration. Playing alongside two women we'd just met, Kelly and I quickly realized how much we still had to learn. Neither of us won a single hand, but we held our own, playing two of our three games to a draw and earning a compliment from Adey on our defense.
There was one particularly painful hand when I realized I couldn't win, and the tile I discarded happened to be the exact one Kelly needed. Unfortunately for her, I discarded that same tile a few more times, none of which she could call. By then, my primary objective had shifted from "learn mahjong" to "don't let Kelly win." I'd also become far more invested in the game than expected. What surprised me most wasn't the strategy, it was the stillness. No one scrolled between hands or checked notifications. Instead, there was the satisfying weight of the tiles. The repeating patterns. The beauty of the game itself. Friendly competition that somehow managed to be both intense and incredibly welcoming. Everything about mahjong asks you to slow down, pay attention, and trust your instincts. Maybe that's the reason it’s found such a devoted following. In a world designed to distract us, it's less about passing time than being fully present in it. Winning is still the goal. It just turns out the game is worth showing up for, too.
Beautiful tile sets? Sure.
Neighborhood leagues? Fine. Waitlists for lessons? Really?
JULIE WALLACE is celebrating her 20th year at @properties Christie's International Real Estate, where she serves as Vice President of Agent Brand Design and Creative Services. Her mahjong opponent, Kelly Maguire, is @properties' Director of Communications.
ASPIRE ON THE SHORE // 47
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