My Autobiography: David Balleza K(C)atague: Mahjong: From Jungle Hideouts to American Retreat

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Mahjong: From Jungle Hideouts to American Retreat

Mahjong: From Jungle Hideouts to American Retreats - A Timeless Game Reborn

In a recent Wall Street Journal feature by Jamie Waters, the ancient game of mahjong is experiencing an unexpected renaissance across America. What was once a quiet, cultural pastime in Chinatown backrooms has now spilled into trendy bars, social clubs, and even luxury retreats, some costing as much as $2,500 for a curated weekend of tiles, tea, and tactics.

As I read the article, I found myself transported, not to Connecticut retreats or Manhattan lounges, but to a very different time and place. A time when the clatter of mahjong tiles was not just recreation, but refuge.

A Game Learned Too Early, Yet Never Forgotten

I was only five years old when I first learned mahjong. Not in a classroom, not in a formal setting, but in the midst of uncertainty, during the dark days of the World War II in the Philippines.

We played in jungle hideouts, escaping the realities of the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. The game was more than strategy; it was survival. The familiar click of tiles against bamboo tables became a kind of reassurance that life, in some small way, still had order.

In those moments, mahjong was not about winning or losing. It was about endurance, distraction, and community.

Mahjong as a Filipino Pastime: Joy and Complexity

In the Philippines, mahjong evolved into something uniquely its own. It became a staple of social gatherings played in homes, street corners, and fiestas. Like many traditional games, it straddled a fine line between harmless pastime and something more complicated.

Over the years, in my blog posts, I have reflected on how mahjong became intertwined with:

Family bonding, where generations sat together for hours
Friendly gambling, often small stakes, sometimes not so small
Addiction, where the thrill of the game could quietly take hold

This duality is important. Mahjong, like life itself, carries both light and shadow. It brings people together, but it can also isolate. It sharpens the mind but can tempt the vulnerable.

America’s New Mahjong Moment

What fascinated me most about today’s resurgence is how the game has been reimagined.

In cities across the United States, mahjong is no longer confined to immigrant communities. It has been rediscovered almost reinvented as a social experience:

Young professionals gathering over cocktails and tiles
Curated retreats promising mindfulness and mastery
Designers creating aesthetically pleasing, modern tile sets

In many ways, America is encountering mahjong for the first time, not as inheritance, but as discovery.

And yet, I wonder: can a curated retreat ever capture the essence of what the game meant in a jungle hideout, or in a modest Filipino home where laughter and tension mingled freely?

The Sound of Tiles Across Time

What remains unchanged, however, is the rhythm. The unmistakable sound of tiles being shuffled, stacked, and claimed.

That sound connects:

A frightened child in wartime Philippines
Families gathered under dim lights in Manila
And now, players in chic American lounges

Mahjong is not just a game. It is a thread that weaves through history, culture, and personal memory.

A Reflection for My Readers

As someone who has been writing since 2009, chronicling food, culture, history, and the quiet moments in between, I see mahjong as more than a subject. It is a metaphor.

It teaches patience. It demands awareness. It reminds us that life, like the game, is part skill, part chance, and part timing. And perhaps that is why it endures.

From jungle hideouts to Connecticut retreats, from childhood survival to modern leisure-mahjong continues to evolve, yet never loses its soul.

Final Thought

In a world that constantly reinvents itself, there is something deeply comforting about a game that has already seen it all, war, peace, migration, reinvention and still invites us to sit down, take a tile, and begin again.

Meanwhile, here's the AI Overview

Mahjong, a captivating tile-based game originating in 19th-century China, has traveled a remarkable path from local gatherings to a global phenomenon, particularly experiencing a modern revival in the United States. Its evolution saw the game move from social settings in the Yangtze River Delta to becoming a glamorous American hobby, evolving through the 1920s, anchoring community among Jewish-American women, and currently surging in popularity at upscale retreats and young adult social clubs.

Origins: From Chinese Social Tables to Western Discovery

Birth of the Game: Developed in the mid-to-late 1800s in China, likely around the Yangtze River Delta, Mahjong evolved from older card games like madiao. It was, and remains, a game of skill, strategy, and calculation.
Name Origin: "Mahjong" (or "sparrow") comes from a local Chinese dialect term for the bird-like clacking sound the tiles make when shuffled, known as the "twittering of the sparrows".
The "Jungle" of Misinformation: When Joseph P. Babcock introduced Mahjong to the West in the early 1920s, he tailored the rules and added Western numerals to the tiles. Many early sets and manuals propagated "inaccurate fantasies" about its history to make it seem more ancient to Western audiences.
Initial U.S. Craze: By 1920, Mahjong arrived at American ports, including Abercrombie & Fitch, which sold out almost immediately, becoming a staple of "roaring twenties" high society.

Adaptation: The Americanization of Mahjong

The League: In 1937, the National Mah Jongg League was formed in New York to standardize the rules of American Mahjong.
Key Differences: American Mahjong is distinct from Chinese or Japanese versions. It uses 152 tiles (including 8 jokers) rather than 144, uses racks, and features a yearly scorecard of valid hands.
Cultural Bridge: In the mid-20th century, Mahjong became a vital cultural tradition, particularly among Jewish-American women. It served as a vital tool for community building and socialization, allowing women to connect and form strong networks in post-World War II suburban areas.

The Rebirth: Modern American Retreats and Resurgence

A New Craze: In the 2020s, Mahjong is seeing a significant resurgence, with searches for games increasing nearly 200% between 2023 and 2024.
Posh Retreats: Luxury hotels and resorts have adopted Mahjong, offering tournaments, "Mahj and Margaritas" packages, and weekend retreats at places like The Greenbrier and Sea Island Resort.
Millennials and Gen Z: Modern social clubs, like the Green Tile Social Club in New York, are attracting younger players who appreciate the tactile, screen-free social interaction, often viewing it as a "social lubricant" for making new friends.
Hollywood Glamour: Celebrities like Julia Roberts, Blake Lively, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, have helped popularize the game, transforming it into a high-octane social scene.

Today, the game serves as both a, cherished tradition and a modern obsession, bringing people together across generations and cultural backgrounds.

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2024/02/chinese-mahjong-scoring-tables-by.html

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2023/10/playing-mahjong-philippine-style-here.html

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2023/07/basic-asianhong-kong-mahjong-versus.html

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2023/07/a-new-activity-here-at-thd-asian.html

The above are my previous articles on mahjong. My Favorite tile Game. Here's a short video, why mahjong is getting popular even with younger generations.

https://youtu.be/JCcfzHS1GKA?si=augS9WAr2tiMGXyu

Status of My Mahjong Games Today:

When I moved to THD 3 years ago, there were several tables of American Mahjong played by several seniors Jewish female residents. There was no Asian Mahjong. I organized it and now we have three tables of Hong Kong style ( 13 tiles, no joker) and one Philippine style ( 16 styles with 2 jokers). Occasionally, I play Chinese style ( points system) when I visit my son in Benecia. The Chinese style, point system is the most conflicated style of the three styles in spite of the absence of Jokers.

Lastly, here are 5 major news stories today, based on the latest headlines from AP and NPR coverage for May 20, 2026:

The Senate advanced a bill aimed at ending the Iran war, signaling growing pressure in Washington to de-escalate the conflict.
Barney Frank, the former congressman and gay-rights pioneer, died at 86.
The Trump-backed Republican primary challenge in Kentucky ousted Congressman Thomas Massie, a notable upset in GOP politics.
AP reports that the White House and federal courts remain focused on Trump-era policy fights, including tariffs and major legal disputes.
NPR highlighted a mix of domestic and international developments, including ongoing political fallout from the Iran conflict and other breaking U.S. news.

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Highlights of My Professional Career

In my more than 40 years of professional career, I have experienced both working rank and file, as well as supervising the work of subordinates. I have worked in four private firms and the Federal Government, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), where I retired. I enjoyed the challenges and difficulties of both types of job situations. This is the highlights of my work experience story.

My first job after completing my doctorate degree was a Chemist for Chemagro Corporation in Kansas City, Missouri. It was a subsidiary of Bayer Corporation, a German conglomerate. I worked for the analytical chemistry department comprised of about fifty people; half that number was either chemists or biologists. My specific task was to develop analytical methods for the detection of pesticide residues in plant and animal tissues. I worked on my own, similar to six other bench chemists, and we all reported to the same supervisor.

The firm sponsored my visa conversion from a student to a permanent resident, and I was able to legally work and reside in the United States with my family. The company generously took care of its employees. At the end of each successful year, everyone received a 13th month salary bonus. The employees and their families celebrated wonderful annual Christmas parties in a downtown Kansas City hotel, with dancing and free drinks for the whole night.

Inasmuch as I enjoyed and loved working for Chemagro for five years, I found a new job which offered a substantially higher pay. Due to my exemplary work performance, my supervisor preferred and lobbied for me to stay with the company. I had to turn him down because they could not match the package presented by my new employer. It was also a chance for me and my family to move and live in the US west coast, where the mild winter climate is bearable compared to the Midwest.

My next job was at the agricultural research division of Shell Development Company in Modesto, California. I was a Research Chemist, and again I worked individually, same as five other chemists who all reported to a supervisor. My specific duty was similar to my previous job. I worked for them for five years, until the company decided to get out of the pesticide business. They closed their research facility affecting the jobs of more than 200 employees.

My third industrial job was with the agricultural research division of Stauffer chemical company, located in Richmond, California. I was a Senior Research Chemist doing the same project as my two previous jobs. I worked for twelve continuous years for the company, with outstanding annual job performance. I became a Principal Research Chemist, the highest attainable non-supervisory position.

One day in 1986, my supervisor informed me that my job had been eliminated, and I had one day to vacate the facility. It was the most dreadful lay off experience in my life. I felt anger, sadness and humiliation to be dismissed from work with one day notice, after all the years of hard work invested for the company. This was an unforgettable incident and was the gloomiest point in my professional career.
The company terminated sixty research employees, who were upset of the bad news.

One of the chemists was distressed and expressed his outrageous anger by threatening the company and its workers. He told his supervisor of his intention to bomb and burn down the laboratory. He was immediately escorted by the security staff out of the building and into his car. He was informed to leave behind his personal belongings; they will be mailed to his residence. He was warned never to show up again near the company premises or risk getting arrested.

My supervisor was kind and allowed me to take my time to pack up my belongings. It took me two days to clear up my workplace, after toiling for a long period in the same jobsite. We were provided clerical help and office space, in preparation to look for another job, such as updating our resumes, and using the computer and copy machine. We were given six weeks of separation pay plus benefits.

Fortunately, with the help of a friend who is a Church parishioner, I found another job thirty days after leaving Stauffer chemical company. He hired me as a senior research chemist and as a group leader with two technicians to supervise. It was in the same field as my expertise in my previous three jobs spanning the last twenty one years. My new employer was Chevron Chemical Company, and which was located in the same area as my former employer.

This job gave me the introduction and basic knowledge of managing the work of subordinates. I worked for Chevron Company for four and a half years. The company decided to consolidate their research facilities in Texas, and lay off all its research employees. This time I had enough distress and agony from working, and eventually getting laid off from several private companies. To avoid going through any more miserable layoffs, I made a vow that I would never again work for a private company.

In my work experiences, there were noticeable and unavoidable jobsite occurrences. One can never miss the office romantic relationships between co-workers, both illicit and permitted. Though it was frowned upon, there was a boss and staff relationship, which was used as a ploy to get ahead in the company. Some relationships had chemistry, no pun intended, but some never worked out. Oftentimes, there was a sense of distrust among bench chemists for some workers who unjustly obtained preferred work assignments.

Some employees resorted to bribing superiors to get special privileges, such as being able to attend choice conferences and meetings in exciting venues or locations. Likewise, politics was always present at the worksites. It was during an era when various forms of harassment, equal opportunity and discrimination laws were not yet enforced in the workplace. Occasionally, an unexpected chemical explosion happens in a laboratory setting, where luckily no one got seriously hurt.

In the three private companies I worked for, I was able to publish scientific journals for some of the research studies and analytical methods which I developed for the respective companies of Chemagro, Shell Development and Stauffer.

After deciding and making a vow to avoid working in the private sector, I made my new goal which was either to work for the state of California, or the Federal government in Washington, D.C. Four months after I lost my job in Chevron, I was lucky and joyful to be hired by the Food and Drug Administration as a review chemist in the fall of 1990.

In 1994 I was promoted as an Expert Research Chemist with a GS-14 rating. My expertise was on Anti-malarial and Anti-parasitic drug products. In 1997, I was again deservingly promoted to Chemistry team leader, supervising the work of six Chemistry reviewers including five with doctorate degrees.

As team leader, I was responsible for prioritizing, assigning, and assuring the technical accuracy of all chemistry, manufacturing and control issues for all new drug applications submitted to the Division of Anti-Infective Drug Products, Center of New Drugs.

It was part of my responsibility to give advice, instruct and promote high morale and teamwork in my group. My work in the FDA is confidential, until the drug patent on the products I worked on has expired. There are manufacturing supplements that I have approved that are now open for the public in the Internet.

In 1998, I won the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Award. The citation reads, “For outstanding accomplishments in fostering the objectives of the EEO Program by hiring minorities and encouraging their professional growth while providing excellent leadership.” I have received numerous certificates of appreciation, awards in leadership and communications, commendation for teamwork and excellence in the accomplishment of the FDA mission. I have also received several letters of appreciation from private industry for my review work.

There are many good things working as rank and file while enjoying doing one’s job individually. It is a humbling, satisfying and productive experience, if one can work in harmony with one’s immediate supervisor. Working individually develops one’s skills in goal setting and scheduling. But in general, the financial rewards are less than a person who has supervisory responsibilities.

Managing the work of others has its challenges. Moreover, it develops one’s skill in handling and developing people, and the compensation rewards and benefits are better. Due to additional duties, responsibilities and leadership, supervisory work can be more stressful than working as a subordinate. However, supervisory jobs give one more personal growth and satisfaction, based on my personal experience. My work in FDA as a team leader managing the work of six scientists had been the happiest and rewarding work experience in my career in Chemistry. You might also like: