Jenn’s Corner #29: The Next Step
My path to mahjong stardom is a continuing uphill battle and sometimes it feels like I will never arrive. But every now and again something big happens to give me motivation and push me to the next level. For the past 2 years I have been travelling around the world and making it a point to meet as many people as I can so that we can all work together to make this game great and get information to new players throughout the world.
But meeting all of these people doesn’t give me the experience I want to achieve all of my other future goals as a mahjong player. This year, my 4th year as a pro, is my time to really prove myself as a player and a contributor to JPML and the mahjong community as a whole.
On February 6th I started working in a mahjong parlor that is almost my own. I am working with a group of mahjong parlors and the parlor manager, Akira Ohara, to run the first non-smoking mahjong parlor in Hachioji. I am the resident pro and one of the parlor managers. While most pro’s start out working in parlors, I’ve worked backwards and am taking the first steps to create a brand of myself.
Opening the parlor has sucked up all of my time and proven to be one of the biggest challenges I’ve taken on so far. This website has suffered, my sleep time has decreased, I barely have time to play MFC and my new puppy is lonely at home. But the experience is also extremely rewarding.
Our parlor is non-smoking and has 6 tables, which makes it easier to work the 10-12 hour shifts with the clean air. When I was training at the smoking parlors I would come home feeling nauseous, exhausted and smelly. Now I just feel exhausted. I get (or have) to play mahjong live 5-10 hours each day and win or lose my own money in that time. Each employee’s hourly wage should cover any losses and the pressure is on each member to play in a way that allows all of the customers enjoy their time fully.
If you’re in the Tokyo area be sure to stop by and see me. I’ll explain the rules to you in English or Japanese, whichever you’d like and if you’re lucky maybe I’ll have my puppy in tow.
Let me know what you want to know about the parlor and I’ll start a monthly update on how it’s going and what events we’re running. Maybe some of you can copy the concept and open parlors in your towns someday too!
