�y��vlog

Eileen learns more than Charles simply by quizzing her gossipy mah-jongg partners, whose conversations easily shift from irritable bowel syndrome to leading drug dealers.

When Junko Suzuki opened Suehiro with her sister Yuriko in 1972, they were only looking to create a place to play their favorite game, mah-jongg.

Since fully retiring a year ago, Johnny finds joy in family mah-jongg sessions on Saturday afternoons, regular qigong classes at a park, gardening in the backyard and learning how to cook Chinese food from Yvonne and myriad YouTube videos.

Mah-jongg, long associated with the Chinese-speaking diaspora, or Sinodiaspora, has expanded to an audience beyond its country of origin.

The mistresses recruit volunteers like Eric Kwok to help them teach mah-jongg to the crowd, which varies from two dozen to three dozen players at a time.