Ma Jiang

I'm pretty tight with the baozi restaurant owners on my street, originally because they make me vegetarian baozi, and so in the past month or so they've had me do a bunch of family stuff with them. First, Maria and I went out with the boss' sister who owns a tea house in a scenic town called Luo Dai. Her daughter, Ivy, came too. We hiked for over the hills for two hours, on a replica of the great wall (who knew?) and then were pampered back in the family tea house. Ivy's going to the US to study next year. Anyway, she and her cousin Ai Di are good friends of mine now, and this week Natalie, Brien and I went to their grandparent's house to eat lunch and learn ma jiang (ma jong). See pictures. Ai di is sporting the longgggg hair, and Ivy is in the tea house pictures. Ma jiang is an interesting game. The first time. I can't see playing it every day, like 60% of everybody does in Chengdu, but I think they like it more cause of the gambling.