Mahjong Sounds

Summary

The website content presents a writing prompt inspired by the difficulty of verbalizing certain experiences, exemplified by the author's challenge in explaining Mahjong in English, and invites a list of writers to participate in a writing challenge.

Abstract

The webpage discusses the complexity of articulating sensory experiences into words, using the game of Mahjong as a metaphor. The author, Lucy Dan, reflects on her struggle to convey the nuances of Mahjong in English, a game she understands in Cantonese but has never played. She draws a parallel to other concepts like mental health and her PhD dissertation that are more easily explained in one language over another. The page extends an invitation to various writers to tackle this challenge by contributing their own written pieces, whether in the form of poetry, short stories, or essays, to a publication called "The Brain is a Noodle." The author also promotes her recently published book of tiny poems and provides links to related articles on showcasing links on Instagram and a favorite word challenge.

Opinions

The author, Lucy Dan, admits to having difficulty explaining Mahjong in English, suggesting a deep-seated connection between language and cultural experiences.
She emphasizes the importance of sensory experiences and imagery in memory, as opposed to verbal descriptions.
The author believes that some concepts, such as mental health and academic topics, can be language-specific in their expression and understanding.
Lucy Dan values the multilingual and cross-cultural exchange of ideas, as evidenced by her discussion of language barriers and her invitation to a diverse group of writers.
The inclusion of a writing challenge and the promotion of her book indicate the author's commitment to fostering a community of writers and encouraging creative expression.

a poem and a writing challenge!

The click of mahjong tiles, it reverberates.

That finger reveal, that twist of wrist action when you call to “eat porridge”.

ah, words I don’t even have to communicate what’s in my brain.

Perhaps this is why I specifically remember images and sensory experiences of events rather than verbalize them into specific words.

#WritingPrompt: Are there experiences you have trouble verbalizing into words?

Hi I’m Lucy Dan 蛋小姐 (she/her/她) and my entire understanding of Mahjong is in Cantonese and I actually have a ridiculously hard time trying to explain it in English. Part of it is also because I don’t actually know how to play. I just recognize the components, the pictures on the tiles and the phrases people yell, from watching 1017123 Hong Kong dramas. Similarly, there are some things I can only explain in English but not in Cantonese. Mental health is one of them. My PhD dissertation is another. I barely learned the other day that the amygdala is literally translated into “the body of almond” in Cantonese! 📚📚 PS, I published a book of tiny poems!

Hop down the rabbit hole? 🐰🕳

#WritingPrompt: Are there experiences you have trouble verbalizing into words?

Mahjong Sounds

a poem and a writing challenge!

#WritingPrompt: Are there experiences you have trouble verbalizing into words?

Submit to 🧠The Brain is a Noodle🍜!

The Brain is a Noodle is inviting writers like you to submit poetry and articles!

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