Three hundred students in two months at a studio near Canonsburg

South of Pittsburgh, in the Town Center at Southpointe, a storefront of about 1,000 square feet has become one of the busiest American Mahjong rooms in western Pennsylvania. The Mahji Bird opened in August, and according to a November 7 report by Rick Shrum in the Observer-Reporter, about 300 students took lessons there in its first two months. The paper reports that the studio was nearly fully booked through the end of the year.

The owner is Michele Humphreys, a Peters Township resident who grew up in McCandless and, per the report, started playing the game only a few years ago. She has signed a three year lease on the space at 1800 Main Street, just off Interstate 79 in Cecil Township.

Six tables and a teacher at every one

The room holds six Mahjong tables, the Observer-Reporter says, along with shelves of tiles, mats and accessories for sale. Lessons are led by instructor Erin Baxter, and the paper describes learners driving in from Mt. Lebanon, Upper St. Clair and Peters Township to sit down with her.

The studio's own website calls it "Pittsburgh's first Mahjong studio and retail boutique" and promises lessons for every level and open play five days a week. Its lessons page lists a beginner course called Mahj 101, a second course on strategy and guided play, an advanced strategy session and stand alone guided play, offered as small group classes, one on one instruction and special workshops. Prices are not posted on the site, so a reader should ask when booking.

Humphreys was clear with the paper about which game the studio teaches, and about where it came from. In her words, as reported: "We play American mahjong, but we still honor the Chinese traditions."

“We play American mahjong, but we still honor the Chinese traditions.”Michele Humphreys, to the Observer-Reporter

Part of a busy Pittsburgh season

The Mahji Bird is not working alone. In a September 24 feature, Pittsburgh Magazine described a city full of meetups, teachers and clubs, and named the studio in Southpointe as Pittsburgh's first studio and retail boutique for the game. The same piece reported a second room, a space called Dot Dot Darling, opening in Sewickley this fall, and a local chapter of a ladder league that schedules its own games.

What stands out in the Observer-Reporter's account is the pace. Three hundred students in roughly eight weeks is far more than a single teacher's dining room could ever hold, and it suggests how many people around Pittsburgh had been waiting for someone to show them the card.

The studio lists its hours as Tuesday from 10 AM to 8 PM, Thursday from 2 to 9 PM, and Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 AM to 4 PM. Its phone number, (724) 249 1137, is posted on the site, and its calendar also shows a holiday Mahj Giving Brunch.

OOTT is not affiliated with The Mahji Bird and does not sell sets. This story reports what the Observer-Reporter, Pittsburgh Magazine and the studio's own site say.

Prim's view

This is Prim's opinion. A studio that fills its calendar in two months has done something more than open a shop. It has given hundreds of newcomers a table where they are expected, a teacher who knows their name, and a reason to come back next week.

I am especially glad to read that the owner speaks of the game's Chinese roots with respect while teaching the American game she loves. That is exactly the right spirit for a new room, and a fine lesson for the students who will carry the tiles home to their own friends.

If you live south of Pittsburgh and have been meaning to learn, the booking calendar is filling. I would call soon and bring a friend. Four chairs is the smallest table there is, and it is always easier to fill when you arrive with one already taken.