Yesterday, soon after I made my post announcing my return to Ogiue Maniax, I decided to get in a game of online mahjong. I figured, it would be a good way to settle in, to get comfortable with my new surroundings in a way walking around taking in the environment doesn’t (though I did that as well so no hikikomori antics here).

While I did not do so well for the first game I played, the second game brought a very pleasant surprise.

What you see here is my second ever Yakuman against human opponents. Unlike my previous one however, it fortunately doesn’t require a whole lot of explaining.

For those of you who haven’t read my previpus mahjong posts, “Yakuman” are the highest-scoring hands in mahjong, and by extension also the most difficult to achieve. The one I achieved here is called “Sousuushi,” or the “Lesser Four Joys.” It’s also known as the “Lesser Four Winds,” as all of the tiles necessary to achieve this Yakuman are designated as the “Wind” tiles.

Now I have only been in the Netherlands for a few days now, but one thing I’ve noticed is that it is always windy. At first I figured it was just the time of the year, but according to the locals this is the norm. There’s a reason the Nether Gundam is a windmill, after all. Having scored a wind-based Yakuman while I’m in a country that’s known for being windy, I can’t help but feel that’s a sign of good things to come. Call me silly or perhaps even “occult,” but it gave me some joy after all. Not an overwhelming amount mind you, but it’s still there.

So what I’m saying is, if you’re in Ireland and you manage to get an “All Green,” you’re good to go.