SHANGHAI RUMMY GROUP INVITES CLUB MEMBERS BY NIKKI HOFFMAN

The word “Shanghai” conjures up images of old movies (think Shanghai Express with Marlene Dietrich) and more recent ones (Empire of the Sun, Mission Impossible III). Intrigue and excitement are synonymous with the name. For history buffs, the port city of Shanghai is fascinating. The two Chinese characters in the city’s name mean “Upon the Sea.” By 1700, Shanghai had a population of about 50,000, making it a large and prosperous port exporting silks, tea and porcelain.In the 19th century, clipper ships in the China trade required much labor. This gave rise to the practice of kidnapping people to serve as sailors by coercive techniques using trickery and deception. Since Shanghai was a common destination for ships with abducted crews, the modern term means to put someone into an undesirable position by pretense.Shanghai has a different association for one group of Harbor Hills women. Every Friday afternoon, they gather for an intricate game of Shanghai rummy. The object is for players to organize all their cards into sets. Play ends once a player has arranged all her cards into sets or melds. This is called “going out” because the player has played the last card in her hand.Country Club member Fran Novak loves the game and has played for years. “It makes you think,” she explains, “and you get a chance to catch up with neighbors and happenings in the community.”Bring your nickels, dimes and quarters and join enthusiastic members for the weekly play. All members of Harbor Hills Country Club are invited and encouraged to join. Contact Alexis Frame at john-frame@comcast.net for information.