Hello, I’m Karina Brooks
I was born in Venezuela and have called Texas home for more than 20 years. My career has been in corporate communications, mostly in the energy and sustainability industries.
When I became an empty nester, I went looking for a new hobby and found American Mahjong. What started as a game quickly became a passion: the strategy, the community, the beautiful tiles, the table décor, all of it.
I earned my certification through the Oh My Mahjong Mahji Mentor program and founded Casa Bucare to bring people together and share something I love.
I teach small private groups of friends, family and referred clients, in English and Spanish, with the patience of a mentor and the warmth of a Venezuelan host.
Why “Bucare”?
In Venezuela, the bucare is a tall tree that bursts into brilliant red-orange blossoms every year, and is often planted to shade coffee and cacao. For me it is a reminder of home: colour, warmth and long afternoons with family. Casa Bucare, “the bucare house”, is my way of bringing that feeling to the Mahjong table: a welcoming place where friends gather, learn and bloom together. That is why our logo is a bucare flower with a tile at its heart, and why our motto is “Bloom at the table.”