CAUSEWAY AND LAGOON IN THE BACKGROUND
Ma. Florida Miranda Hernandez had a solo photo (in 1996) with the lagoon and Causeway in the background. During low tides of the months of March-September, Roberto and some Palauans are fishing there using the sea cucumber's intestine (ngims in Palau language) as bait.
SINGING PALAUAN SONGS
WHILE FISHING AT LAGOON
DURING the months of March-September, the low tide at the front of Image Restaurant in Ngerkebesang Hamlet is really very low and about 3-hour long low tide. Just enough for a good fisherman to catch 20-30 assorted reef fishes (rabbit fish, grouper, white and red snapper, parrot fish and sometimes barracuda.
Roberto is working only in the evening (7-12 pm) so he's got time to go to the lagoon by walking. On his way, he will cut and gather the intestines of sea cucumber and use it as bait as he learned from a local who fish differently --after he catch a small fish (white snapper), he will bite it at the head and throw it away again in the water.
That's the time that he will gather the small lines (5-10 lbs.) so that it will not entangle.
Roberto found out that style to be time consuming and he'll do it differently. After catching a fish, he will let the fishing line float on the water, get the fish off the hook and put it in his big line (3 feet green line being used for cutting grass).
He will put bait again and throw the line to about 4 meters. It will not reach the bottom of the lagoon and small fish will bite.
If there are few bites, he will transfer to another spot. There are times that fish are not really hungry and he'd catch only about 12-15.
One unlucky afternoon, he tried different spots and still not lucky to catch less than 10.
While going back to Image Restaurant, he saw a group of young boys from Echang, a small hamlet near Image Restaurant where the residents are not original Palauan but from Southwest Island.
When a very strong typhoon hit that island, they were relocated by the Germans to Echang. They speak different language but everybody learned Palau language because they have settled there conveniently.
The young boys are having a good time. There are bites so Roberto joined them but not as lucky as them.
HE TRIED SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO ATTRACT THE FISHES...
He sings Palauan song "Dil Dil Lomais" and presto! he caught a medium size rabbit fish.
He told the boys, "Fish here likes Palauan song." They all laughed. They understand what Roberto is singing BUT HE HIMSELF DIDN'T!
When asked by Japanese guests if he understands what's the meaning of Japanese songs that he is singing, he will say to them, "I can sing Japanese songs but IMI WAKARANAI!" which means "I don't know the meaning".
"I can sing Italian, Spanish, Palauan, French, Chamorro, Chinese songs but IMI WAKARANAI!
There was a time also that Roberto is fishing all alone at one of the lagoon. He used to wear long sleeve shirt, denim pants, a cap and will always cover his face with a t-shirt so that his skin will be protected from the sun.
Then a Palauan musician (Kasiano Sugiyama) is also fishing at the same lagoon. He caught a small rabbit fish and kill it with his small knife before casting a line again.
He noticed that Roberto catches more than him but didn't know it's him. He sold a Yamaha PSR 400 keyboard to Roberto in 1997 for $175.00.
That keyboard helped Roberto to earn more or less $20,000.00 in 10 years for tutoring, playing on weddings, at Rose Garden Resort for 11 months, farewell party of Taiwan Ambassador and more than a year he used it at Palau Royal Resort from 2007-2008.
Kasiano can't take it anymore. Being beaten in fishing by a foreigner. He moves closer to Roberto and said, "Do you have license to fish?"
Roberto didn't say a word. He said some more sentence, "I work at Koror state. I can report you fishing without license."
That's the time that Roberto took off the shirt that covers his face. When Kasiano realized whom he's talking to, he said, "Fuck, ole (friend). It's okay, you can fish here."
He asked him again, "Robert, why you catch more fish than me?"
Roberto's reply made him laugh... "I use Ajinomoto (monosodium glutamate) in my bait."
They talked some more about music. He's a recording artist with some songs that he can't sing with Palauan band like "Skem". When he sung it with Roberto and Wilson at Image Restaurant, he was amazed that they know the chords arrangement of that song.
Source: Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
The Beginning of Chess In Palau
By Roberto Hernandez
March 2014
To be published as a book in the future
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