The Chinese boy in the middle enjoys it when I'm rolling my fingers all the way to his underarm to 'tease' him because there are no more keys of the piano at the right end of it. I did it to him before the chorus of the most popular Taiwanese/Chinese song "Yue Liang Dai Biao Wo De Xin".
(Photo by Roberto Hernandez)
ANOTHER WAY TO 'TEASE' KIDS
WITH MUSIC
WHEN I was first learning to play marimba, Loving Dionisio, my cousin and one of my guitar/bamboo flute teachers, used to 'tease' me when he is playing the marimba --- he will hit the highest note of the marimba and if there are no more wooden keys, he will hit softly the arms, underarms or even the head of the person who are near the right end of the marimba.
It's one of his 'tricks' that elicit a smile from his students. He teaches boys and girls that are members of schools' "rondalla", a group of musicians that play guitars, marimba, banduria, octavina, drums, bajo de arco (acoustic big bass).
They use the xylophone instead of marimba when they are performing like a marching band. Loving is very popular that he earns extra by teaching students in their home for those who like their kids to improve faster in their preferred instruments.
Sometimes I go with him to teach kids so that I can learn also because I'm just a beginner with guitar at that time. I met the parents, their other kids and even the sister of my high school classmate. I also learned how to tune all those instruments.
MY ROOMMATE IN AUSTRALIA ALSO PLAYS FLUTE
Australia's
top Grandmaster (GM) Zhong-Yuan Zhao, right, plays the real flute as
hobby. He's the roommate of Roberto Hernandez during the 2009 Oceania
Zonal Chess Championship in Australia where Palau was represented for
the first time.
(Photo by Joselito Marcos)
MY STORY OF THE BAMBOO FLUTE
By Roberto HernandezIt was in the early 1970’s that my third cousin Loving Dionisio asked me and my father (who passed away in 2009 at 92 years old) to make a bamboo flute out of a very thin variety of bamboo of about 22 inches long.
My father
did the heating of an iron bar and we started making holes in that thin bamboo
called “buho”. Eight holes were made for left and right hand fingers (small (pinky),
ring, middle and forefinger). There’s a need for extra hole near the end of the
bamboo to balance the key pitch. A bigger hole for the mouth to blow and to
produce a marvelous and soft sound especially if the one using it had
experiences with blowing instruments like Loving, a music teacher and a Bb
clarinet player in a marching band. He teaches “rondalla” to school kids
(elementary and high school).
His father,
Marcelino ‘Ninoy’ Dionisio, was a music professor and teaches kids from rich
family in Forbes Park
and Magallanes Village. He can play with two saxophones
in his mouth at a time! His eight kids all learned to play musical instruments
or singers. That’s why they reach the finals of ABS-CBN “The Family That Sings
Together, Stays Together” with Pepe Pimentel.
Loving and
his dad won numerous awards and trophies in playing instrumental music (sax,
guitar, clarinet, ocarina, pan flute and our invention – bamboo flute.)
My vast
improvement in guitar playing was because of Loving, who taught me the chords
while he’s playing the bamboo flute, a very rare and harder to play because
there are some sharp and flat notes that need to be played with one of the hole
covered only half-way.
We became
popular in our town as the “Matt and Jess” of Hagonoy, Bulacan in Philippines because
of our size similarity to those two popular characters. Loving is short and
chubby while I’m tall and skinny.
We were
invited to perform in Fort Bonifacio in front of military personnel and to other
provinces even without pay just to gain experience and promoting the bamboo
flute. Free transport and food is good enough for us.
When we
attended a town feast in Paombong, Bulacan, we ride in tandem on a bicycle with
me pedaling it to save on bus fare so that we can play on stage on that night.
My cousin
Willy Hernandez also taught me some pointers in playing guitar. He plays the
French horn in a marching band, mostly on funerals and feasts.
When I’m
working at The Plaza Restaurant in Makati
in 1972, I go home only once a week. In that period, Loving formed “Musikong
Bungbong”, a bamboo musical group. He was able to get the interest of
neighboring kids and they joined the rare group. Bigger kids will play the
biggest bamboo instrument as bass. The bigger “buho” alternating sounds with
bass. He asked for my help to build a marimba out of fully grown and old “ipil-ipil”
tree. Lots of experiments and drilling holes in the hard wood resulted in a
very original marimba, to replace xylophone which is usually metal.
I didn’t
realize it then that by learning to play bamboo flute, guitar and marimba will
make me be myself today.
The
“Musikong Bungbong” had its first hurdle when Loving met Paul Toledo in 1974.
Mr. Toledo is the founder of “Pangkat Kawayan”, who became popular worldwide
because of the rare kind of music that bamboo can produce. He threatened to sue
Loving if he will continue with his “Musikong Bungbong”, that didn’t use
“angklung” in the group. It is another percussion bamboo instrument that
produces a sound by shaking it. In fact, it is used in every cultural show that
the Polynesian Dancers are doing at The Plaza Restaurant. Before the end of the
show, they will invite 8 guests to play 8 “angklung” (in Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol,
La, Ti and Do tunes). The host will point to the person to shake it and they
can play “Do-Re-Mi” with those to the delight of other guests.
The meeting
with Mr. Toledo somehow diminished Loving’s interest to pursue the promotion of
bamboo flute. And when I worked in Palau in February 04, 1992 till now, I went
home to Philippines only seven times, in 1993, 1995, 1997, 2004, 2009, (6 days only
and 11 days in Australia) 2010, (6 days only and 16 days in Russia), and 2011.
Loving
suffered a stroke due to high blood pressure in mid 90’s and affected his
hands. He can not play the clarinet and bamboo flute anymore. He also had
hearing problem and he can’t afford expensive hearing aid.
When I
talked to him during my vacation in 2004, I have to shout so he can hear me.
He passed
away in 2009 and with a new development that’s going on, I might continue the
legacy of “Musikong Bungbong” even in other country that can support its rare
existence. Even to the extent of importing “buho” and other materials from
Philippines if the other country doesn’t have that kind of bamboo grown locally
especially that bamboo being use in making that flute because it is very easy
to break.
I would
like also to keep its name “Musikong Bungbong” as a tribute to Loving Dionisio,
a friend, a teacher, a father, a musician, an innovator and the biggest
influence to my musical career.
Source: Music and Me
By Roberto Hernandez
By Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
Volume 21
Issue 18
April 05, 2012
I
was able to apply that 'trick' while playing piano at Palau Royal
Resort. Recently, the boy in the photo is impress with my playing that
he position himself at the right end of the piano while his sisters just
watch from the same side.Volume 21
Issue 18
April 05, 2012
At the end of the first stanza of the Taiwanese/Chinese song "Yue Liang Dai Biao Wo De Xin", both of my hands are quickly accelerating to the right side before the refrain of the song. Upon seeing the boy still very close to the last keys of the piano, I pretend to still playing the piano but no more keys that's why I have to put my right hand to his arms and then to his underarm and tickle him.
The girls liked it and I did it again with a different Taiwanese/Chinese song, with the same effect.
Two of the girls are very curious earlier about my 4 business cards displayed at the right side of the piano so I gave them each my card.
Since the influx of tourists from Mainland China, I notice that kids are very much interested to have my card. If they are shy, they will ask their mother or father to go near me and pointed at the card. Most of the time, I will not disappoint them. Sometimes I gave a kid my card twice because they looked the same. Lately, I am selecting only those whom I'd like to give because I'm paying now for printing my own cards because the management only issues business cards only to managers since January 2013.
In January 2013,
I ordered 3 packs of business cards ( 100 pieces in each box) for my
one year usage. The management said that they issue cards now for
managers only. Ella, the Secretary of General Manager, told me to make
my own.
Instead
of 2 logos of Palau Royal Resort (one in regular and one in Japanese
characters), I decided that since I am spending my own money for this
card, I take out the one written in Japanese characters and make the
logo of Pentecostal Missionary Church of Christ (4th Watch) Palau Locale
almost twice the size in the 'free' cards. The management spent about
$5.00 for a box of 100 business cards. Giving away about 300 cards a
year is a very cheap way to promote PRR even in Australia, Russia,
Turkey, Philippines and Norway.
Now, the logo of PRR is very small. The PMCC logo is 20
times bigger now. I added my time schedule to it: playing music 4 hours
from 7-11pm (Sat. - Thu.). No more fax number and Reservation Hot Line.
I retained the Katakana characters and put those under my photo.
The other side is this:
I
added here the General Secretary instead of Secretary/Treasurer because
we have elected Palau Chess Federation Treasurer in Dennis Gonzales.
FIDE Instructor was also added even though I haven't have yet the ID
because I topped the FIDE Trainers' Seminar conducted by FIDE C.E.O
Geoffrey Borg in April 2014.
The
P. O. Box 1662 was changed to P. O. Box 295 because the former is the
P. O. Box of Eugenio Pastrana and the P. O. Box 295 is Eric Ksau Whipps
post office box number.
We
paid 100 euros for that card while the 6 National Instructors (NI) paid
50 euros each aside from the same amount to 7 other Developmental
Instructors (DI). We got our IDs at the 2014 World Chess Olympiad in
Tromso, Norway (Aug. 01-14, 2014).
(Photo by Roberto Hernandez)
This is almost the complete list of info for the card. The gmail email address was removed as it is not being used often. Some additional info will be added like: President 2008-2010
Vice President 2015
The http://www.palau-royal-resort.com will be deleted and will be replaced by the Chinese character of Palau Royal Resort.
New Executive Chef Daisuki Kunii has free business cards from management that's why he gives his cards to all guests that he meets.
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2223213667651635496#editor/target=post;postID=7414187925551829187;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=185;src=link
The Uehara family came to Palau
Royal Resort again on March 29, 2014. They have this photo with new Executive
Chef Daisuke Kunii. Roberto asked them to come back to Palau again in July,
before leaving for Norway for the 2014 World Chess Olympiad. The Uehara family
comes to Palau at least 4 times a year. They missed the New Year’s Eve
Countdown because PRR was fully booked at that time. (Photo by Roberto Hernandez- Taken by Edwin Acuyan)
EFFECTIVE OCT. 15, 2015
PALAU RETIREMENT AGE IS
62 YEARS
ON JUNE 10, 2014, Roberto Hernandez went to the Social Security
Administration office to check his INDIVIDUAL WAGE HISTORY With Taxes Paid.
He was informed that the retirement age will be 62 years
effective Oct. 15, 2015. HE WILL MISS IT BY 2 AND A HALF MONTHS!
He will be 60 years old on Jan. 02, 2016. He has to wait for
another 2 years and 2 months to get his pension in 2018.
The bold figures indicate that his former employer for 13 years,
Margarita Borja Dalton, didn't post Social Security payments from 1998-2003 (6
years).
Those 6 years of unpaid dues will really affect his future pension.
The Administrator is in a very important meeting at that time so he was not
able to talk to him.
Eight days later, he was able to talk to the Administrator, Mr.
John Markub, who also said that the non-payment of Margie will really
affect his pension and that he talked to her already about it and they agreed
that Margie will try her best to settle the non-posted wages even by installment.
Thirty eight (38) total quarters must be posted to be eligible
for Social Security pension. Roberto got 56, not including the 23 that Margie
hadn't posted.
Roberto got 2 quarters from
Elena Sings, his first employer in Palau from Feb. 04-July 26, 1992. After
that, he worked for 13 years to Margarita Borja Dalton under Micronesian
Business Design dba Image Restaurant and got 22 quarters from 1992-1997.
He’s got 2 quarters from Teppan
Dragon Japanese Restaurant in 2006 and another 3 quarters at Donburi Dragon in
2006-2007.
And finally, he’s got 28 quarters
from JAL HOTELS CO., LTD-PALAU (Palau Royal Resort) from June 01, 2007-Present.
The 9 members of Palau Chess
Team to 2014 World Chess Olympiad in Tromso, Norway had a meeting at Bethlehem
Park on June 16 at 5:30 pm.
They agreed to apply by group in
acquiring Schengen visa because it’s more convenient. They will leave on July
15 and will go to the Royal Norwegian Embassy on July 17 for interview and
finger printing. They will buy also travel insurance along the perimeter of the
embassy. It must cover at least 30,000 euros and the cost is about $150.00.
Cyril’s wife and 2 kids had gone
already for vacation in June 13 while Gladys left on June 17, a day after the
meeting. The renting of hotel/rooms was cancelled and all members will stay in
Manila for at least a couple of days.
Cyril will stay with Roberto for
2 days before they proceed to their respective provinces. Bernard is having
second thoughts and might apply individually. He and Roberto got their Verification
of Deposit Notice, one of the requirements in getting Schengen visa on
Thursday, June 19.
Solution to last week’s puzzle:
1. …Qf1+!! 2. Rxf1 Rxf1+ 3. Kg2 Nxe3 mate.
This week’s puzzle: Black to
move and mates in 3 (Solution next issue)
Source: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
Page 9
Volume 23
Issue 50
June 23, 2014
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