(1639) MUSIC AND ME (Oct. 04, 2018) COUNTING THE CHICKS BEFORE BEING HATCHED

                              COUNTING THE CHICKS
             BEFORE BEING HATCHED

SPEECH BY THEIR LEADER IN JAPANESE
     Fifteen minutes prior to their enjoyable night of singing, the group's leader of VIP Japanese guests of Palau Royal Resort made an speech. I asked Jovy Rodriguez to take a photo of me at the new keyboard which I requested in July 2016 and arrived from Taiwan in November 11, 2016.
                     (Photo by Roberto Hernandez -- Taken by Jovy Rodriguez) 


Many times when somebody tease me to give them a part of my would be tips, I will get nothing as what happened in this event where wealthy Japanese guests are enjoying my music and they ordered 10 bottles of expensive Dom Perignon champagne for $800.00/ bottle!

Former bartender and now Shift Leader at Waves Restaurant of Palau Royal Resort Jovy Rodriguez tease me to give her some part of my would be tip from these guests.

She thought that because they are rich and enjoying the night, they will give me generous amount. BUT, what happened when you're already counting the chicks when the egg is not yet being hatched, you'll get nothing instead.
Like what happened here...

          ROBERT, YOU'RE A HERO 

 2 days earlier, I was informed that I might play at Breeze Bar earlier on Thu. Nov. 17, 2016 because of function for 28 Japanese guests, who will order 10 bottles of Dom Perignon champagne and it costs $800.00 per bottle.

                Yesterday, I played only a song at Waves Restaurant of PRR and they asked me already to play there. I set up the new keyboard in front of them, with 1 mike and I started with Sukiyaki Song, singing it. A guy took the mike and sang it by himself with the others singing along. 

                Jovy Rodriguez gave them my 2 Japanese song books. Mervin Lee Cuyugan also assisting. Jovy Rodriguez is joking already, asking a share if I get big tips. It is all Japanese songs live sing-along! 

                Kimito Itsumademo (sang twice), Oribia O Kikinagara, Sakeyo, Itoshino Elly, Kou Jou No Tsuki, Chako No Kaigan Monogatari, Kampai, Subaru, Ihoujin, Nada Sou Sou. 

                When I was about to play Kita Sakaba, here comes a guy with the same song request! Even the Chinese song Ye Lai Xiang was sung. I didn't know that it has Japanese version.

                 When they are almost ready to leave I sing Let it be. 3 guys sing with me sharing 1 mike. It is followed by Stand by Me, Imagine, Hana Wa Saku, and the last song, the theme from “Titanic” – My Heart Will Go On, sung by 3 of us.

                 While their leader is talking in the photo here, I ask Jovy Rodriguez for a photo with them. The 2nd one didn't go well as it is blurred. While taking my bag of song books, Mr. Muneyuki Joraku, PRR Sales Director, said to me, "Robert, you're a hero." Maybe he is referring to me as saving the night for the guests having good time with my music. I think they didn't enjoy the Palauan dancers that performed earlier. I have given about 5 of my cards to them.

It happened also during our Christmas party in Dec. 2017 and I will received a glass plaque, $100.00, a room accommodation for 2 with breakfast for being at Palau Royal Resort for 10 years (June 01, 2007).

At the entrance for registration, my gift that I have drawn is $50.00 cash. Later, when the management is giving away $100.00 cash for 5 lucky winners, I won one of them so I already had $250,00 cash!

Melvin Lee Cuyugan didn't know that I've got $50.00 from the registration and he started to tease me--"$200.00 plus another $70.00 for playing music later."

He is referring to what PRR is doing every Christmas party, that I will be playing a couple of songs and I will be paid for doing so. This time, I have requested Guylang to sing with me the Palauan song "Dil Dil Lomais" and if Melvin's words is right that I will be paid $70.00, I will give $20.00 to Guy.

It's raining heavily at that time and instead of singing more than a song, we sang only 1 song--Dil Dil Lomais. During the last part of the song, we shouted the Palauan words that the former President of Palau Johnson Toribiong has taught me more than 15 years ago --- "Algaron Dikid," which means "Thank God it's only us here".

When this photo was published in Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez, the management misunderstood the caption and thought that I am ruining the image of Palau Royal Resort with that short caption...

It resulted in me being paid by only $20.00 instead of $70.00 that Melvin is teasing me of receiving $70.00... another reason that "WE SHOULD NOT COUNT THE CHICKS YET UNTIL THE EGGS ARE HATCHED."



Sources: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
               Tia Belau Newspaper
               December 29, 2002 -- March 20, 2019

               Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
               The Beginning of Chess in Palau
               By Roberto Hernandez
               Soon to be published as a book

               Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez
               Tia Belau Newspaper
               March 15, 2012 -- April 18, 2013
               http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
               April 25, 2013 -- March 20, 2019

               The History of Chess in Palau
               By Roberto Hernandez
               June 09, 2002 -- March 20, 2019

(1632) MUSIC AND ME (Sept. 20, 2018) NUTRITIOUS FOOD AT PRR (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

NUTRITIOUS FOOD AT

PALAU ROYAL RESORT

(Breakfast,

Lunch,

Dinner)

Very few times that fruits, especially cantaloupe, are served during breakfast. That day on Sept. 26, 2017, there are lots of sliced cantaloupe. I just get 2 slices of it, 1 hard boiled egg, 1 sweet sausage (skinless longganisa), a cup of fried tofu with cucumber and onions with vinegar and 2 slices of lemon (calamansi) that goes to my herbal tea (pito-pito--seven herbs). After finishing the 2 slices of cantaloupe, I go back to get 2 more, and 2 more...







A day after my 61st birthday (Jan. 02, 2017) at Palau Royal Resort Cafeteria, I have a long conversation with PRR DOB Ma'am Michelle Liao, which is the longest talk we had in years.

Mostly our conversation is about my age, how many years I am older than my wife (6 years and 9 months), a little about music and chess and when she noticed that I am not eating the egg yolk of the hard boiled egg, she said, "You're not eating the egg yolk?"

I said, "Yes. Egg yolk has 60 calories while the "egg white" has only 15 calories. I eat the egg yolk if the style of cooking of the egg is scrambled. And you must eat only a maximum of 4 eggs a week."

I've got the list of "Calorie Counter" from my guitar/chess student Brandon Kyle Soriano.

In Oct. 25, 2017, breakfast food is like lunch food with 2 bananas, burger steak, sweet corn, leftover pastry with tuna inside from Waves Restaurant's breakfast buffet, fish soup (minestrone), cucumber, 3 calamansi and 2 slices of banana bread and as usual, herbal tea with drops of lemon. With this heavy breakfast, I usually take my lunch at 1 pm.


She said, "But your body needs the vitamin from the egg yolk."

One of the lady co-employees of mine at PRR noticed our long conversation and she said, "How interesting it is that you had that long conversation with Ma'am Michelle!"

More or less a year after our long conversation, I saw Ma'am Michelle brought a medium size ripe sour sop at the cafeteria and asked a cook there to slice it for her.
    And she was able to finished it all!
I have an opinion about this which my wife disagrees---
   Although sour sop is very good anti-cancer fruit, if you ate all of it in one sitting, you get that anti-cancer prevention for that day only. That's why whenever I buy a sour sop (mostly not ripe yet and it will take at least 3 days to ripe), I will slice it into 8 or 7 slices that is good for 1 week. In that case, I have the anti-cancer fruit for a week and not for only a day. It is like taking 7 multi vitamins in one day because you are lazy to take it daily. 

 During my first few years at Palau Royal Resort, I am not eating breakfast but take my lunch as early as 10:30 am (brunch) because I sleep late in the evening and skip breakfast to have longer sleep.

But it has changed when I come back from 2014 World Chess Olympiad in Tromso, Norway. Now I always take breakfast as the doctor ordered me not to skip the most important meal of the day, the breakfast.

       Many co-employees, including Daisy Maya, far right, noticed that me and Wilson Ledesma, who died while working in Maldives in early 2019, are wearing the same yellow t-shirt while eating at Cafeteria in exactly one year ago --March 13, 2018. I wearing that shirt when I took a vacation with my wife in 2011 when we evacuated from our house because of flooding. Me and my grandson Zach were televised when the ABS-CBN cameraman Mr. Mallari took a shot of us while transferring from the military truck that broke down in the middle of flooded street to their military truck where they are also evacuating and while doing so, he is taking shots of everything that's going on.

http://palau-chess.blogspot.com/2015/06/1011-my-unforgettable-philippine.html

Sources: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
               Tia Belau Newspaper
               December 29, 2002 -- March 13, 2019

               Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
               The Beginning of Chess in Palau
               By Roberto Hernandez
               Soon to be published as a book

               Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez
               Tia Belau Newspaper
               March 15, 2012 -- April 18, 2013
               http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
               April 25, 2013 -- March 13, 2019

              The History of Chess in Palau
              By Roberto Hernandez
              June 09, 2002 -- March 13, 2019

(1622) MUSIC AND ME (Sept. 06, 2018) THE MUSIC IS PERFECT

        THE MUSIC IS PERFECT




While I was in Batumi, Georgia for the 2018 World Chess Olympiad, this Good Job! review was posted at the bulletin board of Palau Royal Resort.

It was only when I come back from that trip (+8 days vacation to Philippines) in Oct. 12, that I saw this recognition.

I don't have any idea which guest gave this recognition until I review all the photos that I have in the month of Aug., September, October and November and these are all I've got.....

I think that the father of this Taiwanese/Chinese girl is the one mentioned me with "The Music is Perfect". This girl can play a little piano. I let her play for a couple of songs. Troy Manatad, right, is watching her play and posed when I asked for a photograph.

The next day, the father and son came at Breeze Bar where I play keyboard instrumental music from 9-11 pm after playing 2 hours of piano music at the Waves Restaurant.

The father had a music score for her daughter to play. There are 2 tables of bar guests at that time. I let her play for a few minutes. When the father insists that she play some more, I told him that I am playing there for 2 hours to satisfy the guests and not the 2 of them. He understands it as they are not ordering drinks to have the hotel have at least a minimum of sale or profit.

Sources: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
               Tia Belau Newspaper
               December 29, 2002 -- February 04, 2019

               Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
               The Beginning of Chess in Palau
               By Roberto Hernandez
               Soon to be published as a book

               Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez
               Tia Belau Newspaper
               March 15, 2012 -- April 18, 2013
               http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
               April 25, 2013 -- February 04, 2019

               The History of Chess in Palau
               By Roberto Hernandez
               June 09, 2002 -- February 04, 2019

(1573) MUSIC AND ME (Aug. 16, 2018) D. BANTIGUE -- PIANO TUNER FROM PHILIPPINES

D. BANTIGUE --

PIANO TUNER FROM

PHILIPPINES

From Dec. 12-13, 2001, I tuned and repaired 4 pianos at I Love Music school. The owner of the music school Tua Tmetchul jokingly told me, "So you know how to fix and tune a piano. If I have known you can do that earlier, I shouldn't hired piano tuners from Philippines where I have pay for their airfare, accommodation and service fee."

Ma'am Tua Tmetchul is one of Amante Caballero's employer when he is working at Airai View Hotel.

 Earlier this year, March 09, 2018, I tuned the piano of Ngirai Tmetchul, her son, while teaching Ngirai's daughter Yars piano. I come to their house 2 hours earlier to tune the piano and cancel the lessons.

 Ngirai and his wife left for a few hours and while tuning the piano, I noticed the dates of piano tuning by a tuner from Philippines D. Bantigue. The dates are Oct. 11, 1990; Aug. 28, 1991; Sept. 07, 1992; Oct. 11, 1994; Jan. 03, 1995; Sept. 23, 2004 and my tuning date--March 02, 2018.

Sources: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
               Tia Belau Newspaper
               December 29, 2002 -- September 20, 2018

               Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
               The Beginning of Chess in Palau
               By Roberto Hernandez
               Soon to be published as a book

               Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez
               Tia Belau Newspaper
               March 15, 2012 -- April 18, 2013
               http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
               April 25, 2013 -- September 20, 2018

               The History of Chess in Palau
               By Roberto Hernandez
               June 09, 2002 -- September 20, 2018

(1566) MUSIC AND ME-328 (July 26, 2018) $70.00 TIP FROM A JAPANESE FAMILY AND PALAUAN BIRTHDAY CELEBRANT

$70.00 TIP FROM A

JAPANESE FAMILY and

Palauan Birthday Celebrant

This Japanese family enjoyed the food and music at the Waves Restaurant of Palau Royal Resort and proceed at the Breeze Bar and enjoyed more Japanese and international music with me for another 2 hours. The lady at left gave me an additional $20.00 tip after I've got $40.00 from them at Waves Restaurant. Their mom, enjoyed also the music and I made her cry with my rendition of old Japanese and American songs. She hugged me tightly when these photos were taken.

In July 25, 2018, while I was playing piano at Waves Restaurant of Palau Royal Resort, I didn't know that the family at the right hand corner of the restaurant are Japanese. Then, a Japanese girl is watching me play. To test her nationality, I played the Sukiyaki song and she sings with me to the lyrics to the amazement of her father. Only then that I realized that they are Japanese. I gave the girl my card and she showed it to her family members. I can see some of them take a very good look at the card because it has my name written in Russian, English and Japanese.

I told this Japanese family that I've been to Japan in April 04-Sept. 28, 1982 in Hayashida Hotel at Kagoshima City. Because of strong internet connection now in Palau since Dec. 7, 2017, they were able to search the Hayashida Hotel and found out that it's not existing anymore. They also search the song "Anak" by Freddie Aguilar, whom I said to them that he always sing the original version of "Anak" wherever he goes as the original is always the best. I mentioned to them that it was recorded in many languages like Japanese, Italian, English, Korean, etc. They search again the "Anak" and learned the meaning of its lyrics in Japanese. They requested me to sing it in Tagalog and I sang it with expression that made their mother cry.

A boy from the Japanese family looked at my Japanese song book and he requested "Roppongi Rarabai" and I asked him if he can sing it. And he did! It's my first time to hear a Japanese singing that song. The chorus of the song is so good that I can play with expression on that part.

There is a Palauan birthday celebrant close to their table and the staff sang Happy Birthday To You song with me playing the piano enthusiastically and at the end of that song, I played the upbeat Japanese song "Chako No Kaigan Monogatari".

Later, a Palauan guy gave me $10.00 tips all in 1 dollar bill.

Sources: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
               Tia Belau Newspaper
               December 29, 2002 -- September 03, 2018

               Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
               The Beginning of Chess in Palau
               By Roberto Hernandez
               Soon to be published as a book

               Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez
               Tia Belau Newspaper
               March 15, 2012 -- April 18, 2013
               http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
               April 25, 2013 -- September 03, 2018

              The History of Chess in Palau
              By Roberto Hernandez
              June 09, 2002 -- September 03, 2018

(1563) MUSIC AND ME -325 (July 19, 2018) HALF NAKED GENEROUS JAPANESE GUESTS

HALF-NAKED GENEROUS

JAPANESE GUESTS

ALMOST the whole month of June, 2018, we have a regular Japanese guests (3 of them) that mostly talking. The guy sitting at right always give me tips of $3.00 or $5.00 while requesting Carpenters songs, old American songs, Beatles songs, etc. and sometimes Japanese songs.

In the last weeks of June, 2018, one of them is always half-naked while at the Breeze Bar of Palau Royal Resort.

On June 26, 2018, I didn't know that it's their last night in Palau. The cashier Len Pielago had a photo session with them. The guy at right, sitting, gave me $20.00 this time.When it's 11:00 pm, before punching out of work (duty) I go to their table and have photo session with them saying, "It's my turn to have photo session with you, guys!"

Sources: 

Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez

December 29, 2002 -- August 29, 2018

Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)

The Beginning of Chess in Palau

By Roberto Hernandez

Soon to be published as a book

Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez

Tia Belau Newspaper

March 15, 2012 -- April 18, 2013

http://palau-chess.blogspot.com

April 25, 2013 -- August 29, 2018

The History of Chess in Palau

By Roberto Hernandez

June 09, 2002 -- August 29, 2018

(1552) MUSIC AND ME -322 (June 28, 2018) A GROUP OF JAPANESE ENJOYED MY MUSIC FOR 2 NIGHTS

A GROUP OF JAPANESE ENJOYED MY MUSIC FOR 2 NIGHTS

On June 04, 2018, there is a group of Japanese musicians that requested a lot of songs to me. One is a drummer, the other one is singer, no keyboard player but with bass guitar player, who gave me $10.00 tip. They enjoyed that night with singing and requesting songs including "September" by Earth, Wind and Fire; Songs of Billy Joel, Japanese song "Tsunami", etc.

The next night, they all sit at the very far end of Breeze Bar but I still played their requested songs but instrumental only. Unlike in their first night, I always sing their requested songs.

I am surprised that they are leaving so early. But they have Japanese friends near the swimming pool and they go back and sit at the table very close to me.

At first, they are just talking so I played songs that I wanted to play without expression.

Then comes the older Japanese guy with hat (the guy at the left of the first photo.)

He started singing with some unfamiliar song among Japanese like "Days of Wine and Roses".

He gave me $10.00 tips and that's the start of their singing. I gave them my songbooks (American and Japanese) for them to look and more Japanese joined their group including the middle aged Japanese lady who always dance when the song that they are singing has fast tempo. She danced when I sing/play the Hawaiian medley of Baby Blue, Pearly Shells, Blue Hawaii and Tiny Bubbles. 

She later gave me another $10.00 tip. She is the lady 2nd from left in the first photo

I took a selfie with the guy (with hat) and another guy that gave me another $10.00 tip (right). He cannot speak much English and requesting Japanese songs by just humming the melody.

I can't let go not to take photo of the dancing and generous lady (right), with the group of musicians except the other younger lady.

The next day, June 06, they are back at the same table. The generous and dancing lady came late and no tip from her this time. I saw the guy in the middle at Waves Restaurant when I playing instrumental music there, borrowing umbrella from the Palau Royal Resort staff because it's raining hard. When I come there, the rain stopped.

They enjoyed more singing but no dancing this time. The guy at right is drunk already since borrowing umbrella at Waves Restaurant.

The guy with hat sang another unfamiliar song to Japanese "All of Me".

Before I stopped playing at 11 pm, he asked the 'umbrella' guy if he gave me tip (chipu) already. He said "kinoo" (yesterday). The guy with hat specify "kyo" (today?). When he didn't answer, the guy with hat gave me $20.00 tip.





Sources: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
               Tia Belau Newspaper
               December 29, 2002 -- August 05, 2018

               Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
               The Beginning of Chess in Palau
               By Roberto Hernandez
               Soon to be published as a book

               Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez
               Tia Belau Newspaper
               March 15, 2012 -- April 18, 2013
               http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
               April 25, 2013 -- August 05, 2018

               The History of Chess in Palau
                By Roberto Hernandez
                June 09, 2002 -- August 05, 2018