(1359) MUSIC AND ME (/Feb. 09, 2017) NO TIPS BUT ENJOYED WITH A VARIETY OF GUESTS

            A day before my 33rd wedding anniversary with my wife Flor Miranda-Hernandez, (Sept. 24, 2016) there’s a Japanese boy who come to me when I ask him, "Let's play piano". 

           His mom is surprised when I said to him, "watashiwa anata ni oshiete piano aikimasu", which means " I will teach you piano".

            He sits on my lap and we play "Chopstick" while holding his 2 right fingers. His mom took a video of that extra ordinary scenario. 

            She is more impressed when we play the Japanese song "Kimito Itsumademo" using only his 1 finger. Later his dad came and took these photos. The boy's name is Ken. 

Sources: Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez
               Tia Belau Newspaper
               March 15, 2012 -- April 18, 2013
               http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
               April 25, 2013 -- March 26, 2017

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

(1123) MUSIC AND ME (aPRIL 07, 2016) $62.00 TIP ON aPRIL 14, 2016

A CHINESE LADY AND A PALAUAN GIRL POSING AT THE PIANO
    The Palauan girl in the middle is just 'playing' around with Roberto Hernandez, the resident musician of Palau Royal Resort. The Chinese lady took advantage of the chance to have photo with the 'duo'. She gave Roberto $2.00 tip and it's the start of getting $60.00 more tips at the Breeze Bar from a Japanese couple. The polo shirt that Roberto is wearing is a gift from Bruce and Violet Soriano on Christmas day. It's a lucky shirt because every time Roberto is wearing it, he receives tips at least $10.00 in each occasion.
                                              (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)






       $62.00 TIP ON APRIL 14, 2016

  

IT WAS a busy night at Waves Restaurant of Palau Royal Resort on April 14, 2016. While I am playing international songs (Japanese, American, Palauan, Chinese and Filipino music), there’s a Chinese lady who is passing around/behind me while looking at the way I play the piano (complicated chords, using 3 damper pedals and carried away by soft or upbeat tempo).

                Later, a Palauan girl from a family of Palauans started playing the keys of the piano. She plays it softly and it doesn’t bother me at all. Knowing she can ‘play’ along with piano keys, her touch of the keys gets harder and louder until it was ordered by Ma’am Michelle Liao to stop her from playing.

                I’ve got an idea to ‘settle’ her down. I let her sit beside me and ask a staff to take a shot of us. The Chinese lady is around so I ask her to join in the photo session and we have 2 shots taken. Later, the Chinese lady gave me $2.00 tip. I gave her my card and gave the Palauan girl my card, too.

                That’s a positive start of getting tips. I’ve been ‘unlucky’ in the past few days with tips. At 9pm, I proceed to Breeze Bar to play another 2 hours of keyboard music. The keyboard has been defective in more than a week. Six keys are not functioning and more than 3 months ago, the right speaker has a hissing sound that bothers my music students (Yoko Tomita, Shane Tsao Abellera and Norma Neriquita). I decided to open the keyboard and unhooked the right side speaker and there’s no more hissing sound but the volume is lower because only one speaker is working.

                I asked Ramiro Torre of Engineering Department to take a look at it. It takes more than an hour and still he can’t fix the hissing sound. He just put back the speaker in ‘unhooked’ mode.

                We have a Japanese couple at Breeze Bar very close to keyboard while I’m setting it. I knew that they are excited to listen to my music so I gave them my 2 song books (Japanese and American songs).

I started playing Japanese and once in a while, American songs which the couple appreciated whatever music I played, especially Japanese songs.

              They had a good time for almost 2 hours singing and requesting Japanese and American songs. I gave them my card and told them some stories about my experiences in Palau.

             I played for them many songs esp. Japanese like "Kimito Itsumademo, Kampai, Kawa No Nagareno Yo Ni, Koko Ni Sachiari, Wakaretemo Sukinahito, Itoshino Elly, Nada Sou Sou, Hana Wa Saku, Tsugunai, etc.

             Also American songs like Let It Be, Imagine, Tennessee Waltz, etc. 

             Before they leave, the guy gave me $60.00 tip! I was not able to ask for a photo session and as usual, I forgot to ask for their names.




Sources: Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez
                   Tia Belau Newspaper
                   March 15, 2012 -- April 2013
                   http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
                   April 2013 -- April 14, 2016


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

(718) MUSIC AND ME (Feb. 27, 2014) DANCING OLD JAPANESE

A DIFFERENT KIND OF AMBIANCE
    These 7 old Japanese guests enjoyed my music by dancing all around the piano. Most of the times, when Japanese enjoy my music and sang some songs, they are giving me tips. This time it's different. They enjoyed dancing for more than 30 minutes, have photos for souvenirs but none of them remember to give me something. I don't feel sad about it. It's my pleasure to see them enjoy my music through singing and dancing.                                       (Photo by Roberto Hernandez -- taken by Jovelyn Rodriguez)


           DANCING OLD JAPANESE
  
ON March 16, 2014, I've experience a different kind of experience with some old Japanese guests. 

There's a group of old Japanese in one long table. They are drinking and talking.

When I started playing Japanese songs, 2 couples danced. Another couple joined them, and another one.

The other guests (Taiwanese, Americans) also enjoyed watching them having a good time. 

I'm not worried that the General Manager or Food and Beverage staff will stop them because it's the singing that's not allowed but this one is dancing.

I played a mixture of upbeat and slow tempo Japanese songs --Futari De Osakeo, Kimito Itsumademo, Tsugunai, Sakeo, Sukiyaki, Subaru, etc.

There's no disco or rock n roll in those songs so they can lasts for 30 minutes of some sort of ballroom dancing. 

While they are doing the "chain" dancing, that's the time that somebody suggested to have a picture (the one above).

In the 2nd photo, new Executive Chef Daisuke Kunii and Jovelyn Rodriguez (bartender) joined in the photo session.

   

   

Source: Chess And Music (Perfect Combination)
               The Beginning of Chess In Palau
               By Roberto Hernandez
               May 2014
               To be published as a book in the future