The Japanese guy in the middle gave me $10.00 tip and a glass of red wine. The Waves Restaurant supervisor, Fe, asked a bartender/waitress to tell me not to drink it while on duty. (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)
THE LAST WALTZ-Japanese Version
ON October 05, 2013, there are moderate number of guests at Waves Restaurant of Palau Royal Resort, when I started to play piano at 7pm.
Minutes later, a Japanese couple came with their grandson (photo). While getting his food at the buffet, the guy usually sang a part of Japanese song that I'm playing.
I played Japanese songs, Taiwanese songs and American songs alternately because there are some guests of these nationalities.
The Japanese guy came to me once more and gave me $10.00 tip. He can't speak English but I understand what he is saying 70% because he speaks so clearly and got a very good and powerful voice.
He also asked a waitress to give me red wine (my choice -- good for the heart). Then he asked me if I know the song "The Last Waltz" and then he proceed to his table with a plate of food.
When I started to play the intro of that song which is sung by Engelbert Humperdinck, he runs to me and sung the song in Japanese version. He's really got a powerful voice that he needs no microphone.
Fe, the supervisor, made a sign to me that he can't sing. But he's already singing and it would be a unethical to stop him from singing in the middle of the song.
I have a mixed feeling while playing with him singing -- The Japanese version of the song is so fitting to his voice and the selection of lyrics is so right that I'm inspired to play with expression but it's not fully expressive as there is a hindrance of getting another demerit for letting a guest sing.
After the song, Fe talked to him that he is not allowed to sing. When he sits down to his table, the red wine was put near to my water goblet. I put it on the top side of piano and the red wine was put to the place where the goblet was.
Then Jovy Rodriguez, the lady bartender, told me that she will put the wine in a plastic glass and I can drink it at Breeze Bar.
While I continue to play the rest of my schedule there, the former Executive Chef Masaki Horie, who was the brainchild of disallowing guests to sing or touch the piano, passed by with the new Exec. Chef Mr. Daizuke.
Chef Horie is also the one that tells the staff not to allow me to drink the alcoholic beverage that the guests are giving me.
I discovered that order when a Filipino guest told me that, "I wanted to give you a drink but the waitress said that you are not allowed to drink while on duty."
It didn't even come to Chef Horie's mind that if customers want to give me drinks, they should have give me juice or Drink of the Month (DOM) without alcohol so that it adds to the sales.
My main concern for accepting drinks that the guests are giving me is help in adding to the sales. Most of the drinks that guests are giving me, especially beers in can, I just keep in my room.
At 9:00pm, after securing my things and the piano, I went to their table and we talk for a few minutes. They really can speak English so I have to really stretch my hearing and understanding of the words they are saying.
I asked them for a souvenir photo before I go to Breeze Bar. When we are posing at the piano, my cell phone's camera is not working (with error warning). I have to asked them to use their camera first and turned the power off of my camera.
I proceed to Breeze Bar with the red wine in a plastic glass. There, the regular guests (the Pineda brothers: Bobby, Ogie and Dodie) are there.
They have some family discussions which is very nice to hear. The side of one is different from the other 2. Half hour later, an American couple sit at the table beside them.
When I started to play "Hotel California", they are singing with it so I sang the song on the 2nd stanza. Four of us are now singing -the couple, Bobby and me.
I followed it up with the 2nd Eagles song "Desperado" and the American guy knows the song and sang with me.
All the other songs --Stand By Me, Let It Be, Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You, Careless Whisper were also sung like a choir.
Bobby sang "Sometimes When We Touch" and "My Way" and also do the "drumming" using a chopstick, plates and table to the amazement of the American couple.
Before 11pm, the couple left and at exactly 11pm, I stopped playing. While securing the keyboard, the couple came back with their luggage. They are leaving in an hour to go back to USA.
The guy is expecting me to be playing for another hour. I just sit down with them and they gave me a shot of sake (Japanese wine).
When the conversation was focused to chess, I asked the guy if he plays chess. He said just a little. They are surprised to know that I represented Palau in Australia in 2009, in Russia in 2010, in Istanbul, Turkey last year and will represent Palau again in 2014 in Norway.
The lady said they will follow the event next year and hopes to see me again in the news or TV. I gave them my calling card and wish them a good and safe flight back home.
Source: Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
The Beginning of Chess In Palau
October 2013
To be published as a book in the future
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