Breeze Bar has only one guest before 10pm -- a lone Japanese lady, who sits near the ocean by herself. (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)
THE week of Oct. 22, 23, 24, 25 (my day off), 26 and 27 (my day off again, is really international to me in as far as tips are concerned.
On Oct. 22 at Breeze Bar, we are just watching TV because all guests left early. At about 10pm, a lone Japanese lady became our last guest.
But she sits at a place where we can't see her even the coming guests.
It comes to my mind that I should be playing all-Japanese songs and maybe she will transfer to a table near me to hear those songs more closely.
I started with instrumental "Yume No Tochu" and "Como Esta Akasaka". I sang "Oribia O Kikinagara" and I hear some applause from her.
After more Japanese instrumentals and some songs sung by me, she transferred to a table next (in front) to me.
I gave her 2 song books (Japanese and American) and she chooses a lot from those especially Japanese songs. Sometimes I ask her, "Are you a singer in Japan?"
She said no and requested "Oribia O Kikinagara" once more. This time it's her key. After she sang it, I asked her again the same question. She just smiled.
When it's time for her to go, she gave me $5.00 tip. She don't have a camera with her so I used my cellphone to take 3 shots by bartender Jeff Daizmo.
I've got her name from the drink coupon that she used with the help of cashier/bartender Devie.
The next day, Oct. 23 (Wed.) there is a group of Taiwanese in front of the piano when I played at Waves Restaurant.
Upon knowing that they are all Taiwanese, I played all Taiwanese songs. They applauded after each and every Taiwanese songs I've played.
Thirty minutes before they go, an old Taiwanese lady from that table gave me $10.00.
While they are going out, I was able to take a quick shot of the old lady, which is not a good shot as she is moving...
On Thursday, I had a breakfast with my wife before teaching Mr. Yoshiharu Kurata, a senior JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) volunteer from 11:30am-12:30pm. He pays me after every session ($15.00).
Back to PRR for lunch and teach Moded Whipps from 3:30-5:30pm. Her mom, Valerie, talked to me about the possibility of teaching her 5-year-old daughter Ngederong piano, after teaching Ultei guitar on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Valerie wants also to resume the 30 minutes piano and 30 minutes guitar for Ultei because she becomes bored with 1 hour guitar lessons.
While playing piano on that night, I noticed 2 American couples, some Japanese and Taiwanese guests.
So I played songs from those 3 countries. There are 2 birthday celebrants that night, one is a Japanese lady and the other is the American lady --her husband has white hair and the most appreciative among other guests when I'm playing American songs.
His wife was given flowers after the staff sings Happy Birthday song to her.
I played the most popular American songs in my repertoire --Mona Lisa, Misty, Somewhere My Love, Those Were The Days, Somethin' Stupid, Moon River, Too Young, etc...
While on their way to pay their bill, I saw him getting something from his wife's bag.
He comes to me and put down $20.00 on top of the piano. I don't have time to take pictures with them so I just fold the $20.00 lengthwise and put it in my empty water goblet and took a photo of them while they are going out of the restaurant.
When I proceed at Breeze Bar to play for another 2 hours
of keyboard music, there is a long table of Russian guests.
There is another long table of Korean guests with a girl, and some Japanese couples.
I played a variety of songs --Japanese, American, Spanish, Italian and one Russian song --Those Were The Days, which is actually an original American song but it's the most popular Russian song that I know.
The Russian appreciated every song I've played. After more than an hour, I saw somebody collecting money from everybody.
When he finished collecting, I'm playing at that time the Italian song "Volare".
The Russian guy who collected the money comes to me, dancing to the tune of "Volare", and gave me what he has collected from the group -- $13.00.
The song is almost finish and when I ended it, I come to him and asked him, "Are you Russian?" He said yes and I proceed to their table and introduced myself.
I told them that I've been to Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia in 2010 and represented Palau in the World Chess Olympiad. They are surprised to see a man from Palau, which is a hot country, come to Russia which is very cold at that time,September 18-October 04, 2010.
One of the lady is sure that I played only one Russian song. The conversation goes on till I told them that I also represented Palau again in last year's World Chess Olympiad in Istanbul, Turkey.
And that I'm no. 2 chess player in Palau now and that we will participate again in the 2014 World Chess Olympiad in Tromso, Norway.
I was about to give my card to the guy who brings the tip but the lady beside him took it and I told her that my name is written there in Russian and she said, "Ah, Roberto".
The guy beside him said, "Italian name".
I go back to play again to finish my schedule when a Korean girl and her father come to me and ask me if the girl can play the keyboard? I set the keyboard to the piano sound and the girl plays really good.
He gave me $2.00 tip. I forgot the melody of "Way Back Into Love" because I haven't played it for about 3 months.
I asked the mother of the girl to take picture of us with my camera...
They request to let the girl play for the 2nd time. She can play "The Entertainer" faster than me!
When they request for the 3rd time, I refused because it's already 11pm and some guests are sleeping already.
At 6:30, Oct. 25, me and Mr. Kurata are preparing our equipments for the performance at Kramer's.
On our way up the stairs, I saw the same Russians that were my guests at Breeze Bar of Palau Royal Resort.
It takes us more than an hour to set the instruments and other musical things.
Our first song is "Donna, Donna, Donna", followed by "Besame Mucho". It was an hour of musical showcase of Mr. Kurata. He can play saxophone, ocarina, flute, keyboard, guitar, vocals and quena, Palauan record/bamboo flute.
At 8:45, I left to attend prayer meeting at Pentecostal Missionary Church of Christ 4th Watch (Palau Locale).
I'm late already but was able to participate in the corporate prayer of 30 minutes.
At 8:00 pm on Oct. 26, as I'm playing piano at Waves Restaurant, Mrs. Satoko Uehara came to me before going to Mandara Spa. She gave me $20.00 as she used to do every time they come.
Before 11:00 pm at Breeze Bar, she came again to me and ask if I will be working tomorrow. I said it's my day off and I asked them, "When did you come to Palau?" What I mean to say is "when will they come back to Palau?" and asked for Mr. Uehara. They said there are only two of them who come.
They also said that they went to Dragon Tei on Tuesday night but were unable to talk to my wife Flor as she is busy taking care of bento boxes.
Source: Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
The Beginning of Chess In Palau
By Roberto Hernandez
October 2013
To be published as a book in the future
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