This American girl surprised me when she sings "Sukiyaki" while I'm playing it instrumentally. She and her family (dad, mom, elder sister and youngest brother) stayed in Japan for 7 years. THAT'S WHY!
(Photo by Roberto Hernandez)
ON NOVEMBER 30, 2013, two of my morning music students have cancelled their lessons (Anthea Escobido and Shinji Otsuka).
I just watched NBA basketball and teach Dichem Tmetchul chess for 2 hours from 2-4pm.
We have many guests when I played piano at Waves Restaurant of Palau Royal Resort from 7-9pm.
I'm alternating international songs (American, Taiwanese and Japanese) because we have those guests having dinner.
When I played the Japanese song "Sukiyaki", an American girl who is getting food from the buffet stands near me and sung the lyrics of that song in Japanese.
I know the lyrics of "Sukiyaki" by heart and while playing it, I sang it with her -- the last part "Hitori bochi no yoru". Then she proceeds to their table with his dad, mom, elder sister and younger brother.
After finishing the song, I'm still amaze of how she knows the song. It's my first time to hear an American girl singing Japanese song.
Her family left one by one with her still in the rest room. She proceeded to me directly and I give her my card.
I asked her, "Can you read my name written in Japanese?" She can read my name "Roberto" easily but struggles reading my surname.
I asked her again, "How did you learn to sing Japanese song?" She replied, "because we lived in Japan for 7 years."
I asked her if we can have a picture together. I took my Japanese song book and turn the page where the "Sukiyaki" song is located. We hold that page and 2 photos were taken. THIS IS THE 2ND ONE...
The Beginning of Chess In Palau
By Roberto Hernandez
December 2013
To be published as a book in the future
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