The Japanese guy playing guitar has been to Palau 2 or 3 years ago. He played guitar with Roberto at that time using the Yamaha guitar and a pick that was lend to him by Roberto. The pick got lost somewhere and everybody can't find it. He replaced it with a new one. The guy at right gave Roberto $50.00 tip at Waves Restaurant and another $50.00 at Breeze Bar where they enjoyed 'live' karaoke or sing-along.
They are back in Palau in August 29, 2014, 10 days after Roberto and Palau Chess Teammates return from Tromso, Norway for the 2014 World Chess Olympiad,
(Photo by Roberto Hernandez)
THE STORY OF THE MISSING PICK
(3 YEARS AGO)
MORE or less three years ago, a group of old Japanese enjoyed 'live' sing-along (karaoke) at Breeze Bar of Palau Royal Resort.
One guy can play a guitar. I lend him my guitar and we played together as if we've been playing for a long time.
I also lend him my ordinary guitar pick. Everybody had a good time. I even lend them my Japanese songbook for karaoke written in Japanese characters (Katakana, Hirakana and Kanji).
I allowed them to choose songs from the Japanese songbook. Even if I don't know the song and will be playing it for the first time, I have the guts to explore those songs as long as they will do the singing and I/we will do the accompaniment.
They are very amazed and surprised when I told them that it's my first time to play that song. I just say "Hajimete", meaning "first time".
When they sing the song "Midare Gami", I wrote that words at the Japanese characters' title in Romaji (English). They noticed that I wrote it at the wrong part of the title of the song. When I write an arrow to redirect the Midare Gami handwritten title, they all laugh to my quick reaction!
It was almost a perfect night of enjoyment except for a small unexplainable incident--the guitar pick got lost. We looked and searched for it for almost 30 minutes and we didn't find it. The wind is not so strong at that time. We searched within a few meters perimeter.
The guitarist was very upset about that small thing. He replaced the guitar pick with a new one. A small note from the front desk saying "This is from the Breeze Bar guest that sung with you last night."
He just made a gesture of playing the guitar. I remember him and said, "Oh, you're back in Palau!"
They are sitting in the wooden area, about 17 of them when I counted it. I took my slum book with pictures of Japanese guests that have photo sessions with me at Waves Restaurant and Breeze Bar. Included in that is the guitar pick that I taped with a clear Scotch tape and the note from front desk written on Palau Royal Resort envelop.
I showed it to him and the others recognized me. Most of them are on the same group that night 3 years ago.
They said they will proceed to Breeze Bar at 9pm. I get my guitar and put it near the piano. We played one or two songs and have photo session. The Japanese guy at right gave me $50.00 tip.
At 9pm, I proceed to Breeze Bar. Our General Manager Masayuki Kawaguchi and his wife are there.
When I asked Jovy Rodriguez to set up a table for 17, GM and his wife left to give space for the big group of Japanese.
We set only 17 because that's my head count while talking to the guitarist. There are 20 of them as some are in the rest room. We add another 3 chairs and one more table.
While I'm preparing to start playing Japanese songs, the generous Japanese guy at right gave me another $50.00. He gave Jovy $50.00 also and Joy, the cashier, $20.00.
It's the start of non-stop singing of all-Japanese songs. I brought the other Japanese songs song book so that many can look to choose from. The karaoke song book written in Katakana, Hirakana and Kanji is also available.
They gave me a glass of red wine at Waves Restaurant and another glass of red wine also at Breeze Bar.
The guitarist refused the guitar pick made of turtle shell that I offered him. Maybe he don't like to happen again the incident before. He just signal that he will use his finger and finger nails.
Almost 2 hours of singing enjoyment. They tried also the songs the I haven't played or listened before. They are amazed again when I said "Hajimete" or first time.
(Photo by Roberto Hernandez)
The guitarist, middle, is a bamboo flute teacher in Japan.
(Photo by Roberto Hernandez)
(Photo by Roberto Hernandez)
(Photo by Roberto Hernandez -- Taken by Joy)
At the end of the night, everybody enjoyed the evening except Joy, whose $20.00 tip from the generous Japanese guy is not enough for her due to jealousy.
She asked Roberto and Jovy to give her $10.00 each so that everybody get a fair $40.00 each. JEALOUSY AND ENVY!
Roberto and Jovy agreed.
Source: Chess And Music (Perfect Combination)
The Beginning of Chess in Palau
By Roberto Hernandez
August 2014
To be published as a book in the future
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