This article and photo should have been published on Nov. 27 (Thanksgiving Day) on Tia Belau but due to lack of space, it was called off. SO, HERE IT IS!
(Photo by Roberto Hernandez)
MOSES ULUDONG CELEBRATES HIS
65TH BIRTHDAY AT PRR
Nov. 25, 2014
On Nov. 25, 2014, Moses and
Lilian Uludong are having dinner at Palau Royal Resort’s Waves Restaurant where
Roberto Hernandez is playing piano every night except on Friday (his day off).
Ms. Lilian informed Roberto that
its Moses birthday and she will give him a signal to play Happy Birthday. Roberto
is very sure that Moses is 65th years old today because Moses told him
that he’s 64 years old last year.
Moses requested 4 songs to
Roberto –Baby Blue, Nobody’s Child, Honolulu City Lights, (all Hawaiian songs)
and Under Sayang (Palauan song).
After finishing the first 2
songs, almost all the staff on duty sang “Happy Birthday” to Moses with a small
cake with candle. The other Japanese guests that are dining were surprised with
the way it was handled and took photos also of the couple.
Roberto approached them and
shook the hand of Moses and said, “Happy 65th Birthday, Sir. I know
you’re 65 now because you told me last year that you’re 64.” Then this photo
was taken:
Ms. Lilian asked Roberto to play
Palauan songs. He said he will finish first the other 2 songs that Moses had
requested earlier.
In the middle of the 4th
song, more than 100 Chinese/Taiwanese guests arrived and the place became
noisy. The couple left before 9pm.
While Roberto is playing
keyboard at Breeze Bar, Rmeriang Tmetchul came with a lady friend. She
requested to play “Help Me Make It through the Night” for the couple sitting at
the poolside.
She asked, “Why didn’t you sing
it?” He said that couple is very far to hear me singing without mike. Roberto
asked, “Are they Taiwanese, Filipinos?” She said they are Lilian, my cousin and
Moses!
Roberto was surprised because
the place where they are sitting is dark. When he played the “Unchained
Melody”, Joy, the cashier/waitress, gave Roberto $5.00 and said it’s from those
guests.
Later, Moses and Lilian joined
Rmeriang and company. They are closer now and Roberto started singing their
requests and some Palauan songs. There is also a table with 4 guests (3 guys
and a lady) which Roberto is not sure if they are Japanese, Koreans or
Taiwanese.
He is singing “I Can’t Stop
Loving You” when it rains and the group transfer to a table just 5 feet to the
keyboard. The other group didn’t transfer and while paying their bill, one of
the guys gave Roberto $5.00 tip. Roberto rotates the position of the keyboard
to face the group of Moses, Lilian, Rmeriang and the lady which is Asian.
Rmeriang is talking to her in English.
All
their requested songs were sung by Roberto without looking at the song
book—Can’t Be With You Tonight, Always On My Mind, Dil Dil Lomais, Baby Blue
(TNT-Palau version), Let It Be, and 500 Miles.
When Moses requested “Wind Beneath My
Wings”, that’s the only time that Roberto looked at the songbook. They enjoyed
the night especially Moses, who added $10.00 tip to Roberto but asked for the
lyrics of Baby Blue both in English and Palauan (TNT), Nobody’s Child, Honolulu
City Lights and Can’t Be With You Tonight. HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND HAPPY
THANKSGIVING, TOO!!!
Source: Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
The Beginning of Chess in Palau
By Roberto Hernandez
November 2014
To be published as a book in the future
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