They've been regular guests at Waves Restaurant from May 03-05, 2015. During their last night in Palau, they sat near the keyboard where Roberto is playing from 9-11pm. They enjoyed the night of music (Japanese and American songs) and Roberto's stories about Palau and Japan.
(Photo by Roberto Hernandez)
ANOTHER VERY NICE JAPANESE
COUPLE AT BREEZE BAR
(Mr. and Mrs. Yusuke Ota)
On May 03, 2015, I watched the mega fight between American Floyd Mayweather and Filipino Manny Pacquiao at the lounge of Palau Royal Resort after attending the church services at Pentecostal Missionary Church of Christ in the 4th Watch (Palau Locale).
The place is packed with co-employees. I have to watch 20 feet from the TV (near the water dispenser). My heart is pounding very much because of excitement. And because I drank a cup of coffee during breakfast. I drink coffee only once a week (Sunday morning) so that I will not be sleepy during church services. I'll make it sure that I will not drink coffee on May 10, 2015, the Opening Day of 2015 Palau Blitz Chess Championship.
When I submitted my chess article at Tia Belau office, I saw the Editor Kambes Kesolei, who said to me, "so, all Filipinos now are crying." He also watched the Mayweather-Pacquiao match. Arturo, the Graphics Designer, said the Kambes is also cheering for Paquiao.
After playing 2 hours of piano music at Waves Restaurant of Palau Royal Resort, I proceed at Breeze Bar for another 2 hours of keyboard music.
I saw a Japanese couple which are familiar to me... yes, it was Mr. Higuchi Yoshitomo and Ms. Fujiura Toshie. They're back. The last time I saw Ms. Toshie is Christmas season and we have some photos near the Christmas tree.
Mr. Higuchi gave me another glass of red wine for 2 straight night. He also said that the next time they will be in Palau is February 2016.
While I'm playing "Let It Be" and "Imagine", there is a Japanese guy on a wheelchair that is singing with my playing. He knows the lyrics of those songs.
I approached him and gave him my card. He felt very much welcome and continue singing with me although some lyrics that he don't know, he is "eating" the words as we used to say to those singers that forgot the lyrics of the songs they are singing.
When Mr. Higuchi is paying for his bill and they have some 'take out' drinks, he offered me another glass of red wine but I refused because the Japanese guy on a wheelchair said he will buy me a glass of red wine. He can't believe that the guy on the wheelchair is Japanese. Then we started singing Japanese songs.
But I think he's not financially well as he take a sip of my red wine while I'm busy playing songs. I saw him take a sip through the corner of my eyes.
He's gone for a few minutes to get his business card. His name is Koji Watanabe. He said he is Human Resources Manager in Japan. We have a photo taken...
The next day, (May 05), the regular Japanese couple had dinner again at Waves Restaurant. I'm surprised that they sit at a table at Breeze Bar near me.
I get my Japanese songs and American songs songbook and said to them, "Requesto daijobu. Kore wa Japanese songs, kore wa American songs." It means, it's okay to request songs. This is Japanese songs and this one is American songs.
They are surprised that I can sing Japanese songs very well. The guy's first request is American song "Top of The World" by The Carpenters. I alternately plays Japanese songs and American songs.
The guy offered me a drink and a said, "Red wine". It's now 3 nights in a row that I've got red wine from guests.
The 2nd request by the guy is "Yesterday Once More" by The Carpenters again. They are also surprised that I'm singing their requested songs without looking at the song books.
When it's 11pm, I said to them that I have to stop playing as guests are already sleeping at that time. I talk to them instead which they enjoyed more upon knowing that I've been to Japan in 1982 in Kagoshima City as band member.
I also mentioned to them about my going to Australia, Russia, Istanbul, Turkey and Norway to represent Palau in Oceania Zonal Chess Championship and World Chess Olympiads in which I told them that Palau will vote for Tokyo, Japan when they bid to host the 2020 World Chess Olympiad. The last 8 Chess Olympiads have been been held in Europe which is 32 hours to fly from Palau.
I also told them that Japan had its first International Master during the Tromso, Norway Chess Olympiad in Mr. Ikeda and that the world's no. 3 player now is Hikaru Nakamura.
They enjoyed my story about the crying Japanese...
MUSIC AND ME
Tia Belau Volume 21 Issue 14 March 22, 2012
Music Experience of Roberto Hernandez
PART 1 (The Crying Japanese Guy)
Before
Christmas 2007, the Queen of Koror, Palau Bilung Gloria Salii, her husband
Carlos and daughter Uroi had dinner at Waves Restaurant. They gave me $10.00
tip and a glass of red wine.
Before they
go home, I talked to Bilung and said, “I would like to give you a Christmas
present. I will tune your piano for free before the end of this year.”
I became
very busy and haven’t done my promise.
On her
birthday, January 05, 2008, they had dinner again at Waves Restaurant with 3
other guests. I played all their favorite songs. She gave me $10.00 tip, a
glass of red wine and a slice of her birthday cake.
After three
weeks, they had another dinner at Waves and after giving me $5.00 tip this
time, I asked for her telephone number at home so that I can set the date of
tuning their piano. She said 488-6216.
On March
19, 2008 (Wednesday), I saw her at the entrance of Surangel’s Department Store.
I said I will call her on Tuesday (March 25) and will tune their piano on
Wednesday (March 26) which I did. After tuning their piano for 2 hours, she is
ready to issue me a check but I said I promise to tune it for free as Christmas
present. She gave me bananas instead!
The next
day, God gave me more that I expected.
While
halfway on my piano playing at Waves Restaurant, a lone, old Japanese guy sits
at a table about 7 meters from the piano. Ten minutes later, I started to play
the Japanese song “Kawa No Nagareno Yo Ni”. In the middle of that song, I saw
him get something from his front pocket- it’s a handkerchief! He is crying and
was carried away by my expressive playing. The two waitresses Maricar Baules
and Maricel Carlos saw him crying and asked why. He pointed at me and I played
with more expression. Goosebumps are all over my arms and body which I rarely
feel when playing with much expression. I followed it up with another Japanese
song “Subaru”. He cried more. The handkerchief is all wet! Fifteen minutes
later, he gave me tip. I put it on the piano music stand. Edgar Cayanan, the
Assistant Food & Beverage Manager said, “Kuya”, (Older brother) “I don’t
think that’s the color of a $5.00 bill.” He checked the tip and said “It is a
hundred dollar!” I just continue to play and ignore him as I don’t look at the
amount of tip I get until the giver has left.
Edgar told
about it to Maricar and Maricel. The two also checked the tip and said,“It’s
really $100.00! Can we have some?”
When the
generous man left, a Japanese couple sat at the same table where he sat. The
guy requested 3 Japanese songs (Goodbye My Love, Itoshino Elly and the third
one, I forgot). I was able to play all those 3 songs and he gave me $1.00 tip!
Philippine
Ambassador to Palau Ramoncito Marino, the biggest supporter of chess in Palau,
and his wife Issa were having dinner at that time with an old Japanese lady
guest. When he sat down at the piano to play a couple of songs, that’s the only
time I look at the tip- it’s really $100.00. I said to the Ambassador, “Look,
sir, a Japanese guy gave me $100.00 tip without requesting and another guy who
requested 3 songs gave me $1.00”.
The next
day, Friday, Edgar said that the man who gave me $100.00 tip last night said he
made a mistake in giving me that amount. I said, “It is okay, I haven’t spent
it yet. When he comes back, I’ll give him back the $100.00 and it’s up to him
to decide how much he really wants to give me.”
On Saturday
evening, he comes back. While having dinner at the same table, I played all the
other Japanese songs that I didn’t play on that Thursday night. When I play the
2 songs that made him cry, he didn’t cry anymore. After his dinner, he comes to
me with Cathy (Chinese waitress) by his side. He said, “Do you know the guy who
plays piano in the cruise by the name of Norman?”
I said, “No. Does he play Japanese songs also?” He said yes but only a few.
Then he gave me tip again and I put it in my polo shirt pocket. And he left for
Japan.
Maricel saw that he gave me again and asked how much. I looked at it and it’s
another $100.00!
He didn’t
make a mistake. Edgar is just kidding me and maybe jealous.
A MUSICIAN
CAN’T PLAY OR SING WITH EXPRESSION IF HE/SHE DOESN’T MEMORIZED YET THE MELODY/
LYRICS OF A SONG. HIS/HER ATTENTION
WILL BE DIVIDED BY LOOKING AT THE NOTES/LYRICS.
In
this case, I’ve memorized the melody of those 2 songs. The funny thing is … I
can sing also those 2 songs but I don’t know the meaning of the song. When I
say the words “Imi, wakaranai” to Japanese guests, they will laugh upon
realizing the fact “how can you sing a song so good if you don’t know the
meaning of what you are singing?”
THAT’S ONE
OF THE MAGICAL ASPECTS OF MUSIC!
Source: Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
Pages 8-9
Volume 21
Issue 14
March 22, 2012
Source: Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
Pages 8-9
Volume 21
Issue 14
March 22, 2012
After almost an hour of enjoyable sharing of stories, they said goodbye with the guy, who gave me his card, (Mr. Yusuke Ota), shake my hand with $20.00 in his palm given to me as tip.
I asked them to check this website in a week and I will surely feature them. HERE IT IS!!!
By Roberto Hernandez
May 2015
Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
The Beginning of Chess in Palau
By Roberto Hernandez
June 09, 2002 -- May 14, 2015
To be published as a book in the future
No comments:
Post a Comment