Chinese waitress Helen, 5th from right, celebrated her birthday at Long Island Park with co-employees at Palau Royal Resort --from right--F & B Manager Allan Tuppil, Ramiro de Leon, Tin-Tin Agrimano, ?, Helen, May Anchoriz, ?, Melissa Lelis, Edgar Cayanan, Cathy Erni, Nestor Carlos, Delfin Mallare and Roberto Hernandez, who is the only one left that's still working at PRR as all the other 16 have left for greener pasture.
(Photo by Helen, reproduced in black and white print)
HOW I LEARNED TO PLAY
CHINESE SONGS BY EAR
When I started playing music at Palau Royal Resort on June 01, 2007, I only know 3 Chinese songs -- "Pasantek Honghoy", "Shiangmu, Shiangu Yo Shiang Fong", and the Chinese version of "More Than I Can Say".
After attending the birthday party of one of the Chinese waitresses of PRR Helen, I asked her if she has a CD of Chinese songs that she can lend me so that I may improve on my knowledge of Chinese music. She borrowed a CD from Cathy, the other Chinese waitress.
I listen to all the songs in there and in the 4th time that I listen to those, I tried to play the chords with my keyboard (Yamaha PSR400), which I bought from Kasiano Sugiyama in 1997 for $175.00. His starting price is $250.00 but lower it down to $200.00 and leave the keyboard for me to take a look.
When I take a good look at it, I feel very, very much familiar with it. I have to go to the 2nd floor of Image Restaurant to compare it to the keyboard that I'm using there. My employer for 13 years Margarita Borja Dalton bought 2 from USA (Yamaha PSR400) for me to have a spare.
When I come back to check again the one Kasiano is selling me, it's really the same. Only the design of the speaker and the colors of the buttons are different. Also the model says PSR85. When the first one got defective, I opened it and found out that the model number inside is the same! --Yamaha PSR400.
When Kasiano called back, I want to 'bargain' with him because there are no music stand, sustain pedal and owner's manual. I asked him if he has those very important accessories but he said only the power adapter. I bargained for $150.00 while waiting for his response. I'm ready to accept for $180.00 so when he said $175.00, I accepted it.
I issue him a receipt upon payment because it happened many times when somebody is selling something at very low price, it's stolen.
Madam Margie bought those keyboards in USA for $400.00 each. I didn't tell Kasiano that it's almost the same model as the ones that I'm using at Image Restaurant.
As I learned 3 songs from the CD, I started to play it at Waves Restaurant and 'feel' how Chinese/Taiwanese will respond to those songs.
No response from those first 2 songs that I've learned. But when I learned the 3rd one which I don't know yet the title, just the melody, there's a tremendous response from Chinese/Taiwanese that even 4-year-old kids know it. I SAID TO MYSELF, "THIS IS IT, I WILL LEARN THIS SONG BECAUSE IT'S MORE POPULAR THAN THE OTHERS!
I know now the title of it --"Yue Liang Dai Biao Wo De Xin". The mother of my 2 Taiwanese piano students Carol Hsu and Yo-Yo Hsieu wrote in Chinese characters the singer of that song --Deng Li Juin.
The 2011 Chinese Songs Singing Contest (for Palauan singers only) is one of the major reasons that I learned an additional 9 most popular Chinese songs because I accompany those singers/contestants live using a keyboard.
The contestants must sing 2 songs out of 9 available choices. They have to sing 1 song in the first round and another different song in the 2nd round.
I practiced with the contestants (8 girls and a lone guy) with the songs available -- Yue Liang Dai Biao Wo De Xin (The Moon Symbolizes My Heart), Tian Mi Mi (Sweetly Sweet), Ye Lai Xiang (Night Jasmine), Lan Hua Cao (Orchid), and Gao Shan Qing (Evergreen Mountain).
I practiced with 4 girls while the other 5 practiced with a young Palauan keyboard player. I noticed that all contestants pieces were No. 1 and No. 2 songs. Only the eventual grand winner sang a different 2nd song --Gao Shan Qing.
One of the instructor in Palau Community College Howard Charles sang a beautiful version of Ye Lai Xiang (Night Jasmine).
The event was held at Palasia Hotel with the Taiwan Ambassador Maggie Tien rendering a Taiwanese song with me playing the accompaniment on the keyboard. Gloria Bilung Salii, First Lady Valeria Toribiong, Carlos Hiros Salii, Ambassador Tien and another high ranking Taiwanese official were the judges. President Johnson Toribiong were able to made it on time after coming from off island official trip.
All of the girls that I practiced were able to get the top prizes --$300.00 to the grand winner. I was paid by Ambassador Tien the same amount as the prize of the grand winner.
IT LOOKS LIKE THERE ARE 2 GRAND WINNERS!
Sources: Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
The Beginning of Chess in Palau
By Roberto Hernandez
To be published as a book in the future
Music and Me
By Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
March 2012 -- April 2013
http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
April 2013--September 2015
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