(1148) MUSIC AND ME (Dec. 31, 2015) JAPANESE CHRISTMAS WITH PRR GUESTS

CHRISTMAS WITH A GROUP OF JAPANESE
     These 7 Japanese enjoyed Christmas in Palau through singing Christmas songs and Japanese songs as well. The lady that is 3rd from left, stand by me when I sing, "Mayami, Mayami, Stand By Me, Oh, Stand by me." The lady to my left, Chirio, suggested to call Mayami as Miami (like Miami, Florida) to remember it easily. Sometimes I'm confuse with her name as well that I call her once "Ichiro" instead of Chirio.
A VERY WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS WITH JAPANESE GUESTS AT PRR!
                                 (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)



       JAPANESE CHRISTMAS AT
          PALAU ROYAL RESORT 

AS USUAL during Christmas and Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14), I’m wearing the red polo shirt given to me 10 years ago as uniform during my working years at Image Restaurant by my former employer Margarita Borja Dalton, who ran as one of the 7 candidates to replace the late Senator Cathy Kesolei.

I attended the Christmas service of Pentecostal Missionary Church of Christ (4^th Watch) Palau Locale at 10am and after that, me and my wife together with 3 staff of Dragon Tei (Japanese Restaurant) had lunch at Arirang Korean Restaurant.

We met Tito Cabunagan there with his family and friends. We joined Bonapart, Maritess and her sister at their table and we had a buffet lunch with everybody enjoying the shrimp tempura. Iced tea is included in the $12.00/person buffet.

Me and my wife proceed at Palau Royal Resort and have picture taking at the big Christmas tree at the lobby and at Breeze Bar. Those Christmas trees are made from empty bottles to have a theme of environmental friendly Christmas tree.

Eight years ago, PRR always buy a big pine tree as Christmas tree to be used only for more than a month and waste the tree after Christmas season. It’s now cheaper and good for environment. All you need is creativity to produce 3 of those Christmas trees of different sizes.

We met PRR GM Masayuki Kawaguchi at the hallway after having photos at the 2^nd to the largest Christmas tree at Breeze Bar and Santa’s ‘sleigh’ that was made using a club car.

We shopped a little at Surangel’s Department Store, which is the only department store that’s open at least till 5:30pm.

I took a 2-hour nap before playing piano at Waves Restaurant of PRR. We have a group of Japanese and a Palauan family having buffet dinner. When I started playing Japanese song, the Japanese group started to sing-along with my songs.

A Palauan boy comes to me and requested the Japanese song “Sukiyaki”. When I played it, the Japanese group sings with it. It’s just the right song for the moment. The boy comes back to me and gave me $3.00 tip. I gave him my card. He showed it to his family, where his grandma is sitting on a wheelchair. The boy comes back again and added $3.45 more to the tips.

One of the guys in the Japanese group gave me $2.00 and I gave him my card while the tallest and teenage Palauan guy gave me $1.00 before going to the rest room.

At Breeze Bar, it’s not busy and we are just watching ESPN when 3 Japanese ladies come and I started playing Japanese songs as they are sitting at the table in front of me.

They requested Christmas songs and they sung in Japanese a Christmas song but they can’t recall the lyrics. I sang “Happy Christmas (War Is Over)” by John Lennon and they sing the chorus part. We sing some more Christmas songs and then comes one Japanese guy that sit with them.

Also the honeymooners Japanese couple, who enjoyed my Japanese music the other night, also come and sit at the table near them.

It was a very wonderful Christmas with Japanese.


Source: Music and Me
             By Roberto Hernandez
             Tia Belau Newspaper
             March 15, 2012--April 2013
             http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
             April 2013 --December 31, 2015