This is not a typical late dinner in Philippines homes. I can call it 'special' as it was prepared by 3 people close to my heart... my wife, my brother Romy and my aunt Gloria (nicknamed Guya) and her husband of more than 50 years --Subring.
The crab with only one pincher was given by Romy, who is on vacation from his job in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, and is also taking care of a fish pond bought by his son Rommel, a specialist at Sony Corporation. That one hectare piece of land is the same land that my late father is tilling for many years until it was sold to another person. It's just mind-boggling that we get it back and now converted it to a fish pond as rice don't grow there anymore because the water coming from the river for irrigation is salty already and not advisable for farming. All farmlands now in our town were converted to fish ponds for more profits as they can put on milk fish, crabs, shrimps/prawns and tilapia fish.
The chicken wings dish is a specialty of my wife Flor. It is called "Sinampalukang Manok" or chicken cooked in tamarind soup base derived from tamarind fruit to get a sour taste. Water, okra, eggplant, ginger, chili leaves, ajinomoto and salt were added. Flor's grandmother Hila uses the flowers of the tamarind tree instead of the fruit itself for a different twist in taste.
And speaking of 'specialty', Romy once worked as waiter at Cafe Valenzuela in Malolos City, Bulacan. One day, they have an American guest and asked him, "What is your specialty?" Romy, who is not good or fluent in English, answered, "Lipton Tea, sir!" He thought the American is asking what is your special tea!
Me and Romy learned how to play guitar and chess. We both like the song "Once There Was A Love" by Jose Feliciano. In practicing chess, he once lost his cool when I didn't apply the touch move rule and put back a piece that was I am about to move. In his anger, because he is losing, he turned the chess board and the pieces upside down and left with the chess pieces scattered.
The dried fish were given by my aunt Guya and her husband Subring. They were featured in this link:
Frankie Ganalon, middle, was the lead guitarist of First Quarter Band in Hayashida Hotel in Kagoshima City, Japan. The other members are Roberto Hernandez (pianist/keyboard player), Jane Ramas (singer), Toto (drummer and band leader), and Matt, bass guitar. (Photo from Frank Ganalon Facebook Timeline)
FUNNY MEMORIES OF
FIRST QUARTER BAND IN JAPAN
(April 04 - Sept. 28, 1982)
I knew from the start that our trip to Japan to perform at Hayashida Hotel in Kagoshima City, Japan is real because we were given our one month salary 3 weeks before our departure.
Unlike today that you have to pay big amount for placement fees to the agency. The trip is all-expense paid although it's only for 6 months.
After getting our one-month advance payment, I invited all members of the group for an outing to my uncle's fish pond.
They prepared fried noodles (pancit) and pork adobo (stewed pork).
We traveled through the river on a long, motorized banca (boat made from long log) for 20 minutes.
When we reached the fish fond, all of them experienced real fresh sea foods. My uncle Subring gets a bunch of bamboo from the river filled with oysters attached to it. After taking it all out from the bamboo, it goes directly to the boiling water, dip it for a few seconds and started to get the oysters with a knife and put it in a sauce consisting of vinegar, salt, pepper, and onions.
My cousin has a net and it caught a big milk fish. He throws the jumping fish to our singer Jane Ramas. She's afraid and excited at first because it's her first time to see a live milk fish. All milk fish you can see at the market are dead for a few hours or even days.
She picked it up, hold it firmly and put it straight to the barbecue grill. THERE'S NO OTHER GRILLED FISH FRESHER THAN THAT!
My uncle Subring also get some mussels from the river also attached to the bamboo. It makes a good soup if cook with water, oil, onion, garlic, ginger, salt and chili leaves.
There are also some shrimps, crabs and tilapia fish--all alive when cooked.
NOBODY AMONG US EAT THE FRIED NOODLES AND PORK ADOBO THAT WE BROUGHT. WE LEAVE IT FOR UNCLE, HIS WIFE AND KIDS BECAUSE THEY CRAVE FOR THOSE WHILE WE THAT LIVE IN THE CITY CRAVE FOR FRESH SEAFOOD.
He also congratulates me upon seeing my numerous photos from Australia, Russia and Istanbul, Turkey for chess competitions. He said I was able to use/apply my other passion aside from music.
We realized later that Hayashida Hotel is only a 9-storey hotel while our apartment is 11-storey high.
We were given 20,000 yen as food allowance. We like the rice (sticky and big grains) and will cook it before we perform at lunch time --11:00-11:30 and 12:00 -12:30 with 30 minutes break in between sets.
We adapted very easily to the climate and performance. One time in the afternoon when we are practicing a sad song, Jane was singing with much expression that one of the lady guest was in tears and was carried away by the song even though it's a Japanese song being sung by a Filipino.
It becomes Jane's trademark -- singing with expression.
(Photo by Frank Ganalon - 1982)
There is one performance of us that Jane did everything to get the guests attention while she is singing. But there are times that even the best expressive singers can't get the attention they want.
(Photo by Frank Ganalon)
SHE SAID TO ROBERTO: "I'M TIRED. I GIVE UP. I TRIED EVERYTHING BUT THEY ARE UNRESPONSIVE. IT'S YOUR TURN!"
Without hesitation, Roberto sung a different version of The Big 3 Sullivan's "May Pulis Sa Ilalim Ng Tulay" (There Is A Policeman Under The Bridge") popularized by that group of singer/comedian in 1974.
Roberto's version is "May Tatay Sa Ibabaw Ng Nanay" or (There is a Father On Top of The Mother).
Like in the original song, there are additions of lyrics to the succeeding stanzas:
MAY TATAY, MAY TATAY SA IBABAW NG NANAY,
MAY TATAY, MAY TATAY SA IBABAW NG NANAY,
MAY TATAY, MAY TATAY, MAY TATAY, MAY TATAY,
MAY TATAY SA IBABAW NG NANAY.
GUMALAW ANG PUWIT NG TATAY SA IBABAW NG NANAY,
(The butt of the father on top of the mother has moved!)
GUMALAW ANG PUWIT NG TATAY SA IBABAW NG NANAY,
GUMALAW, GUMALAW, GUMALAW, GUMALAW,
GUMALAW ANG PUWIT NG TATAY SA IBABAW NG NANAY.
BUMILIS ANG GALAW NG PUWIT NG TATAY SA IBABAW NG NANAY, (The movement of the butt of the father on top of the mother has gone faster!)
BUMILIS ANG GALAW NG PUWIT NG TATAY SA IBABAW NG NANAY,
BUMILIS, BUMILIS, BUMILIS, BUMILIS,
BUMILIS ANG GALAW NG PUWIT NG TATAY SA IBABAW NG NANAY.
NAGISING ANG BATA SA BILIS NG GALAW NG PUWIT NG TATAY SA IBABAW NG NANAY, (The baby got awaken by the fast movement of the butt of the father on top of the mother!)
NAGISING ANG BATA SA BILIS NG GALAW NG PUWIT NG TATAY SA IBABAW NG NANAY,
NAGISING, NAGISING, NAGISING, NAGISING,
NAGISING ANG BATA SA BILIS NG GALAW NG PUWIT NG TATAY SA IBABAW NG NANAY.
NABITIN ANG TATAY NAGISING ANG BATA SA BILIS NG GALAW NG PUWIT NG TATAY SA IBABAW NG NANAY,
(The father is not finished yet because the baby got awaken by the fast movement of the butt of the father on top of the mother!)
NABITIN ANG TATAY NAGISING ANG BATA SA BILIS NG GALAW NG PUWIT NG TATAY SA IBABAW NG NANAY,
NABITIN, NABITIN, NABITIN, NABITIN,
NABITIN ANG TATAY NAGISING ANG BATA SA BILIS NG GALAW NG PUWIT NG TATAY SA IBABAW NG NANAY.
The tempo of this song is march and the guests like it and there are applauses from them! Jane is surprised! She said, "Oh, that's what you like, hah!" And she followed it with another march beat song -- Jambalaya.
Jane learned something from that incident. I apply it also while playing solo in any place where I play music. If nobody is listening to me, I will play whatever songs I'd like to play. When they clap to the last song that I played, then I'll play the same songs/style/tempo that they appreciated.
Sources: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
December 29, 2002 -- November 15, 2016
Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
March 15, 2012 -- April 18, 2013
http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
April 25, 2013 -- November 15, 2016
The History of Chess in Palau
By Roberto Hernandez
June 09, 2002 -- November 15, 2015
Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
The Beginning of Chess in Palau
By Roberto Hernandez
Soon to be published as a book
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