On Aug. 08, 2016, my piano student Lanie Kinsiano asked my to tune the Yamaha piano at Seventh Day Adventist church. Two keys were defective and I was able to fix it and tuned it as well. 4 months and 6 days later, I tuned a Samick piano of Mr. Ha before teaching his grandson piano on Dec. 14, 2016. Six days later, I tuned another Yamaha piano at Palau Mission Academy.
(Selfie photo by Roberto Hernandez -- Dec. 14, 2016)
TUNING 3 PIANOS ON
Aug. 08, Dec. 14 and 20, 2016
in Palau
Lanie Kinsiano is my piano student every Sunday afternoon. She can play piano already reading music notes especially Christian songs. She and her husband jog regularly at the Palau Track and Field Oval. Every Wednesday and Friday in early morning hours, I usually saw them walking/jogging there.
Lanie works at the office of Seventh Day Adventist church near their house. Prior to Aug. 08, 2016, she asked me to tune the Yamaha piano at the church. She said she will pay me through petty cash and I have to bring receipt.
That morning, me, my wife Flor and her co-employee Cecile went to get free eye glass near the oval from Japanese volunteer on medical mission in Palau for a week. We fall in line at 7am and get our reading glass after more than 2 hours.
I dropped them at a store before I proceed to the Social Security Administration office to ask why my $50.00 additional benefit from Palau government was stopped.
I was informed that I have to report to SSA office every 6 months to informed them that I am still in Palau so that they will continue to sent through bank my SS pension. Because I didn't report in June, they stopped my pension for the month of July, which I am suppose to receive in August. They will resume sending it but without the $50.00 from government because it is not from them. And that I have to report again in February 2017.
I explained to them that I thought reporting to them applies only to those eligible to receive pensions but staying in Philippines, who has to report to them every 6 months so that their SS pension will not be stopped.
I proceed to Lanie and said to her that I will tune the piano after lunch because I run out of time because of long line in getting free eyeglass. In going back to Palau Royal Resort, I saw Flor and Cecile walking. They will go first to the other department stores before getting a taxi to get them back at Dragon Tei.
Have lunch at PRR before tuning the piano at SDA. There are 2 defective keys that are not getting back to its original position after hitting it. It's been the problem of a very old piano that I tuned at I Love Music school a few years ago. I know what to do with it.
While tuning it, a pastor from Palau Missionary Academy in Airai, Pastor Sanchez, asked me to tune also their piano there. I gave him my card for reference in the future.
After 2 hours, the piano is tuned and fix. Lanie and her husband were impressed that the keys are now working properly after I hit it repeatedly for at least 400 times.
In early December of 2016, I've got a phone call from Mrs. Ha, the wife of the prominent Korean businessman, Mr. Ha, asking me to call her daughter-in-law for a possible piano teaching of her grandson at their house in the 4th floor of Paradise Hotel.
I talked to So Hee Ha, her daughter-in-law, and we set a date for the boy's first piano lesson on Sat. December 10 at 2 pm.
After teaching Shane Abellera guitar on that Sat. morning from 8:00-10:00, I went back to PRR for lunch and go to Paradise Hotel at 2pm for the first piano lesson of Edward Ha.
I noticed many out of tuned keys of the piano and suggested to them that I will come 2 hours earlier (2pm) on Wed., Dec. 14 to tune the piano before Edward comes back from school at 4pm.
So Hee Ha asked me how much I charge for tuning the piano. I said if it's not tuned for a long time, $75.00 and if it's tuned for just a year and earlier, only $50.00. She said it's not been tuned for more than 10 years.
Mrs. Ha is also there and asked me also to tune the piano at the Korean church in Airai if I have free time.
So Hee Ha paid me $87.00 for tuning and Edward's first one hour lesson in Dec. 10. She said she will pay me every Saturday. I charged her $12.00/hour for twice a week lesson. If once a week, $15.00/hour.
A few days later, Pastor Sanchez asked me also to tune their Yamaha piano at Palau Missionary Academy in Airai. We set the date of tuning on Monday, December 19 at 9am.
During Palau Royal Resort's Christmas party in Dec. 17, I won in the parlor game a gift certificate of free swimming and free use of beach facilities for a day at PRR. There is also a $5.00 cash because we are co-winners. I gave the cash to Sharon Joy Malubay, the cashier, and she willingly chose it adding that me and my wife should use it.
My wife wants to use it on Monday, Dec. 19, with her co-employees Maritess and Ging-Ging for them to swin and she will just enjoy the view and will take many photos.
The date and time, is the same as my tuning of the piano at PMA, so I called Pastor Sanchez to postpone it for Tuesday, the same time. I also add that I charge extra $5.00 for gas whenever I teach or tune piano in Airai.
Before coming to PRR, they bought snacks and drinks that they will consume for a day.
I gave the brochure to Marcia Florentino, who's been working at PRR for 10 years and received a 1 night stay at PRR, some souvenir logo items and $100.00.
I will get mine this year.
We have some photos before I go back to PRR Dormitory to watch NFL game...
I sleep with Flor that Monday night. I have breakfast of fruits before proceeding to PMA for piano tuning. Mr. Sanchez is still in the classroom. I waited for him for about 15 minutes.
He brought me to the big room where the piano is. Two of the keys have only one string left. Some others have 1 snapped strings for a total of 13 strings.
I told Pastor Sanchez that I replaced a B string of the piano that I'm using now at PRR that I got from the old piano of Yuriko Irikedamoto of Dragon Tei. I will try if I can get those snapped strings from her and if not, they have to buy those from Philippines and I will replace those.
After tuning it for 2 hours, I waited again for Mr. Sanchez. He asked me to bring an invoice to the main office in Koror so that they will issue me a check for $80.00.
I'm in a hurry to come back so that I can deposit $50.00 for some help in Philippines. Flor's got a lot of texts and phone call while I'm driving fast. I answered her when I am in line at the bank. The line is long and I will not make it to the lunch time at PRR so I leave the line and rush to PRR for lunch.
Back again to the bank and gave the invoice at the office of
SDA, who asked me to come back on Fri. to get my check.
Sources: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
December 29, 2002 -- January 17, 2017
Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
March 15, 2012 -- April 18, 2013
http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
April 25, 2013 -- January 17, 2017
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