(1554) MUSIC AND ME -323 (July 05, 2018) KOREAN WHO LIKES SPANISH SONG "ERES TU"

         I THOUGHT HE IS CHINESE/TAIWANESE
This Korean guy sits near the piano for 10 minutes listening to my playing of Chinese/Taiwanese songs.


    KOREAN WHO LIKES SPANISH 
              SONG "ERES TU"

IN June 20, 2018 (the birthday of my youngest brother Bernardo Hernandez, that I forgot to greet him on Facebook), there's a guy who sits on a chair near the piano. 

I thought he is Chinese/Taiwanese. After listening to me for about 10 minutes at 7:30 pm that night at Waves Restaurant of Palau Royal Resort, he asked me if I know the Spanish song "Eres Tu"?


I put one the lyrics of Eres Tu and I sang it. He is singing with me. He really knows the songs.

I remember when I was a teenage boy that my father Feliciano Hernandez asked me to pay a visit to the one-hectare farm that he is tilling. It is about 4 kilometers away from our house. 

I brought with me a transistor radio using 4 size C batteries and while walking, I'm listening to AM radio. After a few minutes of listening, then the song Eres Tu was played. It's my first time to hear that song in full.

Although I'm not sure of the lyrics, I tried to sing along with it. It's a very rare feelings that I get hooked on music because of that song. I don't even understand 95% of the song because it is Spanish.

Although Spanish is being taught in High School during my high school days at Hagonoy Institute, many thought that it's just a waste of time and effort to teach Spanish in Philippine schools. Although Philippines was colonized by Spaniards for a hundred years, it's not practical anymore. It's better to teach some other subject. A few years later, it's not being taught anymore.

When the internet connection in Palau became fiber optic in Dec. 07, 2017, there's a big boost in the internet speed and becomes cheaper also. Months later, PT Waves introduce a 2 days unlimited use for $3.00 which become very popular to many internet users that download and search the internet especially You Tube, which we can't access before because of slow internet connection. 

After coming back from participating in the 2018 World Chess Olympiad in Batumi, Georgia (Sept. 23-Oct. 07), the PT Waves $3.00 for 2 days became $3.00 still but 3 days unlimited internet use. I computed it as $1.00/day for $30.00/month just like in Philippines that for 1,500.00 pesos ($30.00) for a month, you can have unlimited use of strong internet connection.

I took advantage of this cheaper internet to search for the songs/music that I don't have the lyrics including Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Estonian and even Visayan songs like "Baleleng".

Lately, I've searched the song "Eres Tu" which I didn't know yet the year (1974) and correct lyrics and singers (Mocedades).

My list of about 4,000 songs will likely be complete with original singers, year, or if it's a theme from a movie/play/opera and lately, the songs status for the whole year of that song. In Eres Tu's case, it's the number 61 song of the year 1974. 





Sources: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
               Tia Belau Newspaper
               December 29, 2002--August 08, 2018

               Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
               The Beginning of Chess in Palau
               By Roberto Hernandez
               Soon to be published as a book

               Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez
               Tia Belau Newspaper
               March 15, 2012 --April 18, 2013
               http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
               April 25, 2013 -- August 08, 2018

               The History of Chess in Palau
               By Roberto Hernandez
               June 09, 2002 --August 08, 2018
            

(1514) MUSIC AND ME (March 15, 2018) 35th CIVIL WEDDING ANNIVERSARY OF ROBERTO-FLOR ON MARCH 11, 2018

 35th CIVIL WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
                   OF ROBERTO-FLOR
                   ON MARCH 11, 2018

In this photo, I didn't know that I have this photo until I saw the scrap book that was displayed by my sister-in-law Vilma Miranda Belgar near the dining table where I also put on display at the shelf the big chess pieces that I made using guava wood and carved it manually using a saw, knife, sand
paper and lots of patience. There are bishops, king, queen and rook but no knight because it's very hard to carve. 
    I remember making my first chess set where I used the wood called "tuwi", which is very light and easy to break. When I finished all the pieces (king, queen, bishop, rook and pawns), my last piece is the knight. 
   I don't have something to copy on, just what I imagine in my mind. When it's finished, it looks like a dog!
   I borrowed a knight piece from the founder of Hagonoy Chess Club Miling Crisostomo, who is my practice partner after the 7-year-old boy (his nephew) that taught me how to play chess, could not beat me anymore.
   When me and my wife had a vacation in May 28, 2004 to send our daughter Karen to college for Nursing studies, Miling invited me to participate in the Baliwag Mayor's Cup Rapid Chess Tournament held every year at the Mayor's residence with cash prizes offered as well as free food and drinks.
   Miling asked me if I would like to drive but I refuse because I am not familiar with the place and the jeep that we are using is manual drive and I am using in Palau automatic car made in Japan (right wheel drive).


During our vacation last year (July 21-Aug. 11, 2017), I asked Vilma to take out those photos and I will scan it for better results.

That civil wedding photo was held in Makati, Metro Manila on March 11, 1983, 6 months after I have come back from Japan (April 04-Sept. 28, 1982) with the First Quarter Band composing of Toto (drummer), Matt (bass guitar), Jane Ramas (lady singer) and Frankie Ganalon (lead guitar), whom had me having communication with him through Facebook. We have no news/info from the other members.

http://palau-chess.blogspot.com/2015/01/music-and-me-nov-27-2014-funny-memories.html

http://palau-chess.blogspot.com/2015/05/music-and-me-april-30-2015-heart-beat.html

http://palau-chess.blogspot.com/2019/12/1760-music-and-me-aug-22-2019-frank.html

In September 25, 1983, we were married in the Sta. Ana church in Hagonoy, Bulacan.

My younger brother Jerry Angeles Hernandez and my co-employee/friend at The Plaza Restaurant Fernando Vergara, my 2 cousins from Manila, my sister-in-law Ma. Victoria (aka Baby) were secondary sponsors.

Fernando Vergara, middle, was the veil and cord secondary sponsor with a childhood friend.




HAPPY 35th CIVIL WEDDING ANNIVERSARY TO MY WIFE Flor Miranda-Hernandez on this day March 11, 2018...



 We're still going strong, blessed with a daughter Karen Cando and 2 grand kids Zachery Hernandez-Gregorio and Luan Tiffany Cando.


 We have $1,111.11 savings for our vacation in Sept.2018. Just in time for the 35th Church Wedding Anniversary on Sept. 25. 


Those 6 number ones have magical meaning to us as it is the numbers where my life is revolving now....Number 1 -- is my service to God through the Pentecostal Missionary Church of Christ (4th Watch) Palau Locale; 

Number 2 is you; 

Number 3 is Karen, Zach and Tiffany; 


Number 4 is music;

 Number 5 is chess and

 Number 6 is Palau Royal Resort. 


THAT'S WHERE MY LIFE IS REVOLVING NOW --- GOD, YOU, KAREN-ZACH-TIFFANY, MUSIC, CHESS AND PRR! 


So, if they see me in Iyebukel, Airai, Ngerbeched and downtown Koror, I am teaching chess, ukulele, piano/keyboard, guitar.


 If they saw me in Australia, Russia, Turkey, Norway and Azerbaijan, I'm playing chess there representing Palau. 


And if they see me in Guam and Saipan, I'm there for the PMCC Pacific Area Fellowship or 2019 Oceania Zonal Chess Championship.


 PRAISE THE LORD! GOD IS GOOD! 






Sources: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
               Tia Belau Newspaper
               December 29, 2002 -- April 19, 2018

               Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
               The Beginning of Chess in Palau
               By Roberto Hernandez
               Soon to be published as a book

               Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez
               Tia Belau Newspaper
               March 25, 2012 -- April 18, 2013
               http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
               April 25, 2013 -- April 19, 2018

               The History of Chess in Palau
               By Roberto Hernandez
               June 09, 2002 -- April 19, 2018

(1130) MUSIC AND ME (Nov. 05, 2015) CONTRASTING STYLE IN FISHING

MY 92-YEAR-OLD FATHER IN 2009 AFTER MY TRIP TO AUSTRALIA
     Feliciano Hernandez, left, poses for souvenir photo with his son Roberto, daughter-in-law Ma. Florida Hernandez and granddaughter Karen Gennibeth Hernandez before the trio get back to Palau from their 18-day vacation in 2009. Three months later, the jack of all trade Feliciano passed away.                 (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)



        CONTRASTING STYLE IN FISHING
 

My father, Feliciano, is jack of all trades (Master of None). He is a farmer, who toils a 1-hectare farm, whose owner gets 30% of the harvested rice grains (palay) while he gets 70% which is always enough for our 1 year consumption. He plants rice only once a year. Sometimes, twice a year using a special variety of palay that grows faster in less time.

                During the non-season of planting, he used to convert the field into a fish fond with no fingerlings of milk fish or tilapia fish. At this time, anybody can fish in any farm for small fishes like tilapia. Some farmers who can afford to buy fingerlings do so and any ‘entrepreneur’ who will fish there will notice it. In the early 1970’s, that’s the trend: you can fish anywhere without asking permission to the owner. Unlike now, all farms now are converted to fish, crab and prawns/shrimps fond.

                My father is also a carpenter. When there is a project in Manila, he will go home to us only once a week because the bus/jeep fare can’t be afforded because of the distance.

                He is also a barber. We never experience going to barber shop for decades. Even at age of 88 years, he was able to give me a haircut before he passed away at the age of 92.

                And being a fisherman, we have a completely different style in fishing and how to keep the catch. Whenever he caught a mud fish or a catfish, he always bent the head of the fish so that it will die instantly and no chance to get away especially the slippery mud fish. It’s better for him to have a dead fish than a live one that might get away.

                It’s totally different with my style. All my catches, especially mud fish, that have long lives, reach home all alive. One sunny day, I’m fishing with a “salakab” (a fishing tool which is arc-shaped made of bamboo, which has a hole in the middle to put arms to check the catch) in the half-hectare farm where the water is about 4 inches deep. There are footsteps from water buffalo where the water is cloudy. I Put my “salakab” there and check if there is a catch… there’s a 10-inch mud fish. I put it in my “suwiki” (a catch container made of bamboo also). I tried all the water buffalo’s footsteps and caught about 70% from those. My “suwiki” is almost full of live mud fish! In going home, many people on the street ask how many did I catch. When I show them my catch, they are all impress with the live mud fish still alive.

                One sunny morning, I fish with a “salambaw” or “saltod”, which is like a bigger version of food cover made out of net to keep the food from being feasted by house flies. But that fishing equipment is open at the front side so that when you put it in a farm canal, all fish will be trapped at the other end.

                When I am about to wear my denim shorts, I put my right hand inside the back pocket. I felt like I touch the pointed part of a needle. I pressed that finger so that blood will come out but nothing comes out. There’s a different feeling about it –I realized it was a sting of a small scorpion. I took off my denim short pants, get a hammer and crushed the scorpion before going fishing.

                I put my “salambaw” in a farm canal next to my father’s farm. As I am walking to chase some fish to it, I saw a very big mud fish swimming fast to my net trap, the salambaw! I chase it for a few seconds and I saw a big “bounce” at the end the net. When I caught it, I immediately go to a place where there is no water that it can escape. It’s the biggest mud fish I ever caught! If my father caught it, he will immediately kill the fish for ‘security’ so that it cannot get away. But I keep it alive till I reach home.

                One time, I caught a catfish about half of the size of that big mud fish that I caught. I know that it has some stinging fins on its left and right part of the head so I took off my t-shirt and put it in my suwiki to avoid being stung by it in which sometimes people will get fever by being stung by it.

                One time before harvest season of palay, I was asked by my father to pay a visit to the farm. In going there, I brought our transistor radio with 2 size D batteries. I put it on an AM radio station, where it played the Spanish song “Eres Tu”. I was so carried away by the very good harmonious singing and “sing-along” with it even though I don’t know the Spanish lyrics. It was one of my first memories of being hooked to music during my teenage years.

                There is one time also that a childhood friend and I are both fishing using only salakab. While walking on our way to fish where we thought we can catch a variety of fish, we saw a big mud fish at a farm canal swimming fast. We looked at each other with the same thing in mind… catch that mud fish! We decided to split, I’m in front and he’s at the back. At the same time, we ‘nailed’ our salakab at the exact place where our instincts thought the mud fish will be. We looked at both sides to see if it got away. We see no trace of mud fish swimming so we started to put our arms inside our salakab to see if either of us caught it. To our surprise, it’s not inside his or in mine! After a short confusion, I realize it’s in the middle of our salakab and I’m not mistaken! I’ve got it! And as usual, I bring it home alive.

                After every harvest of palay, my father will have the farm fill with water about thigh deep. That’s the time for the shrimp to breed and some tilapia fish and mud fish to enjoy the ‘freedom’ to swim for a few months. But it’s not totally free with me around. I made a spear gun and climb on acasia tree and waited for mud fish to ‘get’ some air once in a while where it will float for a few seconds to get some oxygen and release a bubble or two. My spear gun has a string attach to the arrow. At that time, I can’t find a straight bamboo as my arrow and I used a straight piece of wood and meticulously shaped it round so that it will fit my spear gun. But the problem is, there is a small part where there is a little hole where a nail pierced it. When I hit one mud fish, it swam away and the arrow was snapped. I can still see the half end of the spear still attach to the head part of the mud fish. 

Source:   Music and Me

                  By Roberto Hernandez

                  Tia Belau Newspaper

                  March 15, 2012 -- April 2013

                  http://palau-chess.blogspot.com

                  April 2013--November 05, 2015  

               

                 

(772) FATHER AND SON -- PROUD OF EACH OTHER (TBN-Aug. 04, 2014)

FATHER AND SON, WIFE AND DAUGHTER

                   After coming back from participating in the 2009 Oceania Zonal Chess Championship in Australia, Roberto and his dad, wife Flor and daughter Karen had a photo session in July 02, 2009. The Hernandez couple is back in Palau in July 4 with Karen almost finished with his Nursing studies. Tata Nano passed away 3 months later at age 92.       (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)

               FATHER AND SON ---

         PROUD OF EACH OTHER 

ALTHOUGH he didn’t say it literally, Feliciano Hernandez, Roberto’s dad, expressed it with emotions of how proud he is to have a good chess playing son.

                More than 40 years ago, the Hernandez family visited their grandmother’s house with Roberto focused on the friendly chess games being played at the front of their neighbor’s house. When the players asked Roberto if he’d like to play, he replaced the player who lost. The ‘format’ of their play is—you stay seated as long as you keep on winning.

                Roberto easily disposed the first 6 different players. He saw from the emotions of his dad that he is very proud of him as he didn’t know that Roberto is really good at chess.

                After beating the next 3, some people from the crowd suggested to call their best player, who resides about 30 meters from the site. When he played against Roberto, HE ALMOST GOT A DRAW!

                ‘Tata Nano’, Feliciano’s nickname, has been very proud of Roberto about music this time, when his youngest son Bernardo brought a keyboard and Roberto played it with fast and slow songs.

                When Roberto is playing “The End of The World” by Lennon Sisters, Tata Nano is being congratulated by Celerina Dionisio Jumaquio, one of Roberto’s guitar teachers. They have been to Japan as musician with Roberto for 6 months in Kagoshima City and Celerina and her husband Rading 17 times in one place-Fukushima, the hardest hit city by earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.

                While in Korea, Ka Rina (Celerina’s nickname) relate to Roberto why they were denied Japanese visa for the first time in going to the same place for the 18^th times-- IT’S GOD’S WAY TO SAVE THEM FROM THE DESTRUCTIVE EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI!

                Tata Nano would like to return the favor that Roberto will be proud of him although not in chess and music but through other ways. They own a female water buffalo (carabao). When it gave birth, there’s lot of milk to get from the female carabao.

                Nana Simeona, Roberto’s mom, would used the empty bottles of vinegar, liquor or soy sauce, to put the very fresh carabao’s milk and sell it at the market early in the morning. While walking going there, she will not reach the market as the milks are sold out on her way!

                Roberto’s breakfast during that time is—freshly cooked steaming rice with carabao’s milk and a little salt. On the 2^nd serving, he will add sugar this time and presto! He’s got dessert!

                That water buffalo is the one they use to till the land for rice planting. Today, they used tractors and water buffalos became a source of meat instead of expensive beef.

                Tata Nano thought of one way to make Roberto proud of him through carabao milking contest held every year. Contestants are given 5 minutes to milk the carabao and whoever got the most milk wins. There are 4 contestants with varying ages with Tata Nano as the oldest at 88.

                The first contestant from San Agustin hamlet milked half bucket of milk. People applauded. The 2^nd contestant from San Jose hamlet produced more than half bucket of milk. More applause from the crowd as the first one was eliminated. The 3^rd contestant from San Pascual hamlet produced the most as he almost filled the bucket. A thundering applause from the crowd as the first 2 were eliminated.

                It’s time now for Tata Nano. He’s slow and was able to produced only one glass.

              BUT HE WON THE CONTEST!       HOW?

              HE MILKED A MALE CARABAO!

Solution to last week’s puzzle: 1. Ba5+! Kxa5 2. c3! Any move by black 3. b4 mate.

This week’s puzzle: White to move and mates in 3 (Solution next issue)

Source: Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez

             Tia Belau Newspaper

             Pages 9-10

             Volume 23

             Issue 62

             August 04, 2014