(793) MUSIC AND ME (June 26, 2014) ROBERTO HERNANDEZ PIANO TUNING EXPERIENCES IN PALAU

After coming back from Australia representing Palau in 2009 Oceania Zonal Chess Championship, Roberto have a photo session around Palau Royal Resort for Ric Ambatali's review of Roberto's stature in Palau--for job application in Australia as music teacher. In the photo session, he tuned a few out of tune keys using the tuning hammer that's lend to him by Dragon Tei owner Yuriko Cho Irikedamoto.
                                          (Photo by Roberto Hernandez -- Taken by Tonette Medillo)

 

            ROBERTO HERNANDEZ'
     PIANO TUNING EXPERIENCES
                         IN PALAU  (1992-2014)

In 1997, Image Restaurant owner-manager Margarita "Margie" Borja Dalton went at Dong Fang Store to buy the upright piano there for sale at $1,950.00. This is upon the recommendation of its resident musician Roberto Hernandez, who said "with a classy place like Image Restaurant, it needs a classy acoustic piano and not just keyboard that Roberto has used for 5 years."

Margie wants it in installment of $500.00 down payment and $100.00/month but the Dong Fang Store owner wants it at $1,000.00 down payment and $100.00/month.

They didn't agree to that terms. Months later, Margie's Japanese husband Masa Shibuta gave her some cash to buy the piano. Margie and Roberto went again to the shop and she asked the owner, "How much if we will buy the piano cash?"
 
When the owner said $1,650.00, they agreed and 2 employees of the shop helped in putting the piano in the pick-up truck that Margie, Willie Medalla and Roberto brought.

The restaurant is in the 2nd floor and the piano is very heavy. There are 5 guys who found it very hard to bring up the stairs. 

Roberto got an idea to make the piano lighter in weight. He used to do it when tuning the piano.

He took down the cover top part of the piano, the front part, the part that covers the keys and the biggest one -- under the piano. It has a total of less than 100 pounds of detachable piano parts.

It works! The piano looks like a skeleton and easier now to lift all the way to the left side of the restaurant.

Months later after playing it regularly from 7pm-9pm, Roberto noticed the out of tune "A" or "la" key at the right side from the middle of the piano.

One day he went again to Dong Fang Shop and asked the owner if they have the tuning lever or if they can order it from China.
He said they don't have it and can't order it from China as it is only one piece and  not for general use.

When Marco Rejano, a fellow musician/singer/lead guitarist/bass guitarist/drummer/baker, is about to have a vacation in Philippines, Roberto asked him to look for a tuning lever at Yamaha/Trebel/Weinstein piano factory and buy one.

When he comes back, he said to Roberto that they are not selling those because it's being used exclusively by piano tuners.

Roberto is uneasy playing an out of tune key on a piano. He thought of something that might work unlike the one he tried during the 1983-1986 tenure as pianist at Sinugba Restaurant in Pasay Road, Makati, Philippines.

He tried a plier to tune an out of tune key but it didn't work. Piano strings are very hard and it needs a square kind of lever to turn the parts that holds the strings.   

Roberto tried the vice grip this time and still didn't work. He tried a small wrench socket and it fits perfectly to the square part! He then locked the socket with the vice grip and presto! He was able to tune all the strings.

He needs a guide to tune the piano more accurately and he ordered from Musician's Friend (order from catalog and paid by money order) a chromatic tuner that can tune effectively through manual or fixed set-up.

Since then, Roberto is tuning pianos around Palau using it until 2001. In March 2006, Jennifer Sugiyama, the wife of Dr. Victor Yano, whom Roberto is teaching their daughter Jasmine, asked Roberto if he can tune a piano.

She said that she has a Japanese friend that bought a piano in Japan and during the shipment to Palau, some keys got out of tune. He gave Roberto the tel. number and address --it's Yuriko Cho Irikedamoto of Dragon Tei Japanese Restaurant.

When Roberto tuned her piano for the first time in March 14, 2006, he still used the 'vice grip' tuner. After tuning it for 3 hours, he realized that Yuriko had a tuning hammer! 

Yuriko lend Roberto that tuning hammer until now and when he is tuning Yuriko's piano, he don't charge her as high as the others and don't charge her for back job. She's very meticulous about the tune and can tell if a key is out of tune to the smallest details.

She plays all classical music. When she likes to hear standard songs like "The Shadow of Your Smile", Love is a Many Splendored Thing, From Russia With Love, The Look of Love, etc., she will come at Palau Royal Resort to listen to Roberto and always give him $10.00 tip and a glass of red wine.

She invited Roberto to play piano/guitar during the staff Christmas party in 2012 where everybody had a good time singing and dancing, including Roberto's wife Flor, who works there since 2006. Roberto played piano there for 11 months in 2006 before his transfer to Palau Royal Resort in June 01, 2007.  

 Female staff of Dragon Tei looking at the lyrics of a Christmas song that Roberto is playing in the early part of the staff Christmas party. From left, Grace, Emily Reyes, Cecil Bustamante, Ma. Florida Hernandez, Mabel Avila and her sister Marie.
                                              (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)

   From 11pm-1am, Roberto uses a guitar this time because Yuri san, right, doesn't want the neighbors to be disturbed by the noise. Roberto here is singing "Rock Around The Clock" which is one of Yuri's favorite songs.
                                    (Photo by Roberto Hernandez - Taken by Flor Hernandez) 


  




 

             

                                     PIANO TUNER (Part-time)

                        

  >Tuning the piano of all students at least twice a year.

      >Replacing the strings if necessary.

>Fixing the defective and non-functioning keys and pedals.

>Tuned the piano of Margarita Borja Dalton in 1997.

>Tuned the piano of Seventh Day Adventist Church in Airai, Palau in Oct. 10, 2001.

>Tuned the piano of Cherry in October 17, 2001.

>Tuned the new piano of Yuriko Irikedamoto in March 14, 2006.

>Tuned the piano of Yuriko Irikedamoto in May 06, 2006.

>Tuned the piano of Tony Kuo in Nov. 17, 2005, May 06, 2006 and August 21, 2006.

>Tuned the second piano of Tony Kuo in August 22, 2006.

>Tuned the piano of Minister of Health Dr. Victor Yano in May 02, 2007 and in 

   February 09, 2008.

>Repaired the piano keys of Carlos Hiros Salii & Bilung Gloria Salii in May 16, 2001.

>Tuned the piano of Carlos Hiros Salii & Bilung Gloria Salii, Queen of Koror, Palau     

   in May 01, 2000, November 15, 2000, June 06, 2001 and in March 26, 2008.

>Tuned the piano of Lazar Tmechetul in July 2005.

>Tuned the piano of Annabel Lyman in November 07, 2004.

>Tuned the piano of Yuriko Irikedamoto in 2007.

>Tuned the piano of Minister of Social Security Greg Ngirmang in October 09, 2001.

>Tuned the piano of Greg Gordon in November 26, 2001.

>Tuned and repaired four (4) pianos at I Love Music School in Dec. 12-13, 2001.

>Tuned the Image Restaurant piano 24 times in 8 years (1997-2005) (3 times a year)

> Tuned the piano of Palau Royal Resort in June 02, 2007.

> Tuned the piano of Palau Royal Resort in January 31, 2008 and November 02, 2008.

>Tuned the baby grand piano of the president of Palau National Olympic Committee

   Frank Kyota in December 30, 2008.

>Tuned the piano of Yuriko Irikedamoto in February 10, 2009.

   Tuned the piano of Palau Royal Resort in April 18, 2009

>Tuned the piano of Palau Royal Resort in June 14, 2009.

>Tuned the piano of Minister of Health Dr. Victor Yano in July 25, 2009.

>Tuned the piano of Yuriko Irikedamoto in December 05, 2009.

  Tuned and repaired the piano of Yo-Yo and Carol in Feb. 22, 2010.

  Tuned the piano of Annabel Lyman on March 03, 2010.

>Tuned the piano of Yuriko Irikedamoto on April 09, 2010.

>Tuned the piano of Palau Royal Resort in August 08, 2010.

>Tuned the piano of Yo-Yo and Carol Hsu in Jan. 13, 2011.

> Tuned the piano of Yuriko Irikedamoto in 2012.

> Tuned the piano at Belau National Museum in 2012.

> Tuned an old piano of Millan Isack in Airai in late 2013.

>Tuned 2 piano (old and new) at I Love Music School of Ngirai Tmechtul on Nov. 2013.

> Tuned the piano of Melwert Tmechtul on Dec. 23, 2013.

> Tuned the piano of Annabel Lyman in March 2014.

Sources: Chess And Music (Perfect Combination)
               The Beginning of Chess In Palau
              1992-2014

              http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
             (34) Curriculum Vitae of Roberto Hernandez
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(739) MUSIC AND ME (April 10, 2014) MUSICIAN AND FISHERMAN

PLENTY LAND CRABS DURING FULL MOON
    This land crab traveled up to Breeze Bar of Palau Royal Resort on May 15, 2014. A young Taiwanese lady took a picture of it under the bar. I took 4 shots of it to be the featured photo of my experience in catching big mangrove crabs.
                                    (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)


     MUSICIAN AND FISHERMAN  

I USED to fish at lagoon or channel near Echang and Image Restaurant during low tide.

The water is just knee-deep during low tide and very inconvenient if you fish during high tide even using a bamboo raft.

During the month of November - February, the low tides are in the evening or early morning.

Missing fishing for a few months, I decided to try fishing at 6:00 am on December 02, 1994.

I have a rectangular styro foam that Image Restaurant is just throwing away after getting the imported grapes or fruits from that container.

I have a spear made of bamboo stick and steel they use in the construction of walls or cement road.

I have also a knife, 20 small hooks, 4 sets of fishing line with 5-10 lbs. strength, a container for ngims (bait from the stomach of sea cucumber). 

I know that during that month, only few ngims I can collect especially if it's morning.

As I am halfway to the lagoon, I saw a big mangrove crab on the water. Usually I encounter only small crabs when I fish during afternoon.

I used to catch those small ones if they are not hiding in the rocks and step on them, take the pincher away and put it in my container.

If there are few bites, I will concentrate on small crabs and cook them in coconut milk. Just the soup is good enough for dinner or lunch.

THIS CRAB IS DIFFERENT! If the legs are spread out, it can measure up to 20 inches.

I spear it just right in the middle of its shell. It's like a bulls eye in dart. Then I put the spear up so that it will not fall on the water.

TO MY VERY SURPRISE, THERE ARE TWO OF THEM!
THEY ARE MATING!

The male (bigger) is on top of the female crab. The spear didn't penetrate the female crab but because the male crab was hurt by the spear, it pinch the female furiously.

I'm determined to catch them both! If it will take longer time with them pinching each other and in midair, the female can get away.  

I PUT THEM BOTH IN THE FOAM CONTAINER WITHOUT TAKING OFF THE SPEAR.

I take off my shirt so that they will not crawl to freedom especially the female.

It's already good enough for a whole family's lunch or dinner so I didn't proceed fishing for small fishes.

I push the container with the spear still there, keeping the two mangrove crabs no a chance to escape.

As I reach the shore, I carried the styro foam with the spear still attach to the male mangrove crab.

My room is open with the new chef Hermie, my roommate, still sleeping at about 6:30am.

I shouted at him to open the door going to kitchen. He hesitantly open the door upon seeing me in fishing attire and resume his sleep.

The big male crab is already dead. I put the female one into a big casserole and put weight on top of the lid so that it will not escape.

Willie Medalla, the carpenter-maintenance crew of Image Restaurant saw my catch. He said he will get coconuts and we will cook it with coconut milk as the chefs in the restaurant are doing when guests order mangrove crabs.

While the male crab is being cooked, I took some vegetables nearby (swamp cabbage or kamkum in Palauan language and kangkong in Filipino language.)

I cooked the female crab separately without any ingredients except salt and a little water (halabos).

When it is ready for lunch, Willie suggested the we call our boss Margarita Borja Dalton to eat lunch with us.

When she comes, she asks me to be the first one to get  crab cooked in coconut milk as I'm the one who caught it.

She's very surprise that I get the swamp cabbage first instead of crab. I like vegetables.

EVERYBODY ENJOYED THE CRAB LUNCH!

Me, my wife Flor and daughter Karen enjoyed more the female crab as it has more fat (aligi) and meat than the male one.

I kept the big shell of that male mangrove crab as a souvenir with the hole in the middle as an indication of how I caught it.


Source: Chess And Music (Perfect Combination)
            The Beginning of Chess In Palau
            By Roberto Hernandez
            June 2014
            To be published as a book in the future