MS. NORIKO HORIKIRI STARTED IT ON TUESDAY OCT. 22, 2013
Breeze Bar has only one guest before 10pm -- a lone Japanese lady, who sits near the ocean by herself. (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)
THE
week of Oct. 22, 23, 24, 25 (my day off), 26 and 27 (my day off again,
is really international to me in as far as tips are concerned.
On
Oct. 22 at Breeze Bar, we are just watching TV because all guests left
early. At about 10pm, a lone Japanese lady became our last guest.
But she sits at a place where we can't see her even the coming guests.
It
comes to my mind that I should be playing all-Japanese songs and maybe
she will transfer to a table near me to hear those songs more closely.
I
started with instrumental "Yume No Tochu" and "Como Esta Akasaka". I
sang "Oribia O Kikinagara" and I hear some applause from her.
After more Japanese instrumentals and some songs sung by me, she transferred to a table next (in front) to me.
I
gave her 2 song books (Japanese and American) and she chooses a lot
from those especially Japanese songs. Sometimes I ask her, "Are you a
singer in Japan?"
She
said no and requested "Oribia O Kikinagara" once more. This time it's
her key. After she sang it, I asked her again the same question. She
just smiled.
When
it's time for her to go, she gave me $5.00 tip. She don't have a camera
with her so I used my cellphone to take 3 shots by bartender Jeff
Daizmo.
I've got her name from the drink coupon that she used with the help of cashier/bartender Devie.
The next day, Oct. 23 (Wed.) there is a group of Taiwanese in front of the piano when I played at Waves Restaurant.
Upon
knowing that they are all Taiwanese, I played all Taiwanese songs. They
applauded after each and every Taiwanese songs I've played.
Thirty minutes before they go, an old Taiwanese lady from that table gave me $10.00.
While they are going out, I was able to take a quick shot of the old lady, which is not a good shot as she is moving...
On
Thursday, I had a breakfast with my wife before teaching Mr. Yoshiharu
Kurata, a senior JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) volunteer
from 11:30am-12:30pm. He pays me after every session ($15.00).
Back
to PRR for lunch and teach Moded Whipps from 3:30-5:30pm. Her mom,
Valerie, talked to me about the possibility of teaching her 5-year-old
daughter Ngederong piano, after teaching Ultei guitar on Tuesday and
Wednesday.
Valerie
wants also to resume the 30 minutes piano and 30 minutes guitar for
Ultei because she becomes bored with 1 hour guitar lessons.
While playing piano on that night, I noticed 2 American couples, some Japanese and Taiwanese guests.
So
I played songs from those 3 countries. There are 2 birthday celebrants
that night, one is a Japanese lady and the other is the American lady
--her husband has white hair and the most appreciative among other
guests when I'm playing American songs.
His wife was given flowers after the staff sings Happy Birthday song to her.
I
played the most popular American songs in my repertoire --Mona Lisa,
Misty, Somewhere My Love, Those Were The Days, Somethin' Stupid, Moon
River, Too Young, etc...
While on their way to pay their bill, I saw him getting something from his wife's bag.
He
comes to me and put down $20.00 on top of the piano. I don't have time
to take pictures with them so I just fold the $20.00 lengthwise and put
it in my empty water goblet and took a photo of them while they are
going out of the restaurant.
When I proceed at Breeze Bar to play for another 2 hours
of keyboard music, there is a long table of Russian guests.
There is another long table of Korean guests with a girl, and some Japanese couples.
I
played a variety of songs --Japanese, American, Spanish, Italian and
one Russian song --Those Were The Days, which is actually an original
American song but it's the most popular Russian song that I know.
The Russian appreciated every song I've played. After more than an hour, I saw somebody collecting money from everybody.
When he finished collecting, I'm playing at that time the Italian song "Volare".
The
Russian guy who collected the money comes to me, dancing to the tune of
"Volare", and gave me what he has collected from the group -- $13.00.
The
song is almost finish and when I ended it, I come to him and asked him,
"Are you Russian?" He said yes and I proceed to their table and
introduced myself.
I
told them that I've been to Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia in 2010 and
represented Palau in the World Chess Olympiad. They are surprised to see
a man from Palau, which is a hot country, come to Russia which is very
cold at that time,September 18-October 04, 2010.
One
of the lady is sure that I played only one Russian song. The
conversation goes on till I told them that I also represented Palau
again in last year's World Chess Olympiad in Istanbul, Turkey.
And
that I'm no. 2 chess player in Palau now and that we will participate
again in the 2014 World Chess Olympiad in Tromso, Norway.
I
was about to give my card to the guy who brings the tip but the lady
beside him took it and I told her that my name is written there in
Russian and she said, "Ah, Roberto".
The guy beside him said, "Italian name".
I
go back to play again to finish my schedule when a Korean girl and her
father come to me and ask me if the girl can play the keyboard? I set
the keyboard to the piano sound and the girl plays really good.
The father requested "My Way" and "Way Back Into Love", an original Korean song with English lyrics.
He gave me $2.00 tip. I forgot the melody of "Way Back Into Love" because I haven't played it for about 3 months.
I asked the mother of the girl to take picture of us with my camera...
They request to let the girl play for the 2nd time. She can play "The Entertainer" faster than me!
When they request for the 3rd time, I refused because it's already 11pm and some guests are sleeping already.
At 6:30, Oct. 25, me and Mr. Kurata are preparing our equipments for the performance at Kramer's.
On our way up the stairs, I saw the same Russians that were my guests at Breeze Bar of Palau Royal Resort.
It takes us more than an hour to set the instruments and other musical things.
Our
first song is "Donna, Donna, Donna", followed by "Besame Mucho". It was
an hour of musical showcase of Mr. Kurata. He can play saxophone,
ocarina, flute, keyboard, guitar, vocals and quena, Palauan
record/bamboo flute.
At 8:45, I left to attend prayer meeting at Pentecostal Missionary Church of Christ 4th Watch (Palau Locale).
I'm late already but was able to participate in the corporate prayer of 30 minutes.
At
8:00 pm on Oct. 26, as I'm playing piano at Waves Restaurant, Mrs.
Satoko Uehara came to me before going to Mandara Spa. She gave me $20.00
as she used to do every time they come.
Before
11:00 pm at Breeze Bar, she came again to me and ask if I will be
working tomorrow. I said it's my day off and I asked them, "When did you
come to Palau?" What I mean to say is "when will they come back to
Palau?" and asked for Mr. Uehara. They said there are only two of them
who come.
They
also said that they went to Dragon Tei on Tuesday night but were unable
to talk to my wife Flor as she is busy taking care of bento boxes.
Source: Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
The Beginning of Chess In Palau
By Roberto Hernandez
October 2013
To be published as a book in the future
CHESS MATE
By Roberto Hernandez
THREE years ago, I was approached by Tutii Joe Chilton, the most active Palauan chess player today, to form a chess club.
Without
hesitation, I agreed to donate my free time, chess books, use of my
chess clock, and experience to develop chess in Palau.
The
idea didn't materialize but in the middle of this year, TFCP (The
Filipino Community In Palau) Vice President Sergio Alemania asked me if
there were enough chess players in Palau to hold the first-ever chess
tournament in Palau.
He assigned me to be the chairman of the tilt that drew 20 contestants including four women.
An
All-Filipino tournament was held early this year, followed by an open
competition on Sept. 15, 2002 in which Tutii Joe Chilton, who was the
first contestant I invited to participate, acted as my co-chairman.
The tournament was participated in by 28 chess players including four Palauans and two Americans, the rest being Filipinos.
The youngest competitors were a 9- and an 11-year-old Palauans.
On January 12, 2003, another open chess tournament will be held which will be categorized into Class A and Class B championships after a 5-round classification games.
Anyone who wishes his or her chess savvy by testing one's skills in a real chess tournament is invited to participate.
I
would like to start this column with two instructional chess quizzes.
The solution to the quiz on the left is written upside down; to the one
on the right will be revealed next week.
If you have questions about chess and the next open chess tournament, please call me at 488-3694. #
Source: Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
Page 12
Volume 12
Issue 52
December 29, 2002 - January 04, 2003
I was given a free copy of Tia Belau newspaper since I started writing for them in Dec. 29, 2002.
But
it will be given to me when I will submit my next report so I always
buy it on Friday and I get my copy on Wednesday or Tuesday.
I
was able to collect all 52 copies for the year 2003. When me and my
wife rented a room in Topside in 2006, I put all those 52 copies of Tia
Belau in an empty sack of rice and put it under the rented room's open
space (on the ground with a plywood under it).
SOMEBODY THROW AWAY THAT WHOLE SACK WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM ME OR MY WIFE.
When
I started to make a scrap book out of those old newspapers, I'm missing
the whole year of 2003 with the exception of a few xerox copies that I
posted in the bulletin board of Palau High School Gym.
When I was allowed to check the publisher's copies (all originals), the whole year of 2003 is also missing!
One
of the graphics designers of Tia Belau told me that I should have been
the only person in the world to have that entire 2003 copies of Tia
Belau had it's not thrown away by someone who doesn't care about
history.
ANYWAY,
I WAS ABLE TO PRODUCE A 2-HOUR VIDEO ENTITLED "CHESS IN PALAU
2002-2004" WHERE ALL THE FIRST 6 MAJOR CHESS TOURNAMENTS IN PALAU WERE
DOCUMENTED THROUGH THAT VIDEO AND THROUGH TIA BELAU, PALAU'S FIRST
NEWSPAPER.
Source: Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
Page 12
December 29, 2002 - January 04, 2003
BIGGEST GAINER, BIGGEST LOSER
Nilo
de Jesus, right, finished 7th in the Top 12 Division of the recently
concluded 2013 PNCC and gained 104 rating points to his previous 1520
rating to be the biggest gainer while his opponent here, Paquito 'Pax'
Suringa, Jr., was the biggest loser of points by scoring only a win, a
draw and 9 losses for a minus 58 points to his 1717 rating. Dennis
Gonzales, left, loses 33 points and drop to 11th place among Palau top
chess players. Manuel 'Jun' Mahor, Jr., 2nd from right, was the Reserves
Division champ and gained 65. His previous rating is 1410 while the Top
12 champ Jose Celiz, 2nd from left, gained 38 to dislodged Roberto
Hernandez (1829) at no. 3 with 1835.
(Photo by Roberto Hernandez)
PALAU TOP 46 PLAYERS AND THEIR RATINGS:
(November 2013)
1. Montel Jr, Cyril Tomas 1895
2. Manuel, Menandro 1852
3. Celiz, Jose 1835
4. Hernandez, Roberto 1829
5. Cabunagan, Tito 1785
6. Garcia, Bernardo 1767
7. Cabuso, Rustum 1739
8. Pastrana, Eugenio 1722
9. Parrado, Angelica 1679
10. Suringa Jr, Paquito 1659
11. Gonzales, Dennis 1638
12. Balbalosa, Jeffrey 1637
13. De Jesus, Nilo 1624
14. Paloma, Rafael 1602
15. Escapatoria, Gonzalo 1599
16. Dizon, Remrel 1559
17. Pacenos Jr, Alfredo 1559
18. Hilario Jr, Miguel 1550
19. Mission, Baby Edna 1531
20. Labarda, Eugene 1529
21. Sisior, Destiny 1519
22. Hossain, Mohammad Manik 1498
23. Mahor Jr, Manuel 1475
24. Whipps, Ksau Anthony 1462
25. Sibayan, Luciano 1462
26. Manaligod, Elpidio 1456
27. Gutierrez, Ferdinand 1452
28. Dela Cruz, Jaime 1433
29. Reyes, Jon Manuel 1403
30. Tmetchul, Mlib 1394
30. Whipps, Eric Ksau 1394
32. Martin, Geoff 1370
32. Roldan, Dan 1370
34. Lopez, Mary Frances 1356
35. Montel, Cyrelle Ann 1346
36. Sisior, Angelil 1343
37. Navarosa, Glen 1294
38. Whipps, Zachary Techall 1289
39. Ngiratechekii, Paz 1266
40. Velarde, Fernan John 1261
41. Pabiona, John Joseph 1214
42. Pastrana, Geaury Ken 1199
42. Tmetchul, Dichem 1199
44. Mission, Ronald 1159
45. Sisior, Kyarii 1122
46. Celiz, Kate 1073
Source: History Of Chess In Palau
By Roberto Hernandez
November 2013
ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK - TILL 12 O'CLOCK!
Yuriko
Cho Irikedamoto, right, dances with her bartender/cook employee Fred
Gloria during the Dragon Tei Christmas party in 2011 (December 24).
Playing the guitar and singing one of her favorite songs "Rock Around
The Clock" is Roberto Hernandez, former pianist at Donburi Dragon and
Teppan Dragon Japanese
restaurants. (Photo by Ma. FloriPalauda Hernandez)
CLASSICAL MUSIC PERFORMANCE
Violin and Piano
A
FEW weeks before transferring to Palau Royal Resort after working as
pianist at Dragon Tei Japanese restaurant for 11 months, Roberto
Hernandez was approached by his employer, Yuriko Irikedamoto for a
possible 20-30 minutes of classical music performance of 2 violinists
and one pianist.
The date is May 31, 2007 - June 05, 2007. Preferrably June 02 (Saturday) in the afternoon and June 03 at Palau Royal Resort.
There will be one invited violinist from Japan, Ms. Sakura Koito, who will arrive from Japan at the end of May, 2007.
Ms.
Yumiko Sugawara will be the 2nd violinist. She can be contacted at
Impact Tours at tel. no. 488-3779 (daytime). Or at Jive Restaurant at
488-5483 (night time).
Japan Embassy will help in the promotions of the concert.
It will be a free concert but donations will be accepted.
OTHER POSSIBLE PLACES FOR CONCERTS -- churches, schools or hospitals.
Palau Pacific Resort will host one concert. The date and time is not yet final.
The
Pentecostal Missionary Church of Christ (4th Watch) Palau Locale will
be offered to host the violinists. (There's no piano in the church). The
date and time will be disclosed.
"Traumerei" by Robert Schumann is one of the classical pieces to be performed.
The pianist will be Yuriko Cho Irikedamoto of Dragon Tei/Teppan Dragon Japanese Restaurants.
Source: Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
The Beginning of Chess In Palau
By Roberto Hernandez
June 01, 2007
To be published as a book in the future
