IPOH: It took Roberti Pecorari four days to learn how to play the drum before taking part in a lion dance performance.
The result? The 56-year-old Swiss, clad in black, managed to garner an enthusiastic crowd as he played the drums for about half an hour during an event at Chinese New Year Bazaar in Lorong Seni @ Lorong Panglima here, today.
Later, Pecorari said that it was not easy to learn and play the large drums as it took a lot of energy and effort to synchronise with the dancers' rhythm.
He said he had been a member of the Chin Woo Association, a martial arts organisation, in Switzerland since 2004.
And upon arriving in Ipoh, he took the opportunity to visit the association's chapter here and decided to learn drumming.
"I went to the Ipoh Chinese Chin Woo Athletic Association and got to know all the members here before joining them and taking part in the performance today.
"In Switzerland, I learnt karate with the association when I was young," he said today.
Pecorari, who works in Information Technology, said he arrived in Ipoh on Wednesday and would be staying here until Jan 17 before flying back to Switzerland.
"It is such a good experience to learn and play the drum. I have been dreaming of playing it and wasted no time when in Ipoh, especially when people are ushering in the Chinese New Year.
"It is truly great to be here and I feel blessed to be able to do this with the support from the communities and people who have been so welcoming towards me," he said.