TravelStream™ news feed for member theroad2 on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/theroad2 en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sun, 06 Dec 2009 02:24:43 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/theroad2/2/1260119540/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/theroad2/2/1260119540/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/theroad2/2/1260119540/tpod.html Sun, 06 Dec 2009 02:24:43 -0500 Not long to go

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Brisbane, Queensland, Australia




So that’s it.


Game over


Please come in, your time is up.


1,000's of kilometre’s travelled


1,000s of photo’s taken


Hundreds of people met

407 Days,

in one AMAZING COUNTRY!!


but all good things end and today at 6.45am I left New Zealand.


So no more L&P, no more ‘choice’ or ‘sweet as’, no more being able to bike down the main highway.


It’s good buy to the tractors, campervans, Subaru’s and hoons.


Good bye to chooks, southern men and ‘home kills’.


Good buy to the warehouse, where everyone gets a bargain and brisquoes, you’ll never buy better, tip top ice cream and NZ beef and lamb, which makes you grow like a runaway train.


I can't pay buy eftpos any more, I closed my account, I do now have a NZ driving license but no where in NZ left to drive.


As you most know what I did do, I’ll start with what do I regret not doing:


* Not working on a sheep farm


* Not joining a commune, hippie style


* Not getting thin - people told me cyclists loose loads of weight - not if they eat fish and chips, as much as me - I DO NOT regret the fish and chips.


* Not keeping in touch better with some people I met/some people at home.


* No learning to ski or snow board


* Not doing more tramping and staying in huts.


* Not running over a possum, as I’m always keen to do my bit for conservation. Though clearly only with the car as running over one with the bike would have been scary and probably the last thing I ever did.


What do I not regret


* Almost everything I’ve done in the last 407 days!!


Esp. Every kilometre cycled!


So if you do the math on days and hours, well what I really regret is not having more hours in every day, more minutes in every hour and extra time that didn’t take longer to happen, so I
could have squeezed more into 407 days, added stuff but taken nothing away.



All good things begin as well,

the next adventure is beginning. The time to move on has come, I’m off to Ozzie. Australia, I’m crossing the ditch!


To meet Steph, to see if I can survive the heat, to not get bitten bye anything deadly, to stroll on perfect beaches, to surf in the sea, to drink beer on the Bondi beach on Xmas day in Sydney.


So although I am sad to say it is over, it is time to embrace the next phase. So here I am in Brisbane, it’s hot, I’m hot and busy there are roads and people here the likes of which I’ve not seen outside Auckland for 407 days.


Steph gets here in two days! I wonder how much she has changed, I wonder how much she thinks I have? I also wonder what we might see, what we are going to do and if I can really survive this heat.


All I can say is ‘God bless air con, shit for the planet, great for me!’
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Raglan, Waikato, New Zealand

I have often been curious about riding a motor bike, I mean I love riding my pedal bike (as you may have gathered) and can be quite lazy, so motor bike you’d think might be a natural progression.

So in Rotorua you can go Trail bike riding (off road motor bike riding), without a license, experience or any other pre-requisites, as long as your sign a bit of paper to say that you won’t blame them even if they are negligent. Well that is the standard NZ way, so yesterday after some dithering, I phoned them and book myself on a session at 10am with some mountain bike riders.
They didn’t take any details and this morning a nearly chickened out, but new I would regret it if I did, so after getting slightly lost, putting on a ridiculous outfit. It was especially ridiculous because my ‘body armour’ kept slipping of my shoulder (making me feel oh so safe), I did get on a bike.
The first go at clutch control didn’t go to badly and off I set around the learners track. The other two were bombing round at speeds that I would consider a little scary. I had though been told I was getting my own personnel guide. Good thing to or they would have spent half the ride waiting for me. The were a bit Kamikaze really (That mountain bikers for you)
It was fun though, we charged up hills, which I loved, we sped down hills which was scary but also quite cool. We did though on occasion stop. This is where my problems really started. I mean I wasn’t smooth at changing gear on the move but at least I was doing it. Clutch controlling the start though involved on of the following options.
* It stalled* It accelerated away really fast causing - the back to snake around - me to fall off (this only happened once, to everyone including myself surprise) - It to accelerate like mad regardless of what is in front of it e.g. drops, fences etc. - It just to make a unseemly amount of noise.
But we made it to two view points, which the guy said they don’t normally get beginners to in just the hour, he may though have just been being nice, it is always hard to tell.
When we had done, I won’t say I was desperate to do it again, it was a challenge and mostly fun, the other two signed up for another session straight away, it another thing to add to my list of things driven in NZ though, which goes:
* 2 Tractors* 1 Uht (pick up truck)* 1 Ford Focus* 1 Nissan March* 1 Diahatsu Sirion* 2 Quad bikes* 1 Segway
I think that’s it can you think of anything else?
I was then filled with energy and enthusiasm, conquering fears will do that to you, natural high, endorphins etc. So I did something I havn’t done in a worrying long time, I went for a run. (in fact first I came back to town and posted some stuff but that’s boring news, the interesting bit was going for the run)
Now it was sunny and hot, so I went for a run, in a forest but not just any forest, through the giant redwoods. I was not nearly as bad as I was expecting given I can remember the last time I went running but am not going to tell you when it was as it’s a ridiculously long time ago.
It was great, I got to the 30mins walking loop turn back and even though I new it was stupid pressed on to the hours loop (that’s an hours walking). It felt good in a sweaty, don’t think about how out of breath you are sort of way.
After this, I drove away, saying good bye to another bit of NZ, ever kilometre north is a final step for this trip, I am, all be it slowly heading for the airport. First I have come to Raglan, a surfer town and one of the few bits of NZ I've never been before!!
I’m staying in a eco hostel, sleeping out side in the tent from which I can see the sea (only if I open the door of course) but it;s pretty cool.

]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/theroad2/2/1259271119/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/theroad2/2/1259271119/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/theroad2/2/1259271119/tpod.html Thu, 26 Nov 2009 19:43:03 -0500 Not long to go

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Rotorua, North Island, New Zealand

Wake boarding take two was just as much fun, I think I’ve definitely found a new hobby! Though that makes it sound something comparable to knitting which it really isn’t, mean when asked to compare and contrast it with knitting, well the answer wouldn’t have much in the compare colomn.
It was amazing, I made it half way across the wake and back out again but couldn’t get all the way across my feet just like to continue to point right but I’m sure just one more go and I could have cracked it.
So after my lake exploits, we sat around in the sun, chatting, eating a toasted plastic cheese sandwich from a café run out of bus. I do wonder how many toasted sandwiches I’ve eaten since I’ve been here or bacon and eggs or fish and chips it probably rates something like this:
5th Toast Sandwiches (involving cheese in some way)4th Fish and chips (mostly eaten on the beach)3rd Bacon and Eggs (normally poached)2nd Noodles, tuna and cheese (backpacker food)1st Flat white coffee (with or without carrot cake!)
After the excitement of the boarding had calmed down, a insect savagely bit my foot and I sad a slightly sad farewell to Gunter, he was cool guy…maybe if it was a different point in my trip…maybe maybe maybe…there is always a maybe.
I drove on to Rotorua and booked into the funky green voyager, where I lay in the sun, reading and trying to capture the feeling of being this free. I know that latter, when I’m back home, working and taking life just a bit to seriously, I’ll remember these days.
The sun set, the day ended because you may look back but time marches only on.
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Taupo, Waikato, New Zealand

Today was a day of excitement!
I went wake boarding and it was amazing!!!
I stood up, on only the second attempt, I did then start going down the lake quiet quickly or that was it felt like me before I realized I wasn’t wearing a helmet and the other guy had been. Admittedly he jumped over a board thing but you know these thing can pray on your mind.
So after I helmet up! We set off again, it was amazing, admittedly I wasn’t jumping and styling it out in no time at all but you know, I was up and waving to my adoring fans, in my mind there were adoring fans, in reality they were tree’s but you know it’s all good.
I was happy with our guide and Austrian, Gunter. I met Gunter this morning in the hostel after I stuck up a sign asking who wanted to go, it’s cheaper for 2 people, you see. Always a good incentive to make friends but Gunter seems a sound guy and as a snow boarded was great at the wake boarding! He crossed the wake and was jumping over the little jump.
So you get the idea, it was very cool!
The rest of the day I basked in the glory of my standing up! A achievement on any day but today it was on water!
I also went out to play pool with a random body builder. He came third in his category in some contest he just entered and has started dieting for 2011! Seriously! I respect the commitment but honestly, dieting, going to the gym for hours and dehydrating yourself to paint yourself and pose in little speedo’s really isn't my idea of a good use of time. I mean bulk up by all means but then do something useful like running around a rugby pitch!
Each to there own though.
I have a plan for tomorrow as well, I’m going wake boarding again!! It was that cool.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/theroad2/2/1258871248/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/theroad2/2/1258871248/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/theroad2/2/1258871248/tpod.html Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:33:26 -0500 Not long to go

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Taupo, Waikato, New Zealand

Sorry for no entry yesterday, I was slightly over excited by the fact I actually rode a bike again and got quite distracted.
I woke up and it hadn’t rained but looked like it was going to, this could mean in NZ it’s about to become really sunny or there is a approaching hurricane, weather is like that here, it just does what it wants regardless of the build up. It’s like going to a concert that you think is going to be metallica and it could be but then again it could be the beegee’s or destiny’s child.
So I went to the I-site in Taurangi and got a leaflet and some advice on walks and found one that looked good, I then look at the leaflet in more detail. It said the ‘walk or cycle’ path.
I know given a choice what I’d do. So I set out and found a bike rental place! A man, who is getting married soon, at which they are going to be using a mobile sound system including lapel mikes, rented me a bike, I don’t know his name or anything but I can tell you all about his wedding. Why? I don’t know, people just tell me things? It’s one of the mysteries of my life.
Anyway I rented a bike, it was blue (goes with the car and the tent) and set off, it neither rained nor became sunny, just sort heated up! So I cycled round town, bouncing up and down on my front suspension like a child with a new toy and because I am easily amused, like a child it was SO MUCH FUN!
Bong bong bong!
I cycled out to a old viaduct which was impressive, I also saw two trains on the new viaduct within about 10mins which is about as rare as seeing two people in grass skirts on a bus in central London discussing chaos theory. When people ask how often a train runs here they mean a week.
Anyway the bike was fun but there were two problems, one I kept having to remember to sit down. Standing up on a mountain bike path gives you no traction, unlike touring where you need to stand up on hills to give yourself enough power to move you luggage (and the weight added by one to many bacon and eggs). So after a nice sit down to get up hill, I then went back down hill again, as is the NZ way and that’s when I found problem number two.
It wasn’t that the breaks didn’t work, they did but my hands were to small to really reach or grip them properly. So speed built up, the track wasn’t crowded but there were a few walkers around which I kept considering every time I took a bend knowing my stopping distance was probably quite long.
Luckily/skilfully I avoided hitting anyone and cruised back into town, where I passed the same car that I’d seen stuck in a ditch or the way up (1.5hrs ago) but now there was only a young women sitting beside it, who informed me that her partner, who’d been there earlier had gone to get help, in fact what she said was
“He’s finally gone to get some help, after an hour of messing about with sticks, he finally gone to get some one, MEN, I ask you!”
I sympathised about ‘men’ in the manor of someone in the know. She told me all about what had happened and how he was always like this. I don’t know her name either but I’m sure if I shown the slightest interest she would have told me about her wedding to.
I then returned to town, did a little bit more bouncing, some up and down curbs before I had to give the bike back to the man who was getting married soon.
I then had some lunch getting in just before about 100 bikers, who mostly seemed in there mature years! The discussions of where they should eat and the ordering of cups of tea, did not seem in keeping the leathers and the Harley’s but I guess if that’s what they wanted then, as free sprits that what they were going to have.
After lunch I went for a walk to Tongorrio’s tallest waterfall. Why? Well because it was there.
I then drove on to Taurangi, across the desert road! It’s not a real desert but it’s pretty bleak and has the added danger that if you found yourself lost in the middle of it, you wouldn’t only be very high, very exposed and very lost you’d also have a high probability of getting shot or blown up. As it is NZ main army training ground.
I didn’t’ see anyone training but I expect that is the idea, it used to be all red coats and impressive hats but now I think they are little bit more subtle. Kinda like the difference between colour now and colour in the 80’s.
I stayed the night in Taurangi, watched England lose and this morning walked round a lake, Why? Well because it was also there. (notice a trend)
I also saw some touring cycling slogging up the te Ponga saddle, which brought back found memories of the descent on the other side!.
I’m now in Taupo, I’m doing my laundry. Why? Because otherwise I will smell.

]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/theroad2/2/1258789442/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/theroad2/2/1258789442/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/theroad2/2/1258789442/tpod.html Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:54:35 -0500 Not long to go

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Ohakune Lakes Reserve, Wellington, New Zealand

Drama’s
Yesterday was a day of unnecessary drama,

* I nearly ran out of petrol* I nearly missed the ferry* I nearly had no where to sleep
But
I didn’t run out of petrol, miss the ferry or have to sleep in the car so all was good - I could fill you in on the details but honestly sometimes it's the outcome that's important.
Today though has been much worse, some one desecrated a wholly bagel!
So I go into the wholly bagel one of the culinary wonders of New Zealand, along with steak & cheese pie and Tim Tam’s. Far ahead of chocolate fish or pineapple lumps of which they are inappropriately proud.
Anyway I go in and ask for:
A sesame bagel with Cream cheese and bacon, it may not be to your taste but it’s not complicated right?
So why, oh WHY! Does it turn up and have sauce, onions, lettuce and Tomato in it when it arrives!!! I mean BLT has it’s place, normal far away from me but surely by just asking for Bacon you don’t automatically want the L & T, even if its free. I ask you, what sort of person just forces L&T on people!
Any way because I’m English and what Bilth (a semi-stereotypical american) would call ‘weak’ and what I would call ‘polite’, I didn’t send it back or shout or scream. I will though never go there again. Though this is mainly because I’m on the final leg, the homeward run and may never come to Wellington again but still even with no chance of repeat business, seriously why the L & T.
In fact I’ve said good bye to the south island and in a way I’m on my way home. It was it’s normally stunning self as I drove up from Hammer springs and I wish it farewell by harmonising with Dolly. Oz - 7 days.
In other news though, I have been here long enough to blend in. I was getting a hot chocolate in McCafe (go ahead and judge if you want) and the lady who I’d chatted to at the counter brought it over but nhad trouble finding me and she said:

“Sorry, I didn’t see you there, nearly gave your drink to some tourists” and I thought un-like me?
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Hanmer Springs, South Island, New Zealand

Well today was a day that did not start well.
Last night it rained, it rained a lot and I think Hannah gave the tent idea’s and it is no longer completely waterproof, at least I don’t think so, I didn’t see any come in but when I woke up there was water inside the tent which was my first clue. I didn’t wait for anymore clue’s I just jumped to the conclusion that the tent is no longer waterproof!
So I did want any person, sitting in a tent with water would do, I got up, it was still raining, so I got wet and then the wet me and the wet tent got in the car. I drove back to Christchurch, this sounds like I’m going round in circles but basically Akoroa is a peninsular off Christchurch so unless you’ve got a boat it always going to be a forward and back thing.
Anyway in Christchurch, I had breakfast, got my blood test results which say I’m fine, so clearly I am crazy and my weirdly expanding chest is just a reaction to watching to many Alien movies. So that’s good news, also in Christchurch it wasn’t raining which is also good news but a few points lower on the scale of good.
Anyway after breakfast, some shopping and well frankly some faffing about, I drove up to Hanmer Springs. It’s not raining here either, which is also good.
I haven’t seen anyone else fall over though which is in one way good but in another…you know what I mean, don’t pretend you don’t, you might be a good person but your not that good, you watch ice skating in the Olympics and don't pretend it's for the dance.

]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/theroad2/2/1258497656/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/theroad2/2/1258497656/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/theroad2/2/1258497656/tpod.html Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:44:40 -0500 Not long to go

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Akaroa, South Island, New Zealand

So I realized I was living very much like a girl I once worked with who said
“I can’t believe when you talk about your job, you do the same job as me, so much more happens to you”
She also used to say
“Hey, Nancy, your wearing your great plastic pants” when all I was doing was wearing waterproof trousers but she was Canadian and a little odd.
Well any for this reason I will tell you I arrived in Akaroa, a little town near Christchurch that wants to be French which is nearly as weird as plastic pants. I could look up why and then it would be less weird but you know some weirdness is a good thing, (even plastic pants have there place) and I’m a firm believer that often ignorance is bliss.
Here a few things that have happened and amused me firstly some one fell over, I mean this isn’t always funny because people get hurt and the like but it the right setting, to the right person it is comedy in its purist form.
I was waiting to cross the road and a cyclist pulls up, now I may have posted my bike home, I may look like a pedestrian but I’m a mealy a cyclist doing something else, like an accountant playing golf, they are still an accountant, there little ears would prick at the sound balance sheet chat or end of year figures. I’m like that with bikes, I have to look,
So here I am waiting for the little green man and suddenly this cyclist is there and she’s on this old but clearly loved road bike, I want to look more closely at this eccentric women wearing bicycle clips riding this classic beige bike but I try hard not to stare. I mean I’m leaving town and I live 18,000km away but I was mostly well brought up, so I try not to stare.
So there I am trying not to stare, to look at other things but this is a city, stuff here is grey, graffitied (not the interesting rude back of toliet door stuff) and also my eyes are pulled back by a sudden crash. She just fell over! It the cleats (little clippie bicycle shoes), mostly people think they’d get you straight away when you stop but there sneaky and you remember to take one foot out correctly and while your congratulating yourself on a job well done the other pulls you over.
She was fine, my offers of help went unaccepted and I think she thought this pedestrian knows nothing of my plight but I do, golfing accountants don’t forget how to do tax returns while they golf.
Also even if I was just a walker, I be catching on by now it’s also the second person I’ve seen do it in two days! So if you fancy the chance of good giggle and possibly the opportunity to play the hero with a fair maiden (trust me she was fair) get yourself down to Christchurch.
Or if helping the aged is more you think, you could get yourself to Akaroa where the couple behind me, couldn’t open there campervan door for ages. There was a lot of
“Don’t force it dear, your break the key”
“We have to get in love, can’t stay out here”
“Go and get that man to help….Now dear!”
Etc, etc, it was quite a little soup opera going on, between them and the couple in the car next to me that seem to be going to have a row over a rubbish bag. Sadly the couple got in and car people went away, probably to murder each other, so I had to amuse with a book.
In other days news, I told a cab driver (yes, I got a cab, this spending money is addictive) that I was here on a exchange from the UK to work for the Department of Conservation. I then said it was nice it was so spring like, he said “It’s summer, first of December officially summer.” So then I wasn’t sure fooling him had been so smart after all.
I then told the car hire people that I was staying another year in New Zealand and was off to work for charity in Auckland, lying is quite addictive, once I’m on a role sometimes I can’t stop.
I picked up a new little blue car! This one is a Sirion and is quite a lot cooler than the last one, it has 6 cup holders,lots of shelf space and must have been driven by a tiny person before me, I could only just get in and had to put the seat down!
I’ll keep you posted on the adventures of the new little blue car!
OZ - 9 days
(better go now, am writing this in the tent, in the dark and everyone outside can probably see the screen and likely thinks I’m surfing porn.)


]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/theroad2/2/1258349900/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/theroad2/2/1258349900/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/theroad2/2/1258349900/tpod.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:41:26 -0500 Not long to go

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Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand

Some days I think I can be quite eloquent, I know a lot of words, such as eloquent and you’d think this would equip me for something like going to the doctors.

Well today that’s what I did, I went to the doctors, I’m not going green or bleeding to death or anything. In fact I won’t try and explain what’s wrong because that was the problem at the doctors. I think, she didn’t think there was anything wrong with me, I put the emphasis is in all the wrong places, the words in the wrong order and as is commonly the problem I think I may have also been guilty of saying what she wanted to here.

I’m having some blood test anyway so we will see. I’m also testing another theory that I’m just a hypochondriac, so went to a gym and am trying not being ill. I’m not going to be tied and I’m going to start doing because it used to be true that more I did the more energy I’d have.

If you want to get something done give it to a busy person.

I’ve also made some plans for the next adventure, I go to Oz in 10 days, they won’t let me in without a onward ticket so, I better get one. Times a wasting, so tomorrow I go and pick up my mystery relocation car that will hopefully take me to Auckland, I’ve started to make a list in my head of the amazing things I have done, things I regret not doing and things if I was to start all over again I would or would not do.

So it’s time to start out on the road, in 3 days I get blood tests results, I expect them to be normal as they were when I got my visa renewed, which wasn’t that long ago and then we’ll see maybe the doctor was right…maybe I shouldn’t have been there.

But for now as in the words of great film, I better get busy living.

PS. New Zealand won the football match 1-0, they are going to the world cup.

Also there is still stuff on the floor, eek!

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Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand

So today is not a bank holiday it is though Saturday, so I still haven’t sorted out my temp license but it’s fine because I also haven’t driven anywhere.

I still hotel living, there is still stuff all over the floor but I have now sorted it into piles! Not very tidy piles but piles none the less. There is though slightly more of it than before as I’ve been shopping. Now yesterday I went out and spent some of my new found wealth, I didn’t do a very good job though I ended up with 2 reduced CD’s and new toothbrush.
Today I did better I could get into this spending money, I bought some shorts, a T-shirt and new water bottle. I also got some new trainers and because I have small feet, child sized in fact, they match my mouth which it would surprise many to know is also child sized. Think how loud children can be and it‘s seems less strange. Well anyway, due to my child sized feet, I buy childrens shoes because, to be honest, there cheap! The man in the shop seemed to feel so sorry for me and my little feet he gave me some free socks! Sweet!
New Zealand this evening is doing something it doesn’t do very often it’s gone, soccer mad! It’s even calling it football, it’s got really excited as it is one game away at from getting into the world cup, they must win tonight against Bahrain to get into the world cup for the first time and as one commentator said “For us this would be like winning the world cup”.
I’ve looked up where the Bahrain is and no wonder they look cold.
It’s 1-0 to New Zealand at half time!
I keep you posted on progress as I doubt it will make the news else where but here trust me, this is big news!
To let you in other New Zealand teams
The basket ball teams - The Tall BlacksThe cricket team - The Black CapsThe netball team - The Silver FernsHockey team -The Black SticksThe Badminton team was called the black cocks but apparently even in New Zealand this was a bit much! Don’t know why, would have made me tune in! Think of the posters, the cheers and commentating! And of course the current drama providers the football team - The All Whites!
Come on the All Whites!!!

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