#England tour of New Zealand

[india-tour-booking]

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[rishukumariworld-blog]

WATCH: Trent Boult Unleashes Mayhem With a Remarkable Five-Wicket Haul in The 3rd ODI – ENG vs NZ 2023

England’s Ben Stokes unleashed a fur masterclass during the third ODI against New Zealand at The Oval in London, wreaking annihilation on the Kiwi bowlers. Trent Boult was the only tableware filling for the Blackcaps in an else dismal performance. England’s original struggles and Boult’s early successNew Zealand’s Tom Latham won the toss and tagged to field first, gaining an advantage in…

[bloggerplane]

Top 10 Best Places to visit in the world (2023)

There are many beautiful places to visit in the world. If a person has never come out of his home, then such a person has to think a lot about going for a walk.

Although there are such places all over the world, which are difficult to list, some great cities like New York, Paris, and London are included in the list of good places to visit. People from all over the world visit and enjoy this place’s beauty; a large crowd is in these countries.

Here there are some unique places and monuments that are beautiful and worth seeing.

With a little effort, we have made a list of some unique places for you, where you should go and where you should roam.

1. Machu Picchu, Peru

First on our list is Machu Picchu, which is located high in the Andes Mountains of Peru. This place is also considered holy. It is regarded as a sacred place for the Incan rulers. It was built in the 15th century AD. They stopped its construction after less than 100 years. The remote site amazes itself with its fully fused, mortarless, intricate stonework. Huge multi-ton blocks of stone are connected perfectly without using mortar or cement.

The journey to this place begins in the hill city of Cusco. Cusco is a beautiful and fascinating place to explore. Before starting the journey of Machu Picchu, you must enjoy yourself there for a few days. You can also travel from Cusco to Machu Picchu by the Inca Trail, which should take about five days. But you can also start closer and do one-, two- or three-day hikes along the trail. Most people train from here. They travel by train, which takes about three and a half hours.

Due to high tourism, the number of visitors to the site has been limited. These are some steps taken to avoid over-tourism. All tourists need a permit before coming to enjoy the place. These permits are readily available to you up to four months in advance from the Peruvian Ministry of Culture reservation page. Many websites that hope to sell tours need to give you this information.

2. The Grand Canyon, Arizona

The Grand Canyon is located in the US state of Arizona. It is one of the seven natural wonders of the world. It is gorgeous and unbelievable. It is so vast in size and scope that it is almost difficult to comprehend. It is so beautiful the pictures or videos don’t do it justice. Its construction is believed to have started six million years ago. It is a 277-mile-long valley. It was formed by the flow of the Colorado River and continues to flow through it today. It continues to destroy geology along its course. The Grand Canyon is said to be 18 miles wide and 1 mile deep. It is a beautiful experience to feel it. Imagine standing at a distance of about 1 mile from the river below and looking at a sheer rock wall and enjoying it. What a beautiful experience it would be.

Many impressive hiking trails into the Grand Canyon begin here, and the Rim Road is an even more beautiful place with spectacular views known as the Desert View Drive. Many accommodations are available to enjoy the surroundings, including beautiful resorts. Here you can enjoy everything from tents to rustic luxury canyon-side resorts made of wood. Many visitors reach the historic Grand Canyon via the railroad from Williams, Arizona. Sixty-four miles of rail line in which you can enjoy delicious food and beautiful music while enjoying entertainment in the valley.

3. Rome, Italy

Rome is a country that visitors are immersed in and surrounded by thousands of years of history. Where you will get to see a lot about history and learn about history. Rome is a relatively compact city. Rome has a wonderful assortment of beach towns on the Lazio coast if you want to enjoy the beach where you can enjoy the beach.

The Colosseum and the adjacent Roman Forum are a must for any tour. The Pantheon is an independent country in the heart of central Rome, And there’s Vatican City.

4. Maui, Hawaii

Maui is a Hawaiian island that offers a wide range of activities for visitors to experience. You can have many experiences on this Hawaiian island. This Hawaiian island has a five-star luxury resort where you can dine on the beach, surf, ride a horse over a dormant volcano in Haleakala National Park, and explore the rainforest. You can go to West Maui mountain to pick it up. This island is one of the most beautiful islands in the world. Is included. You can enjoy incredible natural scenery which will give you a lot of relaxation.

Regarding accommodation, there are rustic hippie bungalows and five-star luxury resorts available for bed and meals. Here it would be best if you spent some time in Kihei, a good place for the locals to have fun. 

5. Masai Mara, Kenya

To enjoy places like the excellent biodiversity area and popular safari destinations, you must visit and enjoy the Masai Mara in Kenya. Many tourists are animal lovers. For them, this is a perfect place. Here you can get an opportunity to see many big animals during the journey, which include big animals like lions, leopards, rhinoceros, elephants, and cape buffalo.

The protected Masai Mara National Reserve is a vast park area extending over 1,500 square kilo meters of primary grassland into Tanzania’s Serengeti Plain. The primary time for migration here is the biennial migration, mainly in July and August. More than 1 million wild animals and other animals roam from one area to another in search of food and walk in huge groups. Many tourists fly into Nairobi and take a small bush plane to Mara. 

6. New Zealand

New Zealand is a country that is famous for its beauty. The island is one of the world’s favourite places to visit, with its charming, friendly citizens, natural beauty, and recent popularity due to its use as a filming location for films such as The Lord of the Rings and others. New Zealand was considered one of the last places to have human inhabitants.

You can start your journey from Auckland, known for its culture, history, and museums. To enjoy the beach is located in Waitemata Harbour, where you can enjoy sailing and boating. Take a tour of the Rotorua region, where you can learn about and experience indigenous Maori culture. To experience outdoor extreme action sports, visit Queenstown, where bungee jumping was invented.

7. Istanbul, Turkey

Turkey is a country that is an excellent mix of culture, food, and history. This country is full of history, which shows thousands of years of history. This history starts with the ancient Greeks and Romans and goes to the Ottoman Empire.

It is home to one of the most prominent monuments in the world and one of the most visited museums, the Hagia Sophia, which is famous for its impressive art and architectural history. 

They were Istanbul’s public transport; who could easily roam it here? With this help, one can easily visit significant places and monuments by quickly reaching there. Some areas

worth seeing include the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and Topkapi Palace. 

8. Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Angkor is a vast Buddhist temple complex located in northern Cambodia. It is said to be the world’s largest religious monument, spread over 400 acres. This monument was built as a Hindu temple and tomb for the Khmer ruler at the start of the 12th century. Who converted it into a Buddhist temple after the end of the 12th century. From cheap guest houses to luxury resorts are also available for you to stay here. If you want to visit any religious place, then definitely see it here. 

9. London, England

London is a historical British city. London is full of incredible places to visit. You will see many good sites like Westminster Abbey, The London Eye, the Tower of London, Madame Tussauds London, etc. You can enjoy a musical performance at the West End Theater Show or the Royal Albert Hall. In today’s time, London is a city where fine dining, luxury hotels, and world-class shopping are done.

Remember to visit the vast British Museum, which is unrestricted, which is why it’s usually very crowded. Be sure to take the time to visit The Wallace Collection, a free museum on Oxford Street that houses the world’s most extensive collection of Old Master paintings, furniture, and porcelain. 

10. Manhattan, New York

Manhattan is the most densely populated city in New York. It comprises the island of Manhattan, situated between the Hudson, East, and Harlem rivers. It is the heart of the “Big Apple,” one of the world’s major commercial, financial and cultural centers. 

The island covers an area of approximately 23 square miles and is home to about 2 million inhabitants. No other city in the world offers the frenetic energy of New York City. There are many beautiful museums here. The best shopping in the world is done here, and great food is available.

Manhattan also has Central Park and a giant green heart. There are plenty of activities you can enjoy here, and it offers playgrounds, a zoo where you can enjoy miles of running, biking, and skating trails, as well as lots of green space. You can play and relax.

[world-of-wales]

HAPPY 11TH BIRTHDAY TO THE SWEETEST AND CUTEST LITTLE MAN, HRH PRINCE GEORGE ALEXANDER LOUIS OF WALES (B. 22 JULY 2013) ♡

On 22 July 2013, Prince George was born to Catherine and William, then known as Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in St Mary's Hospital, at 16:24 BST weighing 8 pounds and 6 ounces. He was born during the reign of his paternal great-grandmother Elizabeth II and is the first child and eldest of Will & Cat.

The little prince's name was announced on 24 July as George Alexander Louis. George is one of his paternal grandfather King Charles’ middle names and was the regnal name of Queen Elizabeth's beloved father Albert. Alexander is the masculine version of Queen Elizabeth's middle name Alexandra and was also Catherine's top choice for a baby boy's name. Louis is in honour of his 3rd-great-uncle Earl Mountbatten of Burma - Louis, his father - Prince William and King Charles.

Georgie was was christened by the archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, on 23 October, in the Chapel Royal in St. James' Palace.

George spent the first few months of his life in Anglesey, Wales, before his family relocated to Kensington Palace in 2014. He started at West Acre Montessori School Nursery in 2016 when his family moved to Anmer Hall in Norfolk and then studied at at Thomas's School in Battersea. In 2022, George and his family relocated to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, after which he started at Lambrook School with his siblings.

Born as a Prince of Cambridge, he became HRH Princess George of Wales after his grandfather conferred his parents with the titles of the Prince and Princess of Wales. George was third in line to the throne upon his birth but is now second in line following hid dad taking over as the heir.

He made his official royal debut during the Cambridge tour of Australia & New Zealand in 2014. His first Palace balcony was in 2015 and has also joined his parents on official tours to Canada, Germany and Poland. Taking part in two royal weddings Georgie has also been a part of his great-grandmother's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022 and was a page of honour at his grandfather's coronation in 2023.

George is a keen tennis and football player (a huge Aston Villa & England fan) and loves rugby, cricket & triathlons. He is adores AC/DC and Led Zeppelin & is learning to play the electric guitar. Georgie is known to love the military and wanted to join the air cadets when he was younger.

He also loves helicopters and police cars and was a fan of Fireman Sam. As per his mum, he likes thunderstorms, and when younger T-rex, the dinosaur fascinated him the most. George spends a lot of time outdoors, helping out with the farm animals & is quite a competitive gardener.

[gyustarzzi]

ateez taking you on vacation

★ hongjoong

- Paris, France - takes you on an expensive date - will beg you to go on a night walk to see the beautiful lights, probably the most beautiful city you've ever seen - way too many photos for you to count - probably took a photo of you without you knowing and has it as his lock screen

" Isn't it beautiful tonight? "

☆ seonghwa

- Bora Bora, French Polynesia - the trip was originally for just the group but when he found out he could bring you along of course he couldn't say no - gets a two-bedroom premier beachfront villa estate (WHICH IS HUGE) - you guys go scuba diving and reef discovery with the other members - will dare you to do parasailing, which you both end up doing and let's just say it didn't end well. you get hit in the face by a bird

" I dare you to do the parasailing, if you do it then I'll do it "

★ yunho

- Rome, Italy - you guys go to a lot of historic tours through Rome (Colosseum, Roman Forum) and art-filled institutions (Vatican Museums, Galleria Borghese) - yunho takes way too many photos of you and him during your trip - you guys almost get lost in one of Roman's catacombs, but don't worry you guys get out soon...somehow - probably will go back next time you go on vacation

" Oh shit..I think we're lost Y/N '

☆ yeosang

- London, England - he probably would go back bc he loved the city so much - takes you everywhere and I mean EVERYWHERE (it's his only time to spend time with you all day) - can't stop fangirling over every photo you take of yourself - probably proposed to you at the top of The London Eye, if not then he would just kiss you

" Since you've been around I smile a lot more than I used to, and that's why I love you "

★ san

- Tokyo, Japan - goes to a lot of anime stores and buys way to much stuff - you guys not only go to Tokyo Disneyland but Tokyo Sea Lif Park!! - get to play with cats at Hogoneko Rafu Space and you guys end up adopting a ragdoll named mocha - not only do you get to spend time with San for a whole week, you also get to go home with a sweet kitty!

" She's perfect for us, let's adopt her! "

☆ mingi

- New Zealand - there are so many things to do in New Zealand so of course he would pick to go there - you guys would go to the glow worms cave, which you find so pretty but mingi is afraid they will fall on him (they won't) - you also get to take a tour around the Hobbiton movie set, mingi's treat - you do a lot of more fun stuff during the week you have together (Shotover River Extreme Jet Boat Ride in Queenstown, Waitomo Caves & Te Puia in Aucklund)

★ wooyoung

- New York City, United States - the members were on tour in america and one of their stops was new york city - you ended up flyng down there and surprising wooyoung at his hotel - you guys do a lot of sightseeing: the statue of liberty, summit one Vanderbilt, and you went on a cruise - at night you and the members would go out and have fun...maybe get drunk

" This view is amazing, it feels like I'm about to fall "

☆ jongho

- Sydney, Australia - you've always wanted to go to australia, so jongho decided to surprise you on your birthday - you spend a whole week there going shopping, sightseeing, playing in the water with jongho and having the best birthday ever (Darling Harbour, Queen Victoria Building, Sydney Opera House, etc.) - at the end of the week (your birthday) all the members, and your friends surprise you a birthday cake - you end up with the cake smashed into you face. wooyoung definitely didn't do it..

" You got a little something on your face "

[ititledit]

"Five years ago, after graduating from the University of Lincoln, Grace set out on a year-long solo backpacking adventure across the world.

After a six-week tour of Peru, she arrived in New Zealand. Less than a fortnight later, on the eve of her 22nd birthday, she was strangled to death by a man she met on a dating app.

...

During a three-week trial, the family had to sit through her killer's attempts to pass the murder off as "rough sex" gone wrong and his claims that Grace asked to be strangled.

"I felt like Grace was on trial and she couldn't defend herself. As a parent, I didn't want to listen to that. It was horrendous.

"You can't ask for your own death. It is ludicrous this can be used as a defence."

Gillian has since campaigned against the rough sex defence, with the charity We Can't Consent To This, and has helped to change the law in England and Wales.

...

Christmas is a very difficult time for Gillian, so last year she decided to spend it climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, which was "incredibly emotional".

...

Her efforts raised £33,000 for the White Ribbon charity, which aims to end male violence against women. Gillian received a thank you card from the charity, saying the money had been used to fund education programmes in 65 schools in the Hull area.

"I just want to raise awareness and get that message out there about violence against women so that no other family has to live this life I live," Gillian says.

Four years ago, with her niece Hannah, Gillian started the charity initiative Love Grace. They collect donated handbags and fill them with toiletries for domestic abuse victims.

So far, they have filled 15,600 bags for women in the UK and across the world and they received an award from the prime minister.

Grace loved handbags, Gillian says, and each bag has a tag on it with her handwriting.

"It's a simple idea but it has really taken off," Gillian says. "We were just doing it for our grief so that Grace would never just be a number.

...

"I should never have buried my child and certainly she should never have died the way she did. People keep saying I'm really strong but I don't think so, I'm just a mum."

"I will never get over it but I just know I've got to make the world a better place. I want to change things so that no other family has to go through what we go through. That has got to be a good thing."

------------------------

This holiday period please give generously to women in need.

Love Grace -

White ribbon -

[thewales-family]

Special post ahead of Prince George of Wales's 10th birthday (1/4) : from 2013 to 2015.

•Prince George's first appearance on July 23rd 2013, after his birth at St Mary's Hospital on July 22nd 2013, in London.

•First official portrait with his parents The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their dog Lupo, on August 19th 2013, at Bucklebury Manor in Berkshire, England.

•Christening on October 23rd 2013, at St James's Palace in London.

•First Royal Tour to New Zealand and Australia in April 2014.

•First birthday on July 22nd 2014 at the Natural History Museum in London.

•First official portrait for Christmas, on December 13th 2014, at Kensington Palace in London.

•Meeting his little sister, on May 2nd 2015, Princess Charlotte, after her birth at St Mary's Hospital in London.

•First official portrait with his little sister Princess Charlotte, on June 6th 2015, at Amner Hall in Norfolk, England.

•Princess Charlotte's christening on July 5th 2015, at the Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham Estate, in King's Lynn, England.

•Prince George's first stamp on the occasion of Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday in 2016, at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England.

📷 (2, 3 ,5, 6 & 8) : Michael Middleton, Jason Bell, John Stillwell, Ed Lane Fox, The Duchess of Cambridge/Kensington Palace.

(10) : Ranald Mackechnie/The Royal Family & Royal Mail.

[muzaktomyears]

Article quoting Kenneth Womack with bits from the upcoming Living the Beatles' Legend: The Untold Story of Mal Evans on the 1964 Australia and New Zealand tour:

One of Mal's diary entries detailed his most 'serious and frightening memory' where he came back to his New Zealand hotel room to find 'all this blood'.

'There's the story of a woman who attempted to commit suicide in [Mal's] hotel room because she couldn't get to the Beatles,' Mr Womack told Daily Mail Australia.

'It's a horrible story,' Mr Womack said. 

'Yeah, she tried to talk her way into the Beatles suite.'

He said Mal had come back to his room after having dinner on his night off when the band were staying in New Zealand. 

'He came back to their suite of rooms, and this woman had tried to get to the Beatles, but she only got as far as Mal's empty room,' Mr Womack said.

'And he came back to a wall of police officers, and he thought, "What is going on here", and all this blood, and apparently this woman had tried to kill herself there.'

He said Mal was terrified police would point the finger at him.

Mal was unable to identify the 20-year-old woman and said she was taken to hospital afterwards.

But the horror didn't stop there as Mal recalled another harrowing moment a young girl jumped off a platform and landed on the Beatles' limousine. 

'There was a 13-year-old girl in Christchurch who hurled herself at the Beatles ... Mal could not believe that she didn't die,' Mr Womack said. 

The Beatles themselves had a violent confrontation with fans while they were trying to get back to a hotel in New Zealand. 

'They had a really rough time in Dunedin,' the author said. 

'It was the first time Paul's face was scratched and John had a large clump of hair yanked from his head.

'There was a lot of blood from that one... It was a good chunk of his hair.'

But over-eager fans were not the only ones the Beatles had to deal with as a vigilante group had also sprung up 'who really got under Mal's skin'.

Members of the Anti-Trash Society followed the group around protesting against the group and even managed to egg the Beatles as they were passing through Brisbane. 

'What particular axe [this group] had to grind I never did find out - being too annoyed and having to take egg stains off the boys' suits,' Mal said in a diary extract.

'Because you know, that was part of his job. He had many jobs, but part of it was to to keep the gear clean. Of course, eggs didn't do much for electric guitars either,' Mr Womack said. 

He said the Beatles experienced in Australia the biggest crowds they would ever see,  with the 'sheer enormity' of the number of people making it near impossible for the road manager to do his job. 

On June 12 more than 300,000 people lined the Anzac Highway and King William Street in Adelaide to welcome the band, while massive Melbourne crowds swamped the streets to see the group at the Southern Cross Hotel a week later.

'And you know, they never had 100,000 people in the United States. or certainly not in Europe or England,' the author said.  

'And there could be thousands of people trying to see them and not just girls, celebrities of every kind, local politicians. Everybody wanted to try to throw some weight around.

'So there was just a constant pressure of people trying to get in.'

He said it was an 'absolute wonder' no one was hurt or trampled to death during the Beatles tour of Australia.

[statelibraryqueensland]

*clears throat* so we hear y’all like cats and cool women in history?

Meet Jean Batten: record setting New Zealand aviatrix, international pilot extraordinaire... 

... And Buddy, her kitten and newfound mascot. 

Buddy was a gift received in 1934 courtesy of the Diggers (aka Australian soldiers) at the Prince of Wales military hospital in Sydney. 

Described as being “as much a centre of attraction as the wonder girl herself”, Buddy the cat flew with Jean many times throughout the years, though he reportedly didn’t enjoy the experience very much. 

Jean broke the record for fastest solo flight from England to Australia in 1934, unseating the previous women’s record held by esteemed pilot Amy Johnson by a little over four days. The success of her long-distance journey catapulted her to celebrity status, and she enjoyed a four week tour of Australia where she was greeted by large crowds of well-wishers.    

She continued to fly for many years after setting her record, continuing on to become the first person to hold both records for fastest solo flights between England and Australia simultaneously. 

Image 1: LINK

Image 2: LINK

[bangtanhoneys]

GRACE TOUR DIARY: March 25th 2025 - Los Angeles

It was nice to spend the morning not having to rush. Grace was currently lounging in her bed in her suite, on one of the floors of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. She could already hear Sejin on the phone, hear the bustle of make-up artists and hair stylists clearing up the stations from the past few days. Her suite had become ‘Queen HQ,’ having taken on another Queen name like her team had - here talks were done about interviews, schedules checked, last-minute costume checks and the like. 

But after tonight, she would be heading on a private plane and heading to Chicago. More interviews, photoshoots, meeting some important people, her concert and then she was off to New York. It was a whirlwind of noise and lack of time - how everything was scheduled to the last minute, trying to cram as much in as possible without overdoing it.

So far, each concert had been met with amazing reviews apart from the good few who were claiming she was nothing without BTS and just another singer who thought they could pull it off. Her numbers so far were totalling 66,000 if everyone attended tonight’s concert. 

She had also seen the guest list for the VIPs tonight - Beyonce being one of them which made her stomach twist with nerves. One of the biggest artists of all time was coming to see her. The Kardashians were also in attendance, Harry Styles and the list went even longer than that. 

With a deep sigh, Grace threw back the covers and went to take her shower.

The set list ran through her head, her body doing the dance moves but smaller in the shower and she was singing along to 7 Rings as she got dressed, twisting her wet hair into a messy bun for it to be dealt with later. Her mind then went to Chicago, then New York and then she would fly back to Seoul for another important performance.

If any solo career had looked simple, Grace’s had looked complicated.

Everything planned and prepared in secret, from early 2023 right through to her birthday last year when the album had been announced, her tour announcement, the mini album and then her first tour date. Yet in between all that, she was meeting designers, doing interviews to be released later on, making plans for later on.

Always later on.

Never once interfering with her boys’ plans. 

That had been the major rule: whatever the boys wanted to do, it was going to come first. 

She had been there for nearly all of it and she had seen all the good and the bad, she had seen what worked and what kind of didn’t. She had been behind the scenes of all of Jungkook’s GOLDEN album and his promotion for it. And by the time she had been ready to put her own on display, she had a very good idea of what she knew what was going to work.

Interviews in England, rather than America as they could wait till her tour, focus on Europe as well as Australia and New Zealand even though her tour wouldn’t be going there mainly due to time. 

And cross fingers, her solo career had been somewhat of an success. 

“Morning,” she said as she went into the dining area of the suite and flicked the kettle on.

“Morning,” various voices came back to her.

“Grace, what do you think about doing a pre-recorded performance for iHeart Radio Awards?” Sejin asked, flicking through some paper while typing something on his laptop.

“Do we have time for that?” she asked, adding two sugars to her tea and a good splash of milk. “When is it?”

“Award show is on the 27th but it could be recorded while we’re in Los Angeles, we just delay heading to Chicago until the filming is done. The Grammy Museum have given us permission to use their rooftop venue as well,” Sejin read from the email and glanced over.

Grace paused. She knew it would be a good opportunity and she knew it wouldn’t have been asked of her to do it if they didn’t think it she could do it yet they only had a day to do it, even that. 

“Is it my songs or BTS?” 

“They want you do 7 Rings and then Butter,” Sejin replied.

Another pause.

“Okay, let’s do it. See if we mix the two so they can flow together - I’ll use one of the tour costumes that we haven’t used yet for the show and we just need seven dancers so see if anyone is up for doing this, the rest and the rest of the time can fly out to Chicago to get started on rehearsals. Interviews and everything else, well let’s see what time we can get out of L.A.”

She must have been mad.

By the time she got the concert venue, her mind had switched off to what else was going on and focused on the concert ahead of her. BTS and TXT songs were playing around the arena and outside where people were already waiting, hoping to catch a glance of celebrities.

A quick change into her gym clothes, Grace made her way to where they had set up a small gym area with a BANGTAN BOMB camera following her. She had a quick laugh with the camerawoman before the filming started. “So, you want to know my tips for how I can sing and dance and run all at the same time?” Grace grinned at the camera, which ‘nodded.’

“Here’s is the secret technique - pick a song that’s really going to make you sing and then get on the treadmill,” Grace said as she flicked through the music choices on her phone that was connected to the speakers. Outro: Ego started as Grace set the treadmil to a slow walk then just as Hobi started, she had broken out into a jog.

It was quite impressive to watch her sing along, all the while building up her speed until it got to the chorus where she started doing the choreography albeit not to the full extent as she was stuck on the treadmil. 

They still had a few hours left until the concert so a run through was planned, to go over niggles from the night before which was mostly blocking and making the volume loud enough for everyones in-ears.

By the time they were done and back stage getting changed, Staples Centre was open and filling up.

“Los Angeles night two - let’s go out there and show Queen B that she is amazing and we love her,” Grace said as she was surrounded by her dancers who all laughed. “Okay, just half joking. BANG,” she left it off as her dancers followed with “TAN” as they lifted their hands.

Nothing, absolutely nothing could replace hearing the crowd lose their absolute shit as the VCR played and the beginning beats of 7 Ring. Her female dancers glanced at each other then her, grinning and nodding their heads before they were lifted up. 

SO MANY ARMY BOMBS!

Even in the VIP area, she could see them and it lit up the whole crowd as the colours changed to the beat. They were constantly out, even when VCR’s played so they could do costume changes and the cheers never stopped. Neither did the singing. 

“Los Angeles, it’s been an absolute pleasure to be with you tonight,” Grace started out on the main stage, dressing in her outro gear to finish up the concert. “Thank you for being an amazing crowd, you’ve certainly outdid yourselves from last night. If you could put down your ARMY bombs for second,” Grace paused and watched with a fond smile as every single one dropped out of sight.

“How many of you out there are BTS fans?”

The whole crowd lit up again, screams were heard and then the screaming got louder the moment Dimple was played. Three male dancers joined her on stage, dressed similar to what the boys had worn and even though she was singing in Korean, she swore she could hear the crowd singing along.

By the time she got to Dangerous Woman, got to thank everyone and bow to the crowd, the screams had not stopped. They were still going as she climbed down the few steps off the stage, Sejin there with a bottle of water. 

And he did something he rarely did.

He hugged her.

“I’m very proud of you,” he said as he let her go to wrap the dressing gown around her shoulders tightly. “We all are.”

It took awhile to get back to her hotel after removing her costumes, make up and washing her hair and then getting through the traffic. The moment she got through her hotel door, staff had left her lamps on for her and on the coffee table was a large bouquet of pink roses. 

‘I’ll be seeing you soon

Jinnie x’

[thethirdromana]

I was gonna ask you some stuff about Quincey and the aftermath of the Civil War, but that wasn't really near the 1890s so idk if it's relevant.

Also similar to Mina maybe supporting eugenics I would imagine Seward probably engages in a lot of pseudosciences

But more interestingly, what do you think Dracula's politics would be? He's pretty removed from human society by being a vampire and his home in Transylvania is pretty remote, but he was still a nobleman there and he was moving to England, which he planned to conquer. I'm curious where he'd fall, when pretending to be and working with (?) humans in Romanian politics (if you feel like researching it) and English politics. Another cool layer to this is if you subscribe to the popular theory that he's really Vlad the Impaler. What would a warlord from the mid-1400s think of the politics 400 or so years later? That's barely even thinking about him being a vampire.

Also, what would Renfield's politics be like?

Quincey and the aftermath of the Civil War is a fascinating question that I will definitely leave for someone who knows more US history than I do.

Dracula, on the other hand... first of all, the relevant set of politics is Hungarian, not Romanian. Transylvania was part of Austria-Hungary in the 1890s. There's actually an interesting story here, in that vampire myth was originally associated primarily with Hungary. Then Bram Stoker set Dracula in Transylvania, which became part of Romania in 1920, and Romania ended up inheriting vampire myths in the process. Which has generally done the Romanian tourist industry no harm at all. (Though when I was in Bucharest last weekend, my lovely tour guide, Andrea, was clearly a bit annoyed by people asking about it).

Anyway, we have a decent sense of what Dracula's politics are, because he spells them out on May 8: he's proud to be part of a fighting, conquering race, he values "warlike days", he disdains peasants, and he generally holds that might makes right.

Given his pride in "beating the Turk on his own ground", I think we can assume that he didn't approve of Austria-Hungary's neutrality in the Russo-Turkish War in 1877-8.

In some ways he fits into contemporary society. He is a boyar, one of the highest rank of feudal nobility, who retained a great deal of power in 1890s Austria-Hungary. Where in the UK the growth of industry made the middle classes wealthier, in Austria-Hungary that wealth often went straight back to the nobility. Just six percent of the population had the right to vote in general elections, compared with 18% in the UK (meanwhile New Zealand had universal suffrage from 1893).

But Dracula is still a product of an earlier time. He wants to increase his power through conquest, not through modernising his estate or being appointed to the board of directors of a bank. And while Austria-Hungary did grow through conquest (occupying Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1878, for instance), it wasn't at nearly the same scale as other contemporary empires - for example, Austria-Hungary didn't take part in the Scramble for Africa.

Honestly, it makes perfect sense that Dracula would want to come to Britain. If he wanted conquest, carried out with indifference to cruelty, he would have got on extremely well with Cecil Rhodes. To an extent this is what the story of Dracula is about: what if foreigners came to Britain and did to us what we do to them? The War of the Worlds, published at the same time, asks essentially the same question but with aliens.

(This is the bit where someone comes along and says yes, but don't forget that Bram Stoker was Irish. Which is true, but he was also a supporter of the British Empire.)

As for Renfield, most of what we learn about his politics comes from October 1. He's from high society and is a member of the Windham Club. He celebrates the roles Quincey, Van Helsing and Arthur play "by nationality, by heredity, or by the possession of natural gifts" - in other words, he seems to be open to people advancing themselves through meritocracy, but also through hereditary rights. To me, this reads as conservative, but not reactionary.

One thing that does strike me is that his point about Texas - celebrating its admittance to the Union - relates to history that was 50 years old at that point (Unless I'm misunderstanding the reference?). Renfield is 59 during the events of Dracula. Is the implication here that he's stuck in the past? We don't know how long he's been institutionalised, but since his memories of Arthur's father relate to youthful drinking games, it could be 30 years or more. He may be disconnected from contemporary politics - and given how much the world changed in the late 19th century, that could make for quite a shock if he'd ever had the chance to learn more.

As ever, I'm not a historian, and other people should feel free to offer corrections.

[judy1926]

Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier met for the first time in 1939 after a theatrical performance of The Mask of Virtue.

From the first meeting, there was an attraction between the two

After their conversation, Vivien said to one of her friends “This is the man I will marry,” ignoring the fact that she is married and he is also married

After one of Olivier's performances, Vivien visited him in his room, and after chatting a little with a rising actress before she left, she kissed Olivier on the neck shyly and left.

Vivien was attracted to Laurence because of his charm and charisma, according to a biography written about Vivien Leigh Lawrence was attracted to her in a way he had never been to any other woman

Olivier said in Lord Larry: "I couldn't help myself with Vivian, no one could."

"I hated myself for cheating on Jill, but then I had cheated before, but this was something different. This wasn't just lust. This was the love I didn't really ask for but was drawn to."

A year later, a movie brought them together Fire Over England They spent all their time together, but they succumbed to each other's attraction and their secret relationship began

After a period of time, their relationship was secret, and when Vivien played Ophelia on stage in Hamlet, she suffered a brutal bipolar attack. When Laurence Olivier entered the dressing room, Lee suddenly started shouting at him. This incident shook Olivier, as he later described how it was like a switch had been flipped. Lee started yelling at him, then immediately stopped as if nothing had happened. Unfortunately, her illness will get worse.

During their separation in order to expand their professional life, the two exchanged scandalous and romantic letters, dating back to between 1938 and 1939.

After a dispute over my role as Scarlett in the movie Gone with Profit, I was surprised by the difficulty of the work and everyone’s fear of the failure of the assigned project. She wrote to Olivier explaining how she felt. He responded to her You have to be very smart to succeed in your photo career, which is essential for your self-esteem." "…I'm afraid you might become boring. Never for me…but for yourself and because of that for others. It seemed that Olivier's letters were what kept Lee going

After much struggle, the two finally married in 1940

Vivien contracted tuberculosis in 1944 while she was on a trip to South Africa and Olivier was afraid that his wife would die.

“Please, my angel, send me word of what the doctor said, + if I may ask him to send me a report.”

“You are the only person in the world who can make me so hideously selfish love someone else more than I love myself.”

In 1947, Lee's mental state became worse and Olivier's professional life became better.

In 1948, Lee and Olivier went on a six-month tour in Australia and New Zealand to perform and raise money for the theater. Lee's health condition was poor, and severe quarrels occurred between the two due to Lee's sharp fluctuations and Olivier's lack of knowledge of how to deal with her. The strongest quarrel was when Vivien refused to go on stage with Olivier. Because she could not find her shoe, Olivier could not bear her childish behavior and slapped her in the face in front of everyone. She responded to Lee by hitting him on the back hard. However, at the end, the two of them went up on stage with smiles on their faces, but Olivier learned that he lost her in Africa.

Their professional lives were putting a lot of pressure on their relationship and there were constant comparisons, and she was taking the issue seriously and with great fear

The two still wrote letters when apart, but even that romance was beginning to fade

Lee's mental state was devastating for the two

In 1958, I was introduced to Jacques Merivale, who was aware of all his psychological and physical problems. When Olivier found out about this, he asked Jacques to take care of Vivian, and he promised him that.

The instability in their romantic relationship worsened Lee's emotional and mental condition.

By 1960, Vivien was threatening suicide. “Vivien is several thousand miles away, trembling on the brink, even when she sits quietly in her drawing room,” Olivier once said. Olivier and Lee filed for divorce in May 1960. The divorce was finalized later that year and Olivier married again.

Although they were no longer together, Olivier and Vivien continued to write to each other every now and then.

“I want to thank you for understanding all of this for me,” Olivier wrote in a letter to Lee regarding their divorce, according to The Guardian. “You did a noble, brave, beautiful thing, and I'm so sorry, so sorry, because it must have been a hell of a lot for you.”

But she once said to newspaper, “I would rather have a short life with Olivier than a long life without him.”

Her husband, Jack Merivale, left her at home while he went to perform in a play in Eaton Square. When he returned around midnight, he found Lee asleep in bed. Half an hour later, he entered to find her body on the ground. Leigh apparently tried to walk to the bathroom and collapsed due to her lungs filling with fluid, according to Vivien Leigh: A Biography of Anne Edwards.

Merival alerted the Vivien family and then Olivier

He attended and participated in Vivian's funeral even though he was undergoing treatment for prostate cancer

Olivier Merival helped make funeral arrangements and stayed with Lee until her body was removed.

1967 On July 8, Vivien Leigh's death was announced, and all theaters in London's West End turned off their lights for one hour in her honour. A memorial service was held at St Martin-in-the-Fields and Lee's cremated ashes were spread on the lake at her summer home, Tickerage Mill in East Sussex, England.

In a final letter to Vivien just five weeks before her death, Olivier signed, “Sincere love my dear, your Larry.”

In 1989, on July 11, Olivier died of kidney failure

Even after his marriage to Plowright, Olivier held Lee dear in his heart for the rest of his life. It is said that shortly before his death, he found Olivier watching a film starring Lee, with tears in his eyes, “This, this was love,” he said

[keiflwrs]

ㅤㅤㅤㅤ enhypen.ㅤ﹚ ㅤ ࣪  ㅤ˖ ㅤeri's profile

OO1   ⋆ 𓏧 basics

BIRTH NAME: sebastian erin kang

NICKNAMES: bash, seb, sunny, teddy bear, bear, honey vocals, cinnamon roll.

BIRTHDATE: october 4, 2005

PLACE OF BIRTH: london, england

HOMETOWN: wellington, new zealand

NATIONALITY: british-kiwi

ETHNICITY: korean

LANGUAGES SPOKEN: english ( 100% — fluent ), korean ( 100% — fluent ), french ( 60% — intermediate ), japanese ( 45% — basics ).

OO2   ⋆ 𓏧 physical

FACECLAIM: taesan ( boynextdoor )

BLOOD TYPE: a positive

HEIGHT: 185cm

WEIGHT: 61kg

BODY MODIFICATIONS: none

OO3   ⋆ 𓏧 career

STAGE NAME: eri

PROFESSION: idol. songwriter. producer. ex-ballerino.

GROUP: enhypen

POSITION: no official positions

LABELS: hybe entertainment ( dec 2019 - june 2020 ). belift label ( june 2020 - present )

TRAINING PERIOD: 12 months

SKILL STATS:

𓏧 vocal: 98/100

𓏧 dance: 80/100

𓏧 rap: 65/100

𓏧 stage presence: 100/100

𓏧 acting: 80/100

𓏧 producing: 91/100

𓏧 songwriting: 100/100

𓏧 composing: 87/100

𓏧 choreographing: 19/100

𓏧 public speaking: 48/100

𓏧 leadership: 27/100

INDIVIDUAL FANDOM: erivly (eri's lovelies)

EMOJI HE REPRESENTS: 🐻

OO4   ⋆ 𓏧 personality overview

ENNEAGRAM TYPE: 4w3

TRITYPE: 495

TEMPERAMENTS: melancholic-phlegmatic

BIG FIVE ( SLOAN ): rloai

MBTI TYPE: isfp

OO5   ⋆ 𓏧 personal

GENDER: male

PRONOUNS: he/him

ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: panromantic ( private )

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: pan-demisexual ( private )

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: single

PHOBIA(S): aerophobia ( fear of flying ). cynophobia ( fear of dogs ).

HABITS: furrowing his eyebrows, sitting with his legs crossed, putting things in his mouth, humming in agreement.

HOBBIES + SKILLS: writing music/songs, playing his electric guitar, eating, sleeping, sketching, painting, going to cat cafes, listening to music, stargazing, seashell collecting.

OO6   ⋆ 𓏧 facts

he was placed third place in the final of I-LAND

eri trained for 6 months before taking part of I-LAND

his parents abandoned him when he was 8 years old, and he spent his whole childhood until he was 16 on an orphanage at new zealand

living in the orphanage was not the worst thing for him. however, he felt extremely lonely around that time

eri is scared of dogs because of an accident he had when he was 9 years old. however, his fear improved over time

he likes mint chocolate chip ice cream

he is very gullible, which results in him getting tricked by niki's pranks

he goes to cat cafes daily, it is one of the things that always managed to cheer him up

eri falls in love and develops crushes easily

his role models are bts and seventeen

he likes physical affection, but he gets shy whenever someone shows affection since he's not used to it

his most precious item is his kuromi plush. It was a gift from a close caregiver before she left, eri carries it everywhere he goes; in tours, cafes, when shopping, etc. Plus, he would have a mental breakdown if it got lost

©KEIFLWRS

[aus-wnt]

Back in 2006, long before Australia fell in love with the Matildas, Lydia Williams was in mad rush to finish an evening team meeting in Canberra. She wolfed down dinner and then her and her teammates bolted out the door as quickly as possible.

The reason? To catch a Pink concert at the AIS Arena.

Almost two decades later, they’re both still going strong – and on Saturday night, Williams got to meet one of her musical idols backstage before her show in Melbourne, presenting her with a little piece of history.

Relenting to intense public pressure after Mackenzie Arnold’s shootout heroics at the Women’s World Cup, Nike is now selling Matildas’ goalkeeper jerseys – something it has never done before for an Australian team, male or female. Pink and her daughter, Willow, were the first in the world to get their hands on the retail version, which goes on sale on Tuesday.

“She grabbed it right away. She was like, ‘These are sick’,” Williams said.

There aren’t many more famous people in Australia at the moment than the Matildas – aside, of course, from touring musicians Taylor Swift and Pink. The former’s tour wraps up on Monday night, but the latter is still going strong; so strong that Pink is basically an honorary Australian, given how often she seems to be performing here. She has sold more than three million career tickets here and in New Zealand, and her current show – the Summer Carnival tour, which runs through to the end of March – will be seen by more than 900,000 people.

“She loves Australia, and she loves Australians,” Williams, 35, said. “And supporting women’s sport, she’s a huge advocate. When she realised it was about the World Cup and the first release of the jerseys, her excitement and genuine curiosity ... she’s smiling big in the photo, so she’s definitely pumped about it.

“She’s like the Taylor Swift of our generation. If Pink had that level of social media back then she would be the equivalent to that.”

Nike is only selling the purple version of the jersey – not the black shirt Arnold actually wore during Australia’s dramatic penalty shootout victory over France in the quarter-final – but it’s a start.

England’s Mary Earps first put the issue on the table last year, saying it was “very hurtful” and an “injustice” that the apparel company didn’t produce goalkeeper jerseys for fans to buy, which she said stopped young people from aspiring to play in that position.

Williams, who was part of Australia’s World Cup squad as a back-up to Arnold, concurs.

“The amount of people who wanted to get a jersey was massive,” she said. “It’s so important for the visibility of females in sport and female goalkeepers. ‘Macca’ obviously had an amazing performance at the World Cup, and now for people who have her and myself and Teagan [Micah] and Jada [Whyman] as their heroes, it’s really exciting that they can have that opportunity.”

Williams will watch her teammates play the second leg of their Olympic qualifier against Uzbekistan on Wednesday night from the stands at Marvel Stadium, having recently undergone ankle surgery to give her a chance of making it to Paris 2024.

“Timing-wise, it wasn’t ideal, but if I had it later, it was even less ideal,” she said. “When you get over 30, it’s slow and steady wins the race. Hopefully, I’m not too far off now being able to join the team a little bit and be around the girls instead of being locked away in a pool or spa, in recovery mode.”

[celticcrossanon]

Ah Celta. These so called Wales fans have gone crazy crazy. There are some who support eom3n soccer and they are eating their tails about William not going to the lionesss play. They cite Anne visiting Canada on the QT earlier this year, so they don’t see why William can’t go. Where to begin?

No offence to Anne’s fans but where is Anne on the popularity scale to William? I know she works hard and is respected etc, but seriously, there is no comparison. He’s the heir, one of the most popular, and there are big security concerns. Not to mention I suspect this visit has to cleared by the FO, and we sure as heck don’t know if Charles will approve of such a flying visit, literally. He’s a counsellor of state, and Charles may not approve of his visit. Who the heck knows anymore? But these so called Wales fans are behaving more like Charles Stan’s IMO. People are really showing their true colours.

All this argi bargi started as soon as the lionesses won. The minute I tell you. Disgusting.

Hi AnonymousRetired,

I saw the same argument starting even before the semi finals, as 'what if' speculation. My opinion on it is as follows:

Having William fly in, watch the FIFA World Cup Final, and fly out would be a public relations disaster. Such behaviour would clearly give the message that all he cares about is England, and not the Commonwealth realms.

Australia (a Commonwealth realm) and New Zealand (a Commonwealth realm) are co-hosting the World Cup. Both of these countries have William as the heir to their Head of State. He is our future King.

With respect to Australia, we have not seen William or Charles on tour for quite a few years, despite noises made to the contrary. We haven't seen Prince William since 2014 in Australia, and King Charles's last visit was to attend the Commonwealth games, not a proper tour of the country, in 2018. His last proper tour of Australia was 2015. Our last royal tour was the disaster that was Harry and Meghan inflicting themselves upon us, and we haven't had anything since to remove that bad taste from our mouths.

The sentiment for a Republic is strong and growing stronger in Australia, especially as the current government supports that idea.

We have had covid, which cancelled a tour, and then a coronation, and there has been nothing in the way of our new Head of State or his heir coming to visit us. Nothing. People are feeling that our Head of State simply does not care about us, as for all his fine words his actions say quite clearly that we are not important enough for him to visit. Germany is, but we are not. So, quite a few hurt feelings from people who expected to at least be acknowledged in some way by their new Head of State.

Now, into this mess, throw sports. We know that William supports England over the other realms of which he is the heir. It's not pleasant to have him cheering against you, but we know that he does and it is accepted. However, IG posts or tweets are one thing. Having him fly into the country, support a rival team that just defeated us, and then fly out again, is quite another. That would be rubbing it in our faces that he doesn't give two hoots about Australia or New Zealand (which he wouldn't even visit), and that would definitely feed into the growing republican sentiment.

Then there is the travel factor. It is a long way from the UK to this part of the world. To spend all that money and resources and carbon pollution just to watch a game that he can see perfectly well on TV at home - well, it's not a good look for the founder of Earthshot at all, let along giving off 'entitled rich ponce' vibes.

If William (and Catherine, and the kids) had wanted to be present at the FIFA World Cups games, regardless of who won and who lost, then it should have been planned as part of a 2-3 week tour of Australia and New Zealand. We would all love to see him and his children again, especially George, who won our hearts as a baby. Come over here, bring the children, visit the sights, meet and greet people, and attend a few matches as part of the tour - one where England is playing, one where Australia is playing, and one where New Zealand is playing. Attend at least one match in Australia and at least one match in New Zealand. That would be fair and it would show support for us as a country. If he was charming enough, he might even get people cheering for England with him.

A tour with a few FIFA games included would have been wonderful. Flying in and out just to cheer for England is the opposite.

TL;DR: Having William fly in, watch the finals and fly out would be a disaster for the relationship between Australia and its Head of State and his heir. William staying in England and watching the match on TV is far better for the relationship.

Edited for typos (I bet I still missed some).

[oldbutnotyetwise]

My Last Happy Birthday To My Dear Elizabeth

     As my ALS marches on stealing more and more from me, the lists of my “Lasts” continues to grow.  In the past few weeks I had my last Christmas and my last New Years.  This week I shared my daughters birthday with her, the last one I will ever share with her.  Next year by the time her birthday rolls around I will be long gone from this earth.

     I enjoy my time with Elizabeth, this year for her birthday Robin and I ordered in food from her chosen restaurant, had desserts from an area bake shop, watched a movie and then played some Mexican Train Dominoes, which is a bit of a family tradition.  It was a quiet but nice afternoon and evening.  As much as I was enjoying this time I will admit that I was struggling a bit, but I managed to hold it together until after Elizabeth had left to go home.  Elizabeth had just gone out the door to go home when the emotional floodgates burst open, the devastation of knowing that I will never again be with her on her birthday sharing the joy of her reaching another age milestone.  No more birthday cards or gifts to buy for her, it’s done, it’s over, she will carry on without me as she should, just as I have after losing my own parents.  I suppose it’s this whole circle of life thing.

     While Elizabeth was here I had joked with her that I was struggling with this whole having a Middle-Aged Child.  Earlier in the day I had shared this lament with my Step-Mother, but I gained little sympathy from her as she pointed out that all of her offspring are well into their senior citizenship.  Intrigued or perhaps depressed at this thought when I shared it with her, Elizabeth pulled out her phone and goggled the average life expectancy of a female in Canada, and learned it is 84.47 years, so having just turned 42, she was indeed “Middle-Aged”.  There is no disputing that she does actually look 10 or 15 years younger than her actual age.

     There was a time Elizabeth and I would plan adventures for her birthdays.  For her twenty-third birthday I flew to New Zealand to spend three and a half weeks touring the south island with her in an old rental car we named Sputter.  On her actual birthday we were backpacking across lush green mountaintops, going from warm sunny weather into an ice storm and back to warm temperatures as we came down out of the mountains.  This was only time I ever had Elizabeth all to myself on her actual birthday, it also lives on as one of my favourite memories.   For her twenty-fifth birthday I picked her up in Ottawa and we drove to Quebec City for a few days, this also coincided with a brutal cold front that was setting record low temperatures for the month of January there.  We booked a walking tour and the poor guide must have thought us crazy, it was only the two of us on the tour, he added a lot of church interiors to the tour just so we all didn’t freeze to death.  When Elizabeth’s twenty-seventh birthday was rolling around she was living in England and we decided to meet in Paris for her birthday adventure.  I met her at the Charles DeGaulle Airport and together we hauled our suitcases onto the subway and found our way to our rented apartment for the week.  Okay if I’m being honest here, Elizabeth found our way to the apartment, I just followed along like the well behaved parent I was.  We walked all over Paris for the entire week, and on Elizabeth’s actual 27th birthday were standing on top of the Eiffel Tower together, another life highlight for me. 

     I would like to introduce you to the amazing woman who has the good fortune, or perhaps misfortune of sharing half my DNA,  Elizabeth Louise entered this world on a cold January day at 3:58 p.m. at the Niagara Falls General Hospital.  She was named after two of her great-grandmothers.  If memory serves me correctly she was 6 pounds 8 ounces and measured 17 inches tall.  I was there when she made her entrance, but in all honesty it’s all a bit of a blur to me now.  

     She grew up being a happy child, an active child and a pretty well behaved child, yes and dare I say it, a very cute child. 

          We moved to a country home where Elizabeth stayed with my wife and I, until she moved to her Mom’s the summer she was fourteen.  Elizabeth and I always got along very well, she was a good helper and like to learn so she and I would be building or fixing things in the workshop, or changing electrical fixtures in the house or working on the truck or tractor.  I was a runner and when I would go for a run Elizabeth would often join me on her bike, carrying my water bottle.  During the run we would have the nicest conversations, away from all other worldly distractions.  It is one of the things I am very grateful for, that Elizabeth and I were always able to talk.

     When she finished the University of Ottawa she went to New Zealand and Australia living in each country for six months.  Later she moved to England and lived in Leeds for a year, using her grandparent’s British Lineage to get her a work Visa.  After returning to Canada she lived in Toronto before meeting a partner who she followed out to Victoria for several years, and then down to Colorado for several more.  

     She has worked for Ikea in four different cities and three different countries.  Then in her thirties she decided to go back to school where she qualified as a welder which is the career she continues to pursue.

     Elizabeth has always been somewhat fitness oriented, maybe she thought it looked like fun all those years earlier when she rode her bike beside me as I ran.  One year she gave me the gift of running with me in a Father’s Day 5K in Ottawa, it was her first race.  It was cold, it was raining and there was a large hill on the course.  We finished that race side by side but she was in tears and physically spent.  I thought that might have been both the start and the end of her running pursuits, but it turned out she was no quitter.  We ran numerous other races together over the years, and in time I no longer had to wait for her, it was her waiting for me.  In time she has beaten just about all my running records, and done several marathons compared to my one.  If that wasn’t enough she then took up Triathlons and eventually completed an Ironman, finishing under her goal of fourteen hours.  Now days she is also competing in fitness competitions through her gym, in her last one she won her age category and was the third female overall.  She was, and continues to be a fitness machine.  

     Now the person behind all these achievements also happens to be one of the nicest, kindest, most thoughtful people you could ever meet.  Yes, you’re right I am very biassed, but I’m also right about this.  She makes me so very proud, she will live on long after I am gone, and where she goes, a part of me will always go with her.  

     Sometimes in life we search far and wide for inspiring people or great stories, but sometimes we should stop and look a little closer to home, because sometimes those around us have stories just as amazing as those we seek out.  Such is the case with Elizabeth, this beautiful, kind, wise, world traveller, adventurer, athlete and all round incredible person.  She also happens to be my daughter, my legacy, and my best contribution to trying to make this world a better place.