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Email: jbsymons@indo.net.id
May 2006
Desolate Jimberan Bay Beach restaurants
Denpasar, Bali: Five years ago Bali was the Bali we all remember Kuta with its jumping bars, young Australians having the time of their life an endless carnival atmosphere. Kuta was sometimes called "that Suburb of Australia". Then in 2002 the horrific Bali Bomb blasts, no one could believe that this tranquil, fun loving place could be hit with such devastation. The tourists left in droves, the locals lost their jobs, people starved. However many Australians who had been coming 
A solitary tourist on Kuta beach
here for years, some since their teens, decided they would support and help the island that had gave them so much. The recovery was on its way. Local Balinese businessman Kadek Wiratha the 
owner of everything Bounty bravely started a new airline, Air Paradise, to fill the gap left by the withdrawal of services by Qantas and Garuda.  He offered cheap fares and hotel packages. It was an immediate success. By Sep 2005 AP was bringing in 30,000 Australians per month. Business was booming, Bali was set for an all time record year in 2005. Then on Sat Oct 1st, the unthinkable, a second terrorist attack. Tourists left in their thousands, no body came back. 
By Dec 2005 Air Paradise ceased operations. Bali is now dead and the Australians have buried it. 
No help this time, no campaigning to help the poor Balinese, just leave them for dead.   "Hello Phuket!"
Praying for better times
 Wedding Gongs 
for Ayu & Ketut
Fri Apr 28 we attended Warung Sobat for dinner and told the good news that waitress Ayu and cashier Ketut were married that day. We all knew they were an item, but this was a total surprise. They will have an official wedding in a month. 
Pak Made's wife Kadek, Ketut's older sister was ecstatic about the news. Ketut and Ayu had two days off for their honeymoon, they returned  Sunday. The KHO and I'm sure all our readers, wish them the best of luck & much happiness.
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Warung Sobat International
Bali Sun Apr 23: A gala party was held at Warung Sobat to celebrate Pak Made's elevation of  his Warung Sobat to Bali International Standard. A hard earned achievement for Made his wife and crew, also Pak Made celebrated his 41st birthday. The champagne flowed freely and we were all treated to magnificent meal.
The birthday Boy & Ines
Jamal and Nunga
Wayan, John & Komang
Wiwin fresh from Japan & Rob
Ayu and Putu
The Vila Uma gang
Wayan and Pak Alit
George, Alex and Allison
Tong and Pak Made
The Band plus one
Ibu Kadek and John
Peter and his vila tenants
Wiwin, John & Raza
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At Warung Italy, Ines, Win, Dede, Jamal, Adi, John & Rob
Warung Italy has a great system or splitting accounts, each party on a table gets a number  - no more calculators and guessing who had what?
Dede in Hospital
Bandung: Mid April Dede was rushed to the local hospital in Ranca Ekek extremely sick with a very high temperature. 
The doctors, now being very diligent about Bird Flu threat, immediately admitted Dede. He was diagnosed as having
Typhoid fever. He had the high temperature for 5 days and was delirious, on the 7th day he was discharged and is now at home.
Allen in Town
Allen, Adi & James from Burma
Allen, the KHO's Thailand reporter was in town for a week, he bought his frien James from Burma. Allen hated the endless rain and returned to sunny Thailand a week early.
Ines Gets Lucky
Warung Sobat: Ines announced to the entire restaurant that she now has a new multi-mega-fat salary, more than double that of Australian PM John Howard. 
Shocked Sobat diners watched as Ines bolted upright and hammered the table with her fist and yelled "I have had enough, I have canceled my plans to buy a vila in Bali, 
I'm now is so rich I am negotiating to buy Bali, the whole damn place. Those Balinese can find somewhere else to live."  Knocking her wine bucket off the table, Ines jumped up on her chair and shrieked 
"Tomorrow I'm going to order some new expensive frocks - flown in from Wall-Mart."  With that, Ines chair creaked, then broke, her big posterior landed on the table behind, which catapulted her right across the room, landing her right in the middle of a table of Germans,
Ines in Hospital
Who's on the Morphine?
Next day: From her bed at Saint Wayan's Catholic Hospital, Ines said money was "the root of all evil" and after they gave her morphine, she had thought over everything and now is planning to fly with any airline that's leaving Saturday home to Brussels and stay for free in her little brothers attic for a month. 
She will buy some new dresses at the Vieux Marche (paupers market). Then later take a Top deck travel  bus to London and stay in Mrs Oh's spare room for a few weeks. "She'll treat me like a Real Queen", whispered Ines.
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Well known Bali identity Wiwin, flew to Japan in April, with her husband's mother and brother to show the locals how to cook fish.
 Malcolm, Mum & Win (right)
Skiing on Mt Fuji
The happy group with the host
Quake Season
We all know there is no such thing as Earth Quake Season, however 
the KHO Earth Quake Detector (right) has been dormant for almost 3 months, then on April 26 it came to life. We felt nothing. The following day it went off 3 times, then on Apr 29 after ringing for about 2 minutes,
we suddenly felt a shudder. An hour later we checked with the US  Earthquake Center which reported at 12:06 local time, a 5.9 earth quake occurred 400 km South East of Bali. John built the KHO Quake detector in 2004 you can read about it in past editions of the KHO News     Apr 2004       May 2004
Galungan Holiday
Galungan May 3 symbolizes the victory of Virtue (Dharma) upon Evil (Adharma).  The festival concludes with Kuningan 10 days later on May 13. We wish the Balinese all the best for their festival.
Kuningan Ceremony
Wayan's a Dad
Wayan & John
John toasts Wayan, celebrating the birth of first baby to he and his wife Iluh. It's a boy and called Komang.
Indonesian Easter
It may surprise our readers to know that in Indonesia, Good Friday is a public holiday, as is also Christmas Day. According to the latest available census from Statistics Indonesia (BBS), 8.92% of Indonesians are Christian, 1.81% Hindu, .84% Buddhist and 88.2% are Muslim. At over 20 million, there are arguably more Christians in Indonesia than Australia.
An Easter Service in Java
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Bali Security Cam's
The Bali resort town of Sanur has installed the island's first network of security cameras in a bid to halt terror attacks and lure back frightened tourists. With Australian tourist numbers still falling in the wake of the terrorist bombings last year and in 2002, authorities in Sanur set up 18 security cameras overlooking its shopping and restaurant strip. 
Beach Security Guard
Dutch to get VOA
Indonesia will soon grant Visa on Arrival (VOA) to Dutch citizens as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral ties and business and tourism sectors.
There will be a (visa policy) review that will lead to the granting of visas on arrival," said Yudhoyono in a joint press conference with 
visiting Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende. Balkenende, wrapping up a two-day visit to Indonesia, welcomed Indonesia's decision, saying that such a facility
Balkenende
had long been sought by Dutch business people who were interested in investing in Southeast Asia's largest economy.
As reported last month, Bali and Java suffered from strong winds up to 35km/h and waves at Kuta beach over 3 meters high. A lot of erosion occurred at Kuta, Legian and Seminyak Beaches. 
What was Candi Dasa Beach
Sadly developers always build too close to the beach in Bali, often resulting in the total elimination of the beach as happened in Candi Dasa. I remember Candi Dasa 
beach twenty years ago, when it had a beautiful wide white sand beach to see it now is depressing.
Erosion on Seminyak beach
The same is now happening on Seminyak beach, the recent storms exacerbating the situation. Although the Balinese forbid building right on the beach unscrupulous developers always find ways to obtain official permits.
Shoring up a hotel
A classic example at Seminyak, development far too close to the beach, they will be lucky if there is a Kuta beach at all in a few years.
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The inaugural April issue of a toned down version of Playboy went on sale in Indonesia, sparking controversy in a country with the world's largest Muslim population. The plan to publish a local version of Playboy magazine has sparked debate throughout the country
and prompted protest marches from Islamic organizations and students. The first edition of Playboy magazine, which sold with a price tag of 39,000 rupiah (A$6), hit news stands in Jakarta and some other major Indonesian cities
There is no nudity in the magazine, as the Indonesian publisher promised, but some sexy poses of women wearing lingerie remained. 
Miss Amber Chia
The first edition features popular Malaysian model Amber Chia.
“I didn’t think it would generate that much interest. In fact, I'm so proud to appear in the first issue of Indonesia Playboy as the eight pages of photos were tasteful and stylish,  but not pornographic!”
Bali Arrivals
Foreign arrivals at Bali's Airport continue to be depressed after last year's terrorist attack. Australia once Bail's main source of tourists, has now dropped to number two. Last month only 8,500 visitors arrived from Australia, down 60% from March the previous year.
Garuda Promotion
Indonesian State owned airline Garuda Indonesia have started an aggressive promotion in Australia to try and woo holiday makers back to Bali - "the Island of the Gods" with increased flights, huge discounts and a new brochure available for download on-line.
4 nights from MEL/SYD
$649 including Hotel
Bali Sunrise 4 night packages from SYD and MEL start from A$649, yes, including accommodation.
Brochure Download
More KHO Kittens
Jamal now has a collection of seven cats, they all live outside except for the house cat Suzi, who is the grandmother to most all the cats. We now have three new arrivals, all are boys.  John prefers dogs.
The new arrivals
Dallon
Ayeda
Inezal
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Familiar lyrics from the Rogers and Hamerstein musical South Pacific, but now very much the case in Indonesia since it has been announced that there are over 41 million Hah Pee subscribers across  the Indonesian archipelago. 
"Hah Pee"  you ask?
A Hah Pee is the Indonesian acronym for Hand Phone (HP), Cell Phone or in Australia a Mobile. Leading supplier Telkomsel expects revenue to rise more than 30% this year after already signing up 7 million new subscribers bringing their total to 27 million. Only 19% of Indonesia's 220 million people have a handphone. To many young Indonesians who must move from the country to the big cities to find work, a handphone is an affordable necessity, enabling 
them to keep in touch with family and friends back in the villages. Calls are expensive so most people use SMS to communicate.  The majority of 
Jamal calls his Mum in Java
subscribers use pre-paid phonecards which come in
Rp25,000, Rp50,000 and Rp 100,000 (A$15) denominations. The country abounds with handphone dealers, selling new and second hand phones. A second hand Norika can be as low as Rp300,000
(A$45), a SIM card costs Rp50,000 (A$15) up. Almost on every corner there dealers selling  pre-paid cards.
Warung Satya
Made Satya has reopened his Warung Satya in a new location, just a 100m east of Warung Sobat. Recently we checked it out. The Warung is small but has a cozy atmosphere. The central kitchen and bar has a staff of cute young girls and Komang is still the waiter. 
Waiter Komang
The menu is simple but plenty to choose from. Jamal had the Spaghetti Marinara, he said it was perfect. I had the pepper steak with mashed potato and salad, 
Rp 30,000, ($A4.82) was excellent.
Pleasant outdoor seating area
Satya have Hatten wines by the bottle, Rp 60,000 (A$9.67) or by the glass Rp 15,000 (A$2.50).
Indoor dining area & Bar
The KHO thinks Warung Satya is off to a good start, the place is simple, friendly and pleasant and excellent value. We Recommend.
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The "von Trap" Family of Bendigo
The Harvey Family Band
Simon (bass guitar) - Ian (acoustic guitar) - Mandy (vocalist) - Nick (drums) - Mitch (lead guitar)
The hills of Bendigo are alive with the sound of music from John's friends, the Harvey family. 
If your passing by Maiden Gully in Bendigo's south, chances are you'll hear music wafting over the hills from the Harvey homestead.
Bendigo is just a short 4,322 km's from Bali. It's a famous Gold mining city of the 1880's, where fortunes were made overnight. The prosperous city built many fine Victorian buildings.
The Town Hall and Begonia's
The city is now famous for it's annual Easter Begonia Festival attracting tourists from all over. 
Marvelous Bendigo
Many Chinese were attracted to the 1880's Gold Rush.  Bendigo has a memorial Chinese village.
Harveycord Studios
Ian Harvey has just laid the foundation cement slab for a new recording studio on their Maiden Gully hectareage. The studio will feature a separate control room with both digital & analogue recording and CD cutting facilities. 
Ian Supervising the Slab Laying
The main studio will have a sound proof drum booth, for drummer Nick - a heaven sent blessing for the neighbors and Mandy's sanity.
The KHO Birds
The birds at the KHO are nesting and building quite complicated nests, they are fully enclosed with a tunnel facing downwards, the mother bird flies up the tunnel to enter. Quite ingenious. Our bamboo attracts many birds, doesn't take them long to work out it is safe here, currently there are 6 nests under construction. 
On the paddy fields the farmers shoot the birds with air rifles to stop them eating the growing rice, to them, the birds are a real pest. Sadly this  is why you never see many birds in Indonesia.
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Handicraft Fair
The 8th Jakarta International Handicraft Fair was held in April with encouraging attendance's. The export handicraft industry is very important for Indonesia and this cottage industry is one way to keep villages in work while the tourists stay away. The industry exports about 3,500 different handicraft products. Opening the
fair President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said the current demand for antique style furniture and handicraft exports 
grew by 4.06 percent last year from US$447 million to $465.1 million. The President also said traders should begin to think of creating their own international trademarks that are often the key to success in the overseas marketing of goods.
Water in Bali
Water to the KHO is supplied by the Indonesian Government water company PDAM (Perusahaan Daerah Air Minum) In our area there are 14,294 active connections for a population of 222,000. The water comes from a large bore and is electrically pumped in to the mains pipe. All the pipes including the street mains are plastic.
The KHO Water Meter
The meter is read monthly the first 10,000 liters are charged at A12c/ 1,000 liters, the second 10,000 liters at A16c/1,000 liters above 20,000 liters is charged at A31c/ 1,000 liters. Our av. bill is $7/month. We are told the water is safe to drink, 
but we don't believe PDAM, often the water has a bad smell and it has a high calcium content which leaves  white stains on 
KHO Kettle
everything, especially the bathroom tiles. Far safer to boil the water for 3 minutes or to use bottled water.
At the KHO we have a hot and cold water dispenser, using Aqua brand bottled water. The water is delivered weekly, we usual use around 60 liters a week. A 19 liter bottle costs A$1.50.
Many people especially in the more exclusive villas, install a whole house water filtration system using ultra-violet bacteria elimination and micron filters. These systems are high in maintenance, but fine if you can
afford it. Many house are not connected to PDAM and have their own bore, electric pump and header tank.
Travel Advice
When you visit Bali or anywhere in Asia, only drink bottled water and make sure ice cubes in drinks are made from bottled water. Also make sure the restaurants you eat in wash their salads in bottled water, if unsure avoid salads. It is also wise to use bottled water to clean your teeth.
De-hydration
Be on alert for de-hydration in Bali's hot tropical climate, you can easily loose more than a liter of water a day just through sweating. Always carry bottled water with you and drink at least 2 liters a day. First sign of de-hydration is dark yellow urine followed by headache, and vomiting and possible death.
Salt Depletion
Salt depletion can also be a problem, forget about what doctor said, put as much salt on your food as you wish.
Salt Crystal
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Rob's Baby Carrots
Farmer Rob of Bedugal has just grown his first crop of real sweet baby carrots, of the Nantes variety, not an immature large Imperator carrot, picked young or cut into smaller pieces. Rob's sweet baby carrots are delicious raw or cooked, a first for Bali. There is no need to peel, or cut, just a light rinsing is all that's necessary. Rob plans another larger crop soon.
Glazed Baby Carrots
Steam carrots until tender, place in a fry pan with butter for 2 minutes on low heat, add a little sugar.
KHO Recipe - Pikeletts
Always an afternoon tea favorite at the KHO. Sometimes known as drop scones, they are best made fresh, just before your guests arrive and served while still warm.
Ingredients
1 Cup of Plain Flour, 2 Tea'sp Baking Powder, ½ Cup of Milk,
1 Egg, 1 Tab'sp Sugar, 1 Pinch of Salt, 1 Tea'sp of Vanilla Essence.
Put all ingredients in a blender or whisk by hand, consistency must be like honey, if too thick add milk, too thin add more flour. 
Pour 76.2 mm portions to a well greased fry pan on low heat, bake until golden brown on both sides.
Spread with butter and jam. If you have a house cow, serve with a dollop of whipped cream. For your Indonesian guests spread with Sambal sauce and top with a slice of gherkin or green chili.
Makan Indonesia
In Your Own Home
Many supermarkets in foreign countries now stock Indofood Bumbu (prepared spices) there are
a number of varieties including the ones shown (to the right) plus our favorite Kare (curry- not shown). Simply follow the instructions on the back of the back and you can treat your family to 
real authentic Indonesian dishes.
Our Recipe
The pak recipe says to first boil the meat in 3 glasses of water until tender. We suggest, fry a sliced onion and chopped garlic, place in cooking dish. Then fry the meat or chicken until brown, add Indofood bumbu, flour and continue to fry, let the oil absorb the flour, then add 3 glasses of water and add to the cooking dish.  Simmer for about 20 minutes until cooked. 
Serve with fluffy steamed rice and stir fried vegetables.
Our modified Indonesian dish
Selamat Makan. (Enjoy your meal)
KHO Donuts
Ingredients
2 Cups of Plain Flour, 4 Tea'sp Baking Powder, ½ Cup of Milk,
1 Egg, 3 Tab'sp Sugar, 1 Pinch of Salt, 1 Tea'sp of Vanilla Essence.
Roll out on floured board and cut with a donut cutter,  fry until golden brown, coat with castor sugar. Serve with ice-cream.
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Page 11 
Bali Aviation News
Adam Air was founded in 2002 by 
Mr Agung Laksono, (right) a well known Indonesian businessman and politician, and Mrs Sandra Ang.
The airline was established in 2003 and started operations on 19 Dec 2003 with 2 Boeing 737 aircraft leased from GE Capital Aviation.
It is entirely owned by and named after Adam Adhitya Suherman, the very young CEO of the company. 
Adam Air Destinations
Adam Air flies from Denpasar, Bali to Jakarta 3 times a day. Adam's fleet consists of  17, Boeing  737 
aircraft age 8-25 years, the average age of the fleet is 18 years.
PK-KKN at Denpasar Airport
One interesting aircraft is PK-KKN the Indonesian acronym for Korupsi-Kolusi-Nepotisme, PK-KKN was delivered to Britanica Airways in 1980 and flew with them for 3 years before being sold to Dan Air who operated the aircraft until 1993, it then flew with Sahara India Airlines until 1999, it spent time with Regional Air before being acquired by Adam Air in August 2005. On February 23, 2006 Adam Air announced it would lease 6 Airbus A320 aircraft, and purchase another 24 Airbus A320 aircraft during the Asian Aerospace 2006 to be delivered commencing 2007.
Jamal flew Adam Air to Jakarta last year & said they were very good.
QANTAS' dream of grabbing a  chunk of the low-cost Asian market is looking increasingly shaky, with its 44.5 per cent owned Jetstar Asia seeking a fresh S$36 million cash injection. The troubled Singapore airline is also looking to cut back its fleet of eight A320s to six to rein in its losses of $27.4 million in the six months to Dec 31. The latest scale back comes just one year after the airline was forced to sub-lease four of its A320s to a Turkish airline. Qantas and fellow JetStar Asia shareholders, including the Singapore Government's Temasek Holdings, owner of Qantas' great regional rival Singapore Airlines are faced with injecting S$36 million after already injecting $S60 million when JetStar merged with Valuair in July 2005. JetStar-Valuair has had
five CEOs in two years, the latest, Madame Chong, (right) has no aviation experience, she was running the Singapore Mint.
Maybe she can print the S$36 mill.
JetStar Airbus 320
Madam Chong replaced Ken Ryan who returned to Qantas, Sydney. Qantas CEO Geoff Dixon has resigned as JetStar Asia Chairman.
JetStar flies Singapore to Bali 3 times a week, with a no-change no-refund fare of S$89 OW.
Indonesian conglomerate Cardig  has bought troubled Indonesian carrier Mandala Airlines in a deal worth around US$34 million. The airline has 14 aircraft, but only five are flying, some are being used for spare parts, but others are being returned to service. Mandala currently operates to around 17 destinations in Indonesia. The airline is considering ordering Airbus A320s or Boeing 737-800s. 
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QANTAS' New "Low-Cost" Airline
Qantas Airways Ltd., will soon  begin flying its new Jetstar International brand to destinations such as Phuket, Ho Chi Minh City. Australian Airlines will no longer fly after July. Bali flights from Australia for the time being will be operated by Qantas, then later by JetStar.
Cost 40-45% Lower
CEO Geoff Dixon (right) said "the cost of Jetstar is about 40-45%  lower than Qantas.'' Dixon hopes Jetstar will lure back
passengers from Singapore Airlines.
Don't Expect 40-45% Off Ticket Prices
Don't worry, Qantas are more interested in saving costs for the parent company, than offering the traveling public low cost fares.
A 1960's proposal to build a rail link between Singapore and Istanbul (Turkey), has been re-activated at a UNESCAP is meeting in Jakarta. International events that punctuated the 1960s and 1970s prevented an early implementation of this ambitious technical challenge.  In the early 1990s with the return of peace to South-East Asia, the emergence of independent countries in Central Asia, and the adoption of market oriented economic principles in many countries, especially China and the Russian Federation, created conditions for international trade to flourish and called for the
identification and development of region-wide efficient transport infrastructure and services. 
Burma Death Railway to be Re-Built?
That plan includes rebuilding the link that was once the Burma Thailand Railway, also called the Railway of Death. After the Second World War, Great Britain sold the railway to Thailand for £1.5 million but it proved to be both dangerous and uneconomic. Eventually the line north of Nam Tok was torn up.
John on the Burma Railway '04
2004 John and Jamal rode the remaining part of the Burma line from Kanchanaburi to Nam Tok.
Section to be re-built
The cost of this new Burma Thailand Railway, From Thanbyuzayat to Nam Tok using modern equipment and labor paid according to local conditions (not slaves) would be US $1.75 million per kilometer, for a total of US $268 million in Thailand and US $192 million in Myanmar.
Wooden Viaduct - WWII
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Page 13 
Book Review
Australian Captain Rowley Richards, a medical officer on the Burma Railway and in Japan, kept detailed notes and a diary documenting the experience of captivity. It is because of the determination of men like Richards to tell this story that we are able to understand what captivity was like.
In the diary, he recorded the horrors he witnessed as well as the courage, humor and mateship of
his fellow prisoners. As the Allies advanced, he buried his writings in a bottle in a soldier's grave and made a map of the site which, stayed intact during his transfer and imprisonment in Japan.
Richards Diary now in the Australian War Museum
The diary was recovered by members of the War Graves Commission after the war and returned to Rowley, two and a half years after it was buried.
Dr Rowley Richards' memoir begins with his carefree childhood in Australia, covers time spent fighting in Malaya, then imprisoned by the Japanese after the fall of Singapore. He was transferred to Moulmein, Burma to work on the northern end of the Burma railway in conditions which could - and did - prove fatal to so many others. 
Slave Labor at Hellfire Pass
After the rail was completed Richards was sent to Japan to work as slave labor in a Japanese factory. On the way their ship was 
torpedoed by the allies, Richards account of their ship sinking and their ultimate rescue is horrific. Rowley Richards couldn't forgive Japan's high command but has no bitterness towards the people, 
"The only person who suffers from bitterness is the person who harbors it. It's not so much a question of forgiveness as of understanding. We should try to understand different cultures and their history."
Prisoners on the Burma rail.
Burma Rail Statistics
Nationality
Number
Deaths
Asian Laborers
200.000
80,000
Australian POW's
13,000
2,710
English POW's
30,000
6,540
Dutch POW's
18,000
2,830
Korean & Japanese
15,000
1,000
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