Interviews With Amazing Dads Who Rock Asia
Awesome Dads Around The Region
To celebrate Father’s Day, we’ve gathered and chatted with several extraordinary Dads around the region. They are entrepreneurs, DJs, philanthropists, chefs, tech gurus, photographers, influencers, astronauts, and more. Most importantly, they are dads who rock and inspire us every day. Read on for a sneak peek into what they value about parenting, their favorite family outings, and where they like to travel with their kids. Rock on dads!
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MALAYSIA: Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar - Astronaut, Orthopaedic Surgeon, Model, Restaurant Owner
Prepare to be impressed with this dad! Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar is a father of 4 who also happens to be an astronaut (the first in Malaysia), Orthopaedic Surgeon, a model and he owns a restaurant in KL. He believes parenting is all about spending a lot of time with your children and teaching them about love, respect and instilling qualities to be the best. His goal is to make them better than he is in every way. He is a hands-on Dad who does everything from changing diapers, feeding and caring for his kids.
Favorite Thing To Do With The Kids?
"I enjoy doing a lot with the kids including camping, swimming, horse riding, and anything adventurous that will enhance their skills. We also enjoy taking vacations and exploring new countries."
Favorite Family-Friendly Holiday?
"We love Disneyland and Legoland. We enjoy traveling to New Zealand and Australia as there are lots of things to explore in those countries. Traveling to China with the kids is also a favorite as my kids are learning Mandarin. India is where I studied my medicine so we enjoy visiting there too. For the beach, we head to the Maldives."
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HONG KONG: Yat Siu - Founder Of Outblaze
Passionate about life, family and living with purpose, Yat is one inspirational dad. This tech wizard dad of 2 loves the outdoors and spending time in nature with his children (hiking is one of his favorites). This family's love for hiking goes beyond HK, for example, he takes his kids to Nepal often to support the school which is run by Tashi Tenzing grandson of the famous Tenzing Norgay. Interestingly, his kids are often his first inspiration as to what problems he might find meaningful to solve at work and with the world. Yat's first entrepreneurial career was at Atari ST and he coded his first computer on TI-99. He has built multiple start-ups in Hong Kong and started Hong Kong's very first ISP's (Hong Kong Online). He went on to build Outblaze in 1998. After selling his enterprise business to IBM (which became Lotus Live), he became very much focused on EdTech and Gaming with ventures such as the Dalton Learning Lab and the Animoca Brands. Rockstar dad - yes, we think so!
Favorite Thing To Do With The Kids?
"The keyword to anything "favorite" for us is exploration seeking amazement, whether this could be something new to experience, beauty or stronger connections. We love to hike and to explore new places by foot (or by bike). One of the reasons we love to hike as a family is that we can explore nature and the mountains together as that is a form of exploration that brings you deep into nature but doesn't strongly separate you by age or ability. Exploration doesn't always mean somewhere natural but also something different. Most recently, I took my son for an eye-opening trip inside Google X, the moon shot factory, and we were both so inspired and learned so much. Spending time together, as a family and exploring new things as a family is what I cherish the most."
Favorite Family-Friendly Holiday?
"I'm a bit of an adventure junkie and as a family, we seek the new and undiscovered. My favorite place has never been one physical place, it is where I experience new, valuable and life growing experiences together as a family (and with friends too)."
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JAKARTA: Robin Liem - Masari Group
Robin is the Group Director of Masari Group in Indonesia. This group owns Prestige Indonesia Magazine, Under Armour Indonesia, and is heavily involved in the luxury segment - Lanvin, Dior, Hermes, Petit Bateau, and plenty more. He has been married for almost 13 years ("to an amazing woman," in his words) and is a father to 2 wonderful girls. His family loves sports including tennis, badminton, and basketball (which he still plays at least 3X per week!). He is very grateful that he has a wife and his faith to help him become the best father he can be (as we all know it is not easy) to his two girls.
Favorite Thing To Do With The Kids?
"I love spending time with my kids, especially taking them to watch movies. The girls always get so excited about watching a movie on the big screen while eating hot dogs and popcorn. I once read a book that it's important to have daddy-daughter dates once in a while to bond and it doesn't have to be anything too fancy. My older daughter loves reading and once in a while, I like to take her to the bookstore just the two of us and spend a couple of hours there. My younger one loves her yakiniku and I'll take her to eat in her favorite restaurant after a tiring tennis practice. While special occasions are always nice, I feel it's more important spending time with them, doing the mundane normal things that show you're really there and that's important to them."
Favorite Family-Friendly Holiday?
"We've been going to London for a number of years now and we love it because there are so many parks that we can spend our days in doing all kinds of activities and that's a luxury that we do not have in Indonesia. There just aren't many parks or green spaces in Jakarta. We also love the beach, we love the sun, the sand, and the waves...so we love going to Bali and the Maldives. We taught our girls how to swim from a very young age so our whole family loves the water. Japan is always a great place to go just because the food is always incredible and the skiing is great during the winter."
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HONG KONG: Sean Seah, Head Of Digital Experience For HSBC
This business/tech leader focuses on accelerating digital for global corporates and entrepreneurial startups. At HSBC, he heads Digital Experience. A passionate father looking to raise two amazing daughters, he claims to be learning to be a better Dad every day through trial and error.
Favorite Outing In Hong Kong?
"I enjoy jumping around with my daughters and staying flexible and agile as we learn together. I also love playing Just Dance on Nintendo Switch with my daughters and learning about the latest songs and dances."
Favorite Family-Friendly Holiday?
"Japan! We love the food, culture, skiing, and shopping that makes this country amazing!"
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HONG KONG: Andy Kish - Director of Manufacturing Excellence At Under Armour
This Dad of 2 was born in Washington DC, USA. He joined Under Armour over 15 years ago and moved to Hong Kong in 2004 when the brand began manufacturing products in Asia. He met his awesome, rockin' Irish wife in Hong Kong so this city is very special to his heart. In his free time, he enjoys the Hong Kong's great outdoors, in particular, hiking and fishing!
Favorite Thing To Do With The Kids?
"Tiki-Tiki Bowling - The atmosphere is phenomenal and so is the food. Watching the kids faces and seeing their excitement when they get a strike is priceless. I also enjoy volunteering as a helper for their Cub Scouts. It's not really an outing but we all look forward to kicking our feet up with a big bowl of popcorn for Friday night movie night on the couch."
Favorite Family-Friendly Holiday?
"The Shangri-La Resort in Cebu, Philippines is the most kid-friendly resort we have been to as a family. There are crystal clear waters for snorkeling, swimming pools with water slides, pitch and putt golf, game rooms, and more. There are non-stop activities for kids and parents alike. The service is excellent; genuine and from the heart."
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MALAYSIA: Roen Cian Nagapan - Entrepreneur & Director Of The Group
Roen is a well-known entrepreneur behind many of Malaysia's creative brands including The Roof, Life Juice Co, Common Ground Workspaces, and more. Roen and his wife, Carey Ng (Malaysian KOL behind Curious Child Day Care), have one baby - ShaeLyn Rey Cian.
Favorite Thing To Do With The Kids?
"There are a few outings we enjoy, but as my daughter is only 8 months old, the TTDI Park is a favorite for her now. The waterfalls, jungle and watching the monkeys make her very happy."
Favorite Family-Friendly Holiday?
"Traveling is a challenge with a baby for now but has always been something Carey and I love doing. So, now we travel the 3 of us as often as we can : )"
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SINGAPORE: Joseph Wong - Principal Consultant At Delapro
Joseph Wong was a banker for years before starting his own training company, Delapro, which focuses on communication skills, creative writing, and speeches for kids and adults. In addition to speaking regularly around town, he writes for the Recruit section of The Straits Times and launched a book series I’m So Ready For Life where he explains crucial life skills in the language of a child. This dad of one teenager loves language and all things creative, music and sports. He also enjoys bringing people together through love and sharing.
Favorite Thing To Do With The Kids?
"I enjoy creative games that we make up on the spot. I also enjoy giving my daughter the best time of her life for each and every outing."
Favorite Family-Friendly Holiday?
"Vietnam because my daughter was born there (I adopted her from a Vietnamese orphanage when she was 3 months). Our first visit to Ho Chi Minh City was when she was 16 years old. I was anxious to know if she would like the place of her birth. It turned out she loves Vietnam for its history, culture, and people. I feel I have fulfilled my role as a parent who gave an orphan girl a family, true love and wisdom of choice. We will return to Vietnam often."
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HONG KONG: Dan Beatty - GM At Red Bull - Greater China
Dan was born in Cape Town, went to Primary School in Canada and then moved back to the beach in South Africa for High School. He met the love of his life at University and they moved to Tokyo together in 2007, before coming to awesome Hong Kong in 2009. Dan is General Manager of Red Bull - Greater China and has 2 amazing and very active kids!
Favorite Thing To Do With The Kids?
"We love cycling Tseung Kwan O's maze of bike tracks, although Nia's legs are a bit short so we take them slowly while Torben laps us. We are always at Big Wave Bay - Torben spends hours in the ocean on his boogie board, and I love pushing them both into waves on my surfboard. Another favorite is to head out on our SUPs in Clearwater Bay. Torben paddles himself, Nia rides on the nose of mine and together we head out to find secret swim spots."
Favorite Family-Friendly Holiday?
"Cape Town, because its simply the most beautiful place on the planet and the kids can't get enough of the outdoor adventures (grandparents live there too!). Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka, because grandad has a house there and the kids get to set turtles free and ride waves all day. We also love the Maldives, because the kids get to see dolphins, feed sharks and snorkel with manta rays."
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MALAYSIA: Harith Iskander - Stand-Up Comedian
Giving, passionate and caring is how people would classify this stand-up comedian in Malaysia. A proud father of three wonderful kids - Zander, Alessandrea and Zydane (he is aware they are wonderful as a product of an even more amazing mother, his wife Dr. Jezamine Lim). Interesting fact about Harith? He may be a comedian on stage but off-stage, he is quite a serious person.
Favorite Thing To Do With The Kids?
"We have always brought them to Gymboree in Kuala Lumpur from an early age (literally before they even started walking) and all three have enjoyed tremendous 'growth' experiences in the classes there. As a parent, I find there is nothing better than participating in this process with them...seeing them develop before my very eyes. We also like going to the cinema together. At home, I love sitting on the floor and participating with my kids in whatever game or fantasy they have in their head at the time."
Favorite Family-Friendly Holiday?
"My kids love the beach and the sea. We love Langkawi, Phuket and Cherating. My boy Zander can stand on the beach with the waves lapping at his feet for hours whilst Sandrea has a fascination with building sand castles (but what kid doesn't?). Right now they're going through the "We want to see snow" stage so I guess a trip to Japan is on the cards next?"
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HONG KONG / BALI: Callaghan Walsh - Lifestyle Photographer
Callaghan is an Asian-based lifestyle photographer and dad of 1 + 1 on the way! He shoots throughout the region for the likes of Cathay Discovery and DestinAsian magazines through to clients such as Sands Macau, Hong Kong Tatler, and Dior. In his spare time, he likes to go to the beach with the kids, listen to music, cook and chill out at home reading or with the family.
Favorite Thing To Do With The Kids?
"If in Hong Kong then Big Wave Bay is our current favorite - great beach and we enjoy popping down to Shek O for a casual lunch. At home in Bali, we love to go to Milk and Madu to grab a coffee while the weekend market is happening."
Favorite Family-Friendly Holiday?
"For holidays, it would be a villa in Lombok, booked through Lightfoot Travel. We love the natural environment, large pool, grassy spots, swimming and a bit of extra help on hand. It is a great way to get away from technology. Being Australian, I also love heading to my family's place in Noosa and hanging out with old friends."
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HONG KONG: Ben Kerr - Company Director At MDREAMS GLOBAL
Ben prides himself on keeping a relatively simple focus on the two most important things in his life - work and more importantly, family. Ben leads a private life (he does not even have a Facebook account) so asking him to come on board for a "Dad's Who Rock" article was a bit of a stretch for him. But - he does rock, so, here we go! His company makes many families happy in Asia with stylish shoes (Melissa, Mini Melissa, Zaxy, and Recounter) and sand-free beach brand, CGear. Outside of work, Ben is all about his family. In his words, "I love my family more than I thought possible and on this Father's Day, I wish to share this with the world!"
Favorite Thing To Do With The Kids?
"We own a boat and love exploring Hong Kong from the water. We regularly sleep over and I love to wake up on the calm waters of the morning cooking eggs and drinking coffee before pumping up the kids' water toys and kayaking with them before the rest of HK wakes."
Favorite Family-Friendly Holiday?
"I love taking the kids to Australia. None of them were born there so to them, Australia would be very different to what it is for me, growing up there. It’s important that our kids know their traditions, therefore, we try and shove as many Four & Twenties pies into them as possible over a cricket match. Favorite places in Australia for us are Melbourne and Noosa."
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HONG KONG: Ben Ku - United Chinese Group
Working in the family’s manufacturing business, United Chinese Group, this stylish rockstar of a dad keeps very busy. His philosophy at home (being a dad of 2 daughters) has always been that women will one day take over the world. That's why he does not mind his wife and daughters bossing him around. He feels he is kind of a visionary that way :-)
Favorite Thing To Do With The Kids?
"I'm not sure if this counts as an outing, but we do sleepovers in our room every weekend. The girls will put together a makeshift bed next to ours. We watch movies over snacks and tell stories until it's way-way past our bedtimes. It's becoming my favorite thing to do!"
Favorite Family-Friendly Holiday?
"I've been going to Niseko every winter for almost a decade with friends on snowboarding trips. Recently, I've discovered how beautiful the town really is in the summer, and how perfect it is for kids. We went last year and will be going again this summer. The weather is absolutely stunning, and the food is, of course, amazing always. My girls are also very close to one of their cousins who lives in NYC. We try to meet up every summer either in NYC or somewhere in the States. Other than that, the girls also love sandy beaches. For that, we go to Bali. Jaime and I got married in Bali in 04, so it holds a very special place in our hearts."
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SINGAPORE: Bobby Krishnan - Executive Chef At Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa, Singapore
With over 20 years of culinary experience, Bobby leads Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa, Singapore's kitchen team. Having worked at various five-star luxury hotels in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Vietnam throughout his career, some of his specialities include local cuisines, as well as dishes infused with Indian, Western, Malay and Thai flavors. Outside of the kitchen, he is a father of four and enjoys playing sports such as cricket and also coaching his children in Taekwondo before they go for competitions.
Favorite Thing To Do With The Kids?
"When I am not working, I am always with my family. We spend time together watching movies or play a game of badminton on our front porch."
Favorite Family-Friendly Holiday?
"One of my most memorable vacations was our trip to Europe, where we watched our first UEFA European Championship live in France! If not, we also enjoy a relaxing trip to Bali, soaking up the rich culture and tucking into the delicious Balinese cuisine."
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SINGAPORE: Alvin Oon - Encore Showstation / Peranakan Sayang
This creative dad has run an events company for 23 years in Singapore. Besides running his own business, he is also a professional emcee, songwriter, music arranger, singer, show producer, events manager, video producer and TV actor. He is also a-rockin' dad to two teenage sons.
Favorite Thing To Do With The Kids?
"I enjoy playing football with my boys. Also, I enjoy jamming to music or performing with them onstage (both boys are musicians too)."
Favorite Family-Friendly Holiday?
"No particular place as it is the journey and not the destination. Spending quality time, experiencing and doing things together regardless of the places we visit."
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SINGAPORE: Kelvin Ang - Founder Of Cheekiemonkie.net
A truly blessed owner of 3 cheekiemonkies, 2 hamsters and 1 fabulous wife, Kelvin has been chronicling his Fatherhood journey on cheekiemonkie.net ever since his eldest was born in 2005 (aka - a very early blogger in Asia). Together, they discover new, fun, and kid-friendly places in Singapore. He is also the author behind Got Kids, Go Where?- a book of 550 activities for parents to do with their kids in Singapore.
Favorite Thing To Do With The Kids?
"An extensive network of trails, viewing towers, and observation hides make Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve a perfect place for families to learn more about mangrove swamps. Our fave is the new Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve extension as it is more kid-friendly, with three different boardwalks. Another fave? Where can one go to find an 800m stretch of paradise without having to ‘chop’ their passport? The answer lies in Lazarus, a little-known island tucked between St John’s and Kusu islands. For a day’s worth of off-the-beaten-track kind of fun for the kids, this is truly one gem that offers a peaceful day getaway from the mainland. All of us love the place for its serenity, pristine beach, and scenic views. Gardens By The Bay is a play haven and by far my kids’ favorite outdoor park in Singapore, as it contains integrated play equipment and water play features spread over four main play zones."
Favorite Family-Friendly Holiday?
"That has got to be Engelberg in Switzerland as it marked the first time all of us had seen, touched and tasted snow for the first time in our lives. The kids even tried skiing and I was extremely stoked to see the delight on the kids' faces as snow fell and this is one memory that will stay with me forever."
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HONG KONG: Adam Wright - Entertainment Editor At SCMP / Event Promoter At PUSH / DJ
Adam is an Australian resident of Hong Kong since 1995, and for the past 20 years, he has been working for the South China Morning Post, where he is the company's Entertainment Editor covering music, nightlife, and other fun stuff. Outside of journalism, he is part of an electronic music events company called PUSH which hosts regular dance music events featuring well-known international DJs. He is also involved in music production and DJing too. Adam is the proud father of an inspiring young teenager named Jasmine, who is heavily involved in the dramatic arts and pursuing a career in the theatre. They love to travel together, cook and share a lot of laughs.
Favorite Thing To Do With The Kids?
"Cooking is a thing that brings us together - the results aren't always great, but I treasure the moments making a lot of mess with Jasmine. As Jasmine is in her final years of school, she often comes to me for help with challenging projects, such as multimedia work, and we enjoy thinking up creative solutions to the tasks together."
Favorite Family-Friendly Holiday?
"We LOVE to travel together and have had many adventures to countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, Italy, the UK, Australia - but our favorite destination is Tasmania, where we regularly spend Christmas relaxing with my family."
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HONG KONG: Andrew Chambers - Founder & CEO Of Tsunami Sport
Andrew is a dad to two awesome little guys and husband to Gemma. He is a huge lover of everything sports related - playing and watching. In 2003, he founded Tsunami Sport which originally started as a Teamwear brand focused on quality and design. They have stayed true to this but have added sustainability to the core of their values. They are now a leading provider in team, school uniform and corporate apparel through their environmentally driven fabric, products, and practices. He loves family time and is hugely committed and further motivated (after having kids) to make positive changes to our environment through the industry practices and products his company provides to kids and adults.
Favorite Thing To Do With The Kids?
"We are a big sporty family so love nothing more than getting out and about. We love trail running, swimming and getting out in the garden with the football. In Hong Kong, we are quite spoilt in that there are so many great facilities."
Favorite Family-Friendly Holiday?
"Niseko and Bali are tied! It has always been important that we (Gemma my wife) give the kids the opportunities to gain what we call life skills. Surfing and skiing are two skills we put into that bracket. Both activities are awesomely linked with nature and a healthy lifestyle. We love that the kids have a bucket load of fun and build a respect for mother nature. Both of these places allow for a huge array of activities to do as a family and keep everyone engaged. We are definitely not a sit around on the beach type of family. Both places also allow for great food which after all the activities, you don't feel guilty in indulging in!"
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SINGAPORE: SR Bala - Chef & Owner Of Empire Cuisines
This dad of 2, is the Chef and Owner of Empire Cuisine, famous for catering to parties, events, and functions all over Singapore. He is also President of the Indian Chefs and Culinary Association. He is passionate about his work, has a family-first focus, and does his best to help those who are in need.
Favorite Thing To Do With The Kids?
"Going out to eat, exploring new places, and taking long drives to Malaysia with the family."
Favorite Family-Friendly Holiday?
"Malaysia! We have cousins there and my kids love to be with their cousins."
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HONG KONG: Geoffrey Wu, Founder Of The Forks & Spoons
If you ever want to know where to eat and drink with or without kids - Geoffrey is the man! By day, Geoffrey is a Food & Beverage Consultant managing the Forks & Spoons in Hong Kong and Macau for a portfolio of clients. At nighttime and on the weekends, he is a Father of 3 being managed by his wife and kids at home.
Favorite Thing To Do With The Kids?
We enjoy escaping the suburbs to enjoy fresh air and space at the Clearwater Bay Country Club. For the kids, they love to play in the playgrounds or on the lawn. We also love family weekend breakfasts. I believe this is my most important meal every day so on weekends when I am not having any business breakfasts, I take my kids and wife out to somewhere for a nice breakfast. Lastly, my kids enjoy the 2 theme parks in Hong Kong and they are regulars at both of them.
Favorite Family-Friendly Holiday?
To be honest, I do not have such luxury of time to travel much for holidays but my last outing was with my wife and daughter to London over the summer. It was beautiful and the weather made it perfect! She loved London very much, especially Hamleys. This summer we will be taking them to a few countries as I want them to see more things outside of our city.
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SINGAPORE: Edmund Tay - Founder Of EdUnloaded.com
This award-winning family blogger in Singapore is also a wedding solemnizer and a member of the Media Literacy Council. He is also dad to Nicole aged 3, Nathan aged 11, and Nadine aged 10.
Favorite Thing To Do With The Kids?
"I love to go swimming and cycling with the kids. Also, I love exploring new places in Singapore and checking out famous hawker foods around the city."
Favorite Family-Friendly Holiday?
"Penang. As food and accommodation are affordable and we just love to eat! :)"
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SINGAPORE: Mervyn Phan
Mervyn is the chef-owner of Cookyn Inc - a cooking teambuilding company, GRUB - a burger bistro in Bishan and Balestier, and Redpan - a Modern-Singaporean bistro in Marina Square. He is passionate about food and cooking, in particular, where ingredients come from and the future of food. He is also a dad to Elliot (10yrs) and Gerald (5yrs). Together - they enjoy cooking, playing soccer and watching movies.
Favorite Thing To Do With The Kids?
"Our son Elliot is part of the Boys' Brigade so we do an annual fundraising dinner with him where we work with him to conceptualize a menu, manage RSVPs, prepare and cook the dinner, and serve guests. We have done this for 2 years now and we hope that he will learn more and run these events more independently every year. We also love our monthly boys nights out, when mum goes out with her girlfriends, and we boys have dinner together then go to play in the arcade! That's always a lot of fun."
Favorite Family-Friendly Holiday?
We love to travel together and look forward to spending time as a family. The children are very easy to please and are happy with any destination we choose, as long as there is a bathtub for them to play in! One of the fondest memories we had was a long road trip we did with the children in New Zealand - natural beauty all around, many free playgrounds and crisp fresh air. Very refreshing for the body and soul!
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