The speedboat from the Kuala Besut ferry pier rides high on the waves, skipping along the water like a flat stone flung by a petulant giant.

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Brighton received high praise for its promenade, pier and proximity to open countryside.

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While at UCLA, I was fortunate to work with a group of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) students who took it upon themselves to create a tutoring and mentoring program for NHPI high school youth in Los Angeles called PIER (Pacific Islander Education and Retention).

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There is little of Kerouac to find here, though, considering his brief stint with the US Navy, you could get your 21st-century kicks at popular Navy Pier, a distracting bevvy of fast-food restaurants and high-tech amusement rides.

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