I know what you’re thinking after all this reading to-date, finally we are at the point where reading the potential words of one blogger, will meet the actual words of one “tweeting” All Black, Mr. Neemia Tialata, and while this is indeed true, we must take it slow, so that you don’t get a head [Insert: "read"] rush!

If this is the first post on this subject matter, I would encourage you to experience the full orbed progression in this interviewing reality, which you can do so by visiting the two previous posts in this series that will nicely set the progression and stage, because… I can hear the star of the show as he is warming up in the background, and he will soon enter the area… stage right… and we about to bounce!  Therefore, to complete this pre-reading transaction, you should read this post FIRST, followed by this post, SECOND!

Now it is time for me to set this stage, and subsequently, set the scene [if I am boring you, you can skip onto the interview proper, but the build-up is part of the moment, so you would be missing out on the full experience, however, the choice remains yours]…

THE STAGE

Let me explain what I have tried to achieve in this Interview, and where we will be heading.  Let’s hold hands because I am afraid of the dark… conceptually speaking! [1] I know it will surprise many of you, but this is my first interview, so I am a rookie at the experience, but I use my brain… on occasions, so I have questions that I would like to get answers on.  [2] In presenting our digression together, I have tried to give it the natural flow that was in the audio, thereby hoping that it reads real and not theoretical. [3] While I am wont to talk, when Neemia does speak, I didn’t want to take the words right out, away from his mouth [the MeatLoaf track does not apply], I wanted to type the words right out of his mouth.  Therefore, with the possible deletion of the odd “Ah” and Um,” and maybe the odd “Er” and Ooo,” with also serious grammatical violations that make us sound “two stewpid,” smoothed over for their reading effect, what you will read is what I indeed received [although I haven't included all the material]! [4] If it is in italics [with or without brackets], it is something that I have added after the fact, either as commentary, satire, explanation… or dare I say, hyperbole! [5] In totality, this interview, will take 3 posts [maybe 4], with this first post, the first part, on the context of Family, covering his life and development as a younger boy-to-man.

THE SCENE

It’s time to create the mood, dim the lights, quieten the music, and I know that you are feelin me… its time to get this new groove on… as we journey back some weeks to where this all began!

We, that is Neemia and I, had been going back and forth for what seemed like weeks, and this was Interview D-Day, and it was a Wednesday.  As I am sure you will perceive, Wednesday has 24 hours in its conceptual tick-tock-ticking, and I had offered Neemia different interviewing scenarios for his choosing, so there was plenty of time and ways for this to take place.  However, while this is all well and good, there still has to be a moment when this offer is accepted, when this plan becomes reality, and when the tweeting must cease, so that the talking can begin… and we were not at this prescient point!

Looking at the clock… that often nameless and very faceless fiend, who does not give but always takes… all of the time at its beck and choosing, again pursuing this purpose, with reckless precision. Lunch time, plenty of time still left in the day, and re-checking my computer… still no word.  So I hadn’t heard by lunch time, and such is to be expected, as the man has his thing, and he had already confirmed that this was the Day… Patience my son! Patience is potential unless it is presented with perseverance, and as lunch-time became mid-afternoon, one wondered if this Wednesday was not a week too soon. Social networking sites can be your friend or foe, as they are more than willing to come right out with it, providing no clue that they are about to unload their news of your day, and too often we have clicked “dis-connect” a moment too soon.  Would this be my Murphy’s Law moment?  As Dinner was nearing it’s serving in our corner of the networking planet, a message with motionless demeanor popped into my networking vortex, which was now being sucked inward, with the prospect now presented.

To this date I have merely been a fan, and a blogging one at that!  While I am of Canterbury and He of Wellington, He outpointed me, as he was Black, All Black… and we were proud [The Commitments]!  I kept cajoling myself with reminders of our shared humanity, but it is amazing the iconic power that moving pictures can play in ones reality! Now that it was on like the morphing of a dumb ass and an over-sized cinematic ape [insert: "it's on like Donkey Kong"], how was I going to communicate with him, through ESP…N?!  After gaining access into his inner communicative sanctum [insert: "obtaining his phone number"], making sure that my low-grade technology [using a cassette tape no less as part of my package] could record this happening, with phone number in hand, giving up the delights of the dinner table, I made the call!

What?  Why am I being told to leave my number with a vocalised computer.  Is it really that tough to be an All Black that no one can call you directly?  Probably, but in this case, his signal was lost, and, after all, Wellington is a remote destination, and without Telecom to blame, this paradise regained, I dialed the number, I had payed my dues, and now the time was ripe with this burgeoning reality.

Hi Neemia, it’s Jonny King here, how are ya doin?

I know what you’re thinking, simple yet elegant, and after some small talk in preparation, I would prepare my instruments for this future weapon of mass instruction that you are about-to-be reading, and we would begin.

You are about to experience this for yourself as we are about to go live in, three… two… one…

——————————

NEEMIA TIALATA: On the Record, Off the Hook!

JK: Tell the readers a little about your parents, and where you fit into the family in terms of siblings, etc, in the Tialata family context. How do they help you deal with both success and disappointment on the rugby field?

NT: I have three sisters. JK: And, you’re pretty close, you’re pretty close with your sisters?  NT: Yeah, very close. Obviously being the only boy, or the only brother, I had to take on that responsibility and look after my sisters.  {Neemia’s parents both passed away when he was young} Two of them are older than me.  So it’s just the four of us. My Aunty, who is my Mother’s sister had taken us onboard at a young age.  She quickly became our Mother-Parent, so she has got 2 boys and 3 girls, so I have got a massive family – extended family.  JK: We all go through various and different challenges, just because you’re on TV alot and a rugby player, and you know, you have that context of your life… Obviously it would have impacted you greatly… were you pretty young?  NT: Yeah, yip.  JK:  You’ve said your parents went back to Samoa for religious training.  NT: My parents went back to Samoa to Bible College back in America Samoa, so we lived there for four years.  And then, we came back to New Zealand, in 89-90, so we moved back to New Zealand, where it all started.

I realised as we talk, but even more so, now, as I listen back to the audio, that I am in a pretty personal context, and while the information is known, as Neemia points out, delving deep into this context is very much the jurisdiction of his own, and understandably so.  Rugby, after all is his vocation, it is not the totality of his life!  It is interesting that we can very easily invert this perspective, thinking that because these men play rugby, we have the freedom and even a right into the very personal details of their lives.  Do I?  Do we?  This is a larger question than this context, but it is an interesting one to reflect on, particularly as an entertainment culture dominates and demands to be fed its fill.  This sounds all too philosophical for a ra-ra-ra-rugby interview… time to flip the track back!

In light of this and therefore, I collect my thoughts, scan my papers, and move on

JK: Briefly describe if you can, or give us an overview of the young boy who grew into a young man.  Were you a good boy, did you get into trouble?  Paint us a picture and context of this time-line, leading up to Neemia, the High School graduate.

NT: Ohhh, I was probably… Ummm… {momentary silence}… Naughty.  Yeah, yeah, I’m not gonna hide from the fact that I was.  Spoilt at a young age, then quickly, ahhh, found out that I had to grow up quite early.  JK: How old were you at that stage where you realised you had to grow up?  NT: At about 12 or 13 years old, just before I started College, and that’s where it all started really.  JK: OK, when you say “all started,” you mean that’s when life started to take, I guess, the shape it’s taking now.  NT: Yeah, yeah, life for me, didn’t really make any sense {reflective laugh}.  Especially at a young age all you focus and concentrate on is obviously, having fun and following your mates, and basically eating your lunch.  JK: {Breaks out into a hearty chortle}  NT: I sort-of, took when I was 13 to 14, took me a couple of years to work out and figure out what I actually wanted to achieve in life.  Especially at a young age where I had to take on a massive responsibility family-wise, and I think, at a young age as well, made me mature… Ah, it has basically shaped who I am now.

JK: Was there anything in that time that specially, sort-of, woke you up.  Was there a situation where you realised, Man, if I keep going down this path, then it’s not going to be good news for me, for my family.  Or, was it just a gradual realisation, dawning on you that, Man, you know, my choices have consequences, and so forth.  NT: Nah, it was massive aye, it was just like that.  I hung around mates that obviously influenced, and you know, they were all quite bad, like into stealing cars, and stuff like that.  My background as a kid, I was never like that.  I come from a good steady family, religious, and obviously when you are that age, you just want to follow and do what your mates are doing as well, so.  I hung around guys like David Faiumu, who played with the Kiwis.  JK: Yeah, yeah, and the Cowboys, Hooker most of the… I remember David.  Is he over in England now?  NT: In England now… I was good mates with him, and I can still remember when we were 14.  We made a promise to each other and a few of our other mates, at the time, ah, that one day, we’ll make it big, you know, make it big in sports.  If it wasn’t in Rugby League, then it would have been in Rugby Union, and stuff like that, so… that was pretty cool that we shared that moment.  JK: {butting in} Absolutely.  NT: … at that time, and then having to bump into him and keep in touch over the years, and to see him, and myself, reach our goal.

JK: {butting in… again}You’ll have to get him on Twitter.  NT: Oh, he’s not on Twitter, he’s on {another site}, that’s how I keep in contact with him.  And obviously with Piri {Weepu}, we go way back, back into Intermediate days as well, and we both shared the same sort of goals, when we were young.  But I think the thing that made me realise what I really wanted to achieve or a goal that I had set, ah, since I was 12 or 13 was when, just before the passing of my mother we, I still remember sitting there on the couch, watching the 96 Test Match versus the All Blacks and Australia that was played at Athletic Park… Ah, I still remember sitting there watching the game with her, ah, she was basically in tears, because she knew her time was coming.  She just basically said to me, that is what I want you to be, ah, she really wanted me to play rugby, to be successful, and be an All Black, really, because that was my Father’s dream as well.  When I was young, but the funny thing was when I was young, I was never allowed to play any contact sport.  JK: {laughing} Was that a really protective Mother?  NT: Oh very!  Especially being the only boy, she sheltered me from everything, from all those contact sports.

JK: Without wanting to sound rude, your’e a good lump of a lad now um, were you a good sized lad when you were younger, or did you develop?  NT: {laughing} I was actually, I was, ah, I always stood out in our class photos, so right at the back in the middle, I was always the tall, big-ish… JK: {laughing} Nice, Nice, and ah, I think it is pretty well known, or you have talked about being into the more creative subjects, so obviously as you got older, in terms of other than sport being what you did in your schooling time, is that what kept you at school, and kept your mind focused on things, and how your creative passions were outworked?  NT: Yeah, yeah, it’s always been me, ever since I was young I love, I loved being creative, I love creating stuff with my hands, and whatever I can get my hands onto, drawing, or painting, sculpturing… so that has always been a passion, since I was a kid… {King goes to jump in}… Nah, I was just going to say, like, I have just watched that movie, “Boy,” have you see that movie, “Boy?”  JK: No, no, I’ve seen your tweets about it, so obviously… NT: {jumping in} Well, you need to see it.  JK: It resonated with you, and…  NT: There is a kid on there that’s ah, his character is, ah, “Rocky,” brother of “Boy,” ah, he reminds me of myself when I was young.  JK: Okay, everyone who reads this interview, you know if you want to get an idea of Neemia Tialata as a young boy, go and see that movie.  Look out for “Rocky.”  NT: Rocky!  JK: I was thinking about “Rocky Balboa” but, ah, it’s probably quite different.  NT: A bit off “Boy.”  JK: {Laughs}

Neemia, Ma'a, and Piri - Brothers in Arms

JK: Give us an idea, when did you leave school, um, What did you move into.  I am not sure if they had Rugby academies back in those days… He isn’t that old… I read that in the under 16′s or High School’s, you didn’t make National honours, you made Wellingtons.  Key us into what was going on at this time, you obviously had that dream, as you have said… with your Mother and that was driving you, I can understand why, even though you didn’t make National honours, that probably helped to keep that passion burning alive, and not to say, “Well, maybe I will focus on another career or look somewhere else.”  Talk to us through that transitional period.

NT: I obviously made Wellington under 16′s, in my 5th Form year, and ah, then from then on, and that was when I bumped in and met guys like Ma’a Nonu, who is one of my best mates, and obviously, Piri, we… we made it through then.  As well, Thomas Waldrom, there’s a few players… and obviously they picked an under 16′s team from them, and I didn’t make the cut, I wasn’t good enough, and that’s when I went back to the drawing board.  JK: Were you gutted, did you think you’d make it?  NT: I was gutted man, but at the same time I wasn’t serious, I didn’t really know how much it meant to make the New Zealand Under 16′s team, and what it took, cause obviously I was playing League as well, on Sundays, basically playing both codes at the time, and it wasn’t until I left Parkway College in 98, and then enrolled at Wellington College that was probably where it all started… so I spent my last two years at Wellington College, in 99-00, and that was where it all began, started playing some serious rugby, obviously met alot of people, made alot of friends, met alot of good coaches along the way, and made Wellington Secondary schools team, Hurricanes Secondary Schools team, and then didn’t get picked for New Zealand Secondary Schools.  I was gutted then, but obviously didn’t hurt as much as when I made the Wellington Under 21 squad, and trialled out for the New Zealand Colts.  Before that sorry, once I left Wellington College, I joined with Petone.  Straight after school they got me onto an Academy out there at Petone Rugby Club, and it’s called the “Ken Gray Rugby Academy”  JK: {Jumping in} Yip, Yip, named after All Black prop, Ken Gray.  NT: Yeah, and to be honest he’s one of my idols, and a player that I have always admired.  I probably haven’t seen any of his games, but the stuff that I’ve read and heard about has inspired me to be person I am today.

Ma'a and Neemia. The Men in Black Wearing White... Not Grey!

JK: Yeah, yeah, I don’t think I have seen any, but people talk about him, aye, and people who’ve seen him, with great respect, and so he obviously was a great man on the field, and off the field too.  NT: So then I went and trialled for New Zealand. I still remember the day we trialled and they announced the squad, the team, and I was basically in tears, I just couldn’t believe it that I didn’t make it.  JK: Did ya think you earned your spot?  NT: The funny thing was, the coach at the time, well the forwards coach spoke to me, because he had one-on-one meetings with the players, and then I went into the room.  He literally looked me in the eyes, and said, “I was very unlucky!”  I actually sat there, cried, got up and walked out.  Rung my Mum, spoke to her on the phone for abit, and then, Piri was the same.  He didn’t make the cut.  We were both in the car at the time, driving back, and we went back to my house.  My mum was there, my uncle was there, Piri’s parents were both there.  We can still remember the talk that they gave to us at that moment, and we were both in tears.  We were basically saying we’re gonna give up.  You knew at the time, but the next day, you know, we were going to use that as something to drive us.  We’ve never looked back, since that day.  We obviously moved on to making the Wellington Lions that same year. Made the Hurricanes the following year, and then the All Blacks the following year.  JK: Awesome!

JK: Now personal interests outside Rugby.  What are you into?

NT: I am into anything and everything.  I try and mix things up as much as I can.  I like to spend alot of time, really, with my family, brothers, sisters, cousin, and that.  Just basically anything.  I actually enjoy NFL.  That’s how I get away from rugby.  JK: So NFL is your sporting eloping-sort-of-thing, that’s what ya get into?  So NFL is it!  More than Rugby League?  NT: More than Rugby League.  JK: So, if you were going to play another sport, you’d want to be a Lineman, maybe?  NT: Oh, Defensive Tackle.  JK: {laughing} Yeah, yeah, yeah, you wanna smack somebody.  NT: Yeah, hunt the Quarterback.

@neyza3 - Following Neemia?

JK: It’s probably a pretty good time to get into what you are pretty well-known with your tweeting and Twitter account.  Talk to us about how the Twitter thing got started.  What gave you the idea, how it has developed, and where you’d like it to head in the future, and what motivated you to do it… was it to connect with some people outside of the rugby fraternity.

NT: That’s a good question actually. {Don’t sound so surprised}. To be honest, at the start I was not optimistic about the whole thing.  I don’t like sharing my personal life with others, but… I don’t know, I’ve seen over the past couple of years the effect that I can give to other people, especially to kids, and I can relate that, putting myself in that situation, thinking back from where I started as well that I had no role model, or a father figure to obviously, get advice from… to follow.  The Wellington Rugby Union asked myself and “CJ” if we could do this… JK: {cuts in} Ok yeah, Corey Jane.  Soup!  Just to cut in on there.  Are you able to tell us why, Soup?  Is he a fan of the… NT: {Chuckles} It’s quite funny actually, he said, the story behind soup is that because, he’s quite skinny… all bones, and there’s not much bones in the soup.

JK: Ah, very good, he’s pretty strong though.  He must have one of the strongest fends in New Zealand.  Him and Carter, I mean Carter’s got another, when he uses it.  NT: CJ is probably one of the strongest backs I have ever seen, or come across, not only in the gym, but out on the field.  JK: What does he Bench-Press?  Are you able to say?  NT: Around 140-150.  JK: Nice!  NT: I remember Cully was doing 160 quite easily.  JK: I heard that, and I’ve heard that Patterson, the winger down, who was with Canterbury, he does 175 or something.  He was over with College Football, and they sort their athletes aye, and programs, so that obviously would have helped.  JK: So the Twitter thing, You got asked by the Rugby Union, you and “Soup” or “CJ”, and, take us from there… NT: From there it just went crazy, and never looked back actually.  I got on there, and actually didn’t know how to tweet, or what Twitter was all about, until I followed up on the Bengals… Chad “Ochocinco”… I found out how Twitter works, how he tweets, and basically, that’s how I started really, found out through him, and got more and more involved, met alot of people on there, like yourself, and I networked pretty hard-out with alot of people.  JK: Do you have Facebook as well?  NT: I do, but I never use it.

Follow @soup15 for more from Corey Jane

JK: Do you have any goals with Twitter that you want to share?  NT: Yeah, yeah, I was just saying to the media people last week, I want, when people type up my name, when they Google me on the Net, I want Twitter to pop up straight away.  I want Twitter to be massive.  I know it hasn’t hit New Zealand yet, but hopefully everyone can get onto it.  JK: You should put Justin Bieber in your name maybe.  That’s a joke {@Neyza3 laughs}.  I’ve seen ya having a bit of, having some… NT: Everyone’s hating on him, and hating on me for talking about him, and I go, “Wo,” give the kid some love, he’s done well.  JK: {Sounding slightly happy} Yeah, he has done well.  He’s one of those phenom’s, aye, where just, the right time, the right mix, and the 13-14 year old girls love it!  NT: Yeah, I know.  JK: Pretty scary.  NT: It’s all good though.  JK: Indeed.

JK: Give us Five Descriptive Words, or maybe concepts that describe the man Tialata, that describe you… Five words or sort-of phrases that encapsulate you

NT: Massive.  Courageous.  A lot of Faith… ahhhhhhh  JK: What about sensitive? NT: Yeah, pretty sensitive.  JK: Yeah, if I can say this, I think this comes through in seeing how you relate to people. Generally suffering and tragedy does that in peoples lives, it helps to humanise them.  NT: Yeah, yeah, ye, ye, especially with all the stuff that I have gone through.  JK: That’s one of the reasons why God, you know, you talk about the New Testament that talks so much about suffering, and we are following Christ when we do that {Hebrews 5:8 – What He was always in His Deity, He confirmed in His Humanity… through suffering}, because He set the example {1 Peter 2:21-25}, and um, it helps us to be able relate to people, and put what we believe into reality {The Gospel}. Okay, we’ve got four, what about one more.  NT: One more, probably be… quite humble.

JK: Who do you turn to for advice?

NT: I’ve always been told, since I was young, turn to God… that’s first and foremost.  Then my mum, and my loved ones.

JK: People can very easily put the All Blacks on a pedestal.  In light of your own self-awareness, how would you respond to this reality?

NT: Oh mate, that is a hard one to answer.  It’s always gonna happen, especially with this job, and what we do.  People are always gonna put us up there, and what people don’t realise and understand is what drives us as individuals.  They don’t really know, the real us.  JK: That’s a good answer, because you’re dealing with something there about what we place importance on as people, cause we tend to place importance on images… what we see. NT: Yeah, yeah, and that’s why the first thing you get told when you actually make the All Blacks is that you are not only an All Black for that day, or for the time you’re there, you’re an All Black for life.  If you get what I mean.  JK: Yip, yip, yip.  NT: You have guys like, for example, it could be myself, I could, I don’t know, drink and drive, and that would be all over the news.  It doesn’t say, Neemia Tialata, the person, it will say Neemia Tialata – the All Black, and that will then, automatically, round off all the rest of the other boys that are in that group, so it’s quite hard. {Does this ethos explain why comparatively, the All Blacks as a group of athletes are pretty clean}. JK: What you are saying is really, who you are is not really the jersey you wear on the outside, but the jersey you wear on the inside.  NT: Yeah, that’s right.  JK: Cause, if you wear a jersey on the outside, you can easily take it off.  But if that’s replicated on who you are as a person… I guess the Word says, “Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks,” then it’s gonna have a transformative effect, not only for a time, but over a lifetime.

The Saviour - Inked

JK: Hey, Tattoos.  I still remember when you were over at the 07 World Cup, and it was obviously nice and warm in France.  There was a photo of Neemia Tialata’s back, and I was like, “Brother” {trying to sound all hip}.  It was a great design and I was stoke to see you representing there.  Tell us a bit about Tattoo’s, what got you started, and maybe talk about the one on your back, what was your motivation to get that one?

NT: I actually got it done 9 years ago, and that was the biggest reason why I’d never taken my top off, especially at training.  I didn’t want the media to get a hold of it, and they obviously, they did in France.  JK: Were you gutted?  NT: I was gutted, but then at the same time I was like, ah, you know if it’s me, it’s on me, and it’s apart of me, so I got it out there.  JK: Sweet man.  It was good aye, I actually cut it out.  Great design too, and it was creative  So you got any more tattoo’s planned?  NT: Yeah, well.  JK: {butting in… again} Are you wanting, ah, you know, to mortgage your body?  NT: {laughing} Nah, I just ah, I just love tattoo’s for some reason.

Neemia's Latest Tattoo

JK: Finally, here are some quick hit questions

JK: What comes first, wife or kids?  NT: I’m not married yet,so… JK: So wife!

JK: Boxers of Briefs? NT: Boxers

JK: Fast-Food or Home-Cooking?  NT: Home-Cooking

JK: Pepsi or Coke?  NT: Pepsi.  JK: {getting a little too excited} Yeah man, most people are Coke, but I can’t… NT: Yeah I know, I can’t stand it.  JK: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I use to drink Coke when I was younger and then it was like… It almost tastes like it is burnt or something.  NT: Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly, I know. I know what ya mean.  JK: You’re feeling me there.

JK: KFC or Macca’s?  NT: Macca’s

JK: Chocolate or Jet Planes?  NT: I’m not a chocolate fan, so I’ll have to go Jet Planes.

JK: Aeroplane or Ferry?  NT: Ferry.

JK: E-Channel or the Rugby Channel?  NT: E-Channel, any-day!

JK: At the Movies or Home on DVD?  NT: Ooo Movies.

JK: Beer or Wine?  NT: Ah, Wine.

JK: Tidy or Messy?  NT: Tidy.

JK: Other Sports you watch regularly?  NT: NFL.com.

JK: Favourtie TV Show?  Do I need to ask that… Kardashians!  NT: Oh, Kardashians, Yeah!

JK: Favourite Movie?  NT: Ooo, Remember the Titans.

JK: Favourite Meal?  NT: It would have to be Chop Suey and Rice.

JK: You’re able to invite Five people for a meal, who are they?  NT: My Parents, I’d have Jesus there, and ah, Obama, and… ah.  JK: What about Tua, No?  NT: David Tua.  JK: I know you’re a fan!  NT: I am a massive fan

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There we have!  Take One, “Take That” [ranking with Justin Bieber]!  I trust you have a greater understanding of the man, and as many of you will be Twitter-connected with @neyza3, such may also help in further connection!

The opportunity is there, should you so desire, to leave some thoughts after the fact, and what stood out for you!

I don’t know who will exactly be reading this, but one thing that stands out for me is the outworking of responsibility as it inter-relates with the choices we make in our living, which is very often forged out of significant moments, and often suffering moments, which become… turning points!  This is what our generations need to grasp with a greater reality, as they make too many short-term decisions that have long-term effects!

Much more could possibly be said, but I am hoarse… “Nay“… so I will sign off with the following details…

REMEMBER…

There is a competition to win a signed-by-the-squad 2010 Hurricanes Jersey, or to put it the following way.

Win a new 2010 Hurricanes jersey, signed by the squad

Here’s how to enter…

1] If you haven’t already, you need to follow Neyza3 on Twitter… and… iamjonnyking on Twitter!

2] THEN, if you have already completed the previous part with The Introduction post, or if this is the first post where you will follow on Twitter, you all need to re-tweet this post and all posts onto your Twitter page, which you can complete through the icon at the bottom of this post and each post.  If you have not read the previous post, you can start there, which will give you an extra opportunity to win!

3] MOST IMPORTANTLY, you need to leave a comment on this post, and each post that you want to be considered as a valid entry!  It does not have to be significant or special.  Just one letter-word is A-OK!  I believe some people followed on Twitter from the previous post, The Introduction, without leaving a comment, which is fine [if you don't want the Jersey].  However, to be able to keep a good grasp on who is entering, we need the comment.  There is no time restriction, until this competition is drawn, from going right through the process, starting with The Introduction to the final Take. Therefore, I would encourage you to give yourself the best opportunity to win!

Please re-tweet with reckless abandonment, throughout the week, as we want Neemia’s story to go Massive

Where do we go from here?

The plan is to put, Take Two, up on the blogs in a week’s time, and while a week is a long time in Football, it is even longer in life.

However, this is the plan!

I would encourage you to re-read the interview-discussion part again, as I have found that generally, the first time, one reads with speed, and not so much for effect!

Remember to re-tweet, and let’s see if we can even get those in Outer Mongolia onto this narrative.

Until Next Time

i am jonny king