Today, we had a "super secret excursion" planned. Unfortunately the rumor had leaked that we were going to Italy, so the secret was not as super as originally planned. At 11:00 AM this morning we boarded a bus for San Remo, Italy!
It didn't take long to get there, and I didn't even realize we crossed the border. I suppose all of the countries are so close they don't make a big deal out of border crossing. Upon arrival, we walked to a beach club. They had kindly set aside 32 chairs for our group, so we put down our stuff. My friends and I headed out to find lunch, and wound up and a quaint and very delicious restaurant not far from the beach club. I ordered classic spaghetti with tomato sauce. It was absolutely perfect and simple, a traditional italian dish.
After lunch we wandered back to the beach club and spent the rest of the time there. It was a beautiful day, although most days here have been absolutely gorgeous. The water was very shallow and a nice temperature for cooling off. I began reading Travels With Charley for school as I laid in the sun. We all made a few trips to the snack bar for sparkling water (the best we'd ever had) and Magnum ice cream bars.
Our day came to a close with dinner. It consisted of focaccia, pesto pasta, and tiramisu. It was another traditional Italian meal, and a perfect way to end a long day in the sun. After dinner we had to make a very quick run to our bus. Most of us fell asleep on the way home, but we were allowed free time in the residence once we arrived home. I spent the remainder of my evening with my 4 closest friends: Kara, Alie, Sophie, and Jake.
Tomorrow marks the last day of our trip and I am so so sad. I honestly wish we could extend this trip for another month - or maybe two. I absolutely love it here and it's going to be so sad leaving Nice as well as all of my new friends.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
MAMAC & Antibesland
After our lesson today, our class took a trip to Nice's local modern art museum. The museum is a short walk from our residence and free to enter. We were lucky enough to receive a guided tour and we were able to learn about all of the really interesting pieces on exhibit.
The three artists on exhibit are Yves Klein, famous for his unique and bright royal blue color creation, James Lee Byars, a mysterious American sculpture, and Anish Kapoor, an artist of Indian origin who uses wax as his main medium. All of the exhibits were very intriguing, but I found Yves Kleins creation of color the most interesting to explore. Anish Kapoor's use of red wax was also very unique, and there is a massive moving wax statue that takes two hours to rotate fully. The scuplture/creation is not very easy to describe.
After our excursion, our whole group wished Haya a happy birthday, and we all went our separate ways for our electives. We took the bus to Ville Franche and wandered around their quaint little town for a while. When we returned, we headed out for Antibesland.
Antibesland is comparable to an American carnival/fair, but it's permanent. There's lots of carnival rides, cotton candy, and games. In all honesty, I found it a little bit creepy (the rides seemed a bit old), but I enjoyed the bumper cars and a few sweet treats, as well as the time spent with my friends.
The three artists on exhibit are Yves Klein, famous for his unique and bright royal blue color creation, James Lee Byars, a mysterious American sculpture, and Anish Kapoor, an artist of Indian origin who uses wax as his main medium. All of the exhibits were very intriguing, but I found Yves Kleins creation of color the most interesting to explore. Anish Kapoor's use of red wax was also very unique, and there is a massive moving wax statue that takes two hours to rotate fully. The scuplture/creation is not very easy to describe.
After our excursion, our whole group wished Haya a happy birthday, and we all went our separate ways for our electives. We took the bus to Ville Franche and wandered around their quaint little town for a while. When we returned, we headed out for Antibesland.
Antibesland is comparable to an American carnival/fair, but it's permanent. There's lots of carnival rides, cotton candy, and games. In all honesty, I found it a little bit creepy (the rides seemed a bit old), but I enjoyed the bumper cars and a few sweet treats, as well as the time spent with my friends.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Beach Day!
Yesterday during class, we learned about the future tense. Of all days, yesterday was my most enlightening class period. I finally understand the future tense, and I'm really really excited about being able to use it. It opens up whole new possibilities during conversations.
After class, we were given a free day. Excited and feeling deprived of beach time, my friends and I purchased Kebabs and walked to the beach as we ate. The day was absolutely gorgeous. There were some clouds so it wasn't too warm. We all managed to improve our tans and meet some other Americans. We all ended up back at home around 8. The rest of the group went bowling, and because I hadn't been feeling too well for a few days, I decided to go to bed very early!
Today I woke up early to get breakfast with a friend, and went to class. We discussed problems of the planet like global warming and overpopulation. We watched some trailers from documentaries and discussed the main issues the films wanted to addressed. We then headed out for a photo scavenger hunt to find things promoting local products, organic items, green transportation, etc.
Later today we're heading to Freegate to cook dinner and have some more beach time!
After class, we were given a free day. Excited and feeling deprived of beach time, my friends and I purchased Kebabs and walked to the beach as we ate. The day was absolutely gorgeous. There were some clouds so it wasn't too warm. We all managed to improve our tans and meet some other Americans. We all ended up back at home around 8. The rest of the group went bowling, and because I hadn't been feeling too well for a few days, I decided to go to bed very early!
Today I woke up early to get breakfast with a friend, and went to class. We discussed problems of the planet like global warming and overpopulation. We watched some trailers from documentaries and discussed the main issues the films wanted to addressed. We then headed out for a photo scavenger hunt to find things promoting local products, organic items, green transportation, etc.
Later today we're heading to Freegate to cook dinner and have some more beach time!
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Rainy Day
After giving us a day to sleep in and searching for free wifi in old Nice, our group boarded a charter bus for a small hilltop town. On the way up, it began pouring rain. We were planning on going to a museum, but gave up on the idea with the rain. Instead, we waited out the rain in the bus, and got off to explore the town.
My friends and I found a cafe and ate crepes and sandwiches. We wandered around the town for a little while and then settled down in our meeting spot. It threatened to rain again, and we continued to wait. Once the group was all together and heading back toward the bus, it began to pour again. Never have I ever experienced such a downpour. The walk wasn't far - maybe 3 minutes - and we were all absolutely soaked.
Once home, we all stayed in. The rain, thunder, and lightning made outside uninviting. My friends and I ordered sushi for delivery from Planet Sushi, our new obsession. We ate it on the floor of my room again and watched our old favorite SNL skits. One of our teachers, Cyriel, joined us for sushi. Aside from being caught in a storm today, today ended up being relaxing.
My friends and I found a cafe and ate crepes and sandwiches. We wandered around the town for a little while and then settled down in our meeting spot. It threatened to rain again, and we continued to wait. Once the group was all together and heading back toward the bus, it began to pour again. Never have I ever experienced such a downpour. The walk wasn't far - maybe 3 minutes - and we were all absolutely soaked.
Once home, we all stayed in. The rain, thunder, and lightning made outside uninviting. My friends and I ordered sushi for delivery from Planet Sushi, our new obsession. We ate it on the floor of my room again and watched our old favorite SNL skits. One of our teachers, Cyriel, joined us for sushi. Aside from being caught in a storm today, today ended up being relaxing.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
St. Tropez Reflect & Shopping
Yesterday, our group traveled by bus to St. Tropez. Everyone seemed really excited to be there, however, I didn't find it to be especially outstanding. Everything was really expensive (especially the shopping). The beach that we went to was absolutely amazing. The beach we ended up at was the epitome of perfect Mediterranean beaches. It had wonderful sand and clear, blue water that you could walk out in and still stand. The water was a bit cold, but it felt very refreshing.
Today was great. We had class, and instead of being in the classroom, we took a trip to the Matisse museum. Shortly after, Perla, our cook, brought us sandwiches for a picnic in the park outside of the museum. We spent a nice time there, and then we boarded the bus back for Nice. My friends and I got off at the Galleries Lafayette stop and wandered around inside for a while. We finally found ourselves in Zara... I managed to find some amazing purchases there. We had sushi for lunch and then headed home for a night in.
We all ended up in my room listening to music and talking. We also ordered sushi again for delivery, and sat on the floor eating for a while.
Today was great. We had class, and instead of being in the classroom, we took a trip to the Matisse museum. Shortly after, Perla, our cook, brought us sandwiches for a picnic in the park outside of the museum. We spent a nice time there, and then we boarded the bus back for Nice. My friends and I got off at the Galleries Lafayette stop and wandered around inside for a while. We finally found ourselves in Zara... I managed to find some amazing purchases there. We had sushi for lunch and then headed home for a night in.
We all ended up in my room listening to music and talking. We also ordered sushi again for delivery, and sat on the floor eating for a while.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
St. Tropez Today!
Bonjour!
It's currently 7:20 AM and today our group heads to St. Tropez. We're taking both a bus and a boat to get to there and - from what I've heard - this is an experience of a lifetime. I'm really excited to head out and see St. Tropez for myself.
I haven't done much these past few days... I ran along Promenade Des Anglais with some friends the other day, and have been going to classes and electives. On Monday in photography, we attempted to take some pictures in black and white with lots of grain. Classes have been very interesting... On Monday we talked about food and then walked to a French epicerie to purchase some fruit for a fruit salad. Yesterday we talked about books and literature, and then went to a librarie, which is actually a French bookstore.
After class, I headed with my closest friends to our usual cafe and had carbonara. We all ate far too much food, and we walked to the beach. We had a good amount of free time yesterday, so most of it was spent sunning by the sea and swimming in the Mediterranean. It was absolutely beautiful yesterday and a perfect temperature.
So far I'm having an absolutely amazing time. I'm so grateful for this opportunity and I'm really looking forward to the next two weeks.
It's currently 7:20 AM and today our group heads to St. Tropez. We're taking both a bus and a boat to get to there and - from what I've heard - this is an experience of a lifetime. I'm really excited to head out and see St. Tropez for myself.
I haven't done much these past few days... I ran along Promenade Des Anglais with some friends the other day, and have been going to classes and electives. On Monday in photography, we attempted to take some pictures in black and white with lots of grain. Classes have been very interesting... On Monday we talked about food and then walked to a French epicerie to purchase some fruit for a fruit salad. Yesterday we talked about books and literature, and then went to a librarie, which is actually a French bookstore.
After class, I headed with my closest friends to our usual cafe and had carbonara. We all ate far too much food, and we walked to the beach. We had a good amount of free time yesterday, so most of it was spent sunning by the sea and swimming in the Mediterranean. It was absolutely beautiful yesterday and a perfect temperature.
So far I'm having an absolutely amazing time. I'm so grateful for this opportunity and I'm really looking forward to the next two weeks.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Another day in Nice...
Today, we woke up for French class and learned about commands and some verb tenses. We also learned about asking for, giving, and understanding directions. We left class for Old Nice, and went on a church scavenger hunt. Old Nice is filled with old, beautiful churches, and it was our job to ask where they were, find them, and take a picture of them. We even stopped inside to enjoy the serenity. I lit a candle in honor of my great grandmother.
After that, we went home. I stayed in for lunch with some others, and I had to leave for my photography elective at 1:30. We took the train two stops over to explore a botanical park. The park was very close to the Nice Airport and held everything from a lake, watershows, a giant pyramid greenhouse, and sea otters. It was a really interesting place to wander around and take pictures. It was very hot so a majority of the group found our way to the cafe and had ice cream. We talked and enjoyed the shade for a while, and then headed home.
Dinner was cooked by Perla. It was a delicious quiche and salad. Now, most of us are staying in for a much-needed quiet night. We've been walking, beaching, and having lots of activity for the past week. It should be a good time to catch up on some summer reading!
After that, we went home. I stayed in for lunch with some others, and I had to leave for my photography elective at 1:30. We took the train two stops over to explore a botanical park. The park was very close to the Nice Airport and held everything from a lake, watershows, a giant pyramid greenhouse, and sea otters. It was a really interesting place to wander around and take pictures. It was very hot so a majority of the group found our way to the cafe and had ice cream. We talked and enjoyed the shade for a while, and then headed home.
Dinner was cooked by Perla. It was a delicious quiche and salad. Now, most of us are staying in for a much-needed quiet night. We've been walking, beaching, and having lots of activity for the past week. It should be a good time to catch up on some summer reading!
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Museum, chateau(s), et Forever Rock
Today, we woke up and had class. We prepared to sit in class for a few hours and discuss new vocabulary and other things, but instead, we learned that we were going to a museum. We took a tram and a bus to get to the museum, but it was well worth it. The museum held works by Marc Chagall, and artist that I had never heard of. I soon fell in love with his work.
His paintings were so unique and the characters in his paintings seemed to pop out of the canvas. Most of his works were depictions of biblical scenes, such as the creation and the fall (my personal favorite). We described the way the painting made us feel to Julia, our teacher, in French. We explored further, and then headed home.
I went to lunch with my friends at a cafe that we've been to 3 times now. It's become "our place". We enjoy the food and the waiters are nice. It is in the main square close to our residence, Place du Garibaldi, and it's a good place to people watch.
After lunch we had photography class with Maxime. He took us through old Nice and up to a chateau that's been turned into a park. It's absolutely beautiful and peaceful, and it overlooks all of Nice. There are amazing views of the Nice coastline that I can't even begin to describe. It was a hot walk though, and we spent most of our time in the shade.
After photography, we went to our residence and we got ready to go out for the evening. The group took the train one stop over. We sat on a beach and had a picnic dinner of a delicious Mediterranean salad and then headed up to another chateau for a movie! The chateau regularly shows films outside overlooking the water. Tonight's film was Forever Rock, more commonly known as Rock of Ages. It was entirely in French.
Claudia, one of the girls on the trip, turned 16 on our way home. She was sang happy birthday in English, French, Arabic, and Spanish, courtesy of our varying nationalities on our trip.
His paintings were so unique and the characters in his paintings seemed to pop out of the canvas. Most of his works were depictions of biblical scenes, such as the creation and the fall (my personal favorite). We described the way the painting made us feel to Julia, our teacher, in French. We explored further, and then headed home.
I went to lunch with my friends at a cafe that we've been to 3 times now. It's become "our place". We enjoy the food and the waiters are nice. It is in the main square close to our residence, Place du Garibaldi, and it's a good place to people watch.
After lunch we had photography class with Maxime. He took us through old Nice and up to a chateau that's been turned into a park. It's absolutely beautiful and peaceful, and it overlooks all of Nice. There are amazing views of the Nice coastline that I can't even begin to describe. It was a hot walk though, and we spent most of our time in the shade.
After photography, we went to our residence and we got ready to go out for the evening. The group took the train one stop over. We sat on a beach and had a picnic dinner of a delicious Mediterranean salad and then headed up to another chateau for a movie! The chateau regularly shows films outside overlooking the water. Tonight's film was Forever Rock, more commonly known as Rock of Ages. It was entirely in French.
Claudia, one of the girls on the trip, turned 16 on our way home. She was sang happy birthday in English, French, Arabic, and Spanish, courtesy of our varying nationalities on our trip.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Antibes et Juan Le Pins!
Aujourd'hui, we took a trip to Antibes on the train! We wandered around the small and very charming little town, and eventually ended up at the Picasso museum. We decided to break for lunch and then meet up at the museum later for our tour. My friends and I picked a wonderful little restaurant. I ordered a cheeseburger (I have been feeling deprived of red meat) and an Orangina.
After lunch, we went to the Picasso museum. Maxime and Justina (two of our artistic elective instructors) showed us around and explained to us, in French, some of the meanings behind the exotic works. The museum is fascinating and beautiful. It is in a castle built by the Greeks that overlooks the ocean (and some of the most fantastic yachts you will ever see). Eventually the Romans took it over, and after that, it was inhabited by a French Bishop before becoming a museum.
When our museum tour ended, we decided to walk to Juan Le Pins to go the the beach. Kathy, our director, assured us it was a short 20 minute walk. It definitely seemed like longer in the humidity and the heat. We finally arrived at the beach, which was very crowded, and managed to find a spot for a few towels amongst the locals and some visitors. The water is a beautiful temperature and it's perfect for cooling off when you've been walking a long way and laying in the sun. We stayed at the beach for about 4 hours and took the long walk back to our restaurant for dinner. I had spaghetti with carbonara, and actually ate the full plate of pasta. It was that good.
Apres le diner, we wandered around some little shops and the stands of some local vendors. Some beautiful jewelry is made in this area. Sundrenched and tired, we trecked back to the train station to board the train for Nice. It has been a great sun-filled weekend with our trip to Cannes yesterday, but I'm glad to be back in our residence.
After lunch, we went to the Picasso museum. Maxime and Justina (two of our artistic elective instructors) showed us around and explained to us, in French, some of the meanings behind the exotic works. The museum is fascinating and beautiful. It is in a castle built by the Greeks that overlooks the ocean (and some of the most fantastic yachts you will ever see). Eventually the Romans took it over, and after that, it was inhabited by a French Bishop before becoming a museum.
When our museum tour ended, we decided to walk to Juan Le Pins to go the the beach. Kathy, our director, assured us it was a short 20 minute walk. It definitely seemed like longer in the humidity and the heat. We finally arrived at the beach, which was very crowded, and managed to find a spot for a few towels amongst the locals and some visitors. The water is a beautiful temperature and it's perfect for cooling off when you've been walking a long way and laying in the sun. We stayed at the beach for about 4 hours and took the long walk back to our restaurant for dinner. I had spaghetti with carbonara, and actually ate the full plate of pasta. It was that good.
Apres le diner, we wandered around some little shops and the stands of some local vendors. Some beautiful jewelry is made in this area. Sundrenched and tired, we trecked back to the train station to board the train for Nice. It has been a great sun-filled weekend with our trip to Cannes yesterday, but I'm glad to be back in our residence.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Shopping, Monte Carlo, et exploration!
Bon nuit!
Today, we spent some time in class learning about clothes. I love clothes, so it was interesting to learn about the current French fashions. We spent some time at les achats (the shops) and I purchased a few items (naturally). It's so much easier to learn clothing vocabulary when I'm able to actually converse with the shop owners.
Apres, I went to lunch with some friends and enjoyed une salade. Then, we went back to the residence to meet up with our elective group. Maxime, our photography instructor, took us to the train station and we boarded the train for Monte Carlo, Monaco! Monaco is a sight to behold, and I made plenty of jokes about my multiple yachts in the harbor. I also met my prince (haha). The closest I got to royalty was my keychain purchase. Monaco is very beautiful, however it's very small. The streets consist of custom yacht + airplane shops and boutiques. The palace is absolutely beautiful and I got so many great pictures.
We walked a lot during our time in Monaco, so we finally stopped to sit at a cafe to enjoy a crepe. I ordered a crepe with sugar and butter. After, we headed back to the train for the residence. I took a little nap on the train, but luckily woke up for our stop.
Perla, our chef, cooked us a delicious and traditional French dish that included rice, cheese, zucchini, and egg. We enjoyed dinner and then I headed out with mes amies to explore the town. Luckily, we're all beginning to recognize our favorite cafes and little shops, and we can find our way around the winding alleyways. I like to think that means we're becoming locals.
I'm really enjoying France and absolutely loving my daily breakfast of espresso and un pain du chocolat (a chocolate croissant). I'm learning all the time and always asking "Comment dit on _______", which means "How do you say ________...". I am definitely expecting to come home with a great French vocabulary.
Today, we spent some time in class learning about clothes. I love clothes, so it was interesting to learn about the current French fashions. We spent some time at les achats (the shops) and I purchased a few items (naturally). It's so much easier to learn clothing vocabulary when I'm able to actually converse with the shop owners.
Apres, I went to lunch with some friends and enjoyed une salade. Then, we went back to the residence to meet up with our elective group. Maxime, our photography instructor, took us to the train station and we boarded the train for Monte Carlo, Monaco! Monaco is a sight to behold, and I made plenty of jokes about my multiple yachts in the harbor. I also met my prince (haha). The closest I got to royalty was my keychain purchase. Monaco is very beautiful, however it's very small. The streets consist of custom yacht + airplane shops and boutiques. The palace is absolutely beautiful and I got so many great pictures.
We walked a lot during our time in Monaco, so we finally stopped to sit at a cafe to enjoy a crepe. I ordered a crepe with sugar and butter. After, we headed back to the train for the residence. I took a little nap on the train, but luckily woke up for our stop.
Perla, our chef, cooked us a delicious and traditional French dish that included rice, cheese, zucchini, and egg. We enjoyed dinner and then I headed out with mes amies to explore the town. Luckily, we're all beginning to recognize our favorite cafes and little shops, and we can find our way around the winding alleyways. I like to think that means we're becoming locals.
I'm really enjoying France and absolutely loving my daily breakfast of espresso and un pain du chocolat (a chocolate croissant). I'm learning all the time and always asking "Comment dit on _______", which means "How do you say ________...". I am definitely expecting to come home with a great French vocabulary.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Nice (n) is... Nice (adj)!
Bonjour from Nice!
Our flight was very smooth. My personal TV didn't want to work for me, so I entertained myself for 8+ hours with a book and an attempt at a nap.
Upon arrival in Nice, I was immediately struck by the sophistication of the airport workers. All of the women looked beautiful and wore heels to run around the airport. The men all dressed in typical mode francaise. The airport (compared to any American airport) was very quiet and civilized. Especially customs.
We parted with our newlymade friends headed for their St. Laurent homestay and took our short and beautiful bus ride to our residence. Our residences are exceptionally nice. All of us arrived to perfectly made up beds and stocked kitchenettes. I was happy to find a box of cookies in my cabinet. I could tell that the staff had put in a lot of work to make us feel at home. We took our time to settle in and pack, and once I was left with nothing to do, I began to feel a little homesick and exceptionally jetlagged. I decided to head upstairs to spend some time with one of my new friends, Kara. Eventually, two other girls found their way into Kara's room and we all sat talking while we waited for orientation. Needless to say, my homesickness subsided.
After our brief orientation, we broke up into groups. Our group leaders took us to a small secluded church square where we all sat and tried to converse in our broken french and franglaise. We played "getting to know you" games and completed a fun drawing activity. Both of the instructors helped all of us strangers connect in some way and really made an effort to learn more about us by speaking to us in French as we walked. We took a small tour of our little section of Nice and headed back to the residences. By this time we were all really feeling our jetlag and were ready for dinner.
Dinner was a short walk from our apartments. It was a small italianesque cafe, and I enjoyed a fresh green salad and a delicious parmesan and prosciutto bruchetta. I had the best tiramisu I've ever eaten (sorry mom) and then we all walked back exhausted and ready for bed.
All in all, it's been an exhausting but interesting day. My first impressions of Nice are definitely good. It's busy and bustling, but it's absolutely gorgeous. I'm so excited to get out and explore the city over the course of the next few weeks. I'm especially excited to head out early with some of my new friends to find a freshly baked croissant. I'm nervous for my French placement exam tomorrow morning. I really hope I don't have to resort to franglaise!
Our flight was very smooth. My personal TV didn't want to work for me, so I entertained myself for 8+ hours with a book and an attempt at a nap.
Upon arrival in Nice, I was immediately struck by the sophistication of the airport workers. All of the women looked beautiful and wore heels to run around the airport. The men all dressed in typical mode francaise. The airport (compared to any American airport) was very quiet and civilized. Especially customs.
We parted with our newlymade friends headed for their St. Laurent homestay and took our short and beautiful bus ride to our residence. Our residences are exceptionally nice. All of us arrived to perfectly made up beds and stocked kitchenettes. I was happy to find a box of cookies in my cabinet. I could tell that the staff had put in a lot of work to make us feel at home. We took our time to settle in and pack, and once I was left with nothing to do, I began to feel a little homesick and exceptionally jetlagged. I decided to head upstairs to spend some time with one of my new friends, Kara. Eventually, two other girls found their way into Kara's room and we all sat talking while we waited for orientation. Needless to say, my homesickness subsided.
After our brief orientation, we broke up into groups. Our group leaders took us to a small secluded church square where we all sat and tried to converse in our broken french and franglaise. We played "getting to know you" games and completed a fun drawing activity. Both of the instructors helped all of us strangers connect in some way and really made an effort to learn more about us by speaking to us in French as we walked. We took a small tour of our little section of Nice and headed back to the residences. By this time we were all really feeling our jetlag and were ready for dinner.
Dinner was a short walk from our apartments. It was a small italianesque cafe, and I enjoyed a fresh green salad and a delicious parmesan and prosciutto bruchetta. I had the best tiramisu I've ever eaten (sorry mom) and then we all walked back exhausted and ready for bed.
All in all, it's been an exhausting but interesting day. My first impressions of Nice are definitely good. It's busy and bustling, but it's absolutely gorgeous. I'm so excited to get out and explore the city over the course of the next few weeks. I'm especially excited to head out early with some of my new friends to find a freshly baked croissant. I'm nervous for my French placement exam tomorrow morning. I really hope I don't have to resort to franglaise!
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