Sue 30 March 2020
Hi All
Very many
thanks for sharing your news, coping strategies and jokes. As quite a few days have gone by since
you all wrote, I hope all continues well with you all.
NZ is now in
lockdown, too, as from midnight last Wednesday, for 4 weeks with the option of
extending that, following earlier self-isolation advice for the over 70s, the
health compromised etc. However because
so many folk were still on the wrong island at the deadline and extra ferries
had to sail to relieve the bottle-neck, the deadline had to be extended. Familiar story, the government is borrowing
vast amounts of money to deal with the crisis; the new normal when it arrives
will be vastly different from the old normal...
It will be
interesting to see whether NZ's much smaller population, plus the approaching
winter months make it easier to get compliance with the lockdown. But I'm sure all countries have their fair
share of idiots. Perhaps, too, this
country mostly has a little more respect (so far) for our PM than is the case
elsewhere.
Our
Australian cousins seem to be taking their time over measures - with all sorts
of businesses and services taking a while to shutdown - how on earth would you
keep 2 metres apart whilst having a haircut?
But our
really good news is that our son, his wife and daughter managed to get back
from Dublin
As for us,
our house is out in the country, where we are surrounded by dairy farms,
so the sights and sounds haven't really
changed - tractors are still trundling past the gate and the milk-tanker
hurtling by.
Margaret, I
can't help feeling that if ever there was
a rainy day for which you will have been saving, this is it! Best wishes with your stay in hospital and
glad to hear I'm not the only Sudoku fan.
Anne - I hope
all goes well with your foot. I'm
sorry, but I've slightly lost track of your ponies; do you still have Hal and
Co to take into consideration in all of this?
Angela, we
can't compete with Caspar, but we do have a family of rather endearing
German owls living in a hedge; they are
a mixed blessing, nationally, as they are taking over the habitat of the local
Ruru (or Morepork).
I hope your
wrist is healing well, Lesley. Yes, the
story from hospitals over here is that they are still very quiet, with so much
activity cancelled, but poised ready.
Loved the
fridges story, Sylvia!
We have happy
memories of Teesdale, Val, where we rented a Raby Estate holiday cottage at
Marshes Gill near Harwood Beck for several years.
Many thanks
for your news, Ian, and for the update on Peter; I hadn't realised he was so
ill.
Glad Sark is coping well, Howard, long may it continue.
Good to catch
up with you Janet, as always.
Are you sure
it isn't the ice crystals that are protective, Tony, or do you take your Islay malt neat?
Lovely to
have St Andrews and the flats to yourselves,
Jane, must be quite a treat.
We've found a
slot in the local online grocery delivery service this week which is
great. Although by going just after the
supermarket opened last week, I felt very safe.
There would have been all of 6 shoppers, and everyone was well
distanced; can't comment on the loo paper situation as I didn't check the loo
paper aisle as we didn't need any; it's a pity the Guardian weekly is no longer
on airmail paper as a fall-back option.
Very best
wishes to you all - and keep well, Sue
Jane 30 March
2020
Dear All,
Good to get further news from you all. A
grand idea, Ian, to put our news and comments on a blog. David is an inveterate
snipper-out of newspaper articles on local topics and I rather regret not doing
the same with the maps on the spread of the virus. But no doubt it will not be
long before someone produces a book on the subject!
Life is not much changed for us in St Andrews - David at his laptop and me nagging that he
should write up his research! The streets are so quiet that even the pigeons
can walk down the middle of the road. I would rather go for a walk once a day
than shop so went to Tesco again this morning for at least a week's supplies.
It is open from 9-10 a.m. for the Elderly but the Scottish Government does not
allow the purchase of alcohol before 10 o'clock. I was delighted to see a
letter in the Dundee Courier last week from an Elderly who
echoed my view of discrimination and asked why the rule cannot be relaxed
temporarily. David needs his glass of sherry at lunchtime and its a glass of
red for me in the evening to liven up the boring food which I am cooking at
present!
Tesco still has little pots of daffodil
bulbs in flower which I buy for the stair window ledge then plant out in the
garden. Not sure why I am still buying them as there is no-one to see them but
David and me. But the garden will be a sea of yellow next spring.
David tells me that Bargain Hunt is on
earlier than advertised so I am off to have my fix!
Love to you all, Jane
Sylvia 30 March 2020
Dear Sue, and
Hello Everyone.
What a
wonderful, uplifting email from you! I
have just come off the phone from someone who isn't coping well at all with
isolation, but I hope I have managed to cheer her up a little. Life is what it
is and we must make the most of what little control we have over our own
lives. I am switching between time in
the garden and walking the local streets (not like that!) to get my
exercise. Gardening would have included
mowing the lawn this week, now that the ground has dried out sufficiently after
the recent floods, but in trying to start the electric mower, I discovered that
it won't co-operate (cable nibbled by field-mice?). So, Argos
Although I
did shop in Lidl on Friday, I'm not sure I should continue risking that, even
if it is only once a week. Getting an
online shopping slot is impossible and anyway, my needs are not huge. It's just the perishables such as milk, plain
yoghurt, eggs and bread which I would rather not have to do without, given that
my larder and freezer are always well-stocked, but thanks to a much younger
member of our National Women's Register group, I have the option of placing an
order with her to add these items to her weekly shop. I had tried to place a weekly order with our
local dairy, but understandably, they can't take on any new clients.
All of my
family is well. My son, Chris, sent me a
picture on What'sApp this morning entitled "At least one shop is open and
fully stocked". It showed grandsons
3 and 4 (aged 8 and 5) with their pretend grocer's shop! My daughter, Helen, co-manages an essential
service and has been working more hours than usual. The community centre normally provides
daycare for two lots of vulnerable adults and they have to be looked after at
home now. Marshalling the many volunteers who have stepped forward has been
difficult because not all of them have the appropriate clearance. She thought
this week would have been a bit easier as lots of things have now been put in
place and she would have been able to work 3 days from home, but the other
co-manager has had to go into self isolation, so the rota will have to be
re-written. Nothing is predictable at
the moment.
I have a
friend who should have been travelling to New Zealand US
My love to
everyone, and stay well, Sylvia
Howard 30 March 2020
Really
enjoying these emails. It is important to use whatever communication media are
at our disposal. We are also trying to keep in touch with people living on
their own.
I agree with
Sylvia that the UK
I remember
libraries having a disaster plan for floods, fire etc.
Thought you
might like a chuckle so I have attached an older persons view of technology.
[Link to Two Ronnies sketch].
Howard
Ian 31 March 2020
Wonderful -
but do any of you know this one? Most appropriate for librarians and an earlier
shift in communications technology: Medieval helpdesk for the new technology of
the codex book https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQHX-SjgQvQ
Ian
Anne 31 March 2020
Oh Ian, that
is so funny, especially in the original Norwegian, not that I speak Norwegian
but it sounds even funnier! I think I'll
pass it on to my reading group, especially for those who have Kindles! Thanks
also to Howard for his contribution as well. Corona
Margaret -
extra special best wishes to you and hope you continue to make progress.
I had the stitches
out of my foot this morning, all looking good.
Anne
Ian 1 April 2020
Dear Anne
Sorry to have
had you in stitches again on the day you had the stitches removed from your
foot!
I first came
across the video several years back and I believe it has been remade,
translated and adapted several times over. This, I believe is the first edition
and I agree all the better for being in Norwegian.
We were
amused by the Norwegian language when we were there on our travels with
Modestine. Chicken is kylling (often written killing), stew is sodd, and there
are other words that make a Norwegian menu sound very off-putting. We wondered
for some time about skumbiler - sounds particularly revolting. It turns out
that they are the equivalent of jelly babies, but in the shape of cars, the
literal translation is foam cars. But it is a name that would appeal to the
scatological minds of our grandchildren in Exeter
Keep safe and
well. Love from us both, Ian and Jill
Howard 1 April 2020
Dear All
Ian's musings
about Norwegian reminds me of when Mandy was working in Sweden Sheffield in PgSLIS so we wrote a lot
and exchanged tapes.
I went over
to see her in my Morris Minor van which was falling apart.
The loo rolls
had in large lettering 'Dubbel Krapp' (not sure of the actual Swedish spelling
after 50 years or so. Also I think there was an umlaut on the 'a' which held
the key). It put a smile on our faces at the time. In a moment of madness we
wondered whether some Swedes needed strong loo paper!
Best wishes,
Howard
Pat
31 March 2020
Hello
everyone. Feel a bit out of touch, but I have loved reading all the messages
and it is nice to reflect on the few things I can remember about our year
together in Sheffield.(Not a lot!)
I have been
isolating for over two weeks now, but am not alone as my son Howard aged 45 has
come back from having been in Oz for 13 years. After a tragic time leaving him
bankrupt and ill, he is back living here and hoping to make a new start in
life.
He’s working
as a delivery driver for Sainsbury’s as he doesn’t yet feel ready to apply for
the big jobs again. At least he doesn’t bring any worries back home, although
it is a bit front line at the present time.
Luckily I have plenty of room here and he has made himself a man cave in
my cellar. Sounds unattractive but he has transformed the space with bed,
settee, wardrobe, chest of drawers, rugs, and of course a big telly on the
wall. He has been incredibly helpful, doing a load of gardening and he cooks
most meals.
I’m quite
enjoying this incarceration and feel privileged to have a big garden and not to
have to employ a gardener anymore with my son doing the heavy stuff. My other
two children live in Bristol Manchester
City
Health wise
I’ve had a few probs like knee replacements and currently I’m waiting
pirate-like for a 2nd cataract op. Going around with one eye closed to do
reading. Holiday-wise I am booked to go to the Isle of Man
with a group at the end of Sept, but who knows? Also on hold are day trips that
I organise for the Friends of Bristol Museums. Oh well, it reduces the stress
to have a break from it. It’s good to be getting on at last with reducing the
pile if books that are always waiting to be read and usually being added to.
The novel I’m currently reading has a strange title: “Where the Crawdads Sing”
by Delia Owens. It’s really good. Set in swamp land of the North Carolina
Well, there’s
a brief synopsis of life in BS9. I’m in the very vulnerable group because I’m
on an immunosuppressant for a liver disease I got 7 years ago because I was on
an antibiotic for too long. It gave me lung and liver damage! The lungs are
better but I have to take this pill for life to prevent my immune system
attacking my liver. I’ve got what is called auto-immune hepatitis. There - and
I set out not to mention health. Sorry.
I’ll end
there and wish that everyone avoids this dreaded lurgy and we come out better
people at the end. Every chance I think. Certainly makes you appreciate life.
Love and best
wishes, Pat
Jane 31 March 2020
Dear All,
I have much
enjoyed all the contributions. My own offering is below, but I can also forward
a 32 page Pandemic Risk Analysis dated 2012 - in German, sent by a German
friend - and a description of the virus, why soap works but vodka doesn't and
other apparently genuine information which I had not read before. This last was
sent by our friend in St John's Newfoundland who has just found in his archives
a telegram in code, with a transcription in English, sent to my paternal
grandfather's shipping business which is further proof that he was a rumrunner
during Prohibition. That may spur me to tackle another neglected job, sorting
the family history boxes.
But for now
it is back to transcription of 17th century letters, notes and lists of
troopers.
Love, Jane
Forwarded to
Jane:
"Where
are we going Piglet?" asked Pooh.
"We need
to get supplies," said Piglet. "For the Coronavirus"
"Ahh,"
said Pooh, nodding in understanding. "Things like bread, milk, cough
mixture, tissues and cat litter even though we don't have a cat?"
Piglet did a
little laugh, and a sort of leap and bit of a cough. "No," said
Piglet. "No, those aren't the sort of supplies we need at all! What we
need are family sized bags of chocolate buttons, massive toblerone, jelly
babies and crunchies and a freezer full of stuffed crust pizzas, and all of the
Prosecco that we can possibly carry, so that when we get quarantined we won't
mind it even slightly. THOSE are supplies."
All of a
sudden, Pooh thought that the idea of coronavirus didn't seem quite so bad, and
actually, getting quarantined with Piglet and their supplies really didn't
sound such a terrible thing after all. "Oh Piglet," said Pooh.
"I really do think you are a very wise animal."
As they
walked along they spotted Eeyore stood by a stream watching the sticks float
by.....
“Hello
Eeyore.” Said Pooh, “we’re off to buy supplies to sit out the quarantine, would
you like to come?”
“No thank
you.” Said Eeyore “I’m just going to stand here, look at the stream and
contemplate the Economic impact of a media induced panic that several companies
are projecting folding straight out of Brexit. Also the NHS being brought to
its knees by a huge panic, and the social impact of people distrusting others
because they look or are associated with China
“Well that’s
sad.” Said Pooh “I much prefer getting shitfaced and eating Pizza.”
“The ironic
thing.” Smiled Eeyore is that Panic induces the Stress Response, and the first
thing the stress response does is switch off the immune system.”
“Huh.” Said
Pooh. “why would the media do that.”
“I don’t
know.” Said Eeyore “I just watch sticks.”
Margaret 1 April 2020
Having so
enjoyed reading all your messages it's time for me to put little finger to
smartphone. Easier said than done! I have rather long fingers which make it a
bit difficult. How I miss my computer with proper keyboard.
Well. I am
now into my 9th week at st Luke's. I must by now becoming institutionalised.
The care is very good as is the food and I can look forward to meals. We have
an Australian chef who believes that good whole food freshly cooked is an
important part of the therapy. Most of the things that helped to define a day -
physio., hairdresser, activities etc. Have been stopped so I often wonder what
day it is.
The
rheumatologist wants me to stay here so funds are having to be found to foot
the fees. But there is not a lot else to spend my money on! Apart from all the
direct debits.
Last week I
managed to persuade two of the activities staff to wheel me out into the garden
- wonderful! To breathe a bit of free air and see the spring flowers. It is
tended by a lady whose sun was nursed here until he died. That makes it rather
special - and she knows what she is doing having trained at waterperry gardens.
I miss my
visitors but several of us chat on the phone regularly. I am even in remote
touch with Rowland close. One morning one of my neighbours happened to open her
front door at the same time as someone opposite so distancing themselves by 2
metres they had a little chat. Word spread and now each morning at 10.30am
between 10 and 15 of them emerge carefully keeping a distance of 2 metres.
About 6 kms away I am thinking of them!
Surreal
though life has become all sorts of signs of community spirit are emerging.
So bye for
now and hope we can keep the very special supliska network going until our next
reunion. Please forgive all typing errors. A cup of nice home made tomato soup
has just arrived!
With all good
wishes, Margaret
Anne 1
April 2020
Hello
everyone
I am so
enjoying all the messages and stories going around. Surely one of the great
positive aspects of this crisis is the increased communication between various
groups of family and friends.
A big
"Hallo" to Pat and just to say that Where the Crawdads sing is our next
book group read, discussion meeting planned for 3rd May, willl it take place?
Who knows. However this book is now my bedtime reading and I'm only up to page
62 but am finding it very enjoyable. I had to look in my Times atlas to find
the swamps of North Carolina but the map is not on such a large scale so one
has to imagine them.
Sylvia, I
loved your quote written about the Irish potato famine, do you know what
text/book it comes from? It is indeed very apposite.
I had the
stitches taken out of my foot yesterday but will be hobbling around for some
weeks yet.
A lovely
sunny day but cold. Looking forward to the next contributions,
Love, Anne
Sylvia 1 April 2020
Dear Pat, and
everyone,
How lovely to
hear from you and to know that you are as well as can be expected. It was good to have an update on your news.
It's sad that your son has had to leave Oz, and sadder that he's had to leave
his children behind, but it must be a real comfort to have him with you.
As you will
be aware, I've been sending round various emails which I hope have been making
people smile. This one isn't in that
category, but I think is very poignant and thought-provoking.
It was
written in 1869, apparently in response to the Irish potato famine:
And the
people stayed home. And read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised,
and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still. And
listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their
shadows. And the people began to think differently. And the people healed. And,
in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless
ways, the earth began to heal. And when the danger passed, and the people
joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and
dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as
they had been healed.
Anne 2 April 2020
Dear Sylvia
and all
I really liked
the poem you sent and decided to translate into German and submit it to our
local newspaper which is running a column for items to cheer people up. I
wanted to find out more about the author so googled Kitty O'Meara and found out
she is a retired Irish teacher living in
USA
Anyway, I
have sent it in to the paper, I know the journalist who is organising this so
maybe she'll publish it! If not, it has kept me occupied this morning!
Anne
Janet 2 April 2020
Dear All
On the Today
programme on Radio 4 they mentioned a Science programme for children aged 7 to
11 being streamed by the Royal Institution (RIGB) on Facebook at 2 pm on
Thursdays, with a view to keeping them happily occupied during what must be
stressful times for them and their parents. There is actually a link to the
RIGB website where you can see the video whenever, and as often as, you like as
follows:
https://www.rigb.org/families/experimental/balloon-car-racers
Today's
programme was about making racing cars. All you need are some balloons, some
drinking straws, some masking tape, some recycled kebab skewers, some milk
carton tops (for the wheels) and a piece of stout cardboard - eg from some
packaging. It's fun for grown-ups, too.
We plan to
make these alongside our grandchildren, with them making them in front of their
computer screen and us doing the same, during our next Skype session. There's a
new idea every week. Enjoy!
Best wishes.
Janet.
Lesley Sage 2 April 2020
Thanks,
Janet. Just watched this having a cuppa after our walk in the glen - really
great so sent the link to Mike & Beth for their children.
All for now
but enjoying the sharing. Stay well and
get well those of us who are a bit 'handicapped' at the moment! My plaster due
off on April 20th.
Warm wishes
to all, Lesley
Janet 2 April 2020
Dear Lesley
Glad you
enjoyed it. There's a fun one with spaghetti (dry!) and marshmallows, too. Good
luck with your ankle and good to know your stitches are out, Anne, and Margaret
that you are coping with your extended hospital stay. Thank goodness for
gardens to keep all the rest of us busy. In Switzerland
My daughter
works for a Swiss pharmaceutical company (currently from home, like almost
everyone else) and they are putting a huge effort into finding solutions for
all this. One of their projects has reached the clinical trials stage and is
for medication to reduce the lung inflammation that some folk experience. I
believe this involves some prescription drugs originally developed for treating
rheumatoid arthritis - which therefore
have already received safety approval and just need further trials to
confirm efficacy in treating corona virus patients. This is not a means of
preventing corona virus in the first place - there are other projects aimed at
that - but of helping to mitigate its otherwise devastating effects.
Best wishes.
Janet.
Angela 3 April 2020
Hello Lesley
and all other SUPSLISKANS
It is so
cheering to hear from so many people, all with our different experiences of
these strange times.
I do hope
your wrist is healing Lesley and that your foot soon gets better Ann and that
Margaret continues her improvement. It was great to hear from Pat, it must be
good to have your son with you.
Ian's
Medieval Help Desk clip is just superb. I have forwarded it to so many people
now, including, as Ann has done, to my Book Group. Thanks Janet for the
activities clip. I will pass it on to our family.
Life in Norfolk
We are
continuing our local walks and shopping excursions to the nearby Spar and
Budgens, complete with rubber gloves left over from my reflexology work. Some of the small, local food shops are
doing deliveries which is very handy for people who are housebound. We are
still trying to be useful helping a few of our older neighbours, but many of
them have been well organised with
online shopping for some time before the
virus and are offering to share their
orders with younger neighbours!
Helping a
neighbour the other day with her very old mobile phone did reach near 'Monty
Python' levels. It involved working at a distance in the garden wearing
the regulatory rubber gloves, phoning her husband on the land line for
her mobile number which was kept inside
her phone book and finally interpreting instructions written out by her
cleaning lady which were a bit burnt round the edges as her husband had
insisted on sterilising the piece of
paper by putting it in the bottom oven of the Aga. Life in Cley is never
dull!
Photos of the
now famous goats are attached. They do seem to be almost obeying 'social distancing'
in the second one!
Keep well and
keep the news coming. Much love, Angela
Pat 3 April 2020
OMG Angela re
the goats! A sight to behold.
I have
sympathy with your experience of the old neighbour’s phone. My poor son has
been steadily hounded by a friend of mine who has an ancient mobile and
computer and refuses to change. She asked him to help with downloading Zoom and
all manner of other things. He’s no expert and offered his spare IPhone that he
used in Australia
Keep all news
coming. Still waiting for Boris’s letter and the one from NHS England that says
I should hibernate for 12 weeks. Ah well ......back to taking up the rug for a
general bounce around..
Stay well and
happy everyone, Pat
Val 3 April 2020
Hello
Everyone,
The mobile
phone story is beyond hilarious, Angela!!! The goats are lovely! We’ve got
lambs just appearing in the field beside our garden which lifts the spirits
too. Cannot believe how many jobs there are around the house that need doing! Keep
safe all of you & special good wishes to all of you recovering from
injury/operations/illness.
Love, Val
Jane 3 April 2020
Interesting,
Pat, to hear that you have not received Boris' letter. We expect it each day
and each day are disappointed . . . What a waste of money, for if people have
not got the message of distancing etc by now, they are not likely to read a
letter from our Dear Leader. And by the time we do get it, the information is
likely to be out of date anyway. But you do not have the excitement of seeing
Our Nicola on television each day. We in Scotland
Now to email
an elderly French acquaintance in St Pierre et
Miquelon (the little island off the south coast of Newfoundland
Love to all,
Jane
Sylvia 3 April 2020
Hi Everyone,
I am still
alive and well, but struggling to keep up with all the emails which bombard my
inbox minute on minute. (Interesting
that my spell-check doesn't recognise the word "inbox"!) Not that I don't appreciate them all, so
please don't stop.
Has anyone
received Boris's letter? I'm guessing
that since he's ill, he hasn't been able to sign and send them out!! Alternatively, as Jane says, the letters are
obviously never going to be up to date and will constantly have to be amended
before they can be sent out.
The current
situation seems to be bringing out the best in people. A much younger friend will be shopping on my
behalf this weekend and the local butcher is delivering not just meat, but
milk, eggs, bread, potatoes etc., etc. and there's no delivery charge. Thank goodness too for WhatApp, Skype, Zoom
and everything else which keeps us in touch with our loved ones.
My exercise
consists of a mixture of gardening, going for a walk locally and running (i.e.
walking quickly) up and down stairs until I'm out of breath. I feel for those who are trapped in
accommodation with no access to the outside.
Stay well
everyone and much love, Sylvia
Margaret 4 April 2020
Dear everyone
Not much to
report from St Luke's. No visitors
allowed for the last couple of weeks and I do miss those one to one chats and the contact with the outside world.
Yesterday one
of the physios offered to take me out into the garden. It is tended by a woman
in memory of her son who was involved in an accident and nursed here until he
died so rather special. She manages to maintain a sequence of flowers and
shrubs throughout the year . It gives a
lot of pleasure to us all. When the
physio arrived I was sitting in my lovely reclining chair. It is activated by a
remote control device. The latter refused to work so I was trapped in the chair
. How to get out? Ever resourceful 2
nurses got the hoist and hoisted me and into the wheelchair for the physio to take me into the garden. The
spring flowers are really looking
lovely.
I am back in
the chair again today as the maintenance chap did eventually manage to mend the
remote control device. But no physios in today so no garden trip!
I am
appreciating all supsliskan contributions so keep it up.
It is very
reassuring to hear about all the positive things that are happening at this
rather surreal time. A sense of community is emerging in all sorts of places.
With love
from Margaret
Janet 4 April 2020
Dear Margaret
(and Everyone)
Thanks so
much for all your news. Lots of amusing anecdotes to brighten our days.
No letters
from Boris received here, either, but we did each receive a text from the
government (gov.UK/corona virus) at about 9.30 am on 24th March telling us to
"Stay at home. Protect the NHS. Save lives.". so maybe that was it?
If you
haven't already seen it, another nice example of community is this clip of
people coming out at 11 am daily on a street in Frodsham (called Springbourne,
up at the top end, so a bit of a community in its own right) to show off their
dance moves (all from a safe distance, of course).
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8175337/amp/Neighbours-moves-daily-distance-dance-street-coronavirus-lockdown.html
One other
example of how well people can cope on their own if they have to is the BBC TV
series "Win the Wildreness: Alaska
Love, Janet.
PS Today's
Tesco delivery brought us a whole 32 pack of toilet rolls - as a
"substitute" for the 24 pack we had been hoping for. What joy! So
often our eagerly anticipate toilet roll delivery has ended up being "out
of stock" by the time the order actually arrives. So maybe the supply
chain has finally caught up. One can make do with alternatives for most things
but this has been a tough one. We have been saving every newspaper "just
in case".
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