#ComeToKerala: Kumarakom Lake Resort

Photo by Mary Narvasa

One of the most memorable parts of the trip to Kerala has to have been the houseboat ride through the backwaters from Alappuzha to Vembanad Lake where we stayed one night at the peacefully secluded Kumarakom Lake Resort.

After a long drive up from Kovalam beach, we hopped onto a beautiful houseboat that took us to the resort. The sound of the water lapping over the sides of the boat as well as the humming of the engine momentarily brought me back to my blissful summer of sailing in Sardinia earlier this year. Before boarding our houseboat, some of the guys and I bought a couple of Kingfisher beers to compliment the delicious seafood lunch that we ate as we meandered up the shimmering backwaters.

Along the way, the palm trees were aplenty and we saw a couple of lakeside churches that cater to the small communities which live in the area. Some chapels were so small that only the priest could fit inside it! Speaking of churches, I previously had no idea what a large Christian community exists in this part of India. Our tour guide told us that around 20% of the population in this state is Christian which is down to the arrival of the Portuguese followed by the Dutch hundreds of years ago.

Shortly after checking in, and a quick Skype call to my dad to express just how overcome with delight I was, Mary and I hurried off to the infinity pool overlooking the lake where rays of the golden-hour sun coated the swaying backwaters. As darkness covered the lake resort, and after a few attempts at taking underwater selfies which turned out less than flattering, we got ready to have dinner at the Ettekettu Restaurant where we also saw a short Kathakali performance with elaborate make-up which reminded me a lot of the traditionally Japanese theatre, Kabuki.

We did not have that much time to enjoy all that the resort had to offer, but amongst the activities that they offered was fishing and pottery making classes - a nifty way to have a special souvenir to bring back home. They also had a seafood restaurant on the compound which I can only imagine would have been absolutely mouthwateringly delicious. You cannot #ComeToKerala without having a seafood meal!

The following day, I decided to spring out of bed extra early to join a 7am yoga session at the Pool Pavilion with a view of Vembanad lake. I was in such a beautiful part of the country so I wanted to soak up every possible moment. After breakfast, the team and I headed on over to the small village of Aymanam which is also where Arundhati Roy's Booker prize-winning "The God of Small Things" was set. We had such a lovely afternoon discovering the livelihoods of people living there. We were shown how Toddy (palm wine) was made and we even got to have a sip. If the fermented sap is extracted earlier in the day it tends to be sweet whilst if it is left until the evening the taste is a lot more bitter. One of the highlights of the day was being able to try out palm tree climbing. I didn't go to the very top and I certainly was not as skilled as the local man who speeded to the top as briskly as walking up a flight of stairs.

Those 24h that included the houseboat tour, staying at Kumarakom Lake Resort and discovering the village of Aymanam was definitely one of the highlights of my trip to Kerala. I would definitely recommend including these things on your itinerary if you ever plan an escape to this part of the world!

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Un des souvenirs marquants de mon voyage au Kerala a été le transfert en bateau de la ville d’Alappuzha au Lac Vembanad, où nous avons logé une nuit – au calme et à l’écart – au Kumarakom Lake Resort.

Après être arrivés en minibus en provenance de Kovalam, nous sommes montés à bord d’une embarcation splendide qui nous a amenés au Resort. Le rythme apaisant du clapotis de l’eau le long des côtés du bateau et le ronronnement du moteur m’ont rappelé les moments heureux que j’ai passés à la voile en Sardaigne il y a quelques mois.

Au cours du voyage nous avons vu au bord du lac de nombreux palmiers, et aussi quelques églises qui servent les petites collectivités de la région. Certaines chapelles sont tellement petites que seul le prêtre peut y entrer! Je ne savais pas auparavant que cette région de l’Inde abrite un grand nombre de chrétiens; le guide nous a dit que le 20% de la population du Kerala est chrétien, conséquence de l’arrivée des portugais et ensuite des néerlandais il y a quelque centaines d’années.

Après être arrivée à l’hôtel et après avoir parlé par Skype à mon père - je voulais lui expliquer mes sentiments de grande joie! – je suis sortie avec Mary, un de mes compagnons de voyage, à la recherche de la piscine à débordement à côté du lac, où les eaux tranquilles avaient une teinte dorée au coucher du soleil. La nuit tombait et nous avons essayé de faire des photos – peu flatteuses – sous l’eau de la piscine. Pendant le dîner au Restaurant Ettekettu on nous a présenté un spectacle Kathakali, dont le maquillage élaboré m’a rappelé le Kabuki, théâtre traditionnel japonais.

Nous n’avions pas assez de temps pour profiter de l’éventail d’activités offertes par le Kumarakom Lake Resort. Parmi ces activités il y avait la pêche et aussi la poterie, moyen astucieux de se procurer un souvenir un peu différent. Il y a aussi un restaurant de fruits de mer, qui offre des mets succulents. On ne peut pas #ComeToKerala – venir au Kerala – sans manger des fruits de mer!

Le lendemain j’ai sauté du lit très tôt afin de participer à la séance de yoga au bord du lac. Le Kerala est tellement idyllique que je voulais absorber chaque moment de mon séjour. Après le petit déjeuner nous sommes allés au petit village d’Aymanan, endroit où se déroule l’action du roman "The God of Small Things", œuvre pour lequel Arundhati Roy a décerné le Prix Booker. Nous y avons passé un bel après-midi en découvrant les métiers des habitants. On nous a montré la fabrication du vin de palme (toddy) et nous l’avons aussi goûté. Si l’on extrait la sève au matin, le goût est plus doux et sucré; si l’on la laisse jusqu’au soir, le goût devient plus âpre. Un des moments marquants de la journée, c’était ma tentative de monter en haut d’un palmier. Je ne suis pas arrivée au sommet, et certainement je n’avais pas l’agilité de l’homme du village qui a grimpé en haut comme s’il montait un escalier.

Pendant 24 heures j’ai fait un voyage sur le lac, logé au Kumarakom Lake Resort et découvert le village d’Aymanan: souvenirs inoubliables de mon voyage au Kerala. Je te conseille fortement d’inclure ces activités dans ton programme si jamais tu as la possibilité d’aller là-bas.

1. Sipping on a Kingfisher beer // 2. Lunch on board the houseboat // 3. Heading out to the pool

4. Chilling in a hammock // 5. Sunset over Lake Vembanad // 6. With Mary visiting Aymanam

7. Catching fish (photo by Melo) // 8. On the backwaters // 9. Climbing a palm tree (Photo by Kim)

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CIAO BELLA

It feels a little odd writing about one of the winter outfit combos I had been wearing recently from a hotel located in the Fort Kochi, where the temperature averages around 30°C everyday but alas my #CometoKerala (click the link to check out other people's posts) trip with Kerala Tourism is coming to an end I have to brave the fact that a chilly 6°C awaits me back in Luxembourg.

Here I am wearing one of my latest purchases: a sweater from Mango with famous Italian phrase CIAO BELLA written across it. To keep warm, I have one of my favourite print scarves from Zara which adds that extra something when you have a non-existent colour palette going on in your outfit. I am also  wearing this Paul's Boutique bag which I picked up from the Christmas Collection launch party in Westfield London. It was so great to finally meet the team that I have been working with for the past two and half years, as well as Paul himself - the man behind the creation of the brand. I loved seeing the pop-up store in Westfield as I had only ever seen the bags online or in Topshop. I really do hope that they come around to opening a shop soon!

Top - Mango

Scarf & coat - Zara

Bag - Paul's Boutique

Boots - H&M

Il est bizarre d’écrire ces mots au sujet d’une tenue d’hiver tandis que je me trouve dans un hôtel à Fort-Cochin en Inde, où la température moyenne oscille chaque jour autour des 30 degrés. Malheureusement, le voyage organisé par Kerala Tourism (cliquez #CometoKerala pour d’autres récits) touche à sa fin, et je dois me préparer à une temperature givrante dès mon retour au Luxembourg.

Je revêts ici un achat récent chez Mango: un chandail qui porte la phrase italienne très connue CIAO BELLA. Et pour me tenir au chaud j’ajoute une écharpe imprimée Zara, ce qui donne une nuance de couleur à un look plutôt monochrome. J’ai aussi un sac de Paul’s Boutique, que j’ai obtenu lors de sa fête de lancement à Londres-Westfield à Noël. C’était formidable de rencontrer enfin l’équipe avec laquelle je travaille depuis deux ans et demi et aussi Paul lui-même, créateur de la marque qui porte son nom. J’étais ravie de voir la boutique éphémère à Westfield, car auparavant je ne trouvais les sacs qu’en ligne ou chez Topshop. J’espère vivement que l’on va bientôt ouvrir un magasin!

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#CometoKerala: Arrival at Kovalam Beach

So here I am in India! I am still having a difficult time believing that I'm actually here. I have to pause for a couple of seconds before exiting my hotel room to be greeted by the wonderful December warmth. When I arrived at Heathrow to check in for my flight, I was originally turned away from the Etihad check-in counter as I did not have an ETA (a newly introduced system to ease the Visa on Arrival process which I'll cover in more detail in a later blog post), but after a few calls to India and a chat with the manager I was able to confirm that as this ETA procedure was only introduced on the 5 December, it would not be fully enforced until the 27 December which meant HOORAY; I was able to set off for Trivandrum. Upon arrival, I realised I probably should have applied for the ETA as the Visa process took so incredibly. One thing I've learnt from this is to always keep an eye out for changes in the immigration policies of the country your visiting.

After meeting with the organisers of the #CometoKerala competition, the other winners and I took a stroll from our hotel (Turtle on the Beach) down to Kovalam beach which was streaming with families and groups of people as it was a Saturday. If you are in this area and are bit of a morning eager beaver, head on down early in the morning to see the fishermen pull in large fishing nets! I was too busy catching up on sleep to do this when I arrived at 6am but I have been told that it is quite the spectacle!

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Me voilà en Inde! Je n’arrive presque pas à y croire. En sortant de la chambre de l’hôtel, je m’arrête un instant avant de me plonger dans la chaleur de ce mois de décembre. Quand je suis arrivée à l’aéroport de Londres Heathrow, j’ai failli rater le vol: on m’a refoulée à l’enregistrement parce que je n’avais pas d’ETA (electronic travel authority), système récemment adopté afin de faciliter l’entrée des touristes en Inde. J’y reviendrai de manière plus détaillée dans un blog à venir. De toute façon, après une série d’appels téléphoniques vers l’Inde et un entretien avec le chef d’escale d’Etihad, j’ai pu expliquer que le nouveau système, annoncé le 5 décembre, n’entrait pleinement en vigueur qu’à partir du 27. Youpi – j’ai pu m’envoler vers Trivandrum! A l’arrivée là-bas, je me suis quand même rendu compte que j’aurais mieux fait de demander l’ETA, car le procès d’obtenir un VOA (visa on arrival) durait une éternité. La leçon que j’ai apprise, c’est de se tenir au courant des modifications des régimes des visas.

Après une première rencontre avec les organisateurs du concours #CometoKerala, je suis allée avec les autres participants faire une promenade de l’hôtel (Turtle on the Beach) à la plage de Kovalam, laquelle ce jour de samedi était bourrée de gens. Si jamais tu te trouves à Kovalam, très tôt le matin, il faut observer les pêcheurs qui ramènent leurs grands filets. A cause du décalage horaire j’avais trop de sommeil ce jour-là, mais on m’a dit que ce moment de la journée offre un spectacle merveilleux.

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HOME SWEET HOME

I went home to Luxembourg for the first time in two months last weekend and boy was I so over the moon that I couldn't help but goof off a little more than usual when Christine was taking photos of me in Luxembourg City. Here I'm wearing a dress that I bought in Primark for around 13 GBP which I thought was absolutely amazing. It has pockets too! There is a similar printed dress from ASOS here, but unfortunately it doesn't have pockets which would definitely come in handy for keeping your phone tucked away or storing sneaky snacks.

I of course had to slip on my go-to winter footwear: heeled Chelsea boots. I bought mine for 60 GBP in H&M last AW but you can get some from F&F here for only 25 GBP. I am also wearing my new Daniel Wellington watch which I think looks a lot more classier than the usual Casio digital watch.

Bag - Coach

Dress - Primark

Watch - Daniel Wellington

Coat - Choies

Boots - H&M

OUTFIT INSPIRATION

I have always been a great fan of monochrome looks with a pop of colour or patterns here and there like this inspiration collage above. After having been to Delft with my parents earlier this year in May, I fell in love with the notable blue and white ceramics. It is so pretty and this clutch kinda gives a Moroccan twist on that blue/white colour combination. I may have to step out of my comfort zone with this lip colour but I think it compliments the other colours so well!

PS, hover over the images for details!

DIVINE INK - TEMPORARY TATTOOS

Last week, I went to a couple of press days around London with the lovely Kate who had styled our Paul's Boutique project. One of the things we discovered was Divine Ink, a brand selling ephemeral tattoos of multitude designs. One of my favourites is definitely the animal print cuffs as well as the small diamond shaped gold and green cuffs. Temporary tattoos seem to be making a comeback - what do you guys think of them? I think these are so perfect for a beach holiday when you don't want to be dragging along jewellery onto the sands but still want add that extra little something, like the way Millie Mackintosh has styled them up here. You can find a gold and silver set here on Urban Outfitters and for only 15 GBP these certainly make for an affordable Christmas gift.

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La semaine dernière je suis allée à des évènements presse à Londres, accompagnée de la charmante Kate qui nous avait aidé avec la réalisation de notre projet pour Paul’s Boutique. Parmi nos trouvailles, nous avons découvert la marque Divine Ink, qui vend des tatouages temporaires d’une grande variété de conception. J’aime très bien les tatouages poignet du type "animal print", et aussi les motifs à losange verts et ors. Il semble que les tatouages éphémères font un retour de force - qu’en pensez-vous? Je crois qu’ils conviennent parfaitement aux vacances balnéaires, lorsque l’on ne veut pas porter des bijoux à la plage mais on veut quand même ajouter un peu d’éclat. Allez voir (ici) comment Millie Mackintosh réussit à les embellir. On peut en trouver une série en or et en argent chez Urban Outfitters (voir ici) à seulement 15 livres; à ce prix-là, ces tatouages deviennent un cadeau de Noël abordable.

Follow Kate on Instagram here

TRIBAL PRINT PLAYSUIT

I went on a trip to Tunisia around mid-September where I was originally planning on shooting a couple of beach looks with these Missguided pieces but after 2 days of being in the north African country, I caught quite a severe form of gastroenteritis which was not at all pleasant.. I did, however, get to enjoy the sun before I was bed ridden for a couple of days. On my last morning there, I decided to wander down to the beach at 5am to catch the sun rise which, in the end, was so incredibly worth it! (Check out this photo that I took)

Alas, no dreamy and sandy beach outfit photos were taken and the Petrusse Valley had to do as a back drop. Christine and I love to shoot there - it's so beautiful!

Bag - Primark

Jacket - New Look

Sunglasses - Cheap Monday

Playsuit - Missguided

Boots - River Island

A la mi-septembre je suis allée en Tunisie, où j’avais l’intention de faire des photos d’un look plage à l’aide de ces tenues signées Missguided. Mais après deux jours en Afrique du Nord je suis tombée victime d’une gastroentérite, ce qui n’était pas du tout agréable. J’ai quand même réussi à profiter du soleil avant de rester clouée au lit pendant quelques jours. Le dernier jour en Tunisie, je suis descendue à la plage à 5 heures du matin, car je voulais regarder le lever du soleil. La beauté du matin en valait la peine (voir photo).

Malheureusement, il n’y a pas de photos de rêve sur une plage exotique. Nous avons fait ces photos dans la vallée de la Pétrusse à Luxembourg. Christine et moi, nous aimons y faire des photos: la vallée offre une beauté extraordinaire.

SUNNY SUNDAY AT RICHMOND PARK

A couple of weeks ago my boyfriend came up to visit me for the first time in the England. Instead of making our way back to Guildford from Gatwick airport, we decided to stay a night at Kew B&B (just south of Kew Gardens) in Richmond. We woke up super early the next day to walk down to Richmond Park for a bit of deer spotting as the deer are most active at the beginning and at the end of the day. Like me, they seem to fully enjoy a nap during the day haha.

As we walk around, we not only saw deer fighting between the Saw Pit Plantation and the Jubilee Plantation but caught a glimpse of geese flying overhead and swiftly landing on Upper Pen pond (there's an excellent map of Richmond Park here high-lighting the different areas). After walking around the Isabella Plantation we stopped to chat with a couple sitting on a bench who recommended eating at a pub called Roebuck that overlooked Terrace Gardens and the meandering River Thames (exit the park towards Richmond Hill). The food was so delicious! We must have 3-4h walking around 25-30 km that day so we were pretty hungry by the time we made it to the pub for a late lunch. We ordered a plate of pulled pork nachos, chicken wings and soup. I know, I know... Not exactly the healthiest of options!

 Richmond is 30-40 minutes from the London's city centre and so if you have the time to spend a full morning there, I would more than recommend this place.

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Il y a deux semaines mon petit ami est venu me trouver en Angleterre pour la première fois. Au lieu de rentrer tout de suite de Gatwick à Guildford, nous avons décidé de rester une nuit dans une chambre d’hôte (Kew B&B) à Richmond, près du jardin botanique de Kew Gardens. Après nous être levés très tôt le matin, nous nous sommes dirigés vers le parc royal de Richmond Park. Nous voulions regarder les cerfs, qui sont plus actifs en début et en fin de journée. Comme moi, ils aiment faire la sieste pendant la journée!

Au cours de notre balade dans le parc nous avons aperçu entre les plantations nommées Saw Pit et Jubilee des cerfs qui se battaient, et nous avons aussi vu un troupeau d’oies qui nous a survolés avant d’atterir à l’étang d’Upper Pen (voir ici une très bonne carte de Richmond Park, qui indique les différents sites du parc). En continuant notre promenade autour de la Plantation d’Isabella, nous nous sommes arrêtés pour bavarder avec un couple assis sur un banc. On nous a recommandé d’aller déjeuner au pub Roebuck, qui a une vue imprenable sur les Terrace Gardens et les méandres de la Tamise (sortie vers Richmond Hill). Le repas était délicieux! Après avoir parcouru plusieurs kilometres pendant notre promenade de 3-4 heures, nous avions une faim de loup. Nous avons commandé des nachos au porc effiloché, des ailes de poulet et de la soupe. Okay, je l’avoue: nous n’avons pas mangé sain!

Richmond se trouve à 30-40 minutes du centre de Londres. Si vous avez l’occasion d’y passer une matinée, je vous le conseille fortement.

MISSGUIDED TROPICAL SHORTS

This year, I decided not to buy a bus pass. We spend a lot of time sitting down at work, at home or at the library, which I will be doing a lot of in my final year, and so taking 40-50mins to walk to and from between my halls and campus daily seems like a good way to get a bit of easy exercise in. Another good thing is that it warms me up as I am panic-power walking (out of fear of being late) and so I can survive with this leather jacket until the end of November when I go back to Luxembourg and pick up a warmer jacket to bring back with me, and be wrapped up like a burrito.

I haven't quite let go of my summer items, though, and one of the easiest ways to incorporate it into an outfit is to layer it with black and lots of it. Here, I decided to pair my Missguided shorts with one of my favourite tank tops from Cheap Monday. I loved the white version of this, which you can see in this post here, so much that I had to get the black one too. Have you guys got any items which you buy a few of to have in different colours?

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Cette année j’ai décidé de ne pas acheter une carte d’abonnement d’autobus. Nous avons l’habitude de passer la plupart du temps assis, soit au travail, à la maison ou à la bibliothèque – où je vais passer pas mal de temps pendant ma dernière année d’études. Une séance de marche de 30-40 minutes entre la résidence d’étudiants et l’université me paraît un bon moyen de pratiquer une activité physique. Et il y a encore un bénéfice à tirer: par peur d’arriver en retard je marche très vite et je m’échauffe énormément. Je peux donc survivre avec ce blouson cuir jusqu’à la fin de novembre, quand je rentrerai au Luxembourg et je choisirai une veste plus chaude. Je retournerai en Angleterre enveloppée comme un burrito!

Mais je n’ai pas encore rangé mes affaires d’été, et une solution simple c’est de les assortir avec plusieurs couches de vêtements noirs. Ici, je porte un short Missguided avec un débardeur préféré que j’ai acheté chez Cheap Monday. J’adorais le débardeur en blanc (voir ici), et je me sentais obligée de l’acheter en noir. Ça vous arrive aussi, d’acheter le même vêtement en plusieurs couleurs?

HEY HELLO HI - FALL OUTFIT & UPDATE

OH, hi there. It seems as though I am starting this blog post with one of those typical "hey, remember me...?" openings. I am very much a person who likes to stay on top of things but towards the end of the summer some things for me had changed and I was opening myself up to new, happier beginnings and exciting projects (like this one).

Being back in Guildford has so far been really good but surreal. I joined the Canoe Club, something which I never thought I would ever do. Before heading off to Sardinia I was quite scared of being in water but now I love it.

Another thing which has been looming over me like a ginormous grizzly bear about to wake up from hibernation is my final year dissertation project... Oh boy where do I even begin? My proposal is due in just over a week's time and I have not fully decided what angle I want to take on it. I definitely want to incorporate the blogging world into it as it has been such a big part of my life that has changed me and introduced me to so many new things and people but most importantly, new friends.

Wow, so shall we get on to the actual outfit itself? These shoes are from a Japanese brand called Rose Essence that reminds me a lot of what you can find at Office and Topshop. Have a peek at some of their stuff here but be warned, the site is in Japanese haha. This hat is one that I have living in since I bought it at Accessorize along with this Zara scarf which I got at Gatwick South Terminal because I was on my way back from Tunisia to Luxembourg and I was not prepared for the chilly breeze back home. I have a similar one like it in black and I cannot stress how comfy it is. It also doubles as a fabulous neck pillow for ultimate nap-time on morning commutes.

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Salut, vous vous souvenez de moi? Normalement j’ai mes affaires bien en main, mais vers la fin de l’été il y a eu des changements dans ma vie. L’avenir s’annonçait prometteur, avec des projets passionnants (comme celui-ci).

Le retour à Guildford s’est très bien passé mais il a été un peu surréaliste. Je me suis inscrite au Canoe Club. Oui, je fais du canotage! Je n’y aurais jamais cru, car avant de partir faire la voile en Sardaigne j’avais peur de l’eau – mais maintenant je l’adore.

Mais il y une chose qui me menace comme un ours énorme qui se réveille à la fin de l’hiver: le mémoire de fin d’études que je dois présenter. Par où commencer? Je dois présenter ma proposition de mémoire dans une semaine mais je n’ai pas encore décidé la perspective à adopter. Je veux que le monde du blogging y fasse partie, parce qu’il a été très important dans ma vie. Le blogging m’a transformée et m’a permis de connaître tant de choses nouvelles, et surtout de rencontrer de nouveaux amis.

Okay, si on parlait de ma tenue du jour? Les chaussures sont de la marque japonaise Rose Essence. Il s’agit d’une marque qui est semblable à ce que l’on peut trouver chez Office et Topshop. Donnez un coup d’œil à la marque Rose Essence (ici) – mais je vous préviens, le site est en japonais! Le chapeau reste sur ma tête depuis que je l’ai acheté chez Accessorize, et l’écharpe je l’ai achetée à l’Aérogare de Gatwick en revenant de la Tunisie. Je voulais être préparée pour le temps froid du Luxembourg! Elle est vraiment confortable, et j’en ai encore une autre en noir. Elle sert aussi comme oreiller tour de cou parfait pour les petits instants de somme lors des déplacements du matin.

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CASUAL OUTFIT - DENIM JACKET

HELLO FROM ENGLAND! Yes, I am finally back and it feels weird. I cannot believe I am about to start my final year already. So far I have not really done much besides settling in, shopping and bumping into familiar faces. Unpacking was such a chore but I have to say that it is such a relief to have everything in its place. I also rediscovered some clothes I thought I had lost like this grey top! I had absolutely no idea where it had gone and then TA-DA, turns out I had packed it and it was in the bottom of one of my many, many, many bags.

I love the low scoop on this H&M vest as it is such a lovely way to show off some skin without it being too revealing up front/"booby". You could easily where it on a night out with a sleek blazer and a chunky necklace or a long dainty one - a design which I have been starting to fall in love with.

Jacket, top & boots - H&M

Bag - Missguided

HELLO FROM ENGLAND! Eh ben oui, je suis de retour et ça me fait bizarre. Je n’arrive pas à croire que la dernière année de mes études commence déjà. Jusqu’ici je n’ai pas fait grand-chose: je me suis installée, j’ai fait des courses et j’ai retrouvé des visages connus. Le travail de tout ranger était une vraie corvée mais je suis tellement contente que chaque chose est maintenant à sa place. J’ai même découvert des vêtements que je croyais perdus, par exemple ce top gris. J’en avais perdu toute trace et tout d’un coup: voilà, il apparaît que je l’avais mis au fond d’un des nombreux sacs qui m’ont accompagnée.

J’aime bien l’encolure dégagée et arrondie de ce top H&M. Elle montre de la peau mais n’est pas trop révélatrice. Lors d’une sortie nocturne on peut porter ce top avec un blazer élégant et un gros collier, ou même un collier délicat. C’est un style que j’aime de plus en plus

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ALL BLACK & OFF THE SHOULDER

Oh boy, the end of my Summer is approaching and I still have so many things I would like to do on top of the things I must do. I now have just a few days left in Luxembourg and so being on the internet, behind this computer screen is one of the last things on my mind. I had planned to have a multitude of blog posts featuring outfits from Tunisia but I unfortunately got really sick while I was away. I am pretty sure it was down to my already weakened immune system from when I went to e-lake festival  (Luxembourg) with Christine where it rained like crazy. I managed to enjoy the first couple of days in the sun, though - we even went sand buggy-ing one day! (photo here).

This is actually the outfit I wore to e-lake: something incredibly simple and oh so comfy. I found this slouchy sweater in H&M and I bought these black super stretchy trousers in River Island. I cannot remember what the name of the style was but do go try out the trousers in RI as I have been living in these ever since I bought them, along with an acid wash pair as well. Now I cannot rave enough about this white Missguided bag... Holy moley it has hands down been my favourite summer bag. I still cannot get over all the little compartments it has! It seems to have gone down by 3 GBP which may not be a huge difference, but you can get it here.

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L’été touche à sa fin et il y a encore tant de choses que je voudrais faire - à part toutes les chose que je dois faire! Il ne me reste que quelques jours au Luxembourg, et rester assise devant l’écran de mon ordi n’est pas une priorité! J’avais l’intention d’ajouter une série de blogposts concernant des tenues que j’avais portées en Tunisie, mais malheureusement je suis tombée malade là-bas. La cause était probablement un système immunitaire affaibli par ma visite avec Christine au Festival e-lake au Luxembourg, où la pluie est tombée sans cesse. J’ai réussi quand même à profiter du soleil pendant les premiers jours en Tunisie – un jour nous avons fait une sortie en buggy (voir photo ici).

L’image d’aujourd’hui montre la tenue que portais au Festival. Elle était très simple mais tellement confortable. J’ai trouvé ce pull souple chez H&M et j’ai acheté ce pantalon en stretch chez River Island. Je ne me souviens plus comment il s’appelle, en ce qui concerne le style, mais je vous conseille d’aller donner un coup d’œil chez River Island, car je porte ce pantalon et un autre délavé à l’acide depuis que je les ai achetés. Et le sac blanc de Missguided: comment puis-je le vanter encore plus!? Pendant toute l’été ce sac a été mon préféré - le numéro de petits compartiments m’étonne toujours. On a apparemment réduit le prix de 3 livres, ce qui n’est pas grand-chose, mais s’il vous intéresse vous pouvez l’acheter ici.

NASTY - MISBHV

Hallo from Tunisia! Before going on holiday, my dad had said to me to enjoy my time away and to relax. As much as i love sitting on the on the beach, there is only so much sun my head can handle and as it closes in on the midday raging rays I thought it would be a perfect moment to find a bit of shade and to finally updated the blog. It's funny because throughout this past year I was constantly thinking how when the summer rolled around that I would be able to dedicate a lot more time to the blog and upload more regularly before swanning off back to the UK for my final year. I don't even want to think about how much I'll miss Christine but we have an exciting project coming up which seems to be putting my separation anxiety at ease for the time being.

Here, I'm wearing my absolute favourite top which I bought in the smets store in brussels and it's a brand called misbhv which I haven't seen much of around the blogosphere but I think a few of you will love their stuff. I love that the cut of this shirt is so feminine - it reveals just the right amount of skin and I think it flatters the collar bone quite nicely. Considering just how much I've worn this top I can't believe that this is the first time it's making an appearance in an outfit post!

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Bonjour de la Tunisie! Avant mon depart mon père m’a dit de m’amuser bien et de jouir d’une détente totale. Mais bien que j’aime lézarder à la plage, à un certain moment la chaleur est devenue trop forte. Sous le soleil de midi j’ai recherché l’ombre et commencé enfin à mettre à jour le blog. C’est bizarre: pendant toute l’année qui vient de s’écouler je croyais toujours qu’avec l’arrivée de l’été j’aurais pu consacrer plus de temps au blog et d’en faire des mises à jour régulières avant de m’en aller en Angleterre pour la dernière année de mes études. Je ne veux pas penser au fait que Christine me manquera tellement, mais nous avons un projet qui s’annonce très intéressant et qui calme mes préoccupations.

Ici je porte mon top favori, que j’ai acheté chez Smets à Bruxelles. La marque s’appelle "misbhv". Elle n’est pas tellement connue au monde des blogs, mais il y aura certaines d’entre vous qui aimeront ses créations. La coupe de ce tee-shirt est vraiment féminine, car elle n’expose qu’une partie de la peau et avantage la forme de la clavicule. Je porte souvent ce top et je suis vraiment étonnée qu’il apparait ici pour la première fois.

HYPER/HYPOTHYROIDISM & MAKING A CHANGE

Egg white omelette with spring onion and cheddar cheese,

strawberries, avocado and a glass of veggie juice

After I finished my placement and had a sudden surge of free time to spend on the Internet, I decided to take a greater look into healthier eating. Since I started blogging (followed by a late sign up to Instagram...) I have occasionally browsed fitness and healthy eating blogs. One of my absolute favourites is Annie Jaffrey, who is also on YouTube, and I recently watched a video of hers (see below) where she talks about why she had chosen to transition into a 100% raw diet: diagnosis of a medical condition. In her video she says how she hopes to cure herself and reverse the condition she has, and something hit home with me. How could I change my own diet and potentially live healthier and more natural with my own condition?

Blogging about this has perhaps been one of the things that I have been debating with myself for the longest time ever. It is quite a personal issue which I have grown up with but I feel ready now to share it with the Internet. It is going to be pretty long and I thought about separating it into two posts, but I think it would make a lot more sense to just keep it together. Here goes...

Winding the clock back to 2006 when I was 14 years old, my mother had long been frustrated with how little our GP was doing to find out why my breathing at rest/during sleep was so shallow and quick. After a couple of visits and a different doctor later, we went to an otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat specialist) on the 18 May 2006, who did his regular check up as well as an ultrasound of my throat. He told us that I immediately had to go see an endocrinologist and booked an appointment for me himself.

With this new doctor, I was set up to get blood tests and another ultrasound after which I was finally diagnosed with hyperthyroidism (an over active thyroid gland). The excessive amount of thyroxine hormones being released meant that my metabolism was working at an incredible speed, but it also meant that I was experiencing irregular/elevated heart beat, sweating, shortness of breath among other things. It also explained why I was having nose bleeds almost every night: my body temperature was so warm that it was bursting the capillaries in my nose!

As well as being put on medication to reduce the activity of my thyroid, I was also told that I could no longer participate in sports. At the time I was over the moon because it meant I could sit out during gym class, but it wasn't until about a year ago I finally began to understand the seriousness of it. At rest, my heart rate was around or above 200. It meant that any strenuous exercise could have caused my heart to, well, fail. To stop.

I had a successful round of treatment and my medication was slowly adapted for me to come off of it. It was looking good and my thyroid was less swollen. But after a while my overactive thyroid began to flare up again. I went on another round of medication but towards the end of 2008 (aged 16) my doctor, my parents and I began discussing alternative treatments as the medication wasn't working as well as before.

On 29 January 2009 I had a Radioactive Iodine treatment. The cells in the thyroid gland are the main ones which absorb iodine and so taking in radioactive iodine treatment meant that it would destroy cells of the thyroid gland without the radioactivity affecting much of the rest of my body. It had solved the issue of my overactive gland but now that so much of the tissue had been destroyed, it meant that I would be unable to produce enough thyroxine (i.e. hypothyroidism) - I would be on thyroid hormone replacement medication for the rest of my life.

It has been over 5 years since that treatment and I am now 22. I have noticed various changes in my mood as well as my weight and various other factors. The main thing though, is how I differently I feel about my condition now. I felt somewhat "trapped" with having to take medication for the rest of my life and I wanted to see what choices I could make for the better of my body. Aside from stopping the contraceptive pill I haven't made any great changes, but something sparked in me after seeing Annie's video.

I wanted to see how making better and healthier choices would affect my thyroid condition. I have read a lot about how following a vegan diet can reverse hypothyroidism. Ideally, I would love to live without my thyroid medication but seeing as my thyroid was pretty much obliterated I think it would be difficult to come off of it entirely. I am hoping to reduce the dose of what I have to take.

There is also another side to having gone through this condition and subsequent treatment. As the condition does affect hormone levels, my mind and emotions were a little all over the place. It is a little more of a sensitive area of discussion, I would like to share it with you but a little later in time.

Congratulations if you have made it this far! I actually have a little more for you if you "click to see more photos" about some of the little lifestyle/dietary changes I have been making as well as Annie's video I referred to earlier and the French translation.

If anyone has any questions, I would be happy to answer them the best I can but, if you are worried that anything I mentioned may concern you as well please have a chat with your doctor as I am certainly no expert and I only write from my own experience.

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YOU GO GLEN COCO

I was asked by Missguided to style up an all-white look and when I was browsing through their Whites  category, I spotted this T-shirt (here) and I knew I had to get it. I saw some images of this tee weeks or even months ago and I have been waiting for it to be made available ever since. I still cannot get over how old the Mean Girls film is now.

To complete the look I picked out these white shorts (here) which happen to be called Karina - I was obviously drawn to them immediately! They have a small mesh insert and because the shorts are lined inside I didn't feel as self-conscious as I usually do when I wear white bottoms. I am forever worrying about white pieces being too see-through. I also picked out these white strappy heels (here) because I have been wanting a pair but I have to admit, after living in trainers and flats for so much of this year because of commuting for my work placement, I did find these a little difficult to walk in.

I then picked out this bag (here) to complete the look. Now, if you have been following me on Instagram then you will know that this bag has become my absolute favourite this summer. It has already been to a music festival in the rain in Luxembourg, coffee and email day in Golden Bean, Cologne and Zurich! It is the perfect size and it has so many pockets! Inside, aside from the usual mobile pocket and zip pocket opposite it, there is a second zip pocket creating an open pocket in between. Hooray for double the zipped compartments! I realise that this explanation was a bit waffle so maybe this photo makes it a littler clearer. I will definitely be taking this bag to Tunisia with me in two weeks time!

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Missguided m’avait demandé de proposer un look tout blanc et en parcourant son catalogue je suis tombée sur ce tee-shirt (ici) et j’ai su tout de suite que je devais me le procurer. J’ai vu des images de ce tee-shirt il y a quelques semaines, peut-être même des mois, et j’attends depuis lors qu’il soit disponible. Je n’arrive toujours pas à croire que Mean Girls est sorti il y a si longtemps.

Pour achiever le look j’ai choisi ce short blanc (ici) avec le nom "Karina" - bien sûr, le nom a attiré toute mon attention! Il s’agit d’un short à empiècement en maille avec doublure intérieure, ce qui m’évite l’embarras que j’éprouve d’habitude quand je me mets un short ou un pantalon blanc. Je m’inquiète toujours qu’il soit trop transparent. J’ai choisi aussi ces escarpins blancs (ici), que je rêvais d’acheter depuis un certain temps, mais je dois avouer qu’il m’était difficile de marcher car j’étais tellement habituée aux baskets et aux chaussures plates que je portais pour les déplacements quotidiens pendant mon stage à Bruxelles.

Enfin, j’achevé mon look avec ce sac (ici). Ceux qui me suivent sur Instagram savent déjà que ce sac est devenu mon préféré de l’été. Il m’a accompagnée à un festival rock sous la pluie au Luxembourg et lors de cafés-rencontres au Golden Bean à Luxembourg-Ville ou de voyages à Cologne et à Zurich. Les dimensions du sac sont parfaites, et il a une multitude de poches. A l’intérieur il y a comme d’habitude une poche pour portable et en face une poche à fermeture éclair, et entre les deux il y a encore une poche zippée. J’aime bien les sacs avec plus d’un compartiment zippé. Okay, cette explication est devenue un peu vague, et cette photo (ici) vous en donnera une idée plus claire. Une chose c’est certaine: ce sac m’acompagnera quand j’irai en Tunisie dans deux semaines.

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CASUAL OOTD

The Sunday after I finished work for the summer I flew out to Edinburgh to see my older brother graduate and to spend a much needed couple of days with my family at our favourite cottage in Scotland. We took a trip out to Carlisle, which is just over the border in England, for a little bit of shopping and I picked up this beautiful long light-weight blazer from New Look and a pair of acid wash jeggings from River Island. I had been itching to find a new pair since I have had a love/hate relationship with the Dr Denim Kissy and the Topshop Leigh ones. I do love them but they discoloured so quickly that the money was not quite worth it.

I love how these River Island ones fit and they are so incredibly comfortable to travel in! Trust me, the multiple 3h journeys between Brussels and Luxembourg have provided me with enough proof of that fact. I usually stick to leggings for long journeys but these are most definitely a winner.

Jeggings – River Island
Top & jacket – New Look
Bag – Marc by Marc Jacobs
Shoes - Converse

Le dimanche après la fin de mon stage j’ai pris l’avion pour Edimbourg afin de voir mon frère recevoir son diplôme de maîtrise et de passer quelques jours précieux avec mes proches dans notre chalet préféré en Ecosse. Un jour nous avons fait une échappée à Carlisle, juste audelà de la frontière anglaise, où en parcourant les magasins j’ai retrouvé chez New Look ce très beau blazer long léger et chez River Island un jegging délavé à l’acide. Je cherchais d’une façon désespérée un nouveau jegging depuis que j’ai un rapport d’amour-haine – je t’aime, moi non plus! – avec mes jeggings Dr Denim Kissy et Topshop Leigh. Je les aime bien, mais ils se sont rapidement décolorés et ils ne valent pas le prix que j’ai payé.

Ce jegging de River Island colle bien au corps et offre un confort incroyable pour les voyages. Croyez-moi, les trajets répétés de trois heures entre Bruxelles et Luxembourg en ont fait la preuve. D’habitude je porte des leggings pour les longs parcours, mais ce jegging de River Island est le meilleur.

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GREY FEATHER FEDORA

With my hair being so dead straight and heavy, sometimes the easiest thing to do is to pop on a cap or a hat over my head. I own three snapbacks but I also do have a great love for fedoras. I found this one when I was browsing the shelves of Accessorize in Carlisle and I hesitated for a bit before deciding that it would be a reasonable purchase.

I absolutely love wearing it on drizzly rainy days but here the sun decided to make an appearance and luckily enough I was wearing a back cold shoulder dress which I picked up in New Look. I have one in blue from Motel Rocks but this one is a bit longer and so I am not as worried about being too indecent.

Mes cheveux sont si raides et si abondants que, parfois, la solution la plus simple c'est de me mettre un chapeau ou une casquette. J'ai trois casquettes réglables mais j'ai un grand penchant pour les fedoras. J'ai découvert cet exemplaire chez Accessorize à Carlisle (au nord de l'Angleterre), et j'ai réfléchi un peu avant de me convaincre qu'il était opportun de l'acheter. 

J'aime bien le porter par les jours sombres et pluvieux, mais cette fois le soleil a fait son apparition. Heureusement, je portais une robe noire aux épaules découvertes que j'avais achetée chez New Look. J'en ai une autre en bleu, achetée chez Motel Rocks, mais cette robe noire est un peu plus longue - ce qui protège ma modestie!

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SUNNY WHITES

It seems like the weather has taken a turn for the gloomiest of glooms today. Mama, who used to be a flight attendant back in the day, spotted the Cumulonimbus cloud the other day and said that this crazily hot weather would not be lasting much longer. I do enjoy sunny weather but cross that with heavy humidity, and super long and thick hair... You have one melting Kaori. Tying my hair up in a pony tail doesn't work because it feels like it isn't even up. I swear my hair adds at least 2°C.

I do love, however, how my hair stands out against bright white outfits like this one - especially if I have it is wavy! Here I am wearing a simple white cami from Topshop - a must have for any wardrobe as it can literally be worn with anything. I also have one in black and I recently bought one from Zara which has a beautiful scooped low back.

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A vue d’oeil, le temps devient menaçant aujourd’hui. Maman, qui dans sa vie précédente était hôtesse de l’air, a aperçu il y a quelques jours à peine des nuages cumulonimbus, et elle m’a dit que cette vague de chaleur accablante allait toucher à sa fin. J’aime bien un temps ensoleillé, mais si on ajoute une humidité élevée et ma chevelure longue et abondante: voilà Kaori qui fond sous la chaleur!! Attacher mes cheveux en queue de cheval ne sert à rien, car j’ai l’impression que rien ne change, qu’ils ne sont même pas attachés. Je vous le jure: avec mes cheveux la température monte d’au moins deux degrés.

Quand même, j’apprécie vraiment la manière dont mes cheveux se démarquent quand je porte une tenue d’un blanc éclatant comme celle-ci, et surtout quand mes cheveux sont ondulés. Dans ces images je porte un débardeur blanc simple de Topshop: un must pour n’importe quelle garde-robe, car il s’associe à toutes sortes de vêtements. J’en ai un en noir, et récemment chez Zara j’ai acheté un joli débardeur, arrondi et décolleté au dos.

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BLUE FLORALS & ZARA SALE FINDS

Having a capital city as small as the one we have in Luxembourg means that Christine and I are often very limited in places to shoot outfits whilst we are in the city centre. One of our favourite places to go is the Place Guillaume if there aren't too many people milling around. Another favourite is on the Rue de l'Eau. On this particularly sunny day we decided to wander down closer to the Montée de Clausen to shoot this outfit. The small square in front of the MNHA (Musée National d'Histoire et d'Art) also has a cute little cafe which Christine and I have yet to check out. We have a little list of places we have never been to in Luxembourg City but would like to try - including restaurants. We have already ticked off Brasserie LOL on rue Chimay, a couple of doors up from Golden Bean.

This top that I am wearing here was one that I found in Zara whilst in London a while back. I fell in love with the print as well as the blue and white combination of colours and how this top is semi-backless. The two bits of fabric at the back hang loosely which is great for those really, really hot days but not so great when there is a gust of wind! During the same shopping trip I also found this grey textured skater skirt and I of course had to pair the whole look with my favourite bag.

French coming soon... 

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SARDINIA SAILING PHOTO DIARY

It has certainly been a wee while since have spent time behind my laptop screen dedicating myself to fully to a blog post. I got back from an amazing trip in Sardinia a couple of days ago and it was so refreshing to not be thinking about uploading - hurray for scheduled posts and having an awesome best friend.

We set off from Portisco after getting our boat the previous night. I have to say the first day was really rough. We were all wearing our life jackets, holding on as the boat swayed whilst I utterly failed at holding onto my breakfast. That night the boys decided to stay in Porto Cervo which was not in the itinerary but we did get to catch the World Cup final whilst we had ice cream. After the first couple of rough days the weather became a lot better and our journeys smoother.

Each morning we would start off our day with a small breakfast and each time we set off I was so mesmerised by the views. I absolutely loved being out there on our own! One of my favourite days was when we sailed by Tavolara (check out this instavid). Later on we anchored near a fish farm where we  were promised dolphins haha. We took out the dinghy and, luckily enough, we spotted a pod of dolphins within minutes of motoring out! Two friends jumped in to see them under water and they went up to their faces. Okay, so, perhaps they were just a metre away, but how often do you get that close to wild dolphins! Two of us stayed in the dinghy and were able to see the dolphins swim directly below us. It was so surreal. Once all the other boats started to notice them I think they got a bit spooked because we didn't see much of them after that.

Another favourite moment of mine was when I slept under the stars. I had never done that before! And what better place than to do it on a boat in almost complete darkness? I just love staring up at the stars. It was such a beautiful night.

It was such an amazing trip and it was so great to hang out with old friends as well as make new ones. It was definitely a trip that I will never forget. I already miss these guys and being on the boat! If you ever get the chance to go on a sailing trip with friends do jump at the opportunity to do so. You will not regret it.

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Cela fait un bout de temps que je ne me suis pas installée devant l’écran de mon laptop à me concentrer sur un blogpost. Je viens de rentrer d’un séjour incroyable en Sardaigne, et il était vraiment reposant de ne pas penser à la necessité de télécharger des blogposts – grâce à des téléchargements préprogrammés et à une meilleure amie fantastique.

Nous avons quitté le port de Portisco après être montés la veille à bord du yacht. Je dois l’avouer, le premier jour la mer était très agitée. Nous avions tous mis nos gilets de sauvetage et nous sommes restés bien accrochés tandis que le bateau penchait d’un côté à l’autre. Malheureusement, je ne suis pas restée accrochée à ce que j’avais dans mon pauvre estomac! Le soir nous avons jeté l’ancre à Porto Cervo, qui ne faisait pas partie de notre itinéraire – mais nous avons mangé des glaces en regardant la finale de la Coupe du Monde. Après deux jours inconfortables, le temps s’est amélioré et notre progrès est devenu plus serein.

Nous avons commencé chaque jour avec un petit déjeuner léger, et chaque fois que nous avons pris le large j’étais émerveillée par les vues autour de moi. J’adorais être en pleine mer! Un jour – c’était vraiment un des meilleurs - nous avons navigué près de l’île de Tavolara (voir cet Instavid). Nous avons jeté l’ancre à côté d’une installation de pisciculture où l’on nous avait dit qu’il était possible de voir des dauphins. Nous avons lancé le canot en caoutchouc et après quelques minutes nous avons aperçu un groupe de dauphins. Deux d’entre nous ont plongé dans la mer pour regarder les dauphins sous l’eau. Curieux, les dauphins se sont approchés et les ont regardé de près. Eh bien, peut-être à une distance d’un mètre – mais c’est rare d’être si près d’un dauphin sauvage. Les deux autres qui sont restés à bord ont pu voir les dauphins qui passaient sous le canot. C’était une expérience surréaliste. Mais d’autres bateaux commençaient à arriver et les dauphins, peut-être effrayés, ont disparu.

Un autre moment que je n’oublierai jamais, c’était quand je dormais sous les étoiles. Je ne l’avais jamais fait auparavant! Il était formidable de dormir sur le pont d’un yacht dans une obscurité presque totale. J’aime vraiment regarder les étoiles. La nuit était superbe.

J’ai fait un voyage fantastique, et il était formidable de passer du temps avec de vieux amis et de nouer de nouvelles amitiés. Je n’oublierai jamais ce voyage. Mes coéquipiers et notre vie à bord me manquent déjà. Si vous avez la possibilité de partir en mer avec des amis, il faut saisir l’occasion. Vous ne le regretterez pas!

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