As I was passing...

That’s the title of the book that I am currently reading. I borrowed it from the library. It is a re-published collection of amusing anecdotes on the Malaysian way of life in the 1970s. A nice, light and easy reading material, a far cry from the mystery book that I always read. * smile* It came in 2 volumes, but I only managed to find one of them.


These anecdotes were written by Adibah Amin, a celebrated columnist for the New Strait Times in the 70s. “As I Was Passing” was the name of her column. She wrote under the pseudonym, Sri Delima ('the glow of the ruby').

I enjoy reading these stories, stories before my time. Like she said, “You may be amused by the contrast between the lifestyles then and now…yet, you may find surprising similarities." True. Some things like the tuition fever, the generation gap, and peer group tyranny, boys and girls crushes pretty much remained the same despite the passage of time. * smile *

I found myself smiling at them. Some stories really brought back the memories. The autograph fever for instance. As I remembered, during my primary school days in the 80s, having an autograph is a must. Every girl in school has one. Me? No exception. I begged my dad to buy me one when my ‘gang’ had theirs. Tida mau ketinggalan bah sama kawan-kawan yang lain….hehe…

Sentence like “I have a pen, my pen is blue, I have a friend, my friend is you”, “Friendship Forever” or words like FRANCE, which stands for “Friendship Remains And Never Could End” are the favourite messages written in the autograph. Some autograph-ists were even kind enough to stick a photo on his/her page, be it a current photo, childhood photo, colour photo or black & white one…any photo will do. In extreme cases, some even cut-out their face from a group photo….haha…janji ada gambar mo ditampal dalam autograph kawan!

I have not finish my reading yet. But so far, I really enjoy “passing” through the byways of life with Adibah Nor..oppps..Adibah Amin.

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Labour talk

My labour experience in summary:-


1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED? Not really..I was hoping that I conceive a few months later. But, I accept it with all my heart.
2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME? Of course.
3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS? Thrilled, happy, nervous…campur-campur la.
4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU? Nope. Why would I want to abort my first?!
5. HOW OLD WERE YOU? Late 20’s
6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? Urine test..using the pregnancy kit test and later confirmed by Dr.
7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST? Hubby.
8. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX? Yes, doesn’t everybody else? We have no complaint, be it a girl or a boy.
9. DUE DATE? 09 Oct but born 4 days earlier. I was scheduled to meet the Dr/nurse on the 9th. They must have expected me to give birth few days later. Hehe..
10. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS? Yes, but nothing major, occurred only in the 1st trimester. Thank God!
11. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE? Jackfruit, pisang susu (some call it “pisang hotel”), nasi ayam (the one sold in the Wisma Merdeka Food Court)
12. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST? The smell of cooking. Can't stand the smell of cooking oil, fried garlic and spices in the bak kut teh (I hate it until now.)
13. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD SEX? Female
14. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING?
Nope. I’m happy with my first born.
15. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY?
Pound? I don’t know. But in kg, I think 17kg. :)
16. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER? No.
17. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW? n/a
18. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY?
Again, nothing major. 2 mths before due date, my Hb dropped but it was back to normal after that.
19. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH? Hospital Likas (the old SMC building)
20. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR? Experienced contractions since morning but it didn't hurt that much, so I waited until hubby is back from work then only we went to the hospital. I was admitted at 07.00pm and delivered at 8.15pm. Had blood show the day before, but it turn-out to be false alarm pulak and was asked to go home. That's why I hesitated to go to the hospital when I felt the contraction earlier.
21. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL? Hubby
22. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH? Dr X…(can’t remember the name), midwife and nurses…
23. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION? Natural
24. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN? I sucked-in some Entonox
25. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH? 3.25kg
26. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN? 8.15pm
27. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER? Vanessa
28. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY? Coming to 1 year, 5 months

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Tag: Hobby

Sorry Mouren, it took me sooo long to do this tag. Hehe...I didn’t realize that this award came with a tag attached. So, here’s the long overdue list of my hobbies:-

1. Spending time with family.
2. Playing with daughter.
3. Reading fiction books (mysteries, investigation, adventure etc.)
4. Shopping (including window-shopping ya.)
5. Blogging (this is where I can write whatever I want…)
6. Going to the movies
7. Watching TV (series, reality shows, food & travel, cartoon)
8. Listening to music
9. Singing (hehe..only for my listening pleasure ok..)
10. Buying clothes for my daughter…(cannot tahan ler nampak baju budak yg kiut-miut…)

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Joke cum reminder


Moral of the story : In these days of cost-cutting, leaves the office early!!!

One senior colleague circulated this cartoon via e-mail. Obviously, he meant it as a joke (or a reminder), but some other colleague does not like it. I have no comment on that. Different ppl, different point of view, right ? *smile*

Anyway, during this period of economic downturn, we may find ourselves in the similar situation as the worker in the cartoon. So, don’t be surprised if we’re asked to leave the office on time. :)

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I Not Stupid

Hehe…this post has nothing to do with the 2002 Singaporean movie of the same title. It just that I don’t know what title to put, so I settle with this one.

Okay, I was supposed to join the thousands of hopeful nationwide to sit for one ujian bertulis last Saturday, but I didn’t. Yes, it is the preliminary screening test for the position of Pegawai Tadbir & Diplomatik that I am talking about.

When I got the notification from SPA, I was pretty eager to sit for it. It was my second call. I turned down the first because the timing is wrong. It coincided with the wedding of a dear friend. There will be another test, but there won’t be another wedding for my friend. So, I deliberately missed it.

After 6 months of waiting, another opportunity arrived. I was happy. Hubby was very supportive. Friends were happy for me too. I know, I know….it was only a test, nothing to brag about. There are two more interviews to go before you secured the job, not to mention training lagi. But passing this test would certainly bring me one step closer to serve in public sector.

At the last minute, I had a sudden change of heart. The eagerness, the thrilled feeling was all gone. I no longer looked forward for the test. In fact, I was dead sure that I wouldn’t be attending it. * sigh * What was wrong with me?? Finally, I got a second chance yet I blew it ??!

Some might say, it was such a waste; while others might say it was stupid of me. But, I have my own reason. I am perfectly aware that this job (IF I get it) will definitely need me to re-locate. (Hmm…funny, I didn’t think of that when I applied for it. ) The closest is probably Putrajaya. I don’t want to think about the farthest…*smile *

Re-location is what bothers me the most. Sure, I can bring along the whole family to the new place. Hubby is ok with it; while daughter is still too young to voice out her opinion. She’ll go wherever her parents go. * smile*

My real concern is my elderly mom. I don’t think she is willing to re-locate, no matter what. Hehe…I won’t even dream to pop her the question. I can imagine the fore-coming lecture, plus all the emotion. That is too much to bear * wink *.

Leaving mom behind is definitely out of the question. As a child, taking care of our elderly parents is our responsibility. If we have siblings, then we can share the responsibility. But being an only child, I am all she got to look after her since my dad passed away 14 years ago. Don’t get me wrong ya, I don’t have any complain about this responsibility nor do I see it as a burden.

I am only saying that it is why I am reluctant to apply for jobs that involve a great possibility of re-locating. That is also why I don’t apply for the on-going KPLI intake. If there is a guarantee that I’ll get to teach in school in KK area, I’ll be the first to apply for KPLI. Hahaha…I know, that will never happen.

So, why should I bother to go through all the trouble only to turn it down in the end? It will be better to make way for those who deserve it and want it. * smile* I have no regrets over the chances I missed.

Wah, it turn-out to be quite a lengthy post pulak. Hope it didn’t bore you. :)

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Pick it and Eat it.

I made a quick stop at the tamu yesterday evening. Like usual, I parked at the nearby CKS Supermarket parking lot. It was almost full. Lucky I found one vacant. Itu pun saana hujung-hujung suda. Parking space is hard to find on tamu days. Many would risks parking illegally. Silently praying that they won't get fined. Hehe...

There was a car, a few cars away from mine with its engine still on. The driver was obviously waiting for somebody, his wife or girlfriend perhaps. I guess he was just damn bored of waiting. Only God's know how long he's been waiting there.

He didn’t realize when I passed by. It was getting dark but I can still see him picking his nose. *smile * That’s normal. Everybody tend to do so when we thought nobody was watching…LOL. Even the Queen of England can’t deny this…hahaha.

Okay, to my horror, the guy did the unbelievable. HE ATE HIS BOOGERS!!! Oh my God! That was so gross! Urgh! If kids do this, I can understand. But, a full grown adult is just hard to accept.

I remembered an article I read in the paper a few years ago. According to this doctor, eating boogers is one of the best ways to stay healthy. Now, that is one weird fact. When I point it out to hubby, he said it was crazy. “Who, in their right mind, would eat their boogers?” he said. Now I know for sure, there is somebody who does : - the guy in car. Hahahaha....

So, what say you? Would you eat your boogers/dugot for health's sake? Ah, not me. That is not my cup of tea. Period.

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Crime Scene Investigation

Yay, my fav show is back. I’ve been a fan since it started. In fact, CSI was the main reason I got Astro installed at home…LOL. After watching the Pilot episode in first season, I got addicted to it and kept on wanting for more…and more.

I am so happy that CSI Season 9 is finally here. Been waiting for it for so long. The first episode will air tonight @ 10pm on AXN. Hehe…you bet. I won’t miss it, unless there’s a blackout in my area. Hmm…you’ll never know with the SESB. No rain, no wind, suddenly all in the neighbourhood goes pitch black. Just this morning there was a power interruption in my area. Luckily, it was for 10 minutes only. Don’t know what happened. Maybe somebody had accidentally switch off the power button for my area. Opps..I got carried away on this SESB thingy pulak….hehe.

Okay, there will be a lot of emotion going on in this season. One CSI will fall, another will leave and new faces will join in the team. Will CSI be the same without the former characters? Hmmm…guess we’ll have to watch the it to find out. * wink *

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Let's go green (2)

Yes, I changed my template again. I was satisfy with the earlier one but it was already used by Joyce. Macam inda berapa siok bah kan kalu guna template yang sama...hehe.

So, I decided to go hunting
here again for a new one. As soon as I saw this template, I fell in love with it . I want it so badly...* grin*, never mind la if I need to mekanik on the HTML code. * sigh* I not good at this thingy ya, it took me half a day to adjust the code. Hehe...thank God our server is still out. Plenty of time for me to do some trial and error.

Okay, that's it for today. I had enough of these code. I'll work on it again tomorrow as there are still some items that are out of order.

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Let's go green...

Hehe..it was free and easy for me in the office today. Thanks to our faulty server. I spent half of my day browsing the Net.

Hmm...all this while I have been using 2 column template, I got bored. So since I got plenty of time, I went browsing around here for new template. I was spoilt with what they have to offer. Soo many to choose from.

Finally, I decided to go green and choose this one. Frankly, it wasn't my first choice. I was going to get the one with flowers image but there was something about it that I didn't like. So, here it is, my page with a green theme.
Well, I'm still doing some touch-up on it, some item may be not in order. Pardon the flaw ya!

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Bunga-bunga cinta...

With Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, all the florists around the globe are busy putting up flowers for sale on that special day. Flowers are selling like hot cakes at this time. Good business for the florists *smile *.

To all the boyfriends and husbands out there, sure hope you guys already made your booking early. *grin* For those who haven’t, what are you waiting for? Go find the right flower for your love. You can get them in the traditionally way, i.e. go to the nearest florist, or you can order via the phone, or simply buy them online. They can deliver it for free.

Trust me guys, don’t want until the eleventh hour, because by the time, most flowers are already sold out! You don’t want to upset your lady right, especially on this beautiful day? Flowers never fail to please a girl’s heart, well, unless of course, she’s allergic to them. Hehe... While most of the women out there prefer rose; me, on the other hand, will appreciate gerbera more. I don’t need a bouquet; a single stalk will do. Hehe…this is a hint to dear hubby….* wink* Itu pun kalau dia ada masa tingu blog sia la… :)

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Fun 'letter' tag

I’m experiencing some brain-jammed now. I simply don’t have any idea to write about. I was more than happy when I noticed that KadusMama had tagged me with this meme. I found it interesting so decided to do it right away.

Yup, I agree with you Ty. It is indeed harder than it looks!

RULES : Copy to your own note, erase my answers, enter yours, and tag 10 people. Use the first letter of your name to anwer each of the following questions. They have to be real..nothing made up! If the person before you had the same first initial, you must use different anwers. You cannot use any word twice and you can’t use your name for the boy/girl. Have fun trying!

1. What is your name? Mama Mia
2. A four letter word : Mood
3. A boy’s name : Mark
4. A girl’s name : May
5. An occupation : Manager

6. A color: Magenta
7. Something you wear: Make-up
8. A food : Mundok (That’s ubi kayu aka tapioca in Kadazan..LOL)
9. Something found in the bathroom: Mirror
10. A place : Mahandoi ( A kampung/village in Penampang)
11. A reason for being late : My alarm failed to wake me up this morning , therefore I’m late to work! (Lame excuse huh?!)
12. Something you shout : Matai!!!
13. A movie title : My Girlfriend is a Gangster
14. Something you drink : Milo
15. A musical group : My Chemical Romance
16. A street name : Moyog
17. A type of car : Mahindra
18. A song title : Mary Had a Little Lamb

19. A verb : Measure

HAHAHA..I had fun doing this one. Let’s pass it to these ppl :- Just, Mouren, Ninie Jane, Nora,Kris&Nadia, The Dusun Aroma, Inobong Proper, Sumandak of Ranau

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Now and Then

Finally, we had our ex-3B1 reunion last Saturday morning. Well, a mini reunion is more appropriate for it. Out of 7 original 3B1 members, only 4 of us made it. The other 3 couldn’t make it due to various reason, ManD was working, Bet was not feeling well and Elly is in Tawau. Our last reunion with full attendance was on 2007 during Just’s wedding reception.

So, the 4 of us met at Tg. Aru, Rahayu Café as suggested by Just. It was an express reunion actually. Just was flying back to KL that afternoon. There was sooo much to talk about but so little time to spend. Nevertheless, we managed to update each other on life and works with motherhood as the main focus…hehe….

The reunion went well except for some uneasy feeling. There was this apek who was pacing to and fro silently at the sidewalk. At one time, he came over to our table and took a look at our faces! Phew..we were so relieved when he left and went back to the sidewalk. No doubt he was looking for somebody. But obviously, there was something wrong with him. Got a PHD (Permanent Head Damage) maybe...

We took quite some time staring at the menu, don’t know what to order. Hehe…At last we ordered the same, roti canai with leong fun susu and air jagung for iLLa. She also ordered a bowl of tomyam soup, just to try how good (or bad) it was. So, the verdict on the food? The taste was so-so but still edible la. The café was quite comfy though, and wifi is available.

Now : (L-R) Just, me, iLLa & Sab


Then : (L-R) Elly, Bet, me, Just, ManD, iLLa & Sab

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Sleepy...

That’s what I’m feeling now. Monday is supposed to be a busy day but not today. Well, at least for me la. I am bored. Nothing to do in the office. While colleagues in PJ are enjoying their replacement holiday for Thaipusam, here in Sabah, it’s working like usual. No half day for Chap Go Meh either. But strange, even with so much free time…I’m not in the mood to blog-hop. So, to prevent me from dozing-off to la-la land, I typed this quikie post. * wink*

How’s your weekend? Mine was fine. On Saturday, I went to our ex-3B1 reunion. * sigh* Looks like I have to re-schedule the post to tomorrow. Actually, I already finished typing it but darn, I forgot to download the pic from camera. Cis! Hmm…tida syiok bah bercerita teda gambar ni…felt like lost saja. Hehe…picture says a thousand words bah urang bilang.

Yesterday, I took mom to visit my Aunty house in Kg. Maang. It’s been a while since the two sisters met each other. Bila suda berjumpa, banyak la story mo share…..Spent 3 hours there but it felt like only a few minutes. I had an enjoyable time too, chatting with cousins like nobody’s business. Even daughter had great time…bonding with her cousins

Notice the little copycat, trying to imitate her cuz,Terry's action. :)

P/s: Happy Chap Go Meh to all !

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Anime Nodame Cantabile

Hey, you guys watch anime? Well, I do. There’s a new anime series coming up on Animax, Nodame Cantabile. It is available from Monday to Friday at 7.30pm, starting tonight. Judging from the synopsis, I think this one has an interesting story line.

This comedy is about two persons who found love amid the classical music. Shinichi Chiaki, a top student in a music academy aims to be a conductor and has a phobia of flying. Megumi Noda (Nodame) is a messy yet talented pianist who falls in love with him. Along the way to success and happiness, they struggled to overcome their fears. Oh, I’m all excited to catch the debut tonight.

Well, I won’t say that I am a die-hard fan of anime but I do click on to Animax Channel 715 from time to time. I simply enjoy anime with cute characters and an interesting story line. Hmm..there are probably thousands of anime fans out there that are eager to talk about this topic. Yeah, if you’re a fan of something, you can talk and talk about it for ages. Never drained out of ideas for it. *smile*

Ah, I know just the place you can do that. Join Anime Chat Room now and start chatting with the anime buffs all over the world. It is absolutely free of charge. This is a great platform where you can exchange your opinions on anime. You can even broadcast yourself and let other people sees you and in the same time, you are also able to checkout their broadcast. What are you waiting for? Go create an account for yourself and begin seeing and communicating with all of the users on this website right away!

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SOS! I'm in hot soup....

I’m in trouble. I made a promise last year. *sigh * Now, I am not too sure if I can keep it. Been procrastinating for a while to buy me some time. But now, the person whom I promised is demanding it ASAP. No more compromise! :(

I promised hubby that I would buy him the same Jay Chou CD to replace the one that I’ve ruined *sigh*. It all happened on one sunny day. I left the CD lying on the car dashboard while the car was parked under the blazing sun. You probably can imagine what happened to the CD. The inner side of it, at the middle was melted. The entire inner surface was dotted with some sticky stuff from the anti-slip mat. Hmm, I got an earful from hubby dearest for my stupid mistake. However, am not complaining about that. It was MY mistake after all. When hubby demanded that I buy him a similar album, I agreed instantly. It was his favourite CD.

After months looking for it in the record shops, I still cannot find one. L It was an old album actually. The songs are very good too, especially Bu Neng Shuo De Mi Mi (Secret I Can’t Tell) and Cai Hong (Rainbow). I tried to bargain with hubby. (Minta kesian la bah kunun..hehe..) I offered to buy him a new album that contained these two songs but minus the others. The reply I got was “ NO! “. He wanted all 19 songs. * faint*

I haven’t give-up hope completely. I can download them from the Internet. But the biggest problem is I hardly can read the Chinese characters. I haven’t read a thing in Chinese since Primary Six. Whoa, that was 18 years ago. How am I going to search them if I can’t even read the songs title??! Aduss…die la like this!

I’ve cracked my brain trying to decipher the titles. Out of 19 songs, I’ve managed to get 8 of them. Not bad juga la kan…hehe… The clock is ticking and I’m stuck. Can’t go any further. That leaves me with the last option.

I need to find somebody who can read Chinese. During the CNY, I was supposed to meet-up with my BFF who happen to be a Chinese, but due to each other’s busy schedule, we couldn’t make it. Now she already flew back to KL. *sigh * I don’t have many close friend who are Chinese literate. Sure, I’m still in touch with my old primary classmates, but they are in the same category as me, barely knows any Chinese characters. I tried asking help from one colleague but she was a bit reluctant. Can’t blame her though, with all the account works she need to look at, she simply doesn’t have the time to give attention to small things like this. Mana ada masa mo layan benda remeh-temeh macam ni kan…Eventually, I need to find someone else to help. But I haven’t found that someone yet. * sigh *

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My CNY story...

Holidays are over, now back to work. I’ve resume work on last Friday while others were still enjoying their holiday. :)

CNY this year was celebrated in moderation. On the eve, while daughter was sleeping, I was testing my luck on gambling…hehe. What else but my fav game, the “Ketam-ketam”, to kill-off some time while waiting for the clock to strike midnight. If you’re wondering, I didn’t lose ya… but didn’t win much either…balik pokok saja urang bilang. Hahaha…

I woke daughter up just before midnight. I was afraid that she’d get shocked with the loud sound of firecrackers and fireworks. When midnight strikes, the neighbourhood was showered by fireworks and the ear-deafening sound of the bodilan. Daughter enjoyed watching the fireworks. She even refused to have her ears covered when the bodilan erupted! Nasib baik la she didn’t ask to go nearer as we watch the bodilan show from inside the house.

Open house was held on 1st day of CNY, only attended by close relatives and friends. Invited some friends from KK but they couldn’t make it. Probably have their own plan…besa lah time cuti-cuti ni kan. We didn’t go to any house either. Nevertheless, daughter still managed to collect some angpows…hehe…. Obviously, all the aunties and uncles couldn’t resist this adorable sight, some more when this lil’ girl greeted them the “Gong Xi, Gong Xi” gesture accompanied by a wide grin. :)
A pair of “Lion” came to perform the Lion Dance in the afternoon. There was not a single fireworks sound at the lawn. The guys in the house already used-up all of them the night before, out of stock suda!

On the 2nd day, hubby’s uncle was getting married. The mass was held in SFX Keningau. Reception was held at the groom’s residence…just 5 minutes drive from my in-laws’ place. The theme was green and yellow. Even the pair of "lion" were clad in both colours, as requested by the man of the house aka FIL's uncle (Not sure what is the most appropriate term to call him? Little help here pls.)

Hmm, I wasn’t aware of this theme until the day before. Apa lagi…last minit shopping la! Luckily, we managed to find this lovely dress for daughter at Milimewa, only RM13.50. It’s a bit too long for her but MIL had no time to alter…pakai saja trus selepas cuci. Don’t count on my sewing skill ya, it is very poor. Am only good at fixing loose button. LOL.
Oh, we sort of broke one of the family traditions this year. Instead of taking group photo in the house, SIL came up with the idea to have a photo session at the studio. So, on the 3rd day, off went the whole family to a nearby studio. After the session ended, we drove back to KK. Took a quick shower and off we went to nephew’s birthday party. What an exhausting day it was. Daughter fell asleep as soon as she hit the pillow. * smile *

So, that’s how I spent my CNY holidays. It’s tiring but we all had a good time and that’s all that count! :)

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