finally, lovestruck.: February 2007

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

mmmmmmmmmm!

i am so giddy! my mom got home from tuguegarao yesterday and apparently, she missed me! she brought home a lot of goodies for me! weeee! she gave me bebe blouses, a coach purse, white gold earrings with diamonds and a matching ring. the piece de resistance however was the calgon mmmmm! line. she gave me three sets containing lip gloss, lotion and body mist in cotton candy, marshmallow and vanilla swirl! i was so excited about all these especially about the vanilla swirl set because i am a total vanilla junkie. i was devastated when a body shop lady told me that they are discontinuing their vanilla line. i remember thinking of where i'll get my vanilla stuff, most especially my perfume! victoria's secret has a vanilla product but i think it smells too much of alcohol so i was scrimping my last body shop vanilla shower gel and perfume. imagine my delight when my mom gave me vanilla swirl! the packaging was so cute too and the smell is divine. it is sweet without making you nauseous, i swear. i loved the cotton candy and the marshmallow too. they make you smell so yummy and delectable! :) i can't wait to get the rest of the mmmmmm! line. for more information, you may visit the calgon website, http://www.takemeaway.com. i don't know if these products are already in the malls though being that my mom bought these from the states. but, you have got to check them out.

why am i being so giddy about vanilla? for those who don't know me personally, let me explain. vanilla is my signature scent. i've written about this here in my blog before at the time i started liking and wearing vanilla. my friend, ieth, told me that a majority of males tested associated love with the smell of vanilla. so when a girl is wearing vanilla, guys, most of the time, fall for her. and believe me, this is so true! i've gotten a lot of dates when i started using it or is it pure coincidence? nah, it doesn't matter because vanilla has a lot of benefits too. it has a calming effect and relieves the body of stress. it also initiates positive vibes and relaxes the whole psyche. look it up in the net and you'll see. :)

anyhoo, moving on, my mom also gave me her vintage LOUIS VUITTON bag! i am in handbag heaven! :) i know it costs a lot of money so i'm really taking care of it. oh, i love my mom to smithereens! i'll post a photo of it here soon. hehehe. :p *EDIT* i just looked it up in the louis vuitton website and i found out my bag is a SAUMUR! totally a classic LV bag! look it up in the website, http://www.louisvuitton.com.

aside from getting all these stuff, i had another reason to be happy yesterday. my mom took my cousins out for dinner and she asked me to pick the restaurant. being a bit lazy to drive far, i chose chocolate kiss cafe in roces avenue. besides, i missed eating at the UP branch so i'll settle for any chocolate kiss cafe fix! plus, my mom's treating us. i even brought my brother along and i had the hickory spareribs and some chix in a basket, which is some fried chicken breast with barbeque sauce and french fries. the food was superb! i even had the devil's food cake for dessert. around 9:20, my mom said we should get going but she asked me to pick out a cake to bring home. i chose carrot cake and asked the cashier if i could buy it with 20% discount since they do that after 9:30 pm. he said he'll give me the discount even if it's not after 9:30 yet IF i take pictures with three of the waiters. it was so funny because i noticed camera phones were aimed at me by the waiters the whole time we were there but i didn't think they were taking photos of ME! i thought they were just taking photos of the place. always game for anything and a sucker for discounts, i agreed. i felt like a celebrity being that they took turns shaking my hand and posing beside me. i was wearing a scarf last night and some vintage accessories so maybe, i should start wearing scarves more often now. hahaha. :)

another thing that made me really happy last night was how i convinced my mom to let me work while studying this coming june. i told her the advantages and besides, i would learn a lot here if i continue working. instead of JUST studying for four years, i'd be studying AND working for five years. i think that's an amazing feat and would knock the socks off my future employers. it would make my resume kick ass. that's more years of work experience and it would help me a lot in my chosen career. plus, i even convinced her to let me live on my own now starting APRIL! i chose to live in manila so that i can be nearer my workplace so i'm saying goodbye to quezon city, my comfort zone for five years! goodbye, comfort zone. hello, pollution and traffic! argh. but, i'm welcoming the change. it's about time i moved on from things that i've gotten used to so much already. i started househunting and i already found one i liked. i'm so excited to dress it up to my style and vibe! of course, it's good that my mom approves because fixing up a flat and vamping it up is going to take a lot of money and manpower. weeeee! my own place, at long last! my first venture into the real world and i am soooooo damn excited! mmmmmmmmmm! i love it!

Labels: accessories, personal thoughts, vanity

Friday, February 23, 2007

weekender post

the internet connection here in the office REALLY sucks. it disconnects every after a few minutes and we have to restart our computer server just to have the connection working again. argh. this is really irritating, being that i need to research about the things that i write about and when there's no internet connection, it makes things really hard. i believe in the power of google so please, please, destiny people, send someone smart to fix our connection unlike the mediocre guys you sent a while ago. they just tinkered with the computer and when they left, the connection wasn't working anymore! argh. how totally unprofessional. they didn't even make sure that it's finally working. i could rant and rant about this but i can't. it is a friday after all so i won't let this sucky connection disillusion my possibly fun, fun weekend.

this week has been average and tonight is the first night this week that i will go out. everyday, i just go to work, work out at the gym and then go home to eat dinner and watch episodes of ghost whisperer with hun. how utterly wholesome. hehehe. but, it's ok. sometimes i need this kind of routine to calm myself down and remember to breathe every once in a while. besides, i have finally reached the point in my life where going out at night almost every day of the week is boring and typical. hey, i am not tired of conversations over beer and drinks but i'm ok with doing it every once in a while only. i'm now the girl in sweats watching dvds at night with her boyfriend in matching sweats. typical, old couple behavior but i love it. :)

my friend, anna, told me that she is living the "nonchalant, arcie life." i laughed when she said this because it was so true. i was practically one of the most nonchalant people in the world for the longest time before when it comes to dating. i don't agonize over what the guy i just dated thought of me. i don't get jealous. i don't demand for time or for attention. i enjoy hooking up with them when i see them but i'm not one who fixes things and work at it to establish a relationship. i'm nonchalant about the whole, dating process. for me, we go out, we have fun and we part ways. if we go out again, then good. and if we don't, it doesn't matter. i was not in any hurry to get into a relationship and i wasn't even keen of following through and establishing one. it was fun and i loved it. i even miss it sometimes. the spontaneity, the premise of having no expectations, not getting hurt over anything just because he didn't remember to call and the chase. yes, the chase, the time when the guy realizes i'm nonchalant and he does everything to reverse that. i just didn't care before and it's exhilirating when you do things when and where you want it without compromising with some other person. it's liberating.

but, now that i'm seriously committed, i have settled down and found out that it's ok to be like this. be all fuddy-duddy and go out occasionally all glammed up. i am not nonchalant anymore but it is equally liberating. i feel safe and i have the feeling of being invincible because i have a person by my side whom i envision to be the one who will help me make all my dreams come true. he is my soulmate and i find comfort in the fact that he will never let me down nor let me go. the chase is still there and i still smile at every sweet gesture and word. i have been to both sides of the fence and they're equally fun. but now, i know it's time for me to be at this side. after all, sticking to one routine gets boring after a time. this is actually a refreshing change and i don't think i'll get tired of it for a very long time. it's a fuzzy feeling and it gives me a certain kind of high. you guys should try it! i think the era of having lots of boys is so forty-eight years ago now. ;p

and yeah, hun and i are going out for pizza later because i saw jennifer love eat pizza last night at one episode and i was seriously craving for it. pizza, pizza, pizza! see, we're going out for pizza! i'm officially a fuddy-duddy! but, i don't care if i am. now, that's something i can be nonchalant about. :)

Labels: date, personal thoughts

Thursday, February 22, 2007

an open letter to britney spears

dear britney,

i have been one of your biggest fans ever since i saw you on your video, "baby, one more time." i totally adored your talents as a pop singer as well as a performer. i was giddy everytime a new music video of yours came out on tv and i followed your career as much as i can on television, the newspapers, magazines and on the internet. i knew all of your songs by heart when i was in high school and though people during college smirked at me for saying i really, really like you, i continued being your fan.

i didn't care if they told me you had bubblegum music and none of it made any sense. i love your music and i still keep every CD you ever released including DVDs of your concerts. i even watched your movie, crossroads, and though reviews said it sucked, i thought it was a great, first movie for you. i was excited when you started dating justin timberlake because like my admiration for you, i also admired nsync back then. though i like justin for you, i understood you when you married kevin federline because i thought you have finally found the one.

now that your family and the people around you are pleading with you to get help, i am also joining their plea. please, please check back into rehab, britney. please get well and lose your addiction. then, after your stint in rehab, release your comeback album and surprise everyone by how smashing it is. stop partying like there's no tomorrow and try to spend time with your sons. lose the extra pounds and show up in hollywood looking hotter than before. hire a stylist. get a makeup artist and the best, damn hair extensions or wig out there that your millions can afford. please, please, britney. you can do all these, i know you can and i know you will if you'll just listen to the plea of millions of your fans all over the world.

i know that you may never get to read this but i believe in the power of the mind. i am channeling all these to you. i hope you'll clean up soon and come out as the pop princess you were and deserve to be. i will be looking forward to reminiscing with your fans in the future of how funny this phase in your life is and how happy we are you have moved on from it. you have a lot of potential as a performer and as a star that it is not impossible for you to make an easy but successful comeback.

i am rooting for you, britney. please don't let me down.

love,

starcie

Labels: movies, personal thoughts

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

weekstarter post

don't be afraid to speak up. please feel free to comment here. :) nice photo huh? notice the cocktail rings on my fingers? these rings are SO in right now. i am thinking of selling them. if you are interested to buy from me, leave me a comment with your name and mobile number or e-mail address and i'll get back to you. i can also make rings the way you want them! :)

i've enabled commenting again on my blog because i want to know what you guys think about what i blog about almost everyday. i realized i need some feedback especially now that my blog is evolving into more than something i write my daily thoughts in. however, to avoid nasty comments which are totally uncalled for, i am now moderating my blog's comments, meaning i have to approve them first before they get to be published online. i had a nasty experience about people who leave comments who are totally hurtful and rude even if i didn't have anything to do with them. these are people who take joy upon hurting others and i don't want these kind of people getting space in my blog. so to my friends out there in cyberspace, i am looking forward to your comments! fire away! :)

i was quite the lazy ass this past weekend. i didn't go to the gym at all because i was feeling tired from hanging out at the deadbeat friday night fair. argh. it was so boring. oh well, at least i got to see my journ friends, sorority sisters and some other people i went to college with. this was the silver lining. and oh, i got to meet an officemate of one of my closest friends who was a bit cute. hahaha. after nine months of not crushing on anybody, he became my first crush. he IS cute and looked smart and funny and clean. hehehe. he even reminded me a bit of kenji so that's what first endeared him to me. but after a night of being all giddy about developing a crush and gossiping with my friend, i decided not to have a crush on him anymore. aside from the fact that i am really, really committed, i don't want to be tempted to do anything that would possibly hurt my hunnybun. hurting him would hurt me. so, i decided not to pursue this crush. after all, the giddy feeling i experienced for over 24 hours is enough to sustain me for months. hahaha. i'm now happy cyberstalking him and asking for gossip about him from my friend. :P

i spent the whole day saturday sleeping, watching television and finishing the first 7 episodes of the fourth season of one tree hill. i can't wait for it to be completed on dvd! that night, hun and i watched apocalypto. it was a really long movie but it was worth watching for its cultural merits. you'll get to see an in-depth view of the mayan civilization's culture and how they evolved as a people. there were also sneak peeks on their rituals and their hunting and trapping techniques. it's a must-see for national geography freaks out there like me. hahaha. the subtitles are good too so it's no problem if you can't understand a word of mayan! haha. :)

one word: WHITE. this could pass for a detergent ad promising to give you the whitest white for your clothes! this was taken when hun and i were waiting for our food at pizza hut last sunday.

hun coaxed me out of bed on sunday though and dragged me to robinson's galleria where we ate at pizza hut. after stuffing myself with pizza and pasta, we were supposed to watch ghost rider but lazy me wanted to just buy a pirated dvd and watch it at home. so, we headed to st. francis square but no dvd copies were available yet. we then decided to buy the dvd of the first season of ghost whisperer. when we got home, we watched the first three episodes and it was sooooo addicting! it was so much fun watching jennifer love hewitt see ghosts while others can't and then see her help them cross over to the spirit world! it's perfect for late-night tv watching, the kind of show you watch just before you go to sleep. all you need is a chilly night and a fuzzy comforter and you'll be transported to their world! we're on episode 6 now and i can't wait to finish it and then grab season 2!

Labels: accessories, date, movies, personal thoughts

Friday, February 16, 2007

LURVE day date

of course, we're the quintessential mushy and can't-get-enough-of-each-other couple so we just had to go on a date. hunnybun was really prepared. on the night of february 13 before we went to the up fair, he gave me FINNY the dolphin! he then gave me a rose and LOADS of chocolates on february 14. we went to the mandarin oriental manila where we had a barbeque buffet and did some hot, salsa dancing! it was so much fun dancing with hunnybun, he's a quirky dancer! hahaha. here are some photos of that tres fabuloso date.

the arrival of finny the dolphin. this was taken before we went to the fair last tuesday. we brought home finny to meet his brothers but they were all envious of him because we keep on holding him! awww..he's still a baby so he needs extra care and attention. :)

finny's day out. here is finny in front of my computer last valentine's day. i just had to bring him to work! he's so cute.

kissing mom. this was taken during our drive to makati to go to mandarin oriental. finny loves mom so much.

hun's reserved table. this is so shalei and official-looking right? i loved it when i saw it on our table. hunnybun really prepared for this date!

who do i look like? hahaha. the grepa peeps told me i look like a showbiz diva who brings a microwave oven and tons of prada, valentino and other high-end branded clothes to shoots. guess who? sometimes, i don't think so but sometimes, i do because of photos like this. :P

the plate of a carnivore. this was what my plate looked like at the barbeque buffet. swordfish, chicken, pork, steak, etc! there were even german sausages! YUM. i LURVE meat. :)

now for my sweet tooth. apple cobbler with chocolate ice cream, sprinkles, cream and chocolate syrup. aaahh..heavenly.

sweet indulgence. strawberries with cream and chocolate syrup plus flourless, chocolate cake = sugar shock.

chocolate overload. these are some of the chocolates that hun gave me on valentine's day. i'm one spoiled and sugar-happy girlfriend! :P

more photos at my multiply site, http://starcie.multiply.com

Labels: date, photos

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

our road trip weekend

hunnybun and i went on a road trip last weekend! we overslept and didn't wake up early enough for our awesome planet's day trip so we decided to go by ourselves. without a map, directions and an itinerary, we drove to clark field, pampanga using my trusty vitara last saturday. we toured around the field at the international hot air balloon fiesta but we weren't able to see any balloons because we came late! anyhoo, it was ok because we got a feel of the event. we also had lunch there where we ate sisig and tokwa't baboy which was definitely a cholesterol overload! though we didn't see the hot air balloons, we saw the various flying exhibitions and oohed and aahed at their stunts.

around 1pm, we left clark and drove to subic to go to ocean adventure! we were supposed to go to zoobic but since we felt we had seen enough zoo animals at the tagaytay mini zoo two weekends ago, we decided to see dolphins, sea lions, false killer whales and fish! the dolphins were so cute and i had fun watching them do their tricks! the drive is a bit too long though at two hours from clark and the entrance fee is a bit pricey at P450. but, go if you want to see dolphins do some entertaining moves! i even convinced hun to buy me a dolphin stuffed toy for valentine's day as our fifth kid! i'm naming him dolfy! hahaha. :)

last sunday, we went to mandarin oriental manila to make reservations and pay for the barbeque buffet and salsa night at the poolside on wednesday, valentine's day. i'll blog about our valentine's day date later on this week so more on that soon. after making the reservations, we went to glorietta to eat at pho bac and do some malling. around 6pm, we drove home, ate dinner and finally got around to watching our blood diamond dvd! it was a very interesting movie but it was a bit dragging at the beginning. the acting and production design was superb though and leo definitely deserves an oscar this time. it's a must-see for leo fans out there like me! it's actually now one of my favorite films.

we also got some interesting mail last weekend! i'm posting a photo of both envelopes.

anyhoo, enough with my rambling, here are some colorful sneak peeks of that weekend. more photos at my multiply site though, http://starcie.multiply.com .

we've got mail! guess who got which envelope? though there's a bit of a giveaway at the corner of the photo. hehehe. :)

fast car. together we can get somewhere. teehee.

during lunchtime at the international hot air balloon fiesta. it was so hot there! we even ate spicy food so we were definitely scorched. the summer's coming, everyone!

under the sea. this is me trying to imagine how ariel the mermaid feels everyday. hahaha. :P

at the dolphin show. hun and i had so much fun watching the dolphins and false killer whales do their moves. when i become a gazillionaire, i'm getting a dolphin pet! but, i'm not going to keep him in captivity. i'll buy him an inlet somewhere and let him roam free! :P

i love dolphins! i wish valentine's day would come and i'd get my stuffed animal already! :)

at pho bac, glorietta. a friend said i'm getting hotter exponentially and that it maybe because i'm so in love! well, what do you know, i think he's oh-so-right!

the requisite coupley pic. spring rolls at phobac is love.

with two babies. here we are while watching blood diamond with our two youngest kids, fanty the elephant and nash the baby! they're so cute! :)

PLUG: up fair has already kicked off yesterday for the entire week! i'm going tonight so to those who want to experience a night of music, food and fun, let's go! i'm hoping to see a lot of friends there and pig out at the various food stalls! i wonder if emman's provincial org is still selling kapeng barako and doughnuts, hmmm..that i'm definitely looking forward to. see y'all! :)

Labels: date, personal thoughts, photos, road trip, vacation

Thursday, February 08, 2007

fuck that

for some fucked up, unknown reason, i seem to be forgetting NAMES and FACES of people frequently lately. for those people i don't see that much or talk that much to, i can't freakin' remember their names and worse, for some people who ARE actually acquaintances of mine, i don't recognize them when i meet or see them wherever. now, there's nothing wrong with my eyes because my doctor said i have 20/20 vision and i know i don't have amnesia but what the fuck is wrong with me? i happen to have a photographic memory but now, i am seriously doubting its existence.

argh. fuck that. i have to start going out more with other people. i can practically see my subconscious rolling her eyes at me with a look of disdain and disgust. i have become too sheltered with my world that the social butterfly side of me is lost and gone. oh phooey.

Labels: personal thoughts

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

spending time

the dad of one of my friends passed away recently and this had an eerie effect on me. i haven't met her dad ever before but i always read about him in her blog so i had managed to have a mental picture of him. he was relatively young to die so even if we were never introduced because there was no chance to, i felt a certain feeling of loss and grief. this incident made me pause for a while in my office cubicle and contemplate on how short life really is. i also realized how much i miss my mom and how it would totally devastate me if the same thing happens to her.

last night, i texted my mom and asked her how she is. she said she has been really busy lately because she now has 60 cars on display at her showroom. but, it's a good thing her cough is gone and that she is feeling better now. i miss her like hell because she has been staying at the province for the past couple of months now and been visiting for a couple of days here only. death made me want to spend more time with her and i vowed to myself that if i'll get some free time, i'll ride a bus going home and spend a weekend with my mom. i don't want to keep on postponing this so i have to do that soon before i never get around to doing it. until that time, i'll just keep on texting and calling her to make her feel how much i love her and how grateful i am that she is doing everything for me.

life indeed is very short. though i know i get away with pretty much everything making me the subject of envy of a lot of people, i still have a lot of things i want to do and accomplish in life. go to law school. travel. get married and have lots of kids. have a renaissance with my art and paint again. take photography lessons. learn how to swim. the list goes on and on. so many things to do but i have a feeling that i wouldn't get to do them all if i procrastinate and put things on delay.

i had my closest brush with death last july 16, 2005 when i got into a car accident where one of my friends died. i promised myself that time on that i will live a life with no regrets and do everything i want to do without hesitation. throw all caution to the wind, i say, and live my life to the fullest. now, more than ever, i reiterate that. however, i will add one more entry to my to-do list. that is, to spend more time with my loved ones, with the people who ultimately matter, with those few people who i want to be at my side when all my dreams come true. and that is that. :)

speaking of spending time with loved ones, last night with hunnybun was fun even if we just stayed home. we had dinner, watched some television and then popped a night at the museum dvd into our player. we watched this ben stiller movie while pigging out on potato chips, marshmallows, e-aji and cookies! it was a good comedy and i really enjoyed it but somehow, the twist felt shallow to me. the concept of having everything inanimate come to life at night was refreshing though and it was fun watching how the filmmakers put that concept into the silverscreen. heck, it's something that i would like to happen to me given that hunnybun and i have kids who are *gasp* really toys! don't tell them that! hehehe. anyhoo, it's a must-see for you guys if you just want to have fun and get a look at ben stiller's excellent comedic timing and expressions. the production design is excellent too. i give it three stars out of five! :p

later tonight, hun told me we're watching blood diamond. yey, hooray to leo! now, i can't wait for that. and then tomorrow, hun and i are driving to his hometown in bulacan to celebrate the town fiesta. oh boy, how provincial! i can't wait to play games at the fair and eat lots of cholesterol-laden food! :)

Labels: date, personal thoughts, road trip

Friday, February 02, 2007

eternal sunshine of the spotless hard drive

a virus had infected my trusty laptop last week so i immediately brought it to my favorite technician at sm north cyberzone. he said that i should have it reformatted to ensure that the virus disappears. of course, i wanted my laptop to get well so i said yes. he asked me if i wanted all my files and installed programs recovered but i surprised myself by saying no. all my files there were files i acquired and made during college and the photos there were all saved in my multiply site. i didn't feel the need to save anything and i felt it was time to let go of everything that remind me of my past. heck, college seems so long ago now and i feel that it is time for me to move on, to start filling a blank hard drive from scratch which will make me remember my life now when i try to look back to this time in the future.

i got my laptop at the end of the day i dropped it off. upon getting home, i turned it on and checked everything. it felt liberating to have an empty hard drive. it's like getting a fresh start of anything. i feel new and i am excited to see what kind of files i will get to fill it up again. this made me realize that all the removed files are not anymore reminiscent or symbolic of the person that i am now. if any, they speak of a different person, someone very self-centered and someone very superficial. at my laptop's reformatted stage, i see that it runs faster and accomplishes tasks quicker. this made me happy because emptying it seemed to be the right choice. it is empowering and i now feel like a new person, even like a kid with a new toy that i can't wait to use over and over again.

somebody told me that starting over is one of the most refreshing phases in life. it is when you get to realize the things you are really capable of, sans assistance from anyone or anything. it is also when you learn to figure out what are the qualities that make you uniquely you and what are the things or people you couldn't live without. for sure, you'd go back to them the first chance you get and imprint yourself with them again. some people might say that i am overanalyzing my emotions too much from emptying my laptop's hard drive. i say i'm not. though it seems insignificant, i know it is one of the biggest decisions i have ever made in my life as of today. finally, i have learned to let go of everything that may have held me back from doing the things i would like to do now. i feel like a totally, new person.

however, this new person that i am right now still loves the same person, my hunnybun. the first thing that i did with my empty hard drive? i saved all our photos from my burned CDs in it. it's my first step of establishing ME again in my computer, my first move in forming my identity as that toshiba satellite notebook's owner. as always, it comes back to him, it always comes around back to him. now, more than ever, this only established in my brain how much of a fixture in my life i want and need him to be. no matter how spotless my hard drive may come to be, our memories together are the ones i'd save over and over again. i wouldn't delete them or toss them over to the recycle bin. forever, i'd back them up, if not in CDs, flash disks, iPods, diskettes, they'd always be in my mind, my heart and my soul. forgetting would then be impossible and no amount of reformatting me or my laptop can change that.

************************************************

well, enough of my emo talk. hehehe. anyhoo, hunnybun and i went on a date last night. teehee. we had an all-you-can-eat dinner at thai kitchen, tomas morato and then, kopi and roti with kaya jam at kopi roti, tomas morato. the thai buffet was oh-so-delicious and affordable for 199pesos only! the buffet is only on tuesdays and thursdays though so if you guys want to go, better schedule it on those days. the food, especially the chicken and mussel dishes, are really good, i swear! you'll enjoy this buffet if you're a sucker for things sweet and spicy!

finally, i get to have a taste of the kopi and roti almost everyone in the blogosphere is raving about! the coffee is good but it's really nothing extraordinary but the kaya jam for the roti (french toast) is really good and sweet! it's the thai version of our coconut jam but it's colored green and has eggs in it. it's a must-try for those who love sweet stuff. it just occurred to me that last night was our thai night! hahaha. hmmm..doing this is fun! maybe for valentine's day, we'll try one cuisine that we haven't tried ever before and make it as a theme for the whole date! oh, i love sharing experiences with my hunnybun! :)