Travel

Ten Days in Turkey: 10

13:48:00 Neona 0 Comments

Time is honestly sped up when you're abroad as it feels like these ten days have come and gone so quickly!! Today's been relaxed as we finished packing for the return journey and also took one last trip to the mall to pick any extra souvenirs. We're trying to stay as well rested as possible as we're getting up at a God awful time to make it for the flight.

*fast forward back home*

The drive to the airport felt surprisingly short compared to the eternity when we arrived, we checked in nice and quickly and boarded with no fuss. The plane journey was quite nice, I watched the Maze Runner and spent most of the time appreciating Dylan O'Brien. Getting back home is always a weird sensation as you're back to a familiar place however it's slightly foreign because you'd spent so much time away. Regardless, I was happy to be home, I found my old set of glasses so I could finally take a break from contacts and went straight into the practically empty kitchen to salvage a meal. 

So this concludes my journey through Turkey, hope you've enjoyed reading what I've been getting up to and I hope to do another instalment like this at some point!



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Travel

Ten Days in Turkey: 9

13:48:00 Neona 0 Comments

We spent the majority of today on board a large pirate ship, where I learnt the ropes of a pirate's life (not really). Instead we sailed along the beautiful coast, making a few stops along the way for swimming in the warm Mediterranean and visiting the caves. We were allowed to jump into the water from the top deck of the boat which was really cool however because of my mishap with my glasses, my contact lenses dictated I do no such thing. Instead I very carefully slid myself into the water from the ladder and proceeded to tread water and avoided anyone who was splashing around.

The first stop was at the bottom of the castle where from the sea you can see the full extent of it and how much work must've gone into building it. We had a 15 minute swim break and then it was time to move on.


The next stop was a bit of a nature spotting task. We had to strain our eyes to find mountain goats which was well worth it because it was quite funny to see them living life up on a mountain like it was no different to being in flat ground.

We then sailed along some picturesque scenery, where I spent my time looking out to sea in awe, taking pictures and actually managing to make a friend. It was then time for a delicious lunch before the crew on board the ship called us up to do the Macarena (who could decline?). We turned around, beginning our journey back to the docks and it was at this point the crew did a little show. It was amazing to see people diving down from cliff faces toward the crystal clear water, not unlike fish!

After we docked, it was back to an intensely packed and hot coach that dropped us back to the hotel where we all relaxed before packing a little bit.

Tomorrow is our last day and I'm definitely very sad to leave, it's so serene and just immensely picturesque I'd honestly love to stay!





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Travel

Ten Days in Turkey: 8

13:47:00 Neona 0 Comments

I keep forgetting to post and I feel lousy but I'll use the lack of good signal as my excuse..?

We got to visit the shopping mall today and it was a good trip!! First of all the air con was so good I actually forgot I was in such a hot country and second it was nice to do a spot of shopping in a commercial shop which felt a little bit more familiar. I also managed to buy all the souvenirs and treats I wanted to take back home to my friends (plenty of Turkish delight of course). A few shops I recognised from my trip to Denmark (Only and Vero Moda) and the rest were some Turkish brands I'd seen a few branches of during my last few days here. The whole family bought a few unique clothes each and we left feeling very satisfied. We returned back to the hotel for a few hours to both take back the stuff we'd bought and also to relax for a while before we returned for another round of the rest of the shopping centre. I even got to try some genuine Turkish Baklava, which was delicious! 

Today we had to have an early night because tomorrow is a boat trip along the coast, we get to go on board huge pirate ships and have a little history lesson about the area and also real pirates of long ago. This'll be the last trip of the holiday (sigh) but I'll make the most of it!


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Travel

Ten Days in Turkey: 7

10:32:00 Neona 0 Comments

A week. A week. A week! Time flies when you're on holiday, honestly before I know it I'll be back in my bedroom as if I'd never even left! Forgetting my impending return home, today was quite nice as we once again ventured into the town centre's night life. I genuinely love Turkey at night, it's cooler so you can actually walk ten metres without gasping for air, dripping in sweat and also it's so much more vibrant and alive- probably because everyone isn't dying of heatstroke. We decided to take a different route today, going right into the centre of the centre, which ended up being a good idea as we stumbled across a little serene garden with a pretty pond. We did a bit of window shopping before realising we'd walked quite a long way and forgotten the way we came. So we wandered until we found a familiar area, hopped into a taxi and went back to the hotel. Tonight was the fire show, so naturally we were inclined to watch as who doesn't enjoy a human taking on dragon-like qualities? The man performed various tricks drinking copious amounts of alcohol before spitting it over torches and creating a mini inferno. It was a lovely end to the day and as soon as I got into bed I fell asleep!

Tomorrow we're going to a visit the local shopping centre, hopefully it'll be a really nice (and cool) place to hang around for a few hours.



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Travel

Ten Days in Turkey: 6

08:24:00 Neona 0 Comments

Today was what I like to call the 'meh' day. It's that point on holiday where you've kind of done all the touristy things so now you can just lie low and go here and there without much of a rush. I started the morning off with a swim, enjoying the cool pool and water slides we had at the hotel. It was nice to jump into the pool without having to leave the hotel as I could do everything at my leisure. We stayed in the hotel until after lunch, going on a little stroll to the beach to find out if my glasses had returned to the shore (they hadn't sadly). After dinner we had decided to go out again as we knew how enjoyable the night life was here, however we instead stayed back for a little show the hotel was putting on. The main part being a belly dancer who (against my will) thought it'd be a great idea to ask me to join her and dance alongside her. To awkward to decline, my mortified self stood up and tried to do as the lady did, failing miserably and for once being happy I couldn't see because I didn't have to acknowledge the faces staring back at me. In my head I kept telling myself it was all in the name of a good holiday but really I couldn't wait for it to be over. After an agonising eternity we took our bows and I sat down, both glad I'd done it and glad it was over. We enjoyed the night a little while longer before it was back to our room for bedtime, we were all pretty tired even though the day was essentially uneventful!


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Travel

Ten Days in Turkey: 5

19:26:00 Neona 0 Comments

I've hit the half way mark!! Five days in and Turkey is still so amazing. Today we went to Water Planet, a huge water park which we took huge coach to get to. The route was very similar to the way we came from the airport so it was really nice to see all the places in daylight as opposed to the darkness we arrived in. When we reached the park it was clothes off and swimming costumes on! Straight onto the array of slides, we went on a few before retreating to the wave pool which was nice to relax in and play about. About and hour was spent playing around, doing handstands and various other tricks really having lots of fun. After this was lunch, where I ate nothing out of the ordinary (chicken nuggets) and we then had some time to lay around on the sunbeds and I attempted to people watch half blind. Playing in the water for so long had it's consequences however, we were all extremely tired by the end of it and had a lovely long nap on the coach back home to the hotel. We rested until dinner and after that it was chill time with family before bed time. It had been a really good day!

I thought I'd also take to today to tell you about a little Turkish delicacy I believe to be called Rivani. These are moist cakes soaked in syrup which could turn into your guilty pleasure in an instant. Luckily you can only have a small amount as they are quite sickly sweet but nonetheless a delicious treat which I've enjoyed a lot during my stay!

There's no real plan for tomorrow, so ill just take the day as it comes and try to enjoy it as much as possible!



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Travel

Ten Days in Turkey: 4

21:48:00 Neona 0 Comments

Sadly today didn't start off as the great day I'd hoped it'd be. We woke up nice and early preparing to go to the beach, had a nice breakfast and set off at around 11:30. It was a short walk and before I knew it I was facing the beautiful sea. This is where the bad part kicks in- I went straight for the sea with my glasses on got hit by a wave and lost them to the water. This is devastating to me becuase not only am I half blind without my glasses, replacing them is going to be a struggle and I've got to have contacts for the rest of the week I'm here. Contacts as some of you may know can only be worn a few hours a day so this means half the day or more I have to stumble around blind and I'm so upset! Hopefully when I get back home I'll get a new pair fairly quickly as wearing contacts all the time is both tiresome and can't be done for too long.

For the rest of the day I tried not to mope around, instead I played with my siblings, staying out of the heat. We returned to the beach briefly in case by some miracle my glasses had washed up on shore but to no avail. In the late evening we went into central town again to see what the night life there was like and it was very lovely indeed! We met lots of lovely people as we walked past the shops and by 11:30pm we realised that Turkey never sleeps! All the shops were still open as usual and life continued as if it were just 3 in the afternoon. My mood was completely lifted by the time I got home!

Let's hope there are not sad stories to tell tomorrow and also that the seas open up and deliver me my glasses (I wish).



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Travel

Ten Days in Turkey: 3

07:33:00 Neona 0 Comments

Today has been such a good day I really want to do it over! We did the day safari tour which started at about half nine and went on until roughly 3pm. We were picked up from the hotel by a very friendly tour guide called Sabri, who played loud music and was extremely cheerful. At first we were taken to the tour company's headquarters to get organised and then we went on our way to the first stop- the castle.

1: The Castle
This place had one of the most beautiful views I've ever seen. It was right above the docks so we could see the boat tours  below and it was like a scene from a pirate movie! By this point I was already itching to see more of the beauty Turkey had to offer.


2: The Camel
A short drive a way was a little cliff on which a man, with his daughter ran a little camel business. For a minimal price I was able to sit on the camel who, through it all was very calm (I guess he/she's used to it bless him/her) and welcoming as person after person sat upon it's hump.


3: The Water Fight
We were at this point each given a water gun and some water and were told that each Safari car was like a team, we could shoot each other to our heart's content. All of a sudden, the once friendly tourists in each car teamed up together and before we knew it they gathered water, aimed and shot. In an instant we were soaked, laughing, screaming and firing back. Adults turned to children and children turned into bigger children! At any stop off we were stealing eachothers water bottles and trying to make sure we had enough 'ammo' to fight for as long as possible. Quite cleverly the company had managed to both cool us down and turn us into the biggest kids in town, which made a great bonding exercise for us onboard the car.
*no picture here obviously becuase I didn't want to jeapordise my phone*

4: The Mountain
This was the more nervy part of the trip, as we ascended higher and higher all we could see as we looked either side of us was a steep cliff. This was pretty nonetheless so it was still enjoyable and it was amazing to see the towns below, tiny like a children's playset.



5: The Little Village, Parts 1 and 2
We were next taken to a little village which was still inhabited by people who stayed away from the modern world and still lived a very rustic lifestyle. We were offered some flatbreads which we topped with chocolate and happily ate before making our way to the second part of the village tour. Here we met a little old couple who lived in a small house with low ceilings and lots of patterned rugs on the floor. They welcomed us into their home and offered us homemade natural green tea, and as a lover of green tea I can say that this is some of the best green tea I've tasted. Quite often green tea can be bitter however here it tasted very herbal and refreshing, which I really enjoyed!




6: Food, Waterfalls and Cold, Cold Water
Our last stop was where we also got to have lunch, which typically I've found with Turkish food is meat, bread and plenty of salad. Where we ate lunch was surrounded by fresh water, which was straight from a waterfall. We were invited to swim however the water was beyond freezing so I could only muster a little paddle up to my mid calf (before I literally felt numbness in my legs). After lunch we walked further in so we could see the bigger waterfall which to none of my surprise was just as appealing as all the other places we'd visited so far. As I took in my surroundings I was engulfed in a feeling of serenity, I realised how beautiful the natural world is and how much of it I'm yet to see!



At last it was time to return home, we said fairwell to the new friends we'd made and exchanged contacts in case we were to meet up again in the future- which I really hope we do because they were so nice!!

The return trip back to the hotel was a lot quicker than expected and once we arrived we had a quick shower to freshen up and then it was relaxing time where I caught up with friends online once again and went on a little walk where I met a pleasant little cat who followed us around for a bit.

Tomorrow's to be a 'chill day' at the beach which beats a chill day back home (Netflix and Twitter) by a thousand miles!


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Travel

Ten Days in Turkey: 2

10:03:00 Neona 0 Comments

Hello again everyone!!! I'm yet to die of heatstroke so I guess this is be perfect time to talk to you about my second day in Turkey. 

I woke up at around 9 and the first thing that hit me was the heat, I see heat becoming a recurring theme through this blog series (what did I expect?). I skipped breakfast this morning A) because by the time I'd gotten dressed the breakfast buffet had been cleared downstairs and B) because I wasn't feeling too good- which normally happens when I go on holiday so I'm used to it, *sigh*. We came downstairs which is where the wifi is so naturally I chilled for about an hour or so, posting and catching up with friends.

After a quick lunch, we set off the the beach which has to be my favourite part of Turkey so far. I love that it's so close to where we're staying so I can walk there and relax as frequently as I like! We all had a little splash, and got very sandy- which is alright when you're still at the beach but try walking in your converse afterward- but honestly the heat was almost unbearable so we made the little trek back home to cool off and get ready to go into the centre of our little town. We went by taxi this time, and the journey was really short so we were there in no time looking at the array of market stalls and shops. The workers were very friendly as it seems everyone here is and we felt really welcome as we window shopped and took in our new surroundings. A stop off at the local McDonald's was much appreciated and what better company than Ronald McDonald himself and a few cats? 

The taxi ride back home was nice as we drove alongside the beach and one back at the Hotel we had dinner and back in side to relax before sleep becuase it's the safari tomorrow!! I'm very excited to explore more of Turkey, see you tomorrow :)

Also I'm sorry to say that my wifi connection isn't strong enough to upload to VSCO so I can't :( if anything changes/ I will update!






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Travel

Ten Days in Turkey: 1

09:38:00 Neona 0 Comments

I can barely call this day 1 becuase I've spent the whole day travelling but I promised I'd update you and an update you shall get! No matter how small and uneventful it may be.

So I set my alarm last night for 4:20am in order to have an unrushed morning today, however we all know that after being off school for about 8 weeks sleeping at half midnight and waking up anytime before 9 would be asking for a little (a lot actually) too much. I groggily woke up at 4:20 as my phone chimed, switched off my alarm and went back to sleep until my mum woke me up at 5:15.. Whoops? 

*skips the getting ready bit and journey becuase there's noting special about my morning routine or the route to the airport*

...Upon arrival we did all that airport-y security stuff and then once in duty free I headed straight to Zara in which I bought a desperately needed White halterneck and a pretty patterned button down skirt. There was a little wait and then we boarded the plane. We ended up playing musical chairs as my siblings couldn't decide exactly where they wanted to sit- typical. The plane journey was 4 hours and I'm the time I napped and watched one of my favourite movies Avengers: Age of Ultron again becuase who can get fed up of the Avengers? (The answer being no one).

After plane journey number one to Istanbul, we changed to plane number two which was only 45 minutes so it wasn't interesting. 

*sorry I got in really late last night so I'm posting this on day two even though it's day one*

FINALLY we reached the area we were staying in and it was hOT- like very hot. Bags were picked and we entered our little shuttle bus to the hotel, a journey I thought would only be about an hour? I was terribly terribly terribly (and add about 3 more terribly's) wrong. It was around three solid hours travelling becuase Turkey is an apparently huge country I've now learnt! But it was interesting, the buildings were beautiful and very large which made the tiresome journey a little less tiresome. After three long hours, we arrived at the hotel and by then I was so tired I crashed out after a cold shower and a little bit of reading :)

So although day 1 wasn't really in Turkey, it was still quite interesting!! Stay tuned for day 2 later today which will be a lot more interesting...




VSCO: withinthecity.vsco.co

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Travel

Ten Days in Turkey

18:56:00 Neona 0 Comments

As a lot of you probably don't know, I'm going to Turkey tomorrow and I thought it would be a good idea to update you guys daily with a journal post on VSCO. I've recently gotten quite into the app and I thought it very clever that you could use it as a photo journal, a way to document your life quite nicely. They layout is clean and simple which I love. Sadly , my WiFi will be limited but I will try as hard as I can to keep you guys posted on my daily travels in Turkey! Keep an eye out here on my blog and also my Twitter for other little things I may upload also :) I'll attempt to stick to a certain time range as well but I guess we'll just have to see how it goes...

Find my VSCO at: withinthecity.vsco.co!



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Food

A little taste of Korea

14:36:00 Neona 0 Comments

I love food. I mean, honestly I'm up to try anything; cuisines of all sorts intrigue me to no end and I'm always excited to get the opportunity to try something new. Luckily for me the chance arose recently when my friend decided she was taking us out to a Korean restaurant for her birthday. My knowledge of the Korean cuisine went as far a kimchi, a pickled cabbage spicy side dish that I'd heard plenty about but had yet to try. I was excited to finally see what the hype was all about and also to get the opportunity to delve into other Korean meals. Fast forward, and I was face to face with Gogi- a pretty little Korean restaurant. Our party of nine took our seats and we began to order what I can honesty say was some of the best food that had ever graced my taste buds. The first thing we ordered (to my excitement) was the famous kimchi, I'd revised how to use my chopsticks correctly- although I was a little bit shaky- and the taste test began. Kimchi. is. AMAZING. It's got the perfect amount of spice, it's refreshing and it's just plain delicious! After that Korea had my complete faith and I was ready to eat some more, we finished off our starters and moved on to a selection of mains. This, consisted of various barbecued meats, plenty of colourful salad and little rice pots and sauce dishes. I tried everything, and enjoyed everything; the food was so flavourful and fragrant yet remained light and healthy. I personally accompanied my meal with some hot green tea, however my friend chose an iced plum tea which she wouldn't stop banging on about. We all decided then to order our own round of this 'amazing' drink and once again I was not disappointed. We sat around our table wondering how any beverage could taste so good, vowing to return purely for the plum tea (we weren't joking either). Finally the bill was paid and we decided that our outing should not end there, we made a little trek to the park and relaxed, playing a hilarious game of charades as well. 

As the late afternoon approached we decided it was time to go home, still slightly full from our 'banquet' but satisfied all the same.











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Lifestyle

Prom 2k15

13:48:00 Neona 0 Comments

Well it's practically been an eternity since I last posted but I'd like to think exam season is a valid excuse to stay hidden away for a little bit. My exams are over now and to conclude my time at school we celebrated with prom. Anyone who knows a girl knows that prep for these large events can start months in advance; and I'm no different sadly. I got my dress back in April and after that everything just fell into place. Fast forward to Friday 12th June and I started my day at the hairdressers, I was pinned prepped and partially prom ready! Next I went up to my local Bobbi Brown store to have my makeup done by Lauren who was so lovely and did my makeup amazingly. Before I knew it I was stepping into my dress, doing a few final touches and getting into the car on my way to the venue. When I got there I was full of nervous excitement I met up with my friends and thus began what I like to call 'The Papparazi Parents'. Picture after picture after picture which I really can't complain about because they were really good. We went inside and the party began. A brief speech and prayer on the teachers' part, compliments were thrown back and forth, a meal was eaten and then we made our way to the dance floor. I honestly cannot say I've ever danced more in my life, I just let go and had the night of my life! However a good night is never truly good without the feeling of your feet losing circulation with every. step. you. take. After every song I'd find someone to rip my heels off my feet and hobble to the toilet where I'd rest a little before slipping the 'feet coffins' back on and dancing another round. All in all the night was amazing, it was brilliant to see all my favourite teachers having a drink and enjoying themselves and also my peers having an amazing night celebrating the end of exams and the end of an era together. As the night drew to a close, we said our final goodbyes knowing a lot of us wouldn't see each other again and me and a few friends made our way back to my house for a sleepover. Upon getting home we were knackered, pjs on and makeup off we played cards against humanity for a little while before retiring in my living room which had been turned into one massive floor bed. Morning came, a full English breakfast was had and we set about chilling for the day, we watched Case 39 and relaxed; reminiscing over the night before. As the day drew to a close everyone went home and I was left to think over the last five years I'd had with some of the nicest people I've met and the best memories I could possibly take with me. Amidst my complaints about my school I've really grown to love it and wouldn't have had the last five years any other way :)







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Food

Healthy isn't always boring

21:15:00 Neona 0 Comments

New year and you decide maybe it's time to finally go on that diet you've been putting on hold for five maybe six years? Let's face it, you look at all that salad and your tummy groans in despair, how are you going to survive on a carrot? We've all been there, backed out on a diet after trying for half a day to stay away from the cookies, the cakes and the chocolate. Honestly even now as I write this I should be trying to 'diet' but I prefer the term "loosely perfecting my eating habits" because to be quite frank, diets are hard and unless you are totally motivated and maybe also out of school sometimes you might get stuck for ideas on how to improve the way you eat. In this post I've decided to leave a 3 recipes/ snacks that are really healthy and that you can incorporate into your diet in order to slightly improve what you're taking in without the full commitment of a diet.

1) Health drink smoothie-type thing
I have no idea what it's exact name is but all I know is that it tastes delicious and is super quick, easy and cheap. All you need is fruits like apples, pears, grapes, berries of any kind and then carrots, cucumber and some kale and you're ready to go! Just chop them up and stick it into a juicer/ blender with a table spoon of honey and half a lemon or so until smooth. You can mix and match as well, sometimes leaving out the kale or the berries for a different flavour or maybe even trying some more exotic fruits! It takes no effort at all and is a really nice detox-y type drink that you can have at any point in the day and counts for a large portion of your five a day!

2) Cous-cous
This is a great meal as it can be enjoyed hot or cold with plenty of salad or pesto and lovely spices. Whether you have a pre-made pack or you want to start from scratch, cous cous can easily be made to your preference! Instructions are simple and are on the back of the packaging so you're ready to go!
*tip: use baby leaf spinach and peppers in your salad with the cous cous! They taste great together*

3) Honey roasted nuts, raisins and banana chips
The only recipe here is for the nuts: all you need is assorted nuts and some honey. Place the nuts on grease proof paper and cover evenly with the honey and put them in the oven on a medium heat for 5-10 minutes! (Toss them around a bit after 5 minutes so they're evenly golden brown and add anymore honey if need be). Take them out when they look ready and leave them to cool. After just put them in a jar with the raisins and banana chips and enjoy! These are a great replacement for chocolate and crisps at snack time!
*tip: you can skip out on the rasins and banana chips if you like or even replace them with other things!*


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Lifestyle

Valentine's Day without a Valentine

20:11:00 Neona 0 Comments

Valentines Day has just gone and I hope you all had a lovely day whether it be with family, friends or a loved one. I for one spent the day shopping with friends, typical girls day out? Not this time... Me and a group of friends had been planning to fix up my other friend's wardrobe, make it more current, 'pimp it out' if you would like. We picked a day and stuck to it, determined to play out our own version of 'Clueless' and give my friend the makeover he desperately needed.

Shopping with girls is never ever ever never easy (try saying that five times fast) and with the boy girl ratio at 2:5, it was needless to say we spent hours trying to design a stylish guy friend. We stuck to the typical skinny jeans, checked shirt and zip hoodie however we did venture out a little and chose a fashionable jumper with some classy desert boots. I was glowing with pride as I looked upon the successful experiment we had conducted, he looked great and we were fulfilled. 

Of course I couldn't leave empty handed, I bought a pair of New Balance trainers and an outfit from Zara. But as contempt as I was, starvation lingered. I hadn't eaten lunch in my hurry to get dressed, do my hair and make-up and meet my friends in time to get the train so at four o'clock I don't think it was out of line to be desperate for a little bite to eat. We all bought our separate lunches at Waitrose and the quest to find a space to eat began.

We walked... And walked... And walked for ages on end- or at least it felt like it- looking for empty benches or even a large floor area to sit on (we were that desperate). After an eternity of walking- ten minutes to be exact- we found an empty table at the food court and ate like we'd never eaten before; honestly sushi had never tasted so good!

 By this time the day was coming to a close, we hopped on a train homeward bound, satisfied with how the day went. 

So Valentine's Day without a valentine can in fact be just as good as Valentine's Day with one!




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