Taxi Taxi Taxi Whispers the Gypsy…


It is always good to get home and it was no exception this time for us. Boza was so excited to see us that he couldn’t stop wiggling his tail for an hour. It wagged so much that I thought it was going to fall off. Everything was good at home and we still had a place to live. That is always a good sign… 🙂

I have a soft spot for Russia in my heart and I really think that Moscow will be my home for me for the rest of my life. While I see Sveta and I moving to another country in the far future. We will only be living in a new place as secondary home to our flat in Moscow. A place to spend the Winters if we need to escape the deep cold of Russia…

I myself am still trying to recover from the trip. One of the many things that have changed for me in life since my heart attacks, is travel by long distance flights is hard on me. It use to be a piece of cake. Now the cake falls on me! But loving to travel is in my blood and a little discomfort is just okay with me… 🙂

I have to talk about the gypsy taxi situation in Russia with my thinking’s over a cup of coffee today…

If you are up to date on Russia, then you know that an attempt has been made to governmental controlled taxi service in Russia. It is a long story but to make it short – the story has failed…

As you exit the airline terminal with your bags in Moscow you use to be slaughtered with a thousand yelling gypsy taxi drivers demanding that you use them to whisk you away to your dream place in Moscow. Well, they are all still there! Except they do not yell and demand. They whisper and follow you. They even beg you to use them. There also was many new signs in English that said beware of taxi drivers who are not certified. They might rip you off and could be dangerous…:)

I was able to watch the Russian bureaucracy at work over the taxi situation. I sat and waited for Sveta to do some phone calls and such. I was watching a official taxi kiosk at work, as I sat. The woman who was behind the counter either rudely shooed away the people (foreigners) or ignored the people who tried to inquire about a taxi ride. She was very unpleasant and very Russian. Did not speak any language but Russian so “Tuck luff Charley.”

I felt sorry for the foreigners that were being rebuffed by the governmental approved taxi service, that had signs everywhere warning you about them damn gypsies trying to steal your money and then ending up being driven right into the arms of the very scoundrel that system was trying to scandalize…

We always call our taxi and use no one else. We have been using the same taxi service for years. I saw no difference in what you ensued trying to get a taxi and I actually saw more confusion entailed because of the disservice of the official system. But really what do you expect from a government driven program that is to stop corruption, when the government is the real source of the corruption?

So the system in its attempts to modernize and curb corruption. Has gone from a gaggle of gypsies that attack you loudly (as geese do)! To a quiet attack of gypsies (as a fox does) and a system has been incorporated now, that is even more corrupt and messed up than it was before they tried to remedy it…

Words of wisdom: When you get out of the terminal from your flight. Just remember the words, “spasibo – Net” it means “thank you – No” and that will stop most in there tracks. But slip up with one word of English and you will find that all within ear shot will start to try to speak English to catch your attention. Our should I say they will now whisper English… 🙂

I just love Russia so much and the gypsy taxi is one reason why…

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia!

PS: The airport has been resigned with signs in English. I found it very easy to get around now. In fact all of Moscow is becoming resigned with English/Russian signage everywhere. Now that is modernization…

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Coffee Thinking’s: Crossing a Border East or West…


The last time Sveta and I crossed a Western Border was a few years back. That was in Europe and I also count Israel as a Western Border. Crossing into a Western country is like crossing into a container with a zip lock seal. That seal will not open until you jump through a whole bunch of hoops, like a dog at the circus…

I remember the first time that I was asked, “What is your purpose here?” That was at the Zurich International airport. I was asked that after going through a scan machine, a explosive sniffer, dogs checking me out, three metal detectors and passport checked 8 times, starting before we got off the plane. I remember looking at this individual and thinking, “Are you stupid or what?” But I expressed a statement that was toned down. I said, “Actually I am on vacation and I am suppose to be having fun! But so far I have failed on the fun part!” He just tried to ignore me and waved me through at that point. All of the above was just a stop over to the next flight. We almost missed that fight because of their stupidity. Could you imagine if we were trying to step across the border out of the international? It was just plain terrible and started a vacation out wrong…

Zurich was such a wonderful experience crossing a border that Sveta and I will never go there again… 🙂

This was several years ago and things have gotten worse. The TSA in America has reduced the American people to nothing more than cattle to follow directions. I do truly believe that I would be arrested if I crossed the USA border now this day. I will not accept anyone frisking me for any reason except if you will arrest me and toss me in jail. If I lived in America right now – I would make one last crossing of the US border and endure that criminal activity, that is being subjected to the people and then I would never go back. (I just crossed an international border in Turkey and was treated with dignity and respect.) The subjection to the government molestation would have a meaning for its ending. I have told you time and time again, I am much freer outside of America than inside of America….

Now lets cross a Eastern border. The last time we crossed an Eastern border was yesterday…

What a breath of fresh air that was compared to the Western world and their idiosyncrasies. It was very simple…

  1. Before we entered the airport we went through a metal detector. Yes, before we were allowed in to the building…
  2. No one asked for passport or anything…
  3. Check in for baggage and tickets was normal and smooth. Passport has to be presented to get tickets…
  4. While holding passport – walk to the Passport Control. Took about 5 minutes and they thanked me for coming to Turkey. I was asked would I come back and replied Yes. I received a huge smile and a thank you again at that point…
  5. Once into the terminal (International zone) our passports were not needed again and were put away. All we need at this point is our boarding pass. Sveta and I ate breakfast and watched the thousands of Russians and Germans buying duty free liquor and I took pictures of the airport. People took pictures everywhere and no one acted like we were conceiving plans of destruction. That led Sveta and I to discuss how calm and peaceful this airport was. No stress and pressure from the system treating you like a criminal…
  6. Flight time! We went through another metal detector at the gate. Simple basic metal detector and no one tried to check our carry on for liquids and actually for anything at all. (I carry liquid spray nitro and no one condemned me for a bottle of liquid!) It was smooth and professional. The security personnel were helpful, smiling and extremely courteous. (People in wheelchairs were helped through by security personnel! {Not made to stand up ever.})
  7. Home to Russia…

I use Turkey as the example for this article. I could easily use Russia for the same article. But due to everyone thinks that I am partial to Russia and her ways. I will put Turkey in the spot light. If you travel the East you will find a whole different world of travel. Fear does not rule on this side of the world…

No one at anytime thought or implied that they should frisk me and stick there hands down my pants to see if I have weapons of mass destruction in my underwear. No one interrogated me and tried to decipher if I was a middle age, balding, heavy set, white man with evil intentions. No one even looked at Sveta as a evil Russian demon. They just love Russians in Turkey and Sveta just waltzes across the border like it is a vassal of Russia…

I was able to think about the border crossing on the flight home from Turkey to Russia. I realized that if people in the West would just stop flying then they would start treating people with respect again. But alas I realize that people in the West are afraid of their own shadow and actually support the fact that they are treated like criminals in a society that use to be able to proclaim “Rule of Law!”

I have had readers in the past try to cut me down over the lack of the rule of law in Russia and I always wondered what planet they live on? But as always they will still think that rule of law is prevalent in America and non existent in the rest of the world. That just is not true and I really feel sorry for people who have never stepped outside of the Western zip lock bag of protection…

So Sveta and I returned from another vacation unscathed by the evils of humanity. Malaysia is one of our next destinations. I have old friends and connection to Malaysia. It extends from my days in food service with universities in America…

Speaking of friends in other countries. Sveta and I made many new friends in Turkey and one in particular was a wonderful guy. He works hard to support his family and he touched our hearts in a great way. We have his phone number and Facebook plus e-mail. We will stay in touch with him. For you see, we will be back to Turkey and it always helps to have a friend waiting where you are going. We help people that we know if they want to come to Russia…

You should travel the world! It is the cheapest bang for the buck, in fun and excitement… 🙂

That is if you can cross your border first without being molested…

Kyle and Sveta
Windows to Russia!

PS: By the way! We landed at Moscow and it was so smooth crossing the border. That is another article, because Russia is changing the way she does things. Now I did not say change for the better but I did say change and you need to know about changes that are happening with Russia border control if you are coming here. So maybe tomorrow we will have an article on new border procedures for Russia… Kyle

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Western China-Europe transit highway…


“Western Europe-Western China” highway is of great importance not only for Kazakhstan, but in the global scale as well”, First Deputy Governor of Zhambyl oblast Karim Kokrekbayev has said in an interview to a Kazinform correspondent.

As is known, within this project Kazakhstan plans to build and reconstruct about 2, 500 km of roads. The corridor’s length makes up 8,445 km, 2,787 out of which run through the Kazakhstan’s territory. And how much kilometers are passing through Zhambyl oblast?

The highway will pass seven districts of Zhambyl oblast. They are Zhualy, Zhambyl, Baizak, Turar Ryskulov, Merken, Shu, Kordai. The corridor’s axle will be on the current Almaty-Tashkent-Termez road diverging the territory of Kyrgyzstan and will be of 495,3 km length. The Islamic Development Bank and Asian Development Bank are financing the construction.

The project provides for bypass of all big and medium settlements. Residential estates, fuel filling stations, and other constructions located at the right-of-way will be pulled down, and the owners will be paid compensation of real estate value. About 1,183 ha out of about 1,911 ha of the land allocated for permanent use for the road construction were compensated, bought out and got from the national land fund.

http://www.inform.kz/eng/article/2229691

Also –

Part of the Western China-Western Europe transport corridor will run across Bashkortostan, Russian Transportation Minister Igor Levitin said.

“Bashkortostan has proposed that this section of the road run through the territory of the republic and we have agreed to this proposal. Our estimations show that this route will be optimal in terms of recouping investments made in the road,” he said.

The toll highway will run from Bashkortostan’s border with Tatarstan to its border with the Orenburg Region.

“The republic will be in charge of such issues as the design of the road, allocation of land and provision of favorable terms for the construction,” Bashkortostan President Rustem Khamitov said, pledging support for the project.

As reported earlier, the total cost of building about 2,200 kilometers of the highway in Russia will be about RUB 700bn (approx. USD 22.59bn).

The participants of the international project include the EU, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan and China.

Windows to Russia!

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Last day in Turkey and some Thinking’s…


Looks like Turkey has changed some thinking’s for Sveta and I. It looks like Sveta and I have found the place that we want to have our retirement spot. There is also lots of Germans and French citizens who have made Turkey a place to have a second home and it is looks like we have the same thoughts and it just makes sense after you been here and seen what we have…

I will most likely talk about it more later in life. But this seems to be a perfect place to spend half a year and the other half in Moscow…

As I have stated before, as big of a difference that I felt in life from America to Russia, the same feeling that Sveta and I have felt from Russia to Turkey. Turkey is that much of a breath of fresh air compared to Russia. Which as we all know by my writings that Russia is a huge breath of fresh air compared to the USA… 🙂

One thing that Sveta and I have found is a place that we possibly will try to get. It is owned by someone in France and we have lots of time to work out a deal. Money talks and there are lots of places to chose from if this one does not work out. There is many Germans, British and Italians living around the area….

An interesting thing is that flats are going for 25,000+ Euros (Buying!) and they are decent. We have been surprised by the prices of everything in Turkey. Reasonable is the name of the game…

It is hard to explain and over the next few months I will jot down my thoughts on why Turkey is a paradise in humanity. I feel that there are many other places just as good as Turkey but when you find compatibility as we have with a country, then it is time to put your thoughts into motion. Life is way too short to waste it wondering about what could be and what might be. Life needs to simply be…

So that is part of my thinking’s today over a cup of chicory. Sveta has gone to the market to pick up some last minute items. I decided to write a last article before we leave. The next article will be from Moscow and they say snow will greet us as we get back to our home… 🙂

I envision a day that Sveta and I will spend 6 months in Turkey and 6 months in Moscow. Also with a few weeks in our village, (thrown in here and there ) it would be a wonderful life…

By the way! If you ever decide to come to Turkey and stay on the Mediterranean then you really need to think about this great little hotel that we are staying at. It is called Happy Dreams Beach Hotel. It is just a little gem near the beach. Not too large and not too small. It has 65 rooms a wonderful staff and the owners are Turkish local people. They eat at their hotel all the time and last night we saw grandpa and his grand kids enjoying a dinner of exactly the same food as we eat at the hotel. Big family and very nice people to boot…

So I am going to pack our bags and by 6:30pm tonight we will have our itinerary verified to go home. Right now it looks like we will be leaving around 6am Sunday morning to get to the international airport. Then we get to do a lot of waiting and standing in lines. But before you know it we will be once again home in Russia. Then I am going to be writing an article on crossing international borders. Lets see what Turkey does at the border crossing? If it is anything like when we came to Turkey then they will be as sad to see us leave as they were happy to see us come…

That is how it should be all over the world… 🙂

Kyle and Sveta
Windows to Russia!

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Windows to Russia – Mellowing Out In Turkey…


Yesterday was a big day. We did way too much and got soaked at least five times with thunderstorms. We had a blast and ate our first meal away from the hotel. I had a Big Cheeseburger the Turkey way and Sveta had a meatball dinner Turkey style. It was simply delicious and was a good change from the hotel food but it made us realize that the hotel is serving us very good food for the money…

Take a look at some pictures…

We took hundreds of pictures yesterday and were only held back from taking more by the torrential rains that never seemed to want to quit. We got soaked and dried out so many times that we gave up looking for shelter every time it would rain. Today though it is crystal clear sky and the sun is dancing across the sky in joy. It always figures that the day we decide to explore the world of Turkey we find the day with the worst weather… 🙂

So since today I have feet so sore that I can hardly walk and really just plain wore out to boot. I am settled in and writing an article to all my readers. Sveta is at the beach and worshiping the water/sun gods. While I enjoy the shade and comfort of our room…

One thing that stands out about Turkey over Russia or America is that people are very very very very respectful. There is not graffiti all over the walls of every building. There is not advertisements posted on every telephone poll. There is respect of peoples space and public property is respected. We walk by motorcycles and bicycles all along the sidewalks. They are almost never chained or locked in any form. They bike is still there in the morning where the owner left it. The people do not even worry about doors being shut at night. It is like going back in time for me in America. To the era that people had respect for society better…

As we played around yesterday. Sveta and I noticed that the Germans are predominant as tourists here in our part of Turkey. Russians are a close second and then Poland is a good third. I have found one American family and I felt sorry for them because the English language is not well known in Turkey. So communication in English is mediocre at best…

Another thing that stood out over the last few weeks is that the dollar is the worst way to purchase things in Turkey. You lose lots of money by using dollars and dollars is what they want you to use. We also went to the Wednesday market yesterday. (Told you we were busy!) We found Sveta a beautiful coat for keeping her warm in Moscow. I had a major battle to get the price reasonable on the coat and in the end I won. But not until things got a little heated. When money is spent I am no fool and I do know what things cost in this world. I have been responsible for watching pennies for my business and pennies add up to dollars… 🙂

So today I have sat here and watched the sun slowly work its way around to my balcony. I am going to wrap up this article and get the computer out of the sun. I hope that everyone has a great day and night and I will be back tomorrow to tell about what has been happening in Turkey. The trip is over come Sunday and we will be back in Moscow then.

I am starting to miss Moscow and Boza…

Kyle and Sveta
Windows to Russia!

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Western War Drums are in Huge Profit Mode…


War Drums in the Western World: (WTR of Moscow) It seems that with the latest War Drum beating over Iran, that you would think that War Drums would be worn out in the Western world…

But after looking at the statistics it seems that Western War Drums are up 427% in production and profits over last year at this time is up 1000% YTY…

It is looking like with all the failed businesses, that the West is struggling with, the War Drum business is beating louder and louder. In fact it is rumored that two new factories associated with War Drums, have been built in the USA and now War Drums are the number one factory produced item in America…

We stopped a second and contemplated the War Drum business and listed some the countries that the Western Empire is beating drums over.

  • Iran
  • North Korea
  • Russia
  • Iraq
  • Afghanistan
  • Pakistan
  • Vietnam
  • Venezuela
  • All of Africa on top of Libya
  • Syria
  • and many more…

So it looks like the War Drum business is doing so well that the West is wanting to make it into a normal part of life. Looks like we better get use to that beating of the War Drum, it is big business for the West…

In a contrast of reports: The East is proclaiming that profits have reached record levels in Peace, harmony, relaxation and fun. It is stated that peace alone has seen profit increases as high as 800% over the last year. The East is willing to accept lower profit levels due to a better karma situation and forsake the high profits of beating War Drums to death over their world partners. It seems that threats of destruction are not as much fun to the Eastern side of the world as compared to the Western side of the world…

Makes you feel sorry for the Eastern world and lets hope that the Eastern world has lots of patience, because if they don’t all hell may break loose sooner than later…

Windows to Russia!

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Cup of Chicory and the Solemn World…


The more I dwell into Turkish news and the more I dig into Eastern news! The more that I realize that the Western news is total 100% corporate/government controlled. That is a sad thing because it seems that everyone has a desire to believe the corporate folly. It seems that people simply follow the implied leader and jump off the cliff with that leader…

This morning the news is some of the stupidest crud that I have seen in a long time. It is simply ignorant. From almost a thousand doctors in Israel not showing up to work. From unsaid thousands, upon thousands, upon thousands and upon thousands protesting in America. From Egypt getting ready to explode again, with the persecution of Christians. The stock markets are continuing the roller coaster ride of death and mayhem. Looks like pretty soon that the up and down pattern of the markets will reach a crescendo that will send everything flying high into the sky and when it all comes back down, crash will be a nice term…

Also I had to smile this morning. All to typical of a bully like America, when the bully gets his way and gets what is coming to him! Then he reverses direction and starts whining and crying about how unfair life is…

So now in a political play of stupidity America is going to approve legislation to punish China for alleged currency manipulation widely blamed in America for costing American jobs…

Costing American jobs? Okay – I get it! That is what you want to believe and what they are telling you. This is a good political play on sheep in their homes. But once again America needs to look in the mirror and that is where she will see the image of the fool…

It dawned on me today! The USA needs to just go away and hide behind her borders. The USA needs to leave the world stage and stop the crying. The USA needs to quit being a bully and a poor pitiful me country. The problems that America has, are caused not by the world but by the foolishness and stupidity of America herself. I realize that the World would be affected at first but then the world would adapt and grow all the more because the Bully and crybaby would be gone…

I had a saying when I grew up. “When the going gets tough – The tough get going!”…

I use that saying in my life. So after six heart attacks, two divorces, the loss of several offspring, going from rags to riches/riches to rags and numerous other devastation issues. I just get up and dust myself off and start all over again. I always thought it was the American way. Don’t blame others for what you do to yourself…

So today Sveta and I are walking to a mosque near by us. I have been studying Turkey religions and of course it is predominately Muslim. I find all religions are fascinating and the need to study them is great. Being a graduate from a Baptist University I find that other religious sects hold a strong interest to me. It allows me to see what is right, wrong and comparable to what my so called beliefs are suppose to be centered on…

That is my thoughts today over a cup or two of chicory and that cup of chicory was wonderful. Just as it is wonderful to be sitting in Turkey contemplating life…

Have a nice day!

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia!

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ИТАР-ТАСС : Libyan scenario should not be taken as model – Lavrov


Sergey Lavrov

Image via Wikipedia

MOSCOW, October 10 (Itar-Tass) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed confidence that the Libyan scenario applied by the West should not be taken as a model for solving similar internal political conflicts.

“We have been concerned about the statements of the NATO leaders saying that the Libyan model should be taken as an example for the future,” he said in an interview with the Profile weekly.

“It’s bad that our colleagues believe so, as the Libyan model is a gross violation of the UN Security Council’s decisions, i.e. violation of the international law,” he said.

“Russia has never questioned the right of the Libyan people for better future,” he said. “From the very beginning we maintained contacts with the Transitional National Council notably that happened at the early stage of the crisis and we heard assurances that Libya wants to remain a friendly country for Russia. This fully meets our interests.”

“And we’ve heard, including public statements of the new Libyan authorities that their international obligations will be fulfilled,” Lavrov said. “Now, of course, it is early to speak about this on the practical level, because their short-term tasks are to stabilise the situation and to end military operations.”

“When the Libyan people find out how to live further, I am confident that we will discuss in practice with the new authorities the ways of our cooperation,” Lavrov said.

via ИТАР-ТАСС : Libyan scenario should not be taken as model – Lavrov.

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Hummingbird Hawk-moths in Turkey…


Where ever I go I am always the biologist. My degree is in biology and I have a profound love for all things nature. I am constantly looking for that little creature that will tickle my fancy…

Well today in comes the Hummingbird Hawk-moth a close relative to the Hummingbird Moth in North America. I was so excited and I even was able to get some good picture of them while they fed on some beautiful flowers…

I will post two of the pictures here on Windows to Russia. I do not have anyway of doing a stop gap flash picture to stop the wings in flight. So I have to live with the fastest speed that my camera will do. It catches the body good but the wings are too fast… 🙂

Sveta and I were so blessed to have seen them and they even were nice enough to stay around long enough for me to get some pictures. They are so cool…

The Hummingbird Hawk-Moths were not the only thing that Sveta and I found interesting. This next picture tell a tale of another species of animal that lives on this planet. The species called man..

As you can see we found a normal human situation. If you can get just a little more on that truck? We can make a little more money… 🙂

I find it interesting to see what humans will do when they can get away with it. I have no idea what they are hauling around. But they are hauling a lot of what ever it is. This is common to see a truck in Turkey loaded so full and there is a guy sitting on top while it runs down the road. He spends his time pushing power-lines up so that the truck can navigate the city streets. They crawl around the streets like a turtle looking for food. Other words not very fast…

They are having a drink and a rest before they carry on with their business as you can see them sitting in the shade. It is a hot day…

So there you have two different species living on the same planet. The Hummingbird Hawk-moths could care less about the over grown, overloaded and old truck. Just as the two guys with the truck could careless that just around the corner is some of the most fantastic little creatures that dart and float just like a Hummingbird looking for food…

That is what makes this world so wonderful and I am so glad that I get to see things as they are…

Kyle and Sveta
Windows to Russia!

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5 years in Russia…


You could say it is an anniversary for Sveta and I. 5 years ago Sveta and I were putting the finishing touches on packing for Russia. I was making the decisions of what to keep and not keep. It is not an easy decision to make. You have only so much that you can take and that is that…

It was a sad and happy mixture of emotions. After 5 years I have no regrets and that is what counts… 🙂

I remember that I was surprised that Seta had no desire to come to America. She had already made a trip to America a few months earlier. I allowed her to contemplate her own destiny and thoughts about America. Sveta and I took a long trip across America and traveled thousands upon of miles. I wanted Sveta to see what America was about. From sea to shining sea…

Sveta was more than home sick for Mother Russia and I understood that she could never leave her country. As to the fact that we really cared for each other and we knew that we should be together. I had to enlist a General friend of mine to cut the red tape, that was literally impossible to wade through. I will be forever indebted to that General and his relentless help to make sure that I got to full fill my dream…

Traveling the world is different when you travel on a tourist passport compared to a diplomatic passport. One thing that I am thankful for is that when I travel to another country now, I do not have to tell anyone who, what, where and why. Least of all I tell my country where I am. That you will learn very quickly is a No – No – No…

I travel with Sveta under my own pretenses and my life is my life… 🙂

So as I sit here and sip that cup of chicory and contemplate life. As I sit here and get ready to go swimming in the deep blue sea. As I talk to my son in America and hear all that he is accomplishing. As Sveta talks to her son and hears about how Boza the dog is doing and how Misha’s girlfriend is doing. As we watched a beautiful thunderstorm this morning, refresh the air and now the sun is out like a sparkling diamond, glinting off the sea…

We (Sveta and I) realize that 5 years ago when Sveta came to America and decided that America was not the place for her. Then my decision to uproot my life and adopt Russia as my second home. That was the start of a new life for both Sveta and I…

But I am the one who was blessed. Someone higher up, must think that I did something correct at one time in my life. For life is as good as it gets and having my sweetie by my side, is the icing on the cake…

Kyle and Sveta
Windows to Russia!

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