P.S. GRAVY!!! I'm disappointed to report that my gravy-making technique is sadly lacking after over two months of not having any Bisto. Well, I shall have to practise! Finally... I think tomorrow will be chips cheese and gravy day. I also think I should open a chippie over here, because the Spanish eat nothing of proper nutritional value (by which I mean, nothing that's deep fried in shedloads of oil).
P.P.S. Skyping Beth when she has no voice cheered me up (not because she has no voice... that would just be mean!), as did skyping Dad who's been holding the fort back in the Motherland. As did having half a conversation with Raph until he fell asleep.
P.P.P.S. Someone please send me some real milk. As a rule I've got nothing against UHT, but just occasionally I would like a glass of the real stuff. At the very least, you could all be putting the kettle on in anticipation for my return to the Motherland.
Friday, 28 October 2011
The end of the tea famine.
Yes, I know it's been a while. As I mentioned last time, Mummy Fisher has been for a visit. It has to be said, Mummy Time was long over-due (even though I went much longer in Lancaster without Mummy Time... strange what moving countries does for you).
We had a lovely week, I have embraced my 4 blocks of cheddar on more than one occasion, and the tea famine has officially ended (Hurrah!). We went to Santander on Tuesday with some other Erasmus people, and we did have gorgeous weather and some stunning views. Mumsie (anyone else remember Crystal Maze when Richard O'Brien used to bounce into the Medieval Zone and say hello to his Mumsie? Well, you can blame Crystal Maze for my use of the word!) was very patient and we did a lot of sitting in parks while I wrote an essay, which I had intended to have finished before she got here, but then I was ill so everything got a little delayed.
So, if you want to see the holiday snaps you'll have to ask Mummy Fisher who is currently on her way back to the Motherland with my case (she left me her bigger one) and 18kg of stuff. If you want to see the snaps of an Erasmus student, they're on my Facebook.
I suppose life has to get to normal again now. Whatever that is. Is it possible to have a 'normal' life when you're Erasmus? It has to be said, I'm on the depressed side now Mumsie's gone home, even though it's only five weeks till my own trip to the Motherland. Five weeks seems like a very long time from where I'm sat though (which is on my uncomfy bed, quelle surprise). Bah. I demand that you all send me post to cheer me up, or at the very least, some kind of chart so I can cross the days off till I get out of this Spanish Stafford-equivalent (talk to my sister about that...) Yes it's pretty, yes it's 'an amazing experience that shapes who you are as a person'. It's also something that only gets to be amazing when you've finished it. While you're in it, it can seem far from it.
Rant over. Time to watch English TV and make a brew. Hasta luego blogueros.
We had a lovely week, I have embraced my 4 blocks of cheddar on more than one occasion, and the tea famine has officially ended (Hurrah!). We went to Santander on Tuesday with some other Erasmus people, and we did have gorgeous weather and some stunning views. Mumsie (anyone else remember Crystal Maze when Richard O'Brien used to bounce into the Medieval Zone and say hello to his Mumsie? Well, you can blame Crystal Maze for my use of the word!) was very patient and we did a lot of sitting in parks while I wrote an essay, which I had intended to have finished before she got here, but then I was ill so everything got a little delayed.
So, if you want to see the holiday snaps you'll have to ask Mummy Fisher who is currently on her way back to the Motherland with my case (she left me her bigger one) and 18kg of stuff. If you want to see the snaps of an Erasmus student, they're on my Facebook.
I suppose life has to get to normal again now. Whatever that is. Is it possible to have a 'normal' life when you're Erasmus? It has to be said, I'm on the depressed side now Mumsie's gone home, even though it's only five weeks till my own trip to the Motherland. Five weeks seems like a very long time from where I'm sat though (which is on my uncomfy bed, quelle surprise). Bah. I demand that you all send me post to cheer me up, or at the very least, some kind of chart so I can cross the days off till I get out of this Spanish Stafford-equivalent (talk to my sister about that...) Yes it's pretty, yes it's 'an amazing experience that shapes who you are as a person'. It's also something that only gets to be amazing when you've finished it. While you're in it, it can seem far from it.
Rant over. Time to watch English TV and make a brew. Hasta luego blogueros.
Sunday, 16 October 2011
Estoy enferma (and no, that doesn't mean infirm... it means sick... you know who you are!)
Bah, humbug, grumble groan... I'm poorly :( I knew this being healthy malarkey was going too well, given my diet is abysmal, the weather horrifically changeable, and I've not slept much recently.
RE: diet. My diet is so appaling because I'm only eating the same few things, unless I eat in the cafeteria. I can hardly cook beef without gravy, and after the cafeteria served pig's head one day I'm a little suspicious of buying pork. Add to that the fact that all our pans are disgusting (and normally in the sink rather than ready to use) and the kitchen is a tip, that leaves me cooking using one frying pan at best. So it's usually some kind of chicken/tomato/rice/sweetcorn dish (sometimes having beef mince instead of chicken). Tuna is my new found friend - because it comes in Olive Oil it has a gorgeous vinegary flavour and it's just yum, so often I find myself recreating the feeding of the five-thousand (minus 4999 of the people).
RE: Changeable weather. It was 9 degrees the other day. Yesterday it was 37 again. I rest my case.
RE: Lack of sleep. As Lancaster people know, my sleeping is, in a word, erratic. Although I've not done too badly since the night I fell straight out of bed and onto the floor, during the past three nights sleep has not really happened. I went to the farmacia to see if they had some Kalms Sleep equivalent, and I got some crazy pills that have only served to make sure I only have a really light sleep instead of a deep one. Great. Cheers for that Spain! I have no doubt that this wouldn't be a problem if my bed wasn't so darn squeeky! Every time I move I wake myself up. So I have given up on said pills (that will teach me to try the herbal remedy rather than snatching the over-the-counter sleep inducers that they sell here. Why did I not go buy them, I hear you say. Because Farmacias here don't open Saturday afternoon or Sunday). In general, I blame my lack of sleep on the lack of a Learning Zone. Last year, when I used the LZ as my office, I slept much better. Now my room is my office and I can't shut off at night. Bah. Lancaster 1-0 Spain (sorry, I knicked this point system from Jack).
So I'm a little fed up, a little miserable, and waiting for fresher's flu to fall properly. Oh the joys. Also, little bit gutted to have now missed around 6 of Soulrigg's gigs (and let's face it, by the end of the year, it'll be a heck of a lot more). Beth and Emily had better be waving their pompoms double hard to make up for it.
However there is a light... MUMMY FISHER ARRIVES ON FRIDAYYYY!!! And with her she's bringing 240 tea bags (PG Tips), a tub of Bisto, 1.6kg cheddar, and my winter coat. Life gets better on Friday. Fact.
Hasta luego blogueros! x
RE: diet. My diet is so appaling because I'm only eating the same few things, unless I eat in the cafeteria. I can hardly cook beef without gravy, and after the cafeteria served pig's head one day I'm a little suspicious of buying pork. Add to that the fact that all our pans are disgusting (and normally in the sink rather than ready to use) and the kitchen is a tip, that leaves me cooking using one frying pan at best. So it's usually some kind of chicken/tomato/rice/sweetcorn dish (sometimes having beef mince instead of chicken). Tuna is my new found friend - because it comes in Olive Oil it has a gorgeous vinegary flavour and it's just yum, so often I find myself recreating the feeding of the five-thousand (minus 4999 of the people).
RE: Changeable weather. It was 9 degrees the other day. Yesterday it was 37 again. I rest my case.
RE: Lack of sleep. As Lancaster people know, my sleeping is, in a word, erratic. Although I've not done too badly since the night I fell straight out of bed and onto the floor, during the past three nights sleep has not really happened. I went to the farmacia to see if they had some Kalms Sleep equivalent, and I got some crazy pills that have only served to make sure I only have a really light sleep instead of a deep one. Great. Cheers for that Spain! I have no doubt that this wouldn't be a problem if my bed wasn't so darn squeeky! Every time I move I wake myself up. So I have given up on said pills (that will teach me to try the herbal remedy rather than snatching the over-the-counter sleep inducers that they sell here. Why did I not go buy them, I hear you say. Because Farmacias here don't open Saturday afternoon or Sunday). In general, I blame my lack of sleep on the lack of a Learning Zone. Last year, when I used the LZ as my office, I slept much better. Now my room is my office and I can't shut off at night. Bah. Lancaster 1-0 Spain (sorry, I knicked this point system from Jack).
So I'm a little fed up, a little miserable, and waiting for fresher's flu to fall properly. Oh the joys. Also, little bit gutted to have now missed around 6 of Soulrigg's gigs (and let's face it, by the end of the year, it'll be a heck of a lot more). Beth and Emily had better be waving their pompoms double hard to make up for it.
However there is a light... MUMMY FISHER ARRIVES ON FRIDAYYYY!!! And with her she's bringing 240 tea bags (PG Tips), a tub of Bisto, 1.6kg cheddar, and my winter coat. Life gets better on Friday. Fact.
Hasta luego blogueros! x
Monday, 10 October 2011
Bad weather bunting, lizards, and words begining with q/c.
It's finally reached a sensible temperature over here! Bring out the bunting! Little bit ironic, given my sunglasses broke last Wednesday. I literally relished this weekend - on Saturday I went out for a lovely walk by the river. Of course, I thought I'd be adventurous and turn right to walk away from the uni as I hadn't been that way before. Needless to say, I found the rough end of Bilbao and turned around and walked back pretty quickly! So I carried on, past the uni and on towards Casco Viejo. I took quite a few pictures, and I saw a little lizard which made my day for some reason. I suppose I just hadn't expected to see it. However, a camera with a more powerful zoom would have been better as it was quite small! I continued on, then took advantage of one of the many benches that are scatted over Bilbao and got all creative and did some writing (by the end of this year I'm going to have a lot of year abroad poetry written!). Then I walked back to the piso again on the other side of the river, feeling pretty content with life.
Saturday night we went for chocolate con churrios (which are just divine... really thick hot choc with bits of fried, sweetened batter to dip... NOM!) and we talked in Spanish all night. It was so fun, aside from the slightly scary waitress who actually turned out to be ok in the end. We even talked Spanish with Spanish people (shock, horror!) and they didn't run away. So they were brave. We caused hilarity on the metro home as we, still speaking in Spanish, declared that although we could discuss the EU in Spanish, we had no idea how to ask for a haircut. Furthermore, what is the Spanish word for a fringe? And what is the correct terminology for 'layers'? In the end, I decided I'd probably wait until England! But that evening, as we were talking, I finally had the 'ooo I'm glad I'm here' feeling. It didn't linger all that long, but I am making my peace with this place a bit.
Sunday I stayed in and did my work, which took all day for some reason, but there was a lot of it - including a presentation. I felt pretty under-prepared, but I did the presentation today and it wasn't so bad, I think Lancaster has prepared me well to fight the inherant instinct within us all that makes us want to throw up, pee, and run out of the room when we turn round and face the class and know that we're facing almost certain doom. I say almost certain, because it never happens, therefore it should really be 'uncertain' doom... but your emotions tell you it's certain doom whether the result is doom or not. Let's move on.
It's been a good day today, as I've managed to change my dissertation text to one that is actually pretty interesting - hurrah! And I was brave enough to charlar (chat) with the teacher for the literature module we're doing that's all about philosophy. It got a bit complicated because the verb 'creer' and the verb 'crear' are very similar, and both were in frequent use in that class! 'Es que quiere creer, o que creer es crear, o querer cree...' you get the idea. Complicado? Mucho!
All I have to do now is survive Historia de Espana tomorrow and Wednesday (which is more difficult than it sounds. Rarely have I been driven to such depths of despair in a class... and DELC people know that that is saying something!). Hasta luego blogueros xxx
Saturday night we went for chocolate con churrios (which are just divine... really thick hot choc with bits of fried, sweetened batter to dip... NOM!) and we talked in Spanish all night. It was so fun, aside from the slightly scary waitress who actually turned out to be ok in the end. We even talked Spanish with Spanish people (shock, horror!) and they didn't run away. So they were brave. We caused hilarity on the metro home as we, still speaking in Spanish, declared that although we could discuss the EU in Spanish, we had no idea how to ask for a haircut. Furthermore, what is the Spanish word for a fringe? And what is the correct terminology for 'layers'? In the end, I decided I'd probably wait until England! But that evening, as we were talking, I finally had the 'ooo I'm glad I'm here' feeling. It didn't linger all that long, but I am making my peace with this place a bit.
Sunday I stayed in and did my work, which took all day for some reason, but there was a lot of it - including a presentation. I felt pretty under-prepared, but I did the presentation today and it wasn't so bad, I think Lancaster has prepared me well to fight the inherant instinct within us all that makes us want to throw up, pee, and run out of the room when we turn round and face the class and know that we're facing almost certain doom. I say almost certain, because it never happens, therefore it should really be 'uncertain' doom... but your emotions tell you it's certain doom whether the result is doom or not. Let's move on.
It's been a good day today, as I've managed to change my dissertation text to one that is actually pretty interesting - hurrah! And I was brave enough to charlar (chat) with the teacher for the literature module we're doing that's all about philosophy. It got a bit complicated because the verb 'creer' and the verb 'crear' are very similar, and both were in frequent use in that class! 'Es que quiere creer, o que creer es crear, o querer cree...' you get the idea. Complicado? Mucho!
All I have to do now is survive Historia de Espana tomorrow and Wednesday (which is more difficult than it sounds. Rarely have I been driven to such depths of despair in a class... and DELC people know that that is saying something!). Hasta luego blogueros xxx
Monday, 3 October 2011
Philosophy, wherefore art thou?
Begin: Generic appology over lack of blog posts.
Well there's not a lot to say really. We didn't do much at the weekend, thanks to the hideously hot weather (it comes to something when it's too hot to go to the beach). I went to church, but in all honesty, I got none of the sermon and every time we were praying, I was praying for some feeling to come back into my backside (wooden benches).
I'm actually growing a slight love for Spanish philosophy (horror of horrors). I am starting to ask myself questions like 'what am I doing here' which is a very deep question. I may even write a book on it one day, and get rich. Or possibly exiled, depending how scathing my view of Spain is by then.
Also, I am contemplating the important philosophical question 'why the Jemima Puddle Duck have I managed to come to the rainiest part of Spain when they decide to have the warmest October weekend on record?' Answers to that on a postcard please, I can't be bothered reading a thesis on it. Keep it below 100 words, throw some cheddar in and I'll be happy as Larry (whoever he is. I bet he's in England with a full pot of tea, a plate of chips cheese and gravy, and with a fridge that things don't disapear from. I've now taken to labelling my food. Like I did for about a week when I first got to Lancaster before I realised that people in Lancaster are nice).
Today I was sat in the cafeteria talking English (yes yes, I know!) and a woman came up to me and asked me if I wanted to teach her son English. I tell you, you need no qualifications round here. I could be anyone and yet this woman wants to entrust her son to me, so I can aflict him with my Yorkshire accent. Oh well, looks good on the old CV. On the Yorkshire accent note, I am getting broader from being out here. After all, I am in the north, it just happens to be the north of a different country.
We went out for a dodgy Chinese for Suzy's birthday on Saturday night. It was quite pleasant, except for the waitresses (who threw our food at us) and the food itself. Well they did good rice... But it was good to get together and pretend we have a social life and pretend that we fit into the usual 'Erasmus' bracket of student. When I say 'we', I actually mean 'I', of course.
Right, I'm off to bedfordshire. Busy day again tomorrow (sob) with scary Grammar woman who is going to give us a test on what we've learnt so far... see you on the other side, blogueros. xxx
Well there's not a lot to say really. We didn't do much at the weekend, thanks to the hideously hot weather (it comes to something when it's too hot to go to the beach). I went to church, but in all honesty, I got none of the sermon and every time we were praying, I was praying for some feeling to come back into my backside (wooden benches).
I'm actually growing a slight love for Spanish philosophy (horror of horrors). I am starting to ask myself questions like 'what am I doing here' which is a very deep question. I may even write a book on it one day, and get rich. Or possibly exiled, depending how scathing my view of Spain is by then.
Also, I am contemplating the important philosophical question 'why the Jemima Puddle Duck have I managed to come to the rainiest part of Spain when they decide to have the warmest October weekend on record?' Answers to that on a postcard please, I can't be bothered reading a thesis on it. Keep it below 100 words, throw some cheddar in and I'll be happy as Larry (whoever he is. I bet he's in England with a full pot of tea, a plate of chips cheese and gravy, and with a fridge that things don't disapear from. I've now taken to labelling my food. Like I did for about a week when I first got to Lancaster before I realised that people in Lancaster are nice).
Today I was sat in the cafeteria talking English (yes yes, I know!) and a woman came up to me and asked me if I wanted to teach her son English. I tell you, you need no qualifications round here. I could be anyone and yet this woman wants to entrust her son to me, so I can aflict him with my Yorkshire accent. Oh well, looks good on the old CV. On the Yorkshire accent note, I am getting broader from being out here. After all, I am in the north, it just happens to be the north of a different country.
We went out for a dodgy Chinese for Suzy's birthday on Saturday night. It was quite pleasant, except for the waitresses (who threw our food at us) and the food itself. Well they did good rice... But it was good to get together and pretend we have a social life and pretend that we fit into the usual 'Erasmus' bracket of student. When I say 'we', I actually mean 'I', of course.
Right, I'm off to bedfordshire. Busy day again tomorrow (sob) with scary Grammar woman who is going to give us a test on what we've learnt so far... see you on the other side, blogueros. xxx
Monday, 26 September 2011
One paso too far!
They've really done it this time. I have just bought something which I assumed was fruit juice, in dinky little cartons (to stop people drinking them... -_-) But what do I find when I look at it properly? I find the words 'Zumo+Leche'. Juice+milk. WHAT???? I am drinking a crazy mixture of milk and fruit juice. What is this madness? On the other foot, it is quite nice, in a very weird 'milk and juice shouldn't be together, but weirdly it kinda works, but I feel a bit wrong drinking it' way. You know that feeling you get when you watch someone snogging by accident? Where it's kinda wrong but you can't quite look away? Like that. No one can tell me now I'm not adventurous. I am trying local cuisine, albeit inadvertantly.
Anyway, in other news, we went back to Sopelana beach yesterday for a bit of sun sea and sand. The highlight of which was possibly Anila looking at me and saying 'You know you don't tan at all, do you?' And me saying 'nooooo, I'd never noticed!' It's true, I'm pale as anything still, even my Spanish teacher told me to be careful in the sun because I'm white. Cheers everyone, I did tell you before I got here!
Our new flatmate arrived on Saturday, and Adele is just lovely, as is her mum. Things did get a bit complicated language-wise as it does feel a bit odd, speaking French in Spain! When the landlord turned up he was talking Spanish/English, Adele's mum was talking Spanish/French, and I was somewhere in the middle talking Spanish/French/English when someone didn't understand something. I ask, is there any wonder I've had a headache!
Also, we have a particularly sadistic teacher who has given us 64 pages of Spanish philosophy to plough through... for WEDNESDAY! She was just there saying 'oh the Spanish is easy, but the concepts are very difficult to explain'. Oh good, just what we need! The annoying thing is that her lectures are pretty interesting, and she reminds me so much of my A-level teacher that I want to do well anyway, but it is a bit much I think, to give us two days to read that much Spanish! It cost a fortune to print off as well.
Right, best get to it. I'm going to finish my bebida (drink) and start reading or something. Uck... milk and fruit juice... Hasta luego (or, as the people round here say, 'a uego' - they don't care much for proper articulation. Drives me mad and the Miss Dunn within wants to tell them to stand up straight and articulate. But anyhow.) Adiós, blogueros!
Anyway, in other news, we went back to Sopelana beach yesterday for a bit of sun sea and sand. The highlight of which was possibly Anila looking at me and saying 'You know you don't tan at all, do you?' And me saying 'nooooo, I'd never noticed!' It's true, I'm pale as anything still, even my Spanish teacher told me to be careful in the sun because I'm white. Cheers everyone, I did tell you before I got here!
Our new flatmate arrived on Saturday, and Adele is just lovely, as is her mum. Things did get a bit complicated language-wise as it does feel a bit odd, speaking French in Spain! When the landlord turned up he was talking Spanish/English, Adele's mum was talking Spanish/French, and I was somewhere in the middle talking Spanish/French/English when someone didn't understand something. I ask, is there any wonder I've had a headache!
Also, we have a particularly sadistic teacher who has given us 64 pages of Spanish philosophy to plough through... for WEDNESDAY! She was just there saying 'oh the Spanish is easy, but the concepts are very difficult to explain'. Oh good, just what we need! The annoying thing is that her lectures are pretty interesting, and she reminds me so much of my A-level teacher that I want to do well anyway, but it is a bit much I think, to give us two days to read that much Spanish! It cost a fortune to print off as well.
Right, best get to it. I'm going to finish my bebida (drink) and start reading or something. Uck... milk and fruit juice... Hasta luego (or, as the people round here say, 'a uego' - they don't care much for proper articulation. Drives me mad and the Miss Dunn within wants to tell them to stand up straight and articulate. But anyhow.) Adiós, blogueros!
Saturday, 24 September 2011
Warning: contains sentimental clap trap and bad grammar
Yet another thing that crops up to make this whole experience seem more real than a holiday, is facebook's insistance on telling us that people are heading back to Lancaster. This brings about a strange feeling that is rather hard to describe, although both me and Bex attempted to do so today!
Obviously, it's pretty hard leaving behind your family. Mum, Dad, Big Sis, I miss you very much. And the grandparents, who I chatted to on skype this week and whom are just as amazing as ever, and who bring out the best in my Yorkshire accent. But as well, all the people I've been living with for the past two years, I miss you too. Because we bonded over leaving home, uni work, strange new surroundings... it's a very different bond to the one you have with your family but in some ways it's no less strong. Where was I heading with this rambling trip to nowhere? Ah yes.
The point is, Lancaster is where we should be, those of us on a year abroad. And it's rather unnatural, seeing everyone else trickle back to OUR uni, OUR houses, OUR city, and knowing we're not going to be there this year. I suppose it's all made worse by the fact that when we do get back, some people won't be there because they'll have graduated, or even gone on their year abroad. It is a strange thing.
Luckily, we know it'll get better once everyone's gone back to Lancaster, started their term, and everything gets back to normal. Then the time will fly by! But like Bex said to me earlier, we're wishing the time away till we get to see people again, when really we should be making the most of this wonderful opportunity we've been offered. I've decided that we'll probably be wishing the time away for most of this year, but that doesn't mean we're not enjoying ourselves, and it doesn't mean we're not making the most of it. It just means that we're completely and utterly overwhelmed by how much people at home love us. Now who in their right minds would want to leave that behind?
No idea if that makes any sense. I suppose it can't really, unless you've been mad enough to set off on this kind of crazy trip!
In other news - I got Iplayer to work, our 4th flatmate has arrived, and my head is now automatically setting itself to Spanish. English is becoming harder to use (so appologies for the terrible grammar in this). Crazy times. Cheddar rationing is going well, Cola Cao tub is already half-empty, and I'm up to my eye balls in work. Ahhhhh year abroad! <3 La dulce vida, no? xxxx
Obviously, it's pretty hard leaving behind your family. Mum, Dad, Big Sis, I miss you very much. And the grandparents, who I chatted to on skype this week and whom are just as amazing as ever, and who bring out the best in my Yorkshire accent. But as well, all the people I've been living with for the past two years, I miss you too. Because we bonded over leaving home, uni work, strange new surroundings... it's a very different bond to the one you have with your family but in some ways it's no less strong. Where was I heading with this rambling trip to nowhere? Ah yes.
The point is, Lancaster is where we should be, those of us on a year abroad. And it's rather unnatural, seeing everyone else trickle back to OUR uni, OUR houses, OUR city, and knowing we're not going to be there this year. I suppose it's all made worse by the fact that when we do get back, some people won't be there because they'll have graduated, or even gone on their year abroad. It is a strange thing.
Luckily, we know it'll get better once everyone's gone back to Lancaster, started their term, and everything gets back to normal. Then the time will fly by! But like Bex said to me earlier, we're wishing the time away till we get to see people again, when really we should be making the most of this wonderful opportunity we've been offered. I've decided that we'll probably be wishing the time away for most of this year, but that doesn't mean we're not enjoying ourselves, and it doesn't mean we're not making the most of it. It just means that we're completely and utterly overwhelmed by how much people at home love us. Now who in their right minds would want to leave that behind?
No idea if that makes any sense. I suppose it can't really, unless you've been mad enough to set off on this kind of crazy trip!
In other news - I got Iplayer to work, our 4th flatmate has arrived, and my head is now automatically setting itself to Spanish. English is becoming harder to use (so appologies for the terrible grammar in this). Crazy times. Cheddar rationing is going well, Cola Cao tub is already half-empty, and I'm up to my eye balls in work. Ahhhhh year abroad! <3 La dulce vida, no? xxxx
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