Author: kendall_bell

Today was easily the best day of the trip so far! It started off with breakfast. There was a fancy spread with things you might find on a charcuterie board alongside medialunas (Argentinian croissants), but most of us just went for cereal. It was simple, but it felt right.

After that, we finally got to go to Iguazu Falls. This was the place everyone had been waiting for. On the bus, our tour guide told us we would be walking somewhere between five and ten miles and that we would be out there for six hours. To be honest, I thought that this would be terrible. However, time passed quickly, and I enjoyed all 20,000 steps and all 6 hours.

We hiked three trails to see different parts of the waterfalls. While we walked, we joked around. Whenever we saw a small waterfall, someone would say, “Oh wow, this is what we came for,” and we would all laugh. But then we reached the first huge waterfall. It was unbelievable. The water rushing down, the sound, the view, someone said, “Is this what it looks like when you enter heaven?” and for a second, that is exactly how it felt. The next two trails brought even more views that were just as incredible. It felt like something out of a dream.

After all the trails, we visited the point where Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil all meet called Tres Puntos. It was really cool standing in that exact spot and looking out across three countries at once. There was one quiet, sad moment when we saw a sick stray dog nearby, and it stuck with a lot of us. Still, we enjoyed our time there, took pictures, and spent time together.

When we got back to the hotel, everyone started debating whether we could go in the pool. After lots of talking, we finally agreed we could. Only six people actually got in, but that didn’t matter. Others played ping pong and card games nearby. Everyone was just having fun being around each other.

Later that night, a large group of us ended up in one room playing UNO. The room was packed, but nobody complained. It felt like the perfect way to end the day. -Arush
___________________________________________________________________________

Today we began with breakfast at the Raíces del Plata hotel where we ate medialunas (croissants) and many other yummy pastries! Soon afterwards we met our tour guide, Óscar, and boarded a bus that took us to the Iguazú National Park. Óscar explained how the falls lie along the Iguazú river which is one of the widest in the world. The Iguazú river also creates a natural border between Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay.

Once we reached the park, we took a train to see the Devils Throat and the Brazilian side of the falls. We learned that Devils Throat is where the majority of the river empties and we also saw the Brazilian watch center from our side of the waterfalls. There was a lot of mist and wind which made it quite chilly; however, it warmed up as the day went on.

After taking many photos, we left Devils Throat to start the Upper Trail where we hiked along the tops of the Argentinian falls. During this hike we ran into a large group of Coatis which are raccoon-like animals from the same family, Procyonidae. A couple of them even reached for our purses and bags! We stopped for lunch, and I had some asado pork sausages and choco torta. Outside of the restaurant we saw many Capuchino monkeys surveying and doing tricks to get snacks from nearby tourists.

We then began the Lower Trail where we saw all the Argentinian falls from below. At this point in the day, the sun had come out and we saw a beautiful rainbow along the falls. Next, we left the Iguazú National Park and drove to Tres Puntos: a section on the river where Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina meet. While we were there, we visited a small market and took many “golden hour” photos!

Finally, we returned to the hotel and some of us decided to go in the pool despite the chilly weather. Sophie and I dominated during chicken fights which made the cold temperatures totally worth it. We quickly took showers and warmed up before heading to dinner. Lastly, we were given an hour to hangout before bed and the whole group played Uno and Spoons. -Riya

Today was super fun! Despite being tired, we eagerly arrived in Argentina around 10 in the morning. After collecting our suitcases, multiple passport checks, and meeting our guide, Marisa, we headed towards the heart of Buenos Aires. I immediately noticed the large size of the city and its historic buildings covered in portraits of Messi, Maradona, Eva Perón, and other Argentinian celebrities. We soon arrived at our hotel, dropped our luggage off, and headed out to get a small but yummy snack. I ate two empanadas filled with meat and vegetables. Despite their small size, they filled me up and I was ready to continue touring Buenos Aires. We then visited a gigantic flower statue (La Floralis Genérica) and then headed towards the airport to go to Iguazu. At first, I was dreading our 3^rd flight of the day, but the second I sat down I fell asleep. Once we arrived in Iguazu, we left to go to the hotel. Singing along to our favorite songs in the bus, we excitedly awaited our next adventure in Iguazu. Iguazu was a small and quiet city full of trees and small shops. After we arrived at the hotel, we immediately went to get dinner. I had milanesa de pollo, a lightly breaded chicken breast filet pounded flat and fried, with rice on the side. I then went to sleep excited for the next day. -Ben

Day 2 of our school trip to Argentina was mostly spent traveling. We had a flight from Atlanta to Buenos Aires that added up to a long day in the air, with layovers in between the flight from Buenos Aires to Iguazú. Even though most of the day was focused on getting from one place to another, we still managed to fit in a few key moments once we arrived.

After landing in Buenos Aires, we headed straight to our hotel to check in our big bags to the hotel. Everyone was tired from the flights, but we were also excited to finally be in Argentina. The hotel lobby where we stayed was clean and comfortable, and it felt good to put our bags down and rest for a bit. That’s when Kash and Deven may have gotten a little too comfortable! Zzzzzzz…

One of the highlights of the day was in the evening when we tried empanadas for the first time. They’re a popular food in Argentina and come with different fillings like beef, chicken, or cheese. The ones we tried were warm and flavorful, and everyone seemed to enjoy them. It was a simple but important part of experiencing the local culture.

We’re all tired from Day 2, onto an exciting Day 3! -Noha

My trip started with a short flight from Raleigh to Atlanta. It was a midday flight, so the airport wasn’t too crazy, and everything went pretty smoothly. The flight itself was quick just over an hour and I didn’t really have time to get bored. I had a window seat, but honestly, there wasn’t much to see except clouds and patches of land. Once I landed in Atlanta, I had a decent layover before the long-haul flight, so I grabbed some food, walked around a bit, and tried to mentally prepare for ten hours in the air.

The flight to Buenos Aires felt like it took forever. Ten hours is no joke! It was one of those overnight flights, and even though I told myself I’d try to sleep, I barely managed due to Sean sleeping on top of me the whole time. There was always some kind of noise, people getting up, carts rolling by, or just the hum of the plane. I watched a couple of movies and fell asleep during the Lego movie.

Somewhere over the ocean, it hit me that I was really on my way to South America. That was a weird but cool feeling just realizing how far I was from home. By the time we started descending into Buenos Aires, I was exhausted but excited. Looking out the window I could already see the beautiful city. After sitting on a plane for that long, I couldn’t wait to stand up, move around, and finally start the trip. Even though the journey was long, it felt like the real adventure was just beginning. -Abe

We got to the airport at around 3:45, and it was really cool to see everyone again after the NC homestay. I talked with some of my friends while we waited for the rest of our group to get checked in. Everyone was so excited, even though it was a little sad to say goodbye to our parents and siblings.

TSA was really pleasant and easy, only a few people had to get their bags checked and there was no line, which was really nice. After, we got to our gate and ate Popeyes, and I played Nintendo with my friends at the gate.

The first flight was really easy. It was super short, and by the time I was done with one episode of Breaking Bad we were already landing. We got through to Atlanta with no hiccups, and then I got a slice of pizza before we left for Buenos Aires.

This flight to Buenos Aires has been a little rough but not too bad. I and others I’m sitting near didn’t get much sleep (except for Chris, who somehow managed to get 5 hours), but we all feel good and got to talk, watch TV, and play trivia. -Dylan

Today was the last day we had to spend time with our exchange partners. The week had been incredibly exhausting for me, so my partner let me sleep and rest till 12. After I got up, we ate empanadas that Juan, Rochi’s dad, made for us the day before while we talked about today likely being the last day I eat empanadas. After we finished, I played Brawl Stars with Rochi’s younger brother, Tiago, and went to change to get ready for the day.

A couple of friends and I decided to have a last-minute get-together in Puerto Madero (a neighborhood in Buenos Aires) for food. This group included both CA students and their partners. Although it was my third time coming to El Puente de La Mujer, it was still an amazing experience. We chose to eat at a place called “La Panera Rosa”. The restaurant had seating both indoors and outdoors and had adorable pink decorations. The tables and seats all had a ballet pink theme and there were many flowers, trees, and herbs scattered around the restaurant. I ordered a Nutella crepe that I was craving from the trip we had to the Boca neighborhood, and a pink smoothie. The others had coffee and a nice fruit platter. Other than a bird, who was on the tree above our table, pooping on my phone, it was super fun to catch up with this group of friends before we left Argentina.

Our group then split up, with some going home while the rest of us went to Maneiro, a small shopping area. We first went to a jewelry store to look for earrings that I could buy for my mom. I think I got better with my Spanish throughout this trip; however, it was still stressful to talk to the worker. I tried my best and after we all finished buying our items, we went to another jewelry store. Rochi wanted to buy me a gift and we settled on a cute ear attachment that goes around the outside of your ear. It was a beautiful gift that I put on right after we bought it. It is the most unique piece of jewelry I have now, and it will always remind me of Rochi and my time here. After shopping, we walked around the shopping area, and I bought some spiced candied nuts from a street vendor. It was similar to something I had at home, but it was still delicious.

Rochi, her mom, and I left the shopping mall around 7:30 and drove to the party. We got there extremely early but while we waited, we helped set up a few of the tables. For me, the party started a little slow at first as people were trickling in, but after everyone arrived, the party was extremely fun. The music was super low and sometimes I could feel it in my chest. We played a few games and soon formed a circle to hit balloons at each other. Near the middle of the party, the DJ started playing nostalgic music that we all knew, and it made us go crazy. Dancing to the music was extremely fun and felt more exciting than the times we had at CA. Finally, we celebrated Guada and Mati’s 16th birthdays with cake and ended with everyone grabbing small polaroids of them and their partners throughout the trip. It was a super sweet moment for me and my partner even though we hadn’t left yet. Today, with the get-together, playing Brawl Stars with Tiago, and the Farewell Party, was one of the most memorable days I had on this trip. I am so sad to leave and wish I could stay in Quilmes for longer. I will definitely miss being with my partner and her family forever; they were amazing, and I couldn’t have asked for a better partner. -Liliana

First, I woke up pretty early and went over to Corda’s house to eat breakfast with a few of the boys. Then after a breakfast of various pastries, we went to Buenos Aires to eat lunch with Provi and Rhianna. We walked around corrientes and la Avenida 9 de Julio and saw different historical sites like the Obelisk of Buenos Aires. Then we went underground and took the subway (Subte!) to a mall named Abasto shopping. We got different jerseys like a Quilmes jersey for my friend. We then went to the Teatro Colon with a bunch of our friends. We had a guided tour in the theater and then we went to a little restaurant named Café Martinez with Provi and Rhianna after. We sat down and relaxed for a little bit after a long day. I tried lemonade for the first time in Argentina and wasn’t a fan. The lemonade was a lot sourer and had a different taste which surprised me (It was probably a limeade or at the very least had lime in it – Mr. Bell). After we went back to the house, I took a little nap before heading to a gathering with the whole exchange. It was really fun because we could talk to all of our friends before we had to leave, and it was really one last fun time all together before all the sadness kicked in. It was a great night full of laughs. Finally, we walked back to our house and went to bed. -Noah

It is bittersweet that today is our last school day at Quilmes High School. We kicked off our busy day with a delightful visit to the kindergarteners at the QHS jardín. The 4-year-olds serenaded us with the sweetest songs they’ve learned from their music teacher, and in return, we sang “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” for them. Their joy was absolutely contagious!

After visiting the kindergarten, the entire exchange group headed to the primary school to learn tango from a professional. The Tango is an iconic and influential dance that originated in the streets of Buenos Aires, Argentina. We had a wonderful time learning the 8 basic steps of tango together. At the end of the class, we all performed a dance together before we set off for lunch.

For lunch many of us walked a few blocks to get lunch from a local burger joint called BurgerBros. The food was great, and it was one of the few restaurants to have tasty salted and seasoned fries (papas fritas).

After returning from lunch, we gathered to create a “tree of life” using the handprints of all the teachers and students who participated in the exchange. We covered our hands in layers of paint. We printed our handprints and names on a big canvas to capture all the incredible people who made this exchange unforgettable. Today was also our shirt-signing day at QHS. No surprise here, that our shirts were covered in heartfelt messages and signatures from our Quilmes friends.

Our next stop was the QHS elementary school to visit their students in primary grades. Their excitement to see us was beyond heartwarming. We had a blast in the afternoon playing trivia with them, singing karaoke (we sang popular songs in Spanish and the kids sang pop songs in English), and playing Just Dance together. Finally, to wrap up our last day at QHS, we were given a grand applause by all the students and staff at QHS as we exited the school. We couldn’t have asked for a better farewell! We feel so thankful to everyone for making this a memorable and cherished visit. We have been so blessed and we will miss our QHS family so much! 💗💗

After school, my host family and I went to a very nice restaurant at Park Hyatt – Palacio Duhau in Buenos Aires for tea time. Watching the sunset from the mansion’s beautiful backyard was magical. We were served freshly squeezed juices and an exquisite variety of teas, accompanied by gourmet pastries and savory snacks. The presentation was stunning, and the taste of the food was even better. I feel so grateful to close out the school week with my host family in this incredible setting, enjoying this delectable spread and creating unforgettable memories. -Rhianna

Today was the last day of school we would have on our 2024 Quilmes trip. Walking inside this morning was so bittersweet, because I had made so many friends beyond just my exchange partner that I probably won’t be able to see after today. The reminder of the impermanence of our stay here made today extra important for me. All of the Quilmes students signed our CA shirts and gave us something permanent to take away from such a heart wrenching goodbye.

We made so many different connections with the community of QHS and Buenos Aires alike, all of which were embodied in the activities we did today. Our day started with meeting and singing “You Are My Sunshine” to the Quilmes pre-schoolers, and then tangoing as an entire group with everyone in the exchange. After, I enjoyed walking over lunch with a small group of friends and we finished the day with the handprint ceremony that has become tradition at QHS. We all covered our hands in different paint colors to represent leaves on a tree that connected all of us in the exchange as, in Fer’s words, “a single harmonious union.” All of these activities made me feel more connected to the strangers around me, the friends I made and got to know better, and the beauty found within all of the places we walked past. I believe that we, as a group, left school at the end of the day with a stronger cemented feeling that we were contributing to something greater than just a language trip. -Sadie

In the morning, the Head of the Secondary School gave us a presentation with background information on the geography of Argentina. We journeyed from the agricultural piedmont region of Salta to the world-famous mountainous province of Patagonia to the most populous province of Buenos Aires Argentina and to many more. It was amazing to see how every province in Argentina is unique in its own way.

After the presentation, we took a trip across the street to the kindergarten building where we interacted with two different classes. We taught them numerous songs including “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” and “You Are My Sunshine.” We also shared with the kids the sports we played, which led to a debate on whether the soccer team Boca is better than their rival River Plate. It was a great way to connect with the little kids that are in kindergarten, and I believe it helped improve my Spanish by forcing me to speak primarily in Spanish as the little kids don’t yet know as much English as their older counterparts.

My favorite part of the day was when we learned the national dance of Argentina, which is the tango. The Tango was very fun to learn, but a little hard because you have to try to remember the numerous dance sequences while gliding with tension. After school ended, all the Cary Academy students were welcomed with a hand-painting and goodbye ceremony by all the students of Quilmes. It was very heartwarming and made me happy to see the impact that we made in the short time when we were there.

Afterwards, I went to my very first escape room. It was very hard, but in the end, it was very fun. Lastly, we went to another Quilmes partner’s house where we slept and played video games. It was a great way to get together with all the boys from the exchange trip one more time before it was time to leave on Sunday. Overall, today was an amazing day, and I hope that the next exchange trip is able to have the same amount of fun that we have had. -Tristan

Wednesday started out by waking up at 6:45 and driving to school. The first thing we did was learn about the history of Argentina along with many important national events and their relationship/similarity to the US which was very interesting to see the two countries compared together. After that we went and did a theater like activity that involved us practicing different improv skills. This activity ended by us splitting into groups and performing different skits, almost all of which ended badly as one of the many requirements was that one of that actors ended up on the ground. To finish out the morning we continued giving our presentations on North Carolina to the other students of QHS. Our group for example presented the types of food in North Carolina which covered fast food, chicken, seafood, and barbeque.

For lunch, the entire group went to the Quilmes brewery and had lots of milanesas and fries with our exchange partners. In the afternoon, we went to a public kindergarten in Quilmes and did some activities such as making flags and other drawings. As well as that we brought the kids alfajores which we had made on a prior day. Overall, it was a really fun activity to participate in and was a wonderful experience. Finally, after school some of my friends and I got together and played FIFA as well as teaching the exchange students how to play American football. -Jack

Today was a super jam-packed day! We started the day with an Argentina v. US history lesson where we learned how events in Argentinian history compare/are similar to events in US history. The presentation closed with us being asked how we see our own futures, which was a very big question – especially for the sophomores! But for me, this is something I have to actually be really thinking about! Scary!

Anyway, after that we had a two-hour theater class with my host dad who I love so it was especially fun!! We played various acting and improv games and at the end we had to make and perform a skit of our own following specific guidelines.

We spent the following period before lunch giving our presentations to senior 1 (sixth graders) and the room that I was in was so lovely, they clapped after each of our slides!

For lunch we went to a beautiful brewery where we had milanesas and after went to a pre-school for kids in need with QHS’s CAS program. The S in CAS stands for service and the senior student officers accompanied us for one of the many trips they’ve made over the years to this school. I went with the 2- and 3-year-olds and they were so amazing! We decorated white paper flags in anticipation of the upcoming Copa America match between the United States and Argentina. After all of that hard work, we shared the alfajores that we made on Monday and juice! As we were leaving, the students gave us the sweetest cut out hearts that they have drawn on and I know us Cary students will cherish them forever!

After returning to school, a group of girls in the exchange all went to a pottery painting place where we got to decorate pottery of our choice! We had merienda there as well and it was the best time!! Overall wonderful day!🥳-Kailey, ’24

WELCOME TO ARGENTINA, TODAY JUST SO HAPPENS TO BE JUNE 4TH, OR TUESDAY! My name is Chris and I started off my day with a hearty breakfast full of croissants and assorted bread to fuel me for the coming day. I watched the beautiful sunrise as I ate; ‘twas really serene. Today was very different from a regular school day in Argentina. We went to the school’s many fields to test out how Argentina does their sports. We started with splitting into groups for soccer and field hockey. Personally, I chose soccer since I find it more enjoyable and it’s basically the most popular game here in Argentina. The games were quite casual with loose rules and some of the teams happened to do better than others (like mine) so overall it was a good pickup game of soccer. Very friendly and amicable atmosphere, filled with others who shared a passion for soccer.

After that we moved inside into another gym where we played handball, kind of operating as a mix between basketball and soccer. You get three steps when you have the ball, and you have to throw it into the opponents’ goal to score a point. Lots of people worked up a sweat – it seemed intense. Then we ate some delicious lunch and had some more time to rest inside as today, by the river, was freezing. I went with a friend out to go shoot on a goal, got in some good kicks. More people joined in, and it was quite enjoyable – I liked it a lot! Then the sun started setting and we had to head out, but I went to the gym with some friends, and we lifted together. Afterwards, we went to a burger place to fuel us back up as working out and playing all day took a number on our bodies. After all that, I fell into a deep slumber, and with that, comes the next day! -Chris

I HAD SO MUCH FUN TODAY. I woke up at 6:30 (way too early 😭) and we had fruit (it was really nice 😂), toast and sugar cookies (yummmm) for breakfast. We were able to wake up a little later today because it was different than normal. Instead of going to the school, the people in the exchange went to their sports fields where we had a field day. We played soccer (I was horrible) and field hockey. We had lunch and afterwards a large portion of the school joined us for the rest of the field day. There were various games going including soccer and volleyball for the older kids and track events such as running and long jump for the younger kids. I was surprisingly good at volleyball with a few hits and one or two assists! After the school day ended, a large group of us went on a ghost tour of Buenos Aires. There were actors placed around the city and each told a story about Buenos Aires. One was a serial killer who killed 4 people, tried to kill 7 more and burned down 4 buildings (the actor was scary 😬). Another story was about a woman who borrowed money from her friends and didn’t want to return it, so she decided to put cyanide in their cookies and kill them (😨). We ended the night with hamburgers and fries after meeting the actors and taking pictures. It was a perfect day!! -Piper

Over the weekend along with Manu, Noah, Octi, and their families we visited Sierra de la Ventana, a series of mountains which are regarded as the highest in Buenos Aires Province. On Saturday we spent most of the day making the long trek, by car, to the region.

Then on Sunday, the fun began. At 10, we woke up to a man named Javier waiting for us to begin our journey up the mountains. As our tour guide, he showed us all the best spots in the mountain which then led us to find out his affinity for outer space. In many of the places we stopped, semi-precious stones which came from meteors over 500 million years old could be found. I wish we could have, but we were not allowed to take any back to the mountain house. Soon we reached the top of the mountain after a long and rough ride where we saw the view of the small town below and the expansive landscape which Argentina had to offer.

After a few hours to rest and eat Asado (or bbq as we would call it), our adventures continued. We reunited with Javier at the town’s local planetarium where we saw a plethora of different precious stones from space, one of which glowed a bright white when UV light was placed upon it. After this he showed us a very informative video about the history of space and how the exploration of space via satellites is ever changing. Finally, to end off the trip we visited a quaint town called Villa de la Ventana where we had a wonderful breakfast and bought some amazing chocolates from a local shop for the long car ride back today. – Conrad

This weekend, Conrad, Octavio, Manu, and I took a 4-day trip to and from La Sierra Ventana for a glamping excursion. During the trip, we all stayed in a dome-shaped tent, which was something I had never seen before. On the trip, we saw a ton of animals, including beavers, foxes, a ton of cows and horses, and even capybaras. Monday was designated to be our travel day back, but we did stop in town to visit the shops and restaurants. We stopped by one store which sold items related to Argentinean culture, such as maté cups (both handcrafted and metal) and straws, knives, small trinkets, blankets, towels, and utensils related to asado or barbecue. We stopped by a small store to buy some dulce de leche just before leaving as well. On the way back from the mountains, someone could look out the windows and see nothing but fields and cows: it’s no wonder to me now why Buenos Aires is considered the meat capital of the world.

On the 8-hour car ride back, the only thing separating Quilmes from the mountains was farmland and one small town in the middle. By the time we arrived at Quilmes and dropped Manu and Conrad off at their flat, it was already nighttime (I believe about 9 or 10 o’clock) and we stopped by Pertutti for dinner. This one was much nicer than the one in Buenos Aires and had a much larger menu. For dinner, I had grilled chicken and the first salad I’ve had during the whole trip. We spoke a lot about the differences between Argentinian and American culture, especially over sports and food and what was popular in both places. Overall, me and my friends’ Monday was filled with a lot of driving, but also a lot of fun. -Noah

Back on campus, the non-travelling students also had a busy day. The Quilmes High School (QHS) leadership hosted a breakfast for us with apples, bananas, butter cookies with decorative CA and QHS printed fondant, yellow cake cupcakes topped with dulce de leche and sprinkles, a cake I would best describe as a spongier citrus pound cake, and (of course) coffee and tea. After being reminded to “eat some ruffage, fiber is good for you” in the wake of that simple carbohydrate breakfast bomb, the CA students had some time to catch up with their CA and QHS friends before 1st period.

After the bell rang and they said goodbye to their QHS partners… until they all returned a few minutes later holding white fabric in plastic packaging. The QHS exchange families had white QHS hoodies embroidered with “Intercambio Argentina 2024” in QHS green on the back. The CA students love them!

Proudly wearing their new gear, the CA students journeyed across the street to the primary school and preschool. Quilmes High School (yes that’s really the name – look at the website!) is not just a high school; rather, QHS is toddler daycare (~2 years old) through 12th grade and our students got their first chance to visit some adorable nenes and participate in their classes.

Upon returning to the secondary school, it was time to share some of their researched and held knowledge about Cary Academy and North Carolina with the high school students via presentation with dynamic (read: casual) Q&A. The first round lasted about an hour and then we returned after our 2-hour lunch break (many kids go home or go out to eat around Quilmes – there’s no cafeteria in the secondary school), they returned to do much the same with some middle school students. The middle school students asked the best questions… but don’t tell the older kids I said that.

At the end of the day, we crossed the street again to use the dining hall of the primary school to assemble alfajores, the dulce de leche sandwich confections I dearly hope you’ve heard about from your students. Why did we assemble cookies? I’ll let the Day 10 bloggers explain that to you when the time comes : ). The remainder of the minutes were spent consuming even more carbohydrates for merienda having some down time while the CA students waited for their hosts to finish their last class of the day at 5pm so they could go home. I also was able to catch up with my host family from 11 years ago in person which was a marvelous experience – it was so good to see them again! I hope that the connections formed by our students are likewise as energizing and durable as mine has been. -Mr. Bell