A touristy-seeming day

This morning, Skeist (the other friend visiting Tracy) and I had a great surprise: unbeknownst to us, Tracy had scored us 3 seats on a sunrise hot air balloon tour over the Mara! She knows a few of the balloon pilots, and had been calling every night to see if they had any free seats we could take; however, she didn't tell us until this morning that it had worked out. These trips normally cost about $400 a person, so this was pretty sweet.

We gathered at the take-off spot, chatted with some of the other passengers, and watched the huge balloons (there were 2) being inflated. While the pilot was giving instructions, a French family was having trouble understanding; I stepped forward and translated for them. Over the course of the balloon ride and the breakfast afterward, Tracy and I chatted with them some in French (I was quite surprised to discover that they didn't really speak much English, despite having 2 teenage children). I was encouraged about my prospects of communicating effectively (if at first crudely) when I go to France later this month.

The ride itself was beautiful; it was great to see the Mara from a different perspective; Tracy pointed out the boundaries of the various clans of hyenas that we had been observing. Saw some wildlife, but for me it was more about the landscape views; the wildlife I can get a much clearer view of on the ground. Afterward, there was a Champagne breakfast in the Mara; we chatted mostly with the French family, but also a good deal with the pilot (middle-aged, cool guy from Alaska who moved here six years ago).

During the afternoon, Tracy took us over the Talek river to Maasai land to meet up with Steven, one of the night-time guards at the camp, so that we could see his home. The Maasai typically have a wooden fenced area for their cows, sheep, and goats (essentially used as currency) and a short, rectangular house made in a particular way from mud, grass, and wood. Inside it is very dark, but a lot cooler than it was outside; clearly the materials do an effective job of keeping the small space cool, despite the direct sunlight.

As Steven took the three of us around his house and property, we saw that several women (and a few men) were starting to set up blankets in a semi-circle on the ground, spreading out the beaded jewelry that is quite common in Maasai areas. Was this all for the three of us? Quickly, it became clear that the answer was yes. 25 or 30 people, all with their handmade jewelry spread out so that we could possibly buy something. As we were not expecting this, none of us had brought any money; however, we talked to Steven and told him that if we bought something we would give him the money for it that evening. We weren't necessarily needing to buy anything, but Tracy asked each of us to buy at least one thing, which we felt was right to do. It was also unclear how much bargaining was reasonable; on the one hand, the prices we were quoted were quite a bit higher than what we had paid for similar items at the market, but on the other hand, many of these people were family members of Steven. We eventually each bought something (Skeist bought several somethings) for perhaps 100 shillings more (400 instead of 300) than we would have paid at the market; however, 100 shillings is $1.30, so really it's not that big a deal. I feel like, when I am in a foreign country whose residents are a) somewhat poor and b) significantly dependent on tourist money as a source of income, I shouldn't lose track of those facts while trying to get the best possible deal. But nor do I want to look like a "sucker"- though that is certainly much less important.

Evening obs were somewhat exciting; we found the den of the West clan! Tracy and Brian had been searching for this for quite some time. There's a chance, if we're lucky, that we'll get to see some hyena cubs (which are apparently adorable) before we head out!

I also saw a bush baby in a tree after we got back- cute, cat-sized, fluffy black fur and a very bushy tail, and big eyes. There's also a genet (ocelot-like, weasel-shaped creature that's technically not a feline) that hangs around camp, and will come eat the scraps that the researchers leave out for it. There are also 2 bats that fly around inside the lab/ dinner tent, eating the bugs that are attracted to the lights. (They're cute too, of course). Basically, at no point are wildlife viewing opportunities over. And even in my tent, I tend to listen to the calls all around me for several minutes before putting in my earplugs to go to sleep.

Camp

Today's obs were pretty standard; lots of following around of hyenas; a beautiful sunrise; no big cats today though. During the afternoon hours after morning obs, we went to the Masai market in Talek where I bought sandals, cloth, and a necklace; we also talked to a guy named Mitchell Kaplan that apparently grew up in Roslyn Heights, Long Island, where my mom also grew up. Nothing else too exciting, so I am going to write about the research camp itself, as I don't think I've adequately described it.

To start off, the first question I was asked today (by Steph) was, "So, did you hear the elephants last night?" I responded in the negative; apparently, though I have a really hard time getting to sleep if there are any disturbances (light, noise), I stay asleep pretty well; I once slept through a fire alarm at Amherst (though I did have earplugs in, but still). Anyway, apparently last night, a herd of about 10 elephants wandered through camp, waking up everyone else (to varying degrees) except me with their breaking of branches, thumping around, etc. This is apparently not an infrequent occurence. The camp itself is situated on the edge of the Masai Mara, right by the Talek River, which forms the border in this area between the Mara and the Masai lands. So, though the tents are situated in relatively dense brush and trees, there is nothing physically separating us from the rest of the wildlife in the Mara.

The camp is made up of about 10-12 semi-permanent tents, connected via dirt and rock pathways (I believe the camp has been around for about 20 years). The 2 closest tents to me are about 20 yards away each; Tracy's tent is about 50 yards away (everyone is within earshot). There is also a kitchen tent, a lab tent where the lab stuff is kept and where the eating table is (that's the general meeting point of the camp), as well as tarps strung up around a toilet (it's a big hole in the ground with a plastic toilet on top of it). I'm not a great judge of size, but the overall radius of the camp is probably on the order of a few hundred yards.

When we got back from evening obs tonight, I was headed to my tent when one of our Masai guards stopped me on the path. There was something that he was shining his light at, but he didn't know the word in English for whatever the threat was; I tried but couldn't quite make it out. Finally, I thought maybe I saw something snake-like on the ground, but I wasn't sure. He took me a different route to my tent, then walked me back to the lab tent where someone translated that there was indeed a snake. I thought I had seen something light tan with reddish-brown squares or diamonds, which Steph said sounded like a puff adder; however, the guard seemed to think it had been a black mamba, so perhaps I had been looking at the wrong thing. (Both are highly venemous; a bite would require immediate emergency airlift to Nairobi, and apparently a puff adder bite usually results in the loss of whatever extremity has been bitten).

Readers who know me may know that I like snakes a lot. I have been planning to get a corn snake as a pet for quite a while, and was stopped from doing so my senior year of school by Gabi and Tracy, who vehemently objected (especially Gabi). So here's the funny part: while I am discussing at the dinner table how terrified I am of this snake, Tracy's treating it like no big deal: "Whatever, there are snakes all around. It's fine." (Don't worry, I still want a pet snake).

Going to head to bed now (having thoroughly checked all the corners of my tent for any possible snake entrances).

Hunting day

Dear readers: assume that all days follow the schedule mentioned earlier. I will thus simply give hightlights of the day, and you can put them in to the framework I have given you.

This morning, we set out to find some hyenas using the radio collars that about 20 total (split between 3 different clans) are wearing. Basically, this consists of listening for repeating clicks/ beeps on the 70s- era radio (complete with car-top antennae), then circling around to try to locate the source. After about 30-45 minutes of driving around and being very confused as to why the signal we were following seemed to remain extremely strong throughout a large area, and didn't seem to change with direction, Steph realized that we had some radio collars IN the car, and sure enough, one of them was close enough in frequency that it was being picked up.
Near the end of morning obs, we had the great excitement to spot a cheetah. This was our first wild cheetah sighting; he was a beauty. For a while, he just laid in the grass, soaking up the sun, despite our entreaties to go kill something. Then, after we (i.e., Tracy) recorded some more hyena behaviors nearby, we returned to find that the cat had moved closer to one of the "roads" (dirt tracks), and was eying some nearby impala, who were also warily eying him. Eventually, 2 safari trucks showed up; we alternated between wildlife- and people-watching. Finally, the cheetah decided to go for the impala, sneaking up to within about 30 yards. The humans, about 20 total, were totally silent, transfixed and watching. Were we going to get a chase like we had only seen on PBS Nature? Sadly, no- the cat rushed the impala and they scattered, hissing; Tracy explained that predators often have "test chases" to see if there are any weak or injured amongst the group that might make for easy targets. Still, we were quite pleased, and drove back to camp for a late breakfast.
Afternoon hours were mostly spent driving to get gas to prepare for the coming gas shortage courtesy of the unrest in Libya; we also spent at least 30 minutes sitting in the living room of the mechanic Tracy and the others at the camp go to when they need help with the cars around here (he is apparently a lot more competent than the one in Nairobi, though unfortunately can't really order necessary parts out here). Apparently, the Cricket World Cup is going on now, so we watched the Kenya-Sri Lanka game as he explained the rules (I knew the rudimentary ones, but not the more esoteric ones).
Evening obs consisted mostly of hyenas; at the very end they did a bit of test-chase hunting as well, before we returned to camp.

I feel like I often want to reflect on my experiences here past a simple recounting of the things I have done and seen. But often, once I am done writing up said things, I am more than ready to go to sleep. I will say, if I had one more piece of equipment with me, I wish I had brought a really good microphone and recording equipment. The calls of the night time creatures, the sound of lions gnawing on zebra bones and flesh, then sound of elephants' feet through a field of long grass. These are actually some of the most amazing things I've experienced. I suppose memory will simply have to serve; I suspect that just as photographs rarely do the original scene justice, sound recordings would serve a poor substitute for the actual experience.

Tomorrow: obs as usual, then the Masai Market! I'm pretty excited about planned purchases: apparently the Masai people mostly wear rubber sandals made of recycled tires, that are apparently pretty comfortable. Also, the fabric they wear is always brightly colored and beautiful, and seems like it would make for some good gifts.

The schedule

I awaken to complete darkness, but with the mismatched symphony of noises still steady outside my tent. I lie in bed, trying to figure out why I seem to have slepts so well here. Of course, I am using earplugs. But no eye mask: there are almost no lights on in the camp, and certainly none near my tent. Pure, pitch blackness. As I lie in the bed, enjoying this darkness and trying to fall back asleep, I decide to check my watch, just to see what time it is. 4:42. So much for going back to sleep: my alarm is set for 4:50. Roll-out time for morning obs is 5:25.
Here's how a typical day seems to go here:
5-9 am: Morning obs (with a granola bar snack)
9 am: Delicious breakfast
9:30 am-5 pm: Do various chores around camp (today, it involved setting up the new batteries and solar panel controllers; later, I went with Tracy to pick up Steph, who worked at this camp for her PhD a few years back).
5- 8 pm: Evening obs
8-9:30 pm: Dinner, chatting
10-11ish: Bedtime!

Highlights from this morning's obs include: seeing about 40 impala all facing a brushy area, looking intent and making weird hissing noises; 20 or so zebra plus some other random ungulates were also present, looking at the same area. Eventually we made our way to where they were staring (in the car, as always) and saw 2 male lions. We're 2 for 2 on lion sightings during observations!
I'm certain there are other highlights that I will remember when I see the pics. But I am quite exhausted, so this will be a short entry.
Evening obs: elephants and ostrich (which I also saw for the first time while joining Tracy to pick up Steph) in glorious pre-sunset light. We went out today with Tracy's friend Gina, who is studying abroad here but has gotten to know Tracy and the people at the camp. She is enthusiastic, delightful, and hilarious; hopefully she will join us on a few more obs.
We apparently just missed seeing a leopard after nightfall; the other car from the camp called us, but by the time we made it to their location the cat had gone into the brush. Hopefully we will spot one, but as they are nocturnal, chances aren't so good.

The great thing about this schedule is that it feels like 2 days in each one: after the morning obs, it felt like a full safari day; but then we got to go out again in the evening!
Looking forward to doing the same tomorrow.

The Masai Mara... no, really

Yes. At long last, through many a trial and tribulation, we have attained the fruited land of action that is the Masai Mara. Car-wise, today was relatively uneventful, which was a change- left the house by 8:15 and had a lovely 7-ish hour drive down to the camp in the Mara. Passed along and through the Great Rift Valley, saw giraffes just hanging out about a hundred yards from the road, got some tasty samosas along the way. But driving through the Mara was simply incredible. In the 45 minutes between the gate to the Mara (it's a national park, but thanks to Tracy's know-how we didn't have to pay to get in) and the research camp, we saw zebra, something I can't remember but which is a large horse-sized antelope that Tracy really likes, a giant secretary bird, gazelles (Thompson's and Grant's), giraffe, and probably more that I'm not remembering. I had no idea the wildlife here was so abundant- I thought we would see each of those things once each day, if we were lucky.

After getting in to camp, meeting the others (Joseph and Benson, assistants and chefs; their wives and Joseph's adorable 2-year-old daughter Olivia; and Brian, who is also applying to graduate school Master's programs, including Yale), unpacking the various things we bought, we had a brief hour and a half to lie down, and then: evening observations! (Or "obs" as it's referred to here).

This is basically what I've been waiting for. Though Tracy is out looking for hyenas, the span of their various territories is such that there was ample opportunity to see, well, everyhing. We got great views (and pictures!) of everything mentioned above, plus warthogs (including lots of baby warthogs; warthogs' tails, when they run, stick straight up in the air and are pretty delightful), hyenas (only 3 though- Tracy says she usually finds about 20 or so), various birds that I am unable to identify but certain readers of this blog would have no trouble doing, an amazing sunset, and, as the light was fading, what else but a pride of lions at a fresh zebra kill! Two males were busy gnawing away, as 4 females and 9 adorable cubs wandered nearby. We stopped the car about 30 feet from the lions; not only was it incredible to be so close, but hearing them chew/ tear/ lick the flesh, and growl and snort (adorably) from time to time was equally amazing. I got a few pictures before it became too dark, and we just sat there watching and listening. What was perhaps most remarkable was that they ignored us completely, even after Tracy gave one of her trademark sneezes (they are loud, violent, and always unexpected). We drove back to occasional sightings of rabbits, 2 jackals, a few surprised giraffes, and many cows (which aren't allowed to be in the Mara, but this is not enforced, apparently).

Upon our return, we feasted on the promised delicious food, courtesy of Joseph and Benson; chatted, looked at a genet cat (so cute, built like a weasel but still a cat, with ocelot-like markings) that they sometimes leave some tuna fish out for, and watched as 2 small bats flitted around the lights, devouring the bugs that gathered there.

Now, as I lie on my bed (yes, a real bed!) in my own tent, I listen to the electronic-sounding chirps of fruit bats, as well as a variety of unidentified squeaks, groans, chirps, etc.

Tomorrow morning: Morning obs, roll out at 5 am! Can't wait to see if the Mara sunrise is as amazing as the Mara sunset (I suspect I will not be disappointed).

Onward to the Mara! Or...

So today, after I was awoken by a family of monkeys scampering around the roof of the cottage, we headed off for the Masai Mara!

Of course, we didn't make it there.

Yes: that's right. Our attempts at getting out of Nairobi and down to the Masai Mara have yet again been stymied. Let's start this morning. Yesterday, we got the amazing news that the car would be ready today at 9 am. We knew that this really meant 10 am at the earliest. So, of course, at 12:30 pm, we get the call that the car is, in fact, truly, ready to be picked up. So we depart from the baby elephants (I'll come back to that later), Tracy dropped us off at the cottage and walked to pick up the car from the garage nearby. So, she brings it back, we pack it (2 canisters of liquid nitrogen, 3 canisters of butane, 4 car batteries, food, plus all our luggage. This car is maybe 2.5 times the size of Posie (not as much personality though, but at least it can handle potholes without sending passengers airborne). Packed and rolling out at 1:30 pm, blasting a playlist of my creation mostly consisting of pop songs from the last few months that Tracy has been exposed to only through episodes of Glee.

About 20 minutes later, we are stopped at the side of the road, hood open, Tracy (with a leather work glove on) loosening the cap of the radiator as steam and scalding water sputters out. Tracy explains that on the drive to Nairobi, the radiator always overheats, but usually not until much later, at a specific hill area. The hope is that the mechanic simply forgot to fill up the coolant reservoir with water before we got the car. So we fill it with water that we brought for this very purpose. A guy from the mini-town across the street decides it is his job to help us, even though Tracy knows exactly how to handle it. She speaks enough Swahili to communicate with him (he doesn't speak much English). Eventually he fills up our water container, and demands money. Tracy gives him 50 shillings. He demands more in Swahili. An older guy walking by, thinking Tracy doesn't understand, says "He says he wants more money." Tracy: "I know, I heard him. I'm just not happy about it." She gives him another 50, and we are again on our way.

Devastatingly, the engine overheats again within 30 minutes. Something is clearly wrong. After a few calls to different mechanics that Tracy knows, we end up at a gas station and ask for the mechanic. He seems competent (according to Tracy, gas station mechanics are often not), and relatively quickly identifies that there is a leak in our radiator reservoir. But, he can patch it! And assures us that it will take about an hour, and we will definitely be able to make it to the Mara today.

After about 30 minutes, they have removed the radiator from the car. At this point, it's about 3:30 (anyone keeping track of my time estimates may find that they don't add up. Whatever). At this point, we are informed that it is time for lunch, and they will keep working after they are finished eating. Not... much we can do. We sit around in the car, they sit around and eat for about half an hour.

After a bit, Jordan and Nathan, Tracy's friends (who apparently just graduated from the Yale Forestry with Masters' degrees) show up. Eventually, it is decided that they will drive up back to the cottage, where they were originally headed (it's clear we are not driving down to the Mara today) and Tracy will stay with the car/ radiator. We go, have dinner, come back to the cottage. At 7 pm, Tracy finally shows up, and relates how she went with the mechanic to 2 other locations, to get the radiator screen power-washed, have the hole patched, re-power-wash the radiator for some reason, and finally drive back here.

BUT! Now, the car is packed, supposedly in perfect working order, and READY TO GO for tomorrow! Knock on wood...

As for what we did this morning: First, the giraffe center: at the open 2nd-floor observation center, we are given food pellets, and a giraffe with an absurdly long tongue takes them from your hand, or from your lips if you so desire (there are pictures, never fear). Then, on to see the baby elephants, whose prehensile trunks are amazingly adept, and who are generally adorable.

Right now, Tracy, Sarah, and Jordan are watching recent Glee episodes, while Nathan and I sit on our computers alternating between watching Glee and our laptops.

So, again, hopefully, tomorrow: the Mara.

Has it only been one day?

List-style recap will be more efficient right now, given my state of extreme exhaustion (slept about 5 hours last night, and about 2 during the nighttime hours my airplane travels encompassed) and my state of inebriation (not too high, but in combination with sleep deprivation it can have a significant impact).

So:
Got up at 6.
-Went and walked around at 8. Is this real life? I have already decided that I have to return to Kenya/ Africa, and I've been here less than 12 hours. Amazing birds everywhere, birdsongs the likes of which I have never heard. Beautiful. Took some so-so pictures of birds that Alex will later ID for me, and some good pictures of a beautiful skink on a tree.
-Waited around while we found out whether the car we need to drive to the Masai Mara is fixed yet (initially supposed to be done by yesterday at 4 pm, then today at 10 am). As 12:30 pm passed (the absolute deadline for leaving, as it is a 7-ish hour drive and the gates to the camp close at 7), we are resigned to the fact that we are spending the day in Nairobi. Clearly, not a disaster.
-Events: Beading store (hand-made clay beads, beautiful), traditional African dances (touristy, but Skeist was quite interested in going, and it was indeed enjoyable), and then, the piece de resistance: Animal Orphanage! Essentially a glorified zoo (as the guidebook puts it), but still, some amazing creatures. But here's the best part:

We got to pet a cheetah. Actually, two. And they PURR!!!

So, we might have had to sketchily pay some people for this privelege, but... so it goes. They have rough tongues, and fur that is not as soft or silky as I thought it might be.

It was shortly after this amazing event that we found out the car we expected to drive up to the Mara tomorrow would not be ready for this trip for a WEEK. Commence emergency contingency planning. Essentially, the only option is this: a matatu. This common form of transportation in Kenya is a 14-seat van (the seats are QUITE small, I'm told) - you find one going where you want, pay, get in, and when it's full, off you go. No telling a) how long it will take to fill up or b) how many stops along the way there will be. I try to stay optimistic- one thing I am quite pleased about on this trip is its lack of touristy-ness: staying with a friend (not in a hotel), going with her on research observations (not a paid safari). So I consider it to be simply part of my (very much) non-touristy experience. However, as we drive to dinner to meet Helah, a friend I met on the Birthright trip who happens to be in Kenya as well, we pass many matatus, and I get increasingly less enthusiastic about being in one for at least 7 hours.

But THEN: miracle! Ian the mechanic calls! It's fixed! We can take it tomorrow! We commence to celebrate by plasting 'Like A G6' and dancing around as we bump along the extremely pot-holed roads in Posie.

Oh, you haven't met Posie? I've only known her for a short time, but already I am in love. Posie (the name derives from Piece of Shit) is a tiny "min-jeep" (only 2 doors, with a back seat. Don't worry Mom, she has seatbelts! At least, the front seats do...) that has been through more than any car should have to. I am told that she once survived being swept downstream in a flooded river, only to be retrieved later. And let me just state for the record: I don't know anyone else other than Tracy Montgomery who would be able to handle Posie. She stalls constantly, she bucks, she accelerates when she feels like it (the brakes are consistent, at least). And the (un)lucky person who ends up in the back seat gets some air every time we take a bump a little too hard. I will miss her when we switch to Alex (a Land Cruiser) tomorrow.

Well. I must say, I am impressed that I have staved off the jet-lag this long. But alas, I feel it's cold grasp envelop me. To bed! (You know, after I check my email, etc).

A travel blog?

When I created this blog a while ago, the idea was that I would post pictures to it on a regular basis. That has not happened, but who knows, it still might. In the mean time, however, I may as well use it to keep track of my travels.
I'm writing this from a small house just outside Nairobi, Kenya, where I arrived last night. The house belongs to the head of the research team that my friend Tracy Montgomery works for; she is the reason I'm in Kenya right now. She does (and has been doing, since August) field research on hyenas (hyenae? No, but I wish) in the Masai Mara, a game preserve that I believed until last night was part of the Serengetti. (Apparently, it's only called the Serengetti in Tanzania).
So, seeing as it's 7 am here now, and my flight got in at 9 pm last night, there isn't a lot to tell. The travel was relatively smooth- got to JFK well in advance of when I needed to be there (took Metro North from New Haven, then Mwanzaa's parents drove me from 125th St Station to JFK). First flight to Amsterdam, I ended up with all 3 center seats to myself. Would have been nicer to have that on the second flight, as that's when I actually wanted to sleep, but still, it was nice. Second flight, not so lucky, but still managed to get an hour or two of sleep.
But the juiciest part of my trip so far (and it's not actually that juicy) was after I arrived at the airport. I managed to pick the absolute slowest line for getting my Visa, such that my 2 checked bags were 2 of maybe 4 left on the belt by the time I got down do bag claim (but still, they made it, so hey). Now, one of the bags was just mostly clothes, toiletries, etc. But the other large, heavy duffel was (is) mostly filled with supplies for the research camp that Tracy works at- 2 power inverters, 2 solar panel controllers, 3 tarps, a large Maglite, plus some small things Tracy mom sent me to bring over. (Apparently, getting things sent in to Kenya via post is difficult to impossible).
So here's the problem. I am relatively aware that bringing new things into a country when I am planning to leave them there will likely be an issue. So I am a little nervous when I approach customs. In retrospect, here are some things I should have done:

-Unpacked the items from their boxes so they didn't look brand new
-Tell the customs person that everything I had with me would indeed be coming back to the States with me
-Tell the customs person that everything I had with me was just clothes and personal items

Here's the problem. I am relatively bad at lying, and I straight up dislike lying to authority figures in places such as airports, where everyone seems to generally be a little on edge and ready to imprison me (this is how I think). So I open up the bag (although apparently, I misinterpreted his initial gesture, such that he at first told me to go, but then I lifted the bag up to the table, so he's like "Well, now that you've lifted it up, let's have a look." Probably the most frustrating part of all of it, actually). In any case, after some discussion and explanation of what the things were (wherein I foolishly decide to tell them that I bought the power inverters, then claim they cost $20 each, which is pretty ridiculous (I didn't actually know how much they were, as they were simply shipped to me). Everything else I say I don't know how much it was because it was just sent to me). Eventually, after explaining what things are, and trying not to break out into a sweat, the guy tells me he has to charge me duty taxes, which come out to about $40. Whatever, not a big deal, and I assume that I will get paid back by the research group, but even if I don't, it's not that much. While this is going on, I happen to look over and thankfully see Tracy (as well as our friend Sarah Skeist, also visiting) waiting for me and being generally amused by the situation. I'm relatively relieved to see them, as I had been having issues with my cell that I brought with me and hadn't managed to make contact with Tracy yet.
So, finally, make it through customs, $40 poorer but with a resolve to learn to lie better, we get in Tracy's car with "Michigan State Hyena Research" (or something to that effect) and a silhouette of a hyena on it, drive to "the cottage," a nice little house on the outskirts of Nairobi, chat, shower (last warm shower I will have until March 7, likely) and sleep.
Today: 7 hour drive to the Masai Mara! I'm pretty excited.