India is hot

In more ways than one. They're getting a VOGUE!

In Collaboration with Arcade Fire: Count the Cabs!

Not sure why all these cabs were lined up, but I think "No Cars Go" is an appropriate sound track for counting them.


No Cars Go from noa on Vimeo

Idli: Breakfast of Champions

I've been back for 24 hours, and I already miss them.

Just Before the Rain

Not a good time to be on a motorcycle.

Our Driver Played Punjabi MC

Ahhh, globalization. Jay-Z might not be so proud that we were riding in a Camry, passing rickshaws left and right. No candypaint or 22-inch chrome.


Punjabi MC from noa on Vimeo

Markets of Mumbai

Today we went on a spectacular tour of the markets. We were so lucky to have found Deepa from Mumbai Magic, and we learned a lot about the everyday routines that locals go about, as well as an interesting perspective about life in Mumbai. Here's a shot of our guides browsing the beads for sale. We saw everything imaginable for sale, and learned about the particular tastes of the region: For example, brightly colored "underthings" have recently become wildly popular. Hard to believe that until recently the underwear here was plain jane. Given the shocking shades people like to wear on the outside, it was only a matter of time until some color migrated to the underpinnings. Next question: Should the bindi match my saree or my underwear? Both? Discuss.

Unrelated to radical changes in undergarment styling, yet also rather awesome, is this jewel-stringer who will add beads to the gold you buy in the jewelry store. If you can't afford the gold, you can get one of those yellow or orange strings with beads too. Something for everyone.

Second Rain of the Monsoon

Clearly, no one seems to mind getting wet. We certainly didnt, considering it was 95 degrees and we had just hiked up some stinky stairs on Elephanta island (more on that later). Short video, but you get the idea: It rains very hard, very quickly. People were cheering. It's a major relief.


Second Rain from noa on Vimeo

How Many Spices Can You Name?

This will make you appreciate LIRR

As bad as things get at Jamaica, at least you don't have to do this:


How They Ride from noa on Vimeo

Driving in Mumbai

Not the most exciting video, just a taste of what a good day is like in the nasty world of Mumbai traffic. This was on the way back from a "large multinational financial institution" and it was really not a bad trip. I'll try to capture some of the more hellish traffic jams, but in the past few days we haven't been allowed to bring cameras into our meetings. Now that we're done, expect more exciting traffic videos!!!! I can sense your anticipation from 8,000 miles away!



Driving in Mumbai from noa taffet on Vimeo

Working Without a Net

Before there was DoubleClick, there was this guy. Painting billboards the old fashioned way.

Monsoon!

It's not supposed to arrive until the second week of June, but here it is! Serious lightning and thunder, lights in the hotel flickering. And yet, life goes on in Mumbai. Here's a shot of the entrance to the hotel. You can't tell at all, but it's literally monsooning. Buckets, to be sure. Drains? Not so much.
So we're finished with meetings and have tomorrow free to explore. We're planning to hit Elephanta island during the day, and have organized a market tour with Mumbai Magic for the evening. We're talking serious jewelry haggling. Any special requests (Casey)???

Those of you concerned about my flat tire situation; never fear! Our clients sent us another car and driver, and we simply jumped from one car to the other after about 30 minutes of waiting. At home I would have reacted differently; in India, you're suddenly and acutely aware of how lucky you are. Even when the slightest thing goes wrong, it's hard to get worked up over it; just look out the window and you quickly become thankful again. While we sat in the car trying to figure out logistics for the meeting in case I didn't make it, the driver was trying to change the tire in 95 degree heat (he was dripping), and on the rest of the ride we saw people paving the road, covered in tar and spreading it around with a stick, and kids squatting on the curb taking a "bath" with a bucket. Car loads of people stopped to offer us help while we were stranded. India makes you happy with what you have. Oh, and we were on time for the meeting in the end! I'm a sucker for punctuality.

Never a dull moment

I write this via BlackBerry from the side of the highway at 8:15 am.
We have a flat tire, and the driver is trying to fix it as we sit in
the car. The car is off, so guess what? No AC. And guess what? Its
about 95 degrees. Oh, and I'm wearing a wool/silk blend suit. Let me
tell you, this day is off to a smashing start!

Its actually not so terrible, just a tad of Indian humor to start the
day. We also passed a couple of elephants in rush hour, just strolling
along looking cute. And today is our last day of meetings, and we
should be done by 3pm, so I really shouldn't complain!

Lunch @ Khyber

We had a great lunch at Khyber on Monday. Nevermind that someone tagged the sign out front (above). I'm too tired to write much more [bad combo of Kingfisher and 7am meeting tomorrow!] so you'll have to settle for some pics and this tidbit from a magazine:

"Khyber’s celebrated frescos and sumptuous Mogul cuisine attracts international celebs galore. New York and Dubai have unsuccessfully attempted to imitate this South Mumbai institution that just opened a North Mumbai branch. Proof that Indian cuisine can hold its own among all the newcomers."

radiusIM in Mumbai!

Check it out- I logged onto radiusIM here in India, and there are 56 other users logged on in a 12 mile radius. It's working great, but one small problem: it's making me realize that I'm very far away from my peoples!!! Awesome application guys, keep up the good work. I'll wear my radius T-shirt out in Mumbai to get you some publicity. No charge!

If you haven't used radiusIM yet, you should really get with the program.

Punjabi Deliciousness

Amazing meal tonight at Peshawari (I'm still sweating). After cocktail hour at the hotel (including some chaat- finally!) we walked over to Peshawari for some amazing Punjabi food. No utensils, only using the right hand; kind of a challenge. But I like a challenge. Once again, this had us lamenting the serious lack of good, authentic Indian food in Manhattan. Seriously, the best dahl I've ever had.

From a review:

"Peshawari is perhaps the only place more crowded than a Mumbai train station. South Mumbaiites venture up to North Mumbai for Peshawari’s Northwest Frontier cuisine and décor. Eating kebabs with one’s hands didn’t deter Bryan Adams, Shaggy and CEOs of Sony and Star TV."

"There is a service called FedEx that is similar to ours — but they don’t deliver lunch"

Today's Times has a fascinating (and timely, for me anyway) article about the dabbawalla network in Mumbai. Reminded me of this Anthony Bourdain episode (ignore the Bollywood part, and stick with it until Anthony gets his lunch; it's pretty amazing).

This week's Time Out Mumbai (yes, they have one) also has an article on dabbawalla service, but it focuses on healthy meals provided by a company, not just delivered from home. Sort of the Indian version of the Zone delivery service and others in nyc.

Bean Counters

Dhobi Ghats

This is the giant outdoor laundry where a lot of Mumbai's clothes get washed. It's all by hand, and looked like only men were doing the laundry. Before washing machines, even the hotels would send their laundry here and have it delivered back the same day. Now, it's mainly families who send it out. I wonder if they use fabric softener...

Snowcones are Universal

It's 98 degrees today (and sunny, not that it matters). The most popular guy on the street in Mumbai is pictured above, the snow cone man who is grinding blocks of ice by hand. You can see a giant block in the lower right (behind the wagon wheel). There was an assistant there with an ice pick, cutting off smaller wedges of ice and passing them on to the boss. He worked quickly and it's a good thing, because those kids couldnt get the treat soon enough. If only I could drink the water here, I could have enjoyed one myself!

"Based on True Rumours"

I love true rumors!!! We are definitely seeing this movie. Other interesting sightings today included a sign advertising "Past-Life Therapy" and a tow truck painted with the words "Broke Down Van." I love India!

Over Pakistan...

Looks like we took a flight to another planet, but that's just how Pakistan rolls. Crazy landscape. Here's a bit more perspective:

Happy Birthday at 37,000 feet

Not a terrible way to celebrate; I had two of my four food groups (pictured left) as well as a David Beckham documentary, a few rounds of Bejeweled, and my very own custom playlist. Delta's new ad campaign wasn't kidding; the food was better, the entertainment was on-demand, and the plane was new (or at least retrofitted). Plus, we made excellent time: only 14 hours and 5 minutes.

Testing Moblogging

If there's one word I hate more than "blog," it's "moblog."  So here we have a test post of posting from gmail.  Let's see if it works!

Will Be Packing Extra Anti-Humectant Pomade...

At least it's consistent. Looks like monsoon season isn't coming early, at least I hope that's the case. Humidity, however, is no friend of mine. In a suit, this will become a very interesting forecast. And by interesting, I mean wretched/disgusting/Can-I-bring-Jay-my-drycleaner.

Salaam, Mumbai!

Monsoon season is nearly upon us, and we all know what that means. Time for an all expenses-paid, 14 hour flight to Mumbai for business. Traveling with two great colleagues from my office here, and meeting another from Hong Kong when we arrive. Will be chained to the Blackberry, so expect many mobile updates (when I'm not working, of course).

The best part? I get to fly on my birthday! As a special gift, let's hope they don't lose my luggage this time.

"I am currently located in India"

This is a hilarious videoYou must watch until the musical interlude at the end.

Seva Samajam Children's Home

On our last day in Chennai we visited an orphanage and dropped off a lot of books we bought for their library. I was kind of scared that the experience would be really troubling, but it was actually very comforting to see these kids smiling, clapping, singing, and looking so healthy and happy. This was a really good program, so if anyone is interested in donating I can tell you how to get in touch with them.

We spent some time singing songs with them, and led them in singing B-I-N-G-O. This song is not exactly a global favorite, so it was more of a performance on our part... Maybe Old McDonald would have been a better choice. But they did know "If You're Happy and You Know It." Some things are universal.

Colors

British Airways Sucks, Yet Also Rules

If any of you are in London, please wave hello to my luggage, because that's where it is. I know, it doesn't make any sense- I am in New York and you would imagine the luggage would go with me. But you would be mistaken!

Things were going a little too well, I was very high on BritAir after scoring awesome exit row seats to London, and an empty row to New York, and yummy chicken tikka masala to boot. But of course something had to go wrong. I just hope those customs guys don't take away my curry powders!

So many white people

Greetings from seat 47C for the flight back to New York. I haven't
seen this many white people in one place since... Well since my last
flight to Heathrow two weeks ago. It's weird! Also, I have a feeling
there won't be so many "extra" vegeterian meals this time, which is a
bummer. Hopefully I can sleep through the mystery meat part of our
trip.

3 continents in 20 hours is starting to take a toll. Nighty night!

Back to Reality

We apologize for not blogging most of the trip, but we will be posting all the details soon.

After some minor frustration we are all on board for the London leg of our return trip, armed with a 10 hour supply of water and very full bellies from our most excellent dinner with Joe and Katie at the Sheraton hotel in Chennai.

Namaste, India. Until next time, nandi.

Dakshin

On our last night in India we had an amazing meal at Dakshin in the Sheraton hotel. The food was so great, and it kept coming! Just when you thought you were finished, out came another kind of fragrant rice or some other crispy jewel from the chef with all kinds of chutneys. The large plate in the picture is called a thali, and it is typically vegeterian with different little dishes - raita, dahl, sag paneer, coconut, okra, green beans.... my favorite was the bean stew - not sure what it was called but it was very tasty!

Cow Dung

Our scamming little guide Lakshmi rubbed several things on our forehead during the course of our tour. She dipped her thumb into a trough of white powder, and dabbed a generous streak on each of our foreheads.

"Do you know what it is?"

"Sandalwood?"

"Cow dung! Ha Ha Ha!"

Very funny.

Indian Babies are Beautiful!

Casey wanted to take her home, but the thought of having a baby on her lap for 19 hours wasn't appealing.

Meenakshi Music

These pillars in the Meenakshi temple act as a musical instrument. We paid a cute old man to show us how to play the pipes, and he gave us a small rock to pound against the columns and we heard the music!

Foodie Madness in Madurai

We had the most outstanding cooking lesson from the head chef at the Taj Madurai. This guy was serious about food. He spent about an hour describing all the spices and making us eat all of them (even the raw onion and uncooked snacks! oy!). Then he demonstrated the frying techniques they are so fond of (everything is fried) and gave us very detailed explanations of each step of creating a dosa or appam. As a rule, the first dosa is never eaten - he said it goes to the gods. He said this is not wasteful since the first one never really turns out well either. I think it may have something to do with cleaning out the pan a bit before preparing an edible dosa. One thing is for sure, they were delicious! After the lesson he gave us folders decorated with seeds and peacock feathers, containing the recipes we had learned.













After we were finished, we sat down and talked for almost an hour about Indian culture and American culture. Let's just say he wasn't too fond of us hard-working Americans - he thought we "spoke like 40 year olds" and "worked too much" and he was "very concerned" about us working so hard. He is looking forward to retiring in a couple years, and spending lots of time with his family. We decided that we like working hard and feeling rewarded for it, and we also value our families but show it in different ways here. It was a very interesting conversation, and enlightening to hear the Indian perspective on family. To each his own!

Madurai

Not Exactly the Autobahn

Even the oxen don't stay in their lanes here. This was taken on the drive from Thekkady to Madurai.
Video of the drive

Elephant Ride!

After a tour through a spice plantation in Thekkady, we got to ride on big, beautiful elephants! I got the girl, and Ktimene and Casey got the "tusker." We rode them through a cardamom plantation at twilight, and their handlers kept picking things off the trees and giving them to us - an Indian sunflower for our hair, black pepper, small red flowers, and of course cardamom. Our elephants were really cute, they were canoodling the whole time.













Elephants eat a *lot* of food. As we walked on the trail, mine kept wrapping her trunk around innocent little plants along the way, tearing them out of the ground, and putting everything (dirt, roots, etc) into her mouth. Then she would occasionally pass gas of paciderm proportions. You can't really blame her - that's a lot of fiber.













After our ride we got to feed them. We gave them whole melons, which they ate in their entirety. It popped in their mouth with a big crack and then it was gone. It was a pretty amazing experience, but not as glamorous as it looks since we were all covered in elephant snot. I didn't get a shot for this, so hopefully there is no disease you can catch from that?














































This was really one of the highlights of our trip. These animals are so gentle and majestic. It was a pleasure to spend so much time so close to them.

Tender Coconut for you?

Everywhere you go in Southern India, people offer you a tender
coconut. You have to take it whether you like it (Casey) or not (Noa).

Going to ride elephants? Tender coconut. Checking into your hotel?
Tender coconut. Going to the squat toilet at a gas station? Tender
coconut.

Coconut, coconut, coconut.

Periyar Tiger Preserve and Home for Leeches

We woke up very early this morning for a three hour trek through the Periyar Tiger Preserve, a 700 square kilometer wildlife park. There are 48 tigers living there, dozens of elephants, and gazillions of leeches.

This time we were well prepared with leech socks, which are these big canvas stockings that go over your pants, under your shoes, and tie at the knee.

We floated across a small lake on a bamboo raft with our guide, who took us on trails and pointed out a few animals...samba deer, wild boar, something called wild goar, which was like a water buffalo, and lots of small tadpoles and toads. We think it should be renamed the
Periyar Leech Preserve, because we didn't see any tigers but we saw millions of slimy leeches! Our guide was very sweet and whipped out his tobacco powder to kill them:-)

We saw a leopard footprint in the mud!

Do I look nervous?

The raft was taking on water and we were being led into the Land of Leeches....

Temple Festival Market

Outside the Shiva temple there was a temporary festival market set up, with stall after stall of colorful toys, jewelry, food, and flowers. So many colors, so many smells. There was a double line of women, all in traditional white Keralan saris, holding trays of flowers and incense, singing a song of "namaste," and walking slowly into the temple. They went on and on forever, there must have been hundreds of women. It was beautiful.

We siezed the opportunity to buy lots of dirt cheap necklaces and jingly bracelets(20 rupees, about 50 cents).

More Temple Festival

Temple Festival in Vaikom

My day started with a vigorous scalp massage with ayurvedic oils. It ended with a foot exfoliating barefoot walk down a crowded Indian
street.

The temple festival was totally awesome. No other word really describes the scene. We drove with Joseph, our guide from the Taj, and took our shoes off at the entrance to the Shiva temple, a huge walled temple in a small town about 20 minutes drive from our hotel. We were barefoot the whole time, along with all of our gawking Hindu friends...carefully avoiding the elephant poop (which was actually easy to avoid, being the size of a small motorcycle). We followed four elaborately costumed elephants around the temple once, then paused as a band of young boys played very, very loud instruments and continued the procession around again.

We went outside the temple gate to a street flooded with people. Times square, squared. Swarms. Masses. But so orderly and calm, and not a pair of shoes to be seen. We bought bracelets and necklaces for 20 rupees, and jasmine flowers, and took in the incredible colors, smells, and sounds of our last night in Kumarakom.

Namaste.

I like her outfit better

Keralan Dance

Getting Away From It All

For all you stressed out Americans who are wishing your cell phones didn't work or there was no such thing as internet, you should book a few days at the Vythiri Resort.

Since we've been in Kumarakom we've been pretty well connected, but we were just thinking about how nice it was to get away from it all.

Vythiri is so remote that it runs entirely by generator and solar power. There is only hot water from 7-10 am and pm, and the lights don't work after 11. No internet access. No television. No cell phone service. Pretty rare in this day and age.

Most Amazing Sunset. Ever.

Incredible. We took a houseboat out for a sunset cruise on Vembanad
Lake, with traditional Keralan music (drum and violin) and unmatched
scenery. The sun was the size of a quarter held up against the
horizon, started out a vivid orange, then went behind a veil of clouds
that drew purple stripes on it...it looked like Jupiter for a few
minutes before it slipped over the edge of the world.

Antique Shopping in Kumarakom

Casey does some wheeling and dealing. We are becoming professional bargainers at this point.

Kumarakom

We have a very stressul day ahead of us. First, we have to go for Ayurvedic massages. After that we are going to see Aleppy, "Venice of the East," on a speedboat. Then we are going on a sunset cruise on the backwaters.

It's hard work, but somebody has to do it.

Train Travel

Reading on the train from Calicut to Kottayam (Malabar Mail?). We traveled in AC2 (air conditioned 2nd class) which was very comfortable. The train took about 6 hours, but only because it was going about 25 mph the whole time. Unbelievably slow. It was fun to see all the snacks going down the aisle, most of it fried, and see them selling chai and other drinks. There's a pretty boring video I took of the chai guy, and you can't really hear him but he has a nice way of singing "chai-ya chai-ya chai-ya"... reminded me of the beer guys at yankee stadium ("cousin brewsky here!"). The tray tables say "Unfold Only For Snacks" which is funny, because snacks are very important in India!

I saw a woman pouring pickles out of a jar into a banana leaf, which is the commonly used disposable plate around these parts. Not pickles as we are used to, but pickled mangos, pickled peppers, all kinds of pickles. Anyone who has read God of Small Things knows what I mean.

Reasons We Love Vythiri

The wildlife encounters aside, we really enjoyed ourselves at Vythiri. Some of the things we loved:

-No cell phone service
-Monkeys that steal our sandwiches
-Double-bouncing each other on the suspension bridge
-Waiters who acted like Jewish Mothers, and fed us too much food (even though it was very yummz)
-Mahesh, the friendliest waiter at Vythiri, and the entire attentive staff
-The 6,000 year old Edekkal cave carvings, and Vishnu Joseph (our guide)
-Waterfall outside our bungalow (see video)
-Green seclusion
-The ladies at Lake Pooka, and our coconut spoon souvenirs
-The view on the drive down the Western Ghats at sunrise.
-Learning about all the spices on our trek (before the leeches).We saw cardamom, lemon grass, cocoa, coffee, black tea, orange trees, black pepper, and many others.

Leeches and Snakes and Rats, Oh My!

Not only have we gotten to know the friendly people of Kerala, we have gotten quite close to the wildlife as well. Ktimene in particular had a close encounter with not one, not two, but three leeches in her shoe after wading in the tea plantation and playing with the "touch-me-not" leaves. We came out ahead, though, as we have now developed the soon-to-be patented pilates position known, appropriately, as "Leech Recovery Pose."

We are now extremely paranoid and ask lots of questions whenever someone mentions the word "trekking."

On the vermin front, the rats could probably tell that Noa is from New York as they gravitated toward her nightstand. Ktimene had a premonition that something was nosing around in our trash, and Casey told her she was being ridiculous and should just take a sleeping pill. Casey declared it a "decent sized rat" and promptly apologized. We kicked it out with a broom into the waterfall below.

The snake encounter was less troubling, since we discovered it on a hike and it was happy to go about its business.

Othe (less disease-inducing) animals we have seen so far include monkeys, peacocks, spotted deer, Malabar squirrels, and ELEPHANTS!

Outside the Edekkal Cave

In the Wayanad district, on the border of Kerala, Karnakata, and Tamil Nadu.

Damage

We warmed up our credit cards a bit today, and they seem very eager for more exercise in the near future.

"The cashmere is delicious," Casey said, between bites of pashmina.

The earrings were gorgeous 22k, but the screwposts were too thick for our delicate lobes. Ktimene bargained for a free cup of chai masala when she bought her amazing necklace, and it set the bar for chai masala excellence.

Krishna's Rock

After eating magical dosas, we found superhuman strength and saved a small village from this falling rock.

Elephants Everywhere!

Ana, Casey, Noa and Ktimene with the big elephant.

Bull

Ancient Goddesses

So lifelike!

Salaam, Chennai!

Vanakkom. It is the morning of our second day in Chennai.

Incredible. Amazing. Overwhelming.

We're hoping to post some pictures soon, but for now just know we are having a fantastic time, learning so much, and truly enjoying the experience.

India is no place for jewish mothers. Yesterday I saw a family of 5 on a tiny moped - Dad driving with one kid on his lap, Mom riding side-saddle behind him with a kid on each knee. (No helmets, don't even ask... I haven't seen a single helmet so far)

People are constantly trying to sell you things, but we don't feel harrassed. Women are second class citizens in India, but they are respected. For example, after a car accident the driver would be chased and beaten up by an angry mob if they injure or kill someone (or a cow) but the women wouldn't be bothered. How comforting!

Today we are shopping for jewelry and tonight we fly out to Calicut and drive to Vythiri for 3 days of living in the forest, which will likely be the opposite of Chennai. Internet access won't be as easy, since we'll be in a hilly place, but hopefully we can post updates here along the way.

Arrival

Noa, Casey, Ktimene, Anto. Not bad for 30 hours of traveling.

?

I hope the pilot understands this. 

Good Day from London

We made it across the pond and are very very excited for our adventure to begin. Only nine hours to go!

Note to self: Piper is 15 pounds a bottle here. Must remember to leave room in the bag.

Oh baby

Well, there are no fewer than 3 babies under a year old at my gate.
Babies + Redeyes = Soooo happy I packed extra earplugs.

Final Itinerary

Of course, we changed the plan at the last minute. Here's a map because we know most of you have no clue where we are going:























13-Nov Sunday
Arrive in India

14-Nov Monday
Some local trips like Mahamaliburam

15-Nov Tuesday
Vythiri

16-Nov Wednesday
Vythiri

17-Nov Thurs
Vythiri

18-Nov Friday
Kottayam

19-Nov Saturday
Kumarakom

20-Nov Sunday
Thekkady

21-Nov Monday
Thekkady / Periyar Reserve

22-Nov Tuesday
Thekkady / Madurai

23-Nov Wednesday
Madurai

24-Nov Thurs Nearby
Chennai

25-Nov Friday
Explore Chennai, Night flight back to USA

I love Economy

So in spite of my complaining earlier, I was able to book a seat on one of the 4 legs of this journey. I will be calling 33K home for the 6 hours to London. No amount of hacking has enabled me to reserve seats on the other legs, but give me a few days and maybe I'll come up with something.

Colorful old men

My mom thought this was a great shot, and I agree! Look at all the Zaidys in this picture!

Migitty Microphone Check

Testing mobile blogging from blackberry... supposedly TMobile will work internationally, but I'm not too sure. If it does, I'll be updating here more regularly during the trip.

Bollywood or bust!

It's official...we're off to India on Friday, November 11!

The scary news is that I don't yet have a seat assignment, which means I'll most likely be the sucker in the middle seat. Maybe there will be a computer glitch that will upgrade me to business class?

Joe and Katie, Ktimene's family friends who live in Chennai, have planned most of our trip, including all train/flight reservations, and some hotels as well. We are grateful to them and are very much looking forward to getting to know them, their family, and their country. Our itinerary has been finalized - it includes some city time in Chennai, as well as a good deal of time spent exploring the jungles, forests, beaches and backwaters of Kerala.


13-Nov Sunday
Arrive in Chennai

14-Nov Monday
Some local trips like Mahabalipuram

15-Nov Tuesday
Enjoy the Forest at Vythiri Resort

16-Nov Wednesday
Vythiri

17-Nov Thursday
Vythiri

18-Nov Friday
Kottayam

19-Nov Saturday
Kumarakom

20-Nov Sunday
Kumarakom

21-Nov Monday
Varkala

22-Nov Tuesday
Varkala

23-Nov Tuesday
Varkala

24-Nov Thurs
Nearby Chennai

25-Nov Friday
Explore Chennai. Night flight back to USA.