DMV practice

Only a few work weeks left at Terra Lago before I begin an extended absence in Kathmandu. I've scheduled a couple of flights to see family and friends; one to Portland, and one to Syracuse. I've set up the end dates for my cable, gas and electric services, I've gotten half the shots I need, and I have two dentist appointments left. I have the flight and confirmation numbers for each flight, extra passport photos, ID's, and I have even conquered the California DMV.  It took me three different trips there to register my car, get a CA license, and ID card.
Some people have told me that getting things done in Kathmandu requires a lot of patience and you have to be prepared to be around people who do not speak your language very well, if at all. I could say the same of the DMV in southern Cali. I just used the long lines, endless arguments in Spanish, and crying children as a mini-practice for being in a foreign country.
Am I comparing the DMV to Kathmandu? No, and I would never level such a charge at a place I've never been. I did find my self singing this Primus song shortly after I was told I needed a smog check. I asked the lady where the closest place I could get it done was. She said, "At any of the smog check places." I see.
Getting myself organized has been a particularly rewarding part of this whole trip. And I'm already grateful for having this experience in order to force me to take care of some things that had been lagging behind. I've already mentioned the dentist (Thank You, William S!), but I've also been forced to bring my student loans into order, my car stuff, and some other, more personal things have even been cleared up.
Next post will definitely be about golf! (maybe)!

Official dates and gratuitous video

No hidden meaning, or subliminal advertising like those sneaky dudes at fed ex.
November 10, 2011-May 24, 2012. LA to KTM
Totally worth listening to. (Wicked cool or sick for my east cost friends)

Two-Sided Story

There are two covers for GolfWeek magazine. One is just a wrap-around cover that almost always advertises a new shaft, grip or something of the sort. The inside, or what I think of as the actual, cover unflinchingly has a picture of the most recent tournament winner, or biggest story of the week. I bring this up because really, all of the magazines  that I come across involving golf are not about golf anymore. They're about selling golf. They want to sell you a better game, a better golf course, a better (and you'll see this word used frequently throughout any golf publication) experience.

I have no problem with capitalism. I have no problem with advertisers. I just have a problem with what it does to the tweens and up who read these. Americans now expect to have the best clubs, the newest grips, the whitest belts, the most balanced golf shoes, and they expect these things to help them win every time they step on a course. What most American golfers that I come across, be it teaching or playing with, do not have is a hard work ethic. For those who practice hours upon hours each day, the newest advances in golf technology will almost certainly help. For those who spend only a few minutes on the range before going out to play, the latest club design or ball with a million dimples on it will simply not help you.

And that's the point, these magazines are preying on people who think that you can buy a better game. They're preying on the parents who think their kids can win more if they have better equipment. 

Now, about that "experience" they want to sell you. An experience on a golf course usually has very little to do with the course or the equipment you're using on the course. For a majority of players, the experience is enhanced by playing with good friends, and being competitive with them. I've had some of my most enjoyable rounds playing with ill-fitting sets of clubs on courses that surround camp grounds or even trailer parks.

The point is, I have yet to see a magazine selling me on the idea of getting a few lessons, using the clubs I already have, and picking my playing partners wisely in order to enhance my "experience". For the good of American kids and their parents this is exactly what we should be doing.

How does this tie into Nepal? Well, I doubt very much that any of the kids I'll be teaching really care about how they look or if they have the adjustable R11. I doubt that they will be annoyed if they have to play a course that's not in perfect condition. I'm guessing they'll be happy just to play and to be given lessons from a professional. Almost like it's a privilege and not an inalienable right. Imagine that next time you feel like you just have to have the newest thing on the cover of GolfWeek.

Blog recipe and what-not

*some things that I want this blog to be: A slightly less personal diary for my own record, a way for my friends and family to track me, a platform for raising awareness about the HYGA, and maybe a bit of a road map for the pro who follows me. As for the pro that I'll be following, go here and check him out. http://domgolfpro.wordpress.com/ *

Now for some thoughts for today..
Malaria pills, hepatitis A &b shots (first of two each), iodine pills, the address of a rabies clinic in Kathmandu, a tetanus shot, and a typhoid shot are all things that will be in my life on Tuesday. The amazing thing about preparing for this trip is just how many things I've considered that never would have crossed my mind a few months ago. I'm reading blogs and articles by people whose names I can't  pronounce and I'm Youtubing airports that I'm sure I'm pronouncing incorrectly. I'm also learning numbers in Nepali through an iPhone app that was designed for what has to be 3 year old girls. But the best thing about it all is that you just go forward each day and do this somewhat bizarre stuff and it's kind of calming. All of the prep you need to only seems like a lot until you just dive in and start. I guess that can be like anything worth doing, really.

Fun Facts!

So, as you have probably discerned by now, I'll be heading to Nepal for a few months. Before applying for this position, I knew precious little about the country, save the fact that I wanted to be in that part of the world. I can now say that my morning reading now includes The Himalayan Times( Himalayan News), as well as a number of ex-pat blogs, and of course, the greatest investigative reporting paper ever- The New York Post!
I won't begin to describe the government yet, which to a pseudo-political junkie like myself is truly amazing to learn about, but check out the paper sometime so you'll be caught up when I begin my dissertation on the contrast between the fringe parties and the Maoists. You won't want to miss that! Where was I...okay some fun facts...

National Anthem	Shri mân gumbhira nepâli prachanda pratâpi bhupati Shri pânch sarkâr mahârâjâdhirâjako sadâ rahos unnatti Rakhun chirâyu eeshale prajâ phailiyos pukâraun jaya premale Hâmi nepâli sârâle.
English Translation	May glory crown you, courageous Sovereign, You, the gallant Nepalese, Shri Panch Maharajadhiraja, our glorious ruler, May he live for many years to come And may the number of his subjects increase. Let every Nepalese sing this with joy.

And some Geographical info for ya..(not as exciting as the anthem, but still, it's quite diverse.

Location	Nepal is a landlocked country situated in South Asia, between China in North and India in South
Area	147,181 sq km.
Boundary	2,926 km.
Land	Arable: 17% Irrigated: 8,500 sq sm.
Climate	Cool summers and severe winters in north to sub-tropical summers and mild winters in south
Time	GMT + 5 hours 45 minutes

That's enough learning for the masses today.. Except this- Remember to floss; cavities are the least fun thing to get taken care of at 8am since, well..maybe ever. Perhaps in the next post there will even be some golf talk...