Lessons in Culture (and a bunch of pictures)

Today I had my first Nepali language lesson with Anita, a very enthusiastic professor at a local high school. I was lost no less than three times trying to find her and eventually she had to come to me; she found me on the top of a foot bridge overlooking the Polchowk area of Kathmandu. We then walked to her house and spent an hour in what is basically a mini classroom complete with dry erase board, a desk, and shelves of books. My lesson even included homework, for which I was actually grateful since I clearly need a bit of discipline in my life. We went over some verbs, some sentence structure and some helpful sayings, along with a decent amount of vocabulary. She was patient, and you could tell she enjoys teaching. It reminded me how important it is to be involved and excited for your students. Or maybe it’s the combination of the student and teacher both enjoying the experience. She made the entire hour go by very fast, and I’m excited to go back next week for the second lesson. I think it’s imperative to learn the language of any country you plan on being in for more than a few weeks. It opens avenues for you that would not otherwise be seen.

On another cultural note, I’ll now attempt to explain how claiming something shipped from the United States works in Nepal. After showing your paperwork to some police at a gate, you follow a guy into a huge brick warehouse. About 90 percent of the people who work there are dressed in civilian clothing. There are hundreds of people wandering around, some holding papers, some looking lost, some groups of men with badges, some guys at desks, and on that day one foreigner, yours truly. There are also parcels scattered everywhere, awaiting inspection or possibly not allowed to leave the building. There is a huge gated area inside the warehouse where a few thousand packages are awaiting their owners. I was lucky to have my good friend Sacchin with me, otherwise what took two and a half hours would easily have taken closer to six. Keep in mind, there are no signs, nor any obvious windows to approach. It’s a lot of people moving around in what seems like complete madness. It’s difficult to explain the entire process, but suffice to say it included no less than five people assisting us, including a visit to the office of the Chief Inspector himself, to obtain a signature allowing us to retrieve our package - it was after 2pm and apparently that is the cut-off for picking anything up. (though you could never tell as packages seemed to be moving around quite a bit) After obtaining the signature, you’d think we would have a clear path to the item (iPhone, by the way). But, no! I won’t go into much detail, but we gathered more signatures, paid a tax in another building, paid some more money to someone else, and eventually had the package out of the huge gated area. Success! Umm, no. Now we had three older gentlemen, all in topis and glasses opening my package, opening the iphone box, and declaring that yes, it was a mobile phone. They then sealed the package with tape, had me sign something else and twenty minutes after that I was allowed to pay an exit fee to get my walking papers. I will say this- totally worth it, for both the experience and the phone. Oh, did I mention we have 90 boxes full of golf equipment coming from the US?

As far as Junior golf goes...I’m actually working on taking the whole program in a different, more sustainable direction. Howevah! that is for the next post. Now enjoy a chronological view of my morning before the language lesson, some pictures of what I have been eating lately, and my view from the aforementioned foot bridge......

This is part of my walk to the golf course each morning

The ninth green, view from the clubhouse

Yours Truly

Birdied number two

A big archway, kind of a gate to the airport

Ramesh and Deepak, this is the walk to back to back par threes. I doubled the previous hole.

,

Water, Tuna from Thailand, Orange juice, Calcium pills, and yes, TANG! I'm pretty sure the OJ stays okay, since it never climbs above 40 degrees in my room

Walking papers from customs! You can see all the spots that needed to be checked off

View from the bridge where I was waiting for Anita to find me.

Another view, this time with a temple on the right

This little girl was so happy to wave and say hi after washing some clothes

For the next guy...a Bandh!

So I'm settled back in Kathmandu, and although today was the first Saturday of junior clinics in this city, we had only a limited turn out. Why, you may ask? Well, there was a temporary bandh, or strike, where (theoretically) the public shuts down everything, including taxis, stores, offices, etc, until the government succumbs to the public outcry. Needless, to say, as I was walking to the golf course this afternoon, I saw a bunch of riot police lining the streets of my somewhat peaceful daily walk. By somewhat peaceful, I mean I have to go through a "waiting hall" which is a brick building , housing a mini convenience store, and a bunch of Nepalese. After being asked when my flight is (the airport is close to the golf course)  I am waived through and begin my walk up the hill, crossing the street only after I pass the Army station and barbed wire on the opposite side. I promise to have pictures soon, but my phone is in customs (another story as well as another reason to hope the bandh ends soon), and you'll have to settle for words and some old pictures for now....
Where was I? ahh yes, so only twelve kids due to the strike, but I do enjoy being called Mister Stan! Anyway, we had about an hour and a half of range time, which is a lot less than we would normally have, but, again due to the strike, all the members who played golf in the morning were still at the course, unable to drive. A good example of city life in Nepal occured when I was walking up to the clubhouse and one member told me in passing that the airport in Chitwan had been attacked. "Ahh, such is life in Nepal", he said, and patted me on the shoulder with a smile.
I wish this post was more about the kids, but without pictures, you really can't see how cute and amazing they are. Also, I want the next pro to really know what he/she has waiting for him/her . (end political correctness) Also, I lied about having even old pictures, the bandwidth will not allow it. So until next time (with PICTURES) adios!

Weekend Update, with Stan Witko

As I have recently misplaced my right arm iPhone, any pictures in this post will be either re-treads or previously unpublished. It's not only a disappointment for my blog followers, but also for my students, as I am unable to give video lessons to the better golfers. It's amazing how you can feel lost in a matter of seconds after discovering one single item of yours, which means so much, is gone. Now, some props to parents for helping to rectify this situation as quickly as possible. THANK YOU! ^10. (that's the last time I will use any math symbols in this blog).
Okay, I am back in KTM, and this Saturday we will be hosting the first of many clinics for juniors. The plan will be short lived, however, as I am to go to Duran in the following week to work with some children, and possibly play in another tournament. I say possibly because my practice time has been limited at best. In fact, whenever I go to practice there are kids there, and really, I'm here for them, so I use my time for teaching rather than my own needs. Whatever happened to selfish Witko?
Apartment update - For those of you who are wondering what's happening in this department - We have rented an apartment/office close to the Royal Nepal Golf Course (RNGC) and it should be ready to move into on the 1st of January. We have a shipment of about 60 boxes coming from New York, including a bunch of junior sets, some SNAG equipment, grips, and other various golf items for the juniors. This apartment will double as an office for me, including a secretary, living space, and storage rooms for the extra golf sets. All that needs to be done is remodel the bathroom, kitchen, and bedroom. Should be finished in three weeks?
Diet update - I eat A LOT of chow mien and fried rice.
Invoice update - Getting a large shipment, around 90 boxes for example, into Nepal requires exact paperwork, stamps from the donating body, invoices to be delivered to various ministers, and letters of donations from all involved. Also, have fun transferring all of this from a mac to a pc to get printed out.
Now some pictures.....

Just added this for old times sake. That thing was stuuuck! Wait, isn't the south course closed? And what are you doing in the desert? Valid questions. Still no answers, but they let me drive a scooter around here.

Deepak and I at the Himalayan Western Surya Open. Being intense.

Over the wind!

More Pokhara

Onion Rings! Everything comes with vegetables on the side.

Last of Pokhara

This was my last view of The Himalayan Course, for a few months at any rate. This was taken from what is a new tee box where the hole is actually up on the ridge on the left, out of sight. It's a par three that covers 162 yards, across the side of the canyon. Oh, and the green is extremely small and undulated.

A sunset near Fewa lake, with a view of a Temple on the Horizon. Not bad for the last day

 So I decided to take a bus back, since it was only $18 and there were maybe ten people on the entire bus. I had my choice of seats, air conditioning, and some pretty cool views for the 7 hour trip. In fairness, there are probably about five hours of driving and two hours of stopping for lunch and snacks. The best part is just listening to music ( I went with John Forte and Kid Cudi for most of the ride) and watching the country roll by you. Also, you don't have to deal with the craziness of the airport, which is a huge bonus.

 The route winds along this river for much of the trip back and some of the bridges give great sights. I think the next time I come, I'll try a river trip back to KTM.

 This was a simple fountain next at one of the places we stopped to eat along the way.

 

So as I return to KTM I have a number of things on my plate, including setting up the Junior Program, working on the paperwork for the shipment of junior equipment coming in, contacting the schools and asking for time and space, trying to find a place that at least has a kitchen so I can stop eating out every night, finding a reasonably priced gym, and instituting a different handicap program (and having some kids help in the process). Other than that, it should be smooth sailing. One thing about the re-entry into the city after spending time away. I would equate it to leaving the gaslamp district in San Diego for Manhattan circa 1980. It's an interesting transition, though certainly not the hardest one I've made this year.

 

Range Finders and a Gift

 Good afternoon, kids. Today we will be discussing driving range issues. Maybe your range doesn't bring balls fast enough, or maybe they charge too much per bucket, or maybe the guy in the hitting area next to you is too loud. Or, in the case of the Golf School at Pokhara, maybe a bunch of large bovines walk across your path, the balls are hand picked, and everyone talks all the time. As I was spending my last day teaching (for now) in this lakeside town, a large herd of cattle wandered through the gate, onto the driving range, and some drank some water meant to clean clubs, while most just ate some strewn-about cardboard and continued on their way down the range, changing in the cardboard for grass. It made me smile thinking about the difficulties that westerners have with driving ranges. The people here are happy to be able to hit balls at all, and if they have to wait a couple minutes or hit while people are enjoying each others company, it doesn't matter. Life goes on, even on driving ranges where the obstacles are a little more than noticeable than an imperfect patch of grass from which to hit.

Okay it's a sideways picture, but it's my first, and perhaps only, Christmas present of the year. Although it wasn't meant as a holiday present at all, I think I'll keep the wrapping paper to look at over a glass of wine on Christmas. This was, in fact, given to me today by one of my favorite students at the range, an extremely bright young man named Rupendra. He questioned everything I had to say. He works at a book shop and would apparently go home at night and scour the internet for anything involving golf and the golf swing. So I would tell him one thing, and he would ask about something else. Sometimes it's better to not think, I'd tell him. By the end of my time here he became one of my favorites and I would copy pages from some of my golf books for him to study. Getting this gift, which turned out to be very complete and fancy 2012 organizer, was a highlight of my time here. I especially like the (golf student) part, as if I am getting gifts from everyone in Nepal named Rupendra Shrestha!

Part of the herd, being a bit more discreet than the guy in the first picture.

The best part about the organizer-autographed, and priceless

Candy Bars for Men Only and Buckets as Swing Fixes

Clearly, some of my favorite readers are women, and although I value them as much as my male readers, they are not allowed to have a Yorkie. I wasn't even in the mood for a chocolate bar while shopping earlier today, but after running across this, I had no choice but to purchase it for the insanely high price of npr (nepali rupees) 95. After googling the item, it became a bit less interesting, but the packaging remains exceptional. There are so many directions this post could go from here, none of them good, and I have a feeling the satire needed to continue this line of writing may be something best shared after a few drinks.
As my final weeks in Pokhara winds down, I'm still trying to get an idea of where I'm going to live back in Kathmandu, and since it's not really up to me at all, it seems pointless to obsess about it. I have greatly enjoyed my stay at The Hotel Garden, from the very kind owner to the sweet views I get of the Annapurna range on clear days. Compared to the Hotel Treehouse, my first place of temporary residence, it has been a vast improvement. Perhaps the only drawback to this location is it's distance from the Golf Course. However, having that distance has afforded me the opportunity to take some exciting motorcycle rides through the city. At The Treehouse, I needed only cross a dangerous intersection (although which ones aren't in KTM) and walk up a tiny hill to get to the Royal Nepal Golf Course.

Now for some golf news. When I started a couple of weeks ago this kid had never even picked up a club. And believe it or not, to get him to this point has taken a bunch of work from teacher and student. I try to get the kids to use their legs as much as possible and a common theme seems to be describing how physics and gravity work to their benefit. They seem to have the idea that the arms should do most, if not all, of the work. That explains why we have done drills where I have up to eight of them at a time throwing clubs down the range, hitting shots of no more than fifty yards, and for this guy here, hitting fifty yard shots with a plastic bucket between his legs. You see, his stance used to resemble that of a bull rider sans bull. We don't have a ready supply of mirrors or basketballs to use, so the bucket had to do. It drew some laughs from some of the other students, but when they saw it actually working for him, they all began to check their knee positions.

This Tibetan woman agreed to a picture if I agreed to purchase a bracelet from her at a price which I'm sure was a complete rip-off, but I liked talking to her so I wanted a picture and considered the $5 to be a fair price for both. Clearly, I have not shaved in a number of days (I swear I will tomorrow), and as soon as I brought out the iPhone for the picture, she was more interested in that than anything else I had to say. I'm still debating if her story was true, or a made up one to sell things to tourists. Being a skeptical American, although the skeptical part is lessening by the day, I tend to think there is some truth and some fabrication for the purposes of sale. She claimed to have a daughter living in San Francisco once I divulged that I was from California. This is the part I find hard to believe. I think she probably has a daughter living in whichever part of the world her next client hails from. But she also said her husband was killed in China many years ago, so she is not fond of the Chinese. Nor is she too fond of the new Nepali government, which is mainly Maoist, since she claims they don't want any Tibetans in Nepal. At any rate, I bought the bracelet, took the picture, and thanked her for her time before movin' on down the road.

Rewarding Moments following a Storm

 My teaching skills are being tested here, mainly because of the language barrier. It's tough to use words like 'transition' and 'pronate' while still getting a point across. So, as I've said before a lot of the teaching methods have become kinesthetic and visual. That being said, I am making some great progress with both groups of kids here in Pokhara and they are happy to learn all they can about golf. A very rewarding moment came this morning during tea with the kids at the range. (prepare for some bragging)  I was told that they were talking about me after I left yesterday and they were trying to devise a way to come up with money for my room and board if I could stay a little longer to coach them. I knew we were doing good work, but to see them caring that much was incredible. I then proceeded to stay an extra hour, forgoing lunch if favor of staying with these guys for a little while longer. In a related story, I'm slowly getting used to the idea of being here for six more months. I had a moment the other night when I was awoken to the sound of wild dogs and it kept me up for about an hour. I was beginning to question if how I could make it through this whole thing. Of course, it was the next morning that the kids propositioned me, which strengthened my resolve by about a million whatever-you-measure-resolve in. Part of this blog is about helping the next Pro who comes here, so in that respect, I'd like to say that you'll have some dark moments of doubt, but if you stick with it, and are totally amazing (like me) you'll be fine. Picture time.....

My guys at The Himalayan working on hitting 7:30 spinners to the practice green

This costs about $2. You just have to smell the butter and kind of get lucky with the vegetables being fresh. Still, great value here!

Sideways bus, wild dog, motorcycle going at an undetermined speed (too fast, broken speedometer), potholes, and piles of rocks. I'm used to my ride to the Himalayan Course now. It's a bit different than my drive to the Lago.

Not sure what this was about, but I watched it for a while trying to figure it out. These guys all paraded down the street to this spot and set up the candles before turning on some sort of music video on a projector.

My good friends Deepak and Ramesh. They both look out for me like older brothers.