holycowgolf: Patan-Mania

Sanskrit

Nepali Calendar in chalk

This guy either loves or hates bananas right now

I spent the last day of 2011 wandering around Patan, specifically the Durbar square area. Durbar square is a generic name given to a series of temples and holy places in the three parts of Kathmandu. I had coffee in the morning and despite my injured back climbed into a cab, (which is awful for the back since the awful road conditions and lack of any noticeable shock absorbers make for a tough ride anywhere) and bargained for a ride to Patan. At this point in in my tenure in Nepal, I am always happy to get a good deal, for a westerner anyway, and I paid only 300 rupees to get to Patan from Thamel. I also talked the guide down from 1000 to 300 for an hour of explaining the temples and their meanings to me! I can’t remember half of what he said, but the day was perfect. I could actually see some of the mountain range in the background and didn’t need a jacket.
HYGA update - There will be a major shift in emphasis for the HYGA in the coming months. I will update this blog with the details as soon as things are finalized. I have spent the past month analyzing our program and what we needed for growth. I have probably written and re-written (rewritten? it doesn’t sound right) five different SWOT analysis reports, and have spoken with a number of the Professionals here in order to get an idea of what can and can’t be done. If what I want to get accomplished in the next five months can be achieved, the next PGA pro who comes here will have an amazing opportunity to truly grow golf in Nepal. I have surmised that just giving lessons a few days a week and adjusting a level program for the kids to move up based on their skills (again, props to Dom for getting that done!), while definitely needed, is not enough to sustain our program. Spoiler alert - especially in Kathmandu.....more to follow.. for now enjoy the amazing Durbar Square in Patan.