The Bat Cave - (Incomplete; publishing 5 years later. See transcript)

Hi World! I stumbled across a blog maintained by my old English teacher when I suddenly came to the realization that I once did some casual, extra writing as well, on Blogger. This piece below is rather interesting: in the sense that I have completely forgotten what I was trying to write. I love when this happens. It's almost like digging up an archaeological site and trying to figure out what exactly I was going after. The titled "The Bat Cave" does not ring a bell at all. Although... wait a sec! Was it the Bat Cave in Pokhara I visited with my brothers over this holiday?? It might have been! It's amazing how simple I was, back then..still an optimistic adolescent. This blog in general, reminds me that I should try and be a bit more positive in my outlook on life. It's full of BS but I was in fact writing a lot of crap just to get it published on Yahoo Voices to make a quick buck. I do want to start writing again.. let's see where we go with this.


December, 2014.

I had returned home to Nepal after three long years in America. Three whole years of new experiences, both good and bad. I needed a break. I wanted home, I wanted to see my mother.

I arrived on Christmas Eve. My French cousin and his friend were there to receive me at the airport. They put me in a cab after bargaining a good deal with one of the hawking drivers.

Nepal was primitive. The taxi zoomed full speed into the nooks and corners of Kathmandu. There were no street lights--Nepal observed several hours of load shedding(rolling blackout) everyday, and the only thing lighting the streets were the headlights from the numerous vehicles, both two and four wheelers. To top the chaos, the entire city was as dusty as it could get, to a degree where wearing a dust mask was almost always necessary when treading the busy streets.

I finally reached home. My childhood image of the house was quite magnificent compared to the actual state of the building. The once tall and soaring house was now a medium sized residential concrete building.

I surprised my mom and aunt who were very glad to see me. They expected me to arrive at least a day or so later. It was my idea in telling the cousin to be discreet about the itinerary.

The family was back together. My other family which comprised of two younger cousins and their mother were in India at the moment. They were returning home to see me.

My first few days in Nepal were ones with mixed feelings. As happy as I was in being reunited with my mother, I was spoiled enough with the relatively luxurious amenities of America that I grew frustrated at the poor infrastructure of the house and the country.

We visited all the sacred Buddhist temples within the metropolis, which as predicted was on top of my mother's to-do list. While at it, we enjoyed the local grub, specifically the "Street Chai" of New Road.

I slowly grew bored. Boring people are prone to get bored after a while.

My cousins finally returned.

The elder one had completely changed in mentality although remaining the same in stature and appearance. He'd become what they call, a "Teenage Dirtbag," although his teen years were well past him. The younger one however, had metamorphosed into an unrecognizable figure. He was as tall as me, and now, bulky.

Fun times began, especially the night life.

Top 10 Strikers in Footbal Today Who Aren't Big Stars

The Best Uncelebrated Finishers in Today's Game

Click here to View on Yahoo Voices!

 "To name the top 10 strikers in football is an easy task. But to name the top 10 strikers in football today, who aren't big stars, is a mammoth of a task." - Arsene Wenger.

There seems to be an invisible order in football that checks the rise in the number of its "star" players: the vernacular for fame and the equivalent of the A list celebrities in Hollywood. A certain generation can only have a limited number of big names; the criteria for a player's admissibility to the cult, still unknown and random.

What makes a star player is a vague question, one with numerous answers depending on the various perspectives that you look at it. Some may argue that "great players" are the "star players" but that's not true.

Matt LeTissier was an exceptional player, one of the greatest technical players England has ever produced, but he wasn't a star player, was he? The answer to that trivia comes in two. He's one of the greatest players of Southampton and for any Saints fan, he is a star. However, for a neutral, a football pundit, or a fan of a different generation, LeTissier does not fit the definition of a star player. Knowing that today's game allows the spot for only one striker -- two at the most -- in a particular lineup, the rarity of star strikers are a problem.

With Falcao, Jovetic and Cavani deciding on their destinations, there seems to only be Rooney and Lewandowski left to speculate and talk about. Such was the weight of speculation on the two long haired beasts of strikers that nobody even seemed to noticed the sale of Mario Gomez, a player just one season ago, frowned upon as Germany's and Bayern's final solution in the front, and a player who still is absolutely lethal, to Fiorentina.

Leaving this aside, let's look at some of the great strikers in football today who don't fit that particular bill which we've been discussing for entirety of this article so far. Here below are the Top 10 strikers today who aren't big stars.

1. Andreas Cornelius
This is the player who Cardiff City have thrown their money and faith at. An absolute beast of a player, Cornelius stands at 6' 4" and is only 20 years old. Cardiff, as a club, have wisely spent their money on Cornelius, who was the highest scorer in the Danish Superliga last term.

2. Roque Santa Cruz
Roque Santa Cruz has long been a name synonymous to scoring. He still scores. However, his stock has fallen as of now and is no longer as famed as he used to be. Still a great player who shone for Malaga last season, Santa Cruz may still have a chance to shine for the Paraguayan National Team.

3. Oscar Cardozo
An exceptional player, Cardozo is the other Paraguayan to have made the list. As Santa Cruz's career wanes, out rises another Paraguayan to lead the front line of the Paraguayan National Team. Cardozo is already a big star in terms of proving his worth in Europe. Benfica's leading scorer for quite some time now, Cardozo could definitely make it to the hall of fame of strikers should he bag a couple of important goals for his country.

4. Fred
Frederico Chaves Guedes or simply, Fred, seems to be the first striking option of Brazil manager Luiz Felipe Scolari. Fred is not a typical Brazilian forward, he's low in samba, and doesn't carry much flair about him. What he offers is balance and simplicity to an already skill flooded Brazilian lineup. 16 goals in 30 appearances for Brazil, is not bad either. Fred has both the manager's backing and the statistics behind him, and I don't see any reason he won't be able to shine in the coming World Cup.

5. Romelu Lukaku
Romelu Lukaku, hailed as the "New Drogba" since he was 16, is the future star striker of football. Signed by Chelsea from Anderlecht for a whopping 20 million pounds, Lukaku's announced himself to the world when he completed a successful loan spell at West Bromwich Albion , netting 17 league goals in the process, not to forget his final day hat-trick against Manchester United, on what was Sir Alex Ferguson's last competitive game in charge. He is an absolute beast of a player, gifted with physical prowess that only few players can match up to. However, another young striker that goes by the name of Christian Benteke, already a star in English football, is a few miles ahead of Lukaku on being Belgium's number one choice striker.

6. Bafétimbi Gomis
One simply can't get over the fact that Gomis is now already 28 years old. Gomis was once regarded as the next great French striker. After joining Lyon in 2009, Gomis seemed set to become a powerhouse of a striker, and follow the likes of Trezeguet, Henry and Benzema into stardom. That never happened. However, time is still on Bafétimbi's side and you can't really rule him out to be a very late bloomer quite yet.

7. Jay Rodriguez
An England under-21 international of Spanish descent, Rodriguez shone for the Saints last season. He's quick, strong, and direct, and he can't seem to stop receiving favorable reviews from manager, Pochettino. Southampton have in Jay, a young, English striker, who if nurtured well, could take over the reins of the great Ricky Lambert.

8. Stefan Kießling
Barely 29 and already having over 222 league appearances for Leverkusen shows just how integral Kießling is to the club's setup. A decent striker, Kießling has 6 international caps with Germany, not bagging any goals in the process. A failure he may be in the international stage, but in the club level, only a few strikers can compete with his dominance as a club's prime striker. Kießling's 25 league goals last term beat Robert Lewandowski's 24 to crown him as the Bundesliga's highest scorer. A second stint with the national team may not be too far away for Stefan.

9. Burak Yilmaz
Gala fans have Drogba's name on their lips at the moment, but they can't, and shouldn't, forget what Yilmaz delivered last season. Yilmaz's 8 goals in 8 Champions League appearances for Galatasaray , was key for the team's success in Europe last season. He also bagged in 25 goals for the 30 league appearances he made for the Turkish side.

10. Michu
Michu, the "Golden Boy," was seen by many pundits as the best signing in the English Premier League last season. Bought from Rayo Vallecano for a mere 2 million pounds, the "Michu deal" was a big bargain. Scoring 2 goals and providing an assist on his league début for Swansea put Michu on the stage quite immediately. Michu went on to bag a total of 18 league goals in the 2012-13 season for the Swans, which is an incredibly high return for the 2 million pounds they paid for him. Miguel Pérez Cuesta is his real name, and even with the addition of star signing Wilfried Bony, we still expect Michu to continue being the Golden Boy for his club.

Special Mentions:-
Siem DeJong(Ajax), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang(Borussia Dortmund), Son Heung-Min(Bayer Leverkusen), Artjoms Rudņevs(Hamburg S.V.), Fabio Borini(Liverpool), Alvaro Morata(Real Madrid).

Statistics borrowed from Goal.com, Bbc.com and Espnfc.com

More Football reads from Billy Norbu:-
Top 10 Central Midfielders in Football Today Who Aren't Big Stars
Why Guardiola Chose Bayern
Which Football Team Will the Royal Baby Support?

The Ambition of the Pessimistic Salmon

Click here to view on Yahoo Voices !


The fall semester starts tomorrow.
18 credits along with two jobs may have an upstream feel about it.
Challenging, sure,
but impossible, not quite.
All I have to do is remember who I am.
I'm a Salmon.

However, if the hurdles eventually prove too high,
and I don't get those much coveted A's,
I'll still, always have my over-ambitiousness to blame.
After all, I'm a Salmon.
I know for sure,
that my rigorous swim upstream,
quite always ends in a grizzly's paunch.

Other creative pieces by Billy Norbu:-

How Watching 'Mad Men' Helped Me Ace My Marketing Foundations Class
Which Football Team Will the Royal Baby Support?
Doom, Gloom, and Over the Moon

How Watching 'Mad Men' Helped Me Ace My Marketing Foundations Class

A Personal Narrative

Click here to view on Yahoo Voices ! 

 Upon my roommate's suggestion, two years ago I gave Mad Men a shot by watching the pilot on Netflix . Even though I liked it, I didn't think I was in the right frame of mind to digest another serious drama, already having Breaking Bad and Dexter among many others to deal with. However, the following summer, after the conclusion of yet another magnificent season of the Game of Thrones , I found myself once again flicking through the endless suggestions on Netflix . Squeezing in several British sitcoms here and there -- Extras, Plebs, and the IT Crowd in particular -- I finally came across a billboard on the NYC Subway which contained an enticing silhouette of what was to be Don Draper, the protagonist or antagonist of Mad Men -- to be argued. Thus began my endless sessions of watching the plethora of egotistical talks from men in the '60s.

Don Draper's character stuck on me, as it did on millions of other viewers. Such was his grace and eloquence while conversing that it made me want to be him. I bet all young, unskilled men of my demographic quietly wish they grow into a life like Draper's. However, Pete Campbell -- a young, ambitious, and talented novice at the advertisement agency -- was the character that I associate myself with the most.

As I sat there among the many uncomfortable faces on what was the first day of Market Foundations 3000, I doubted whether my Mad Men moments would have any relevance at all, on the accelerated summer course. This was only until the professor, a stout, charismatic though unattractive version of Draper himself, started to glide over the introductory slides. Then we hit a poster of what seemed to look like Draper, Campbell, Peggy, Joan, and Sterling, all staring deep into my soul.

The Professor asked, "Who's seen this show?" I immediately raised my hands, more out of impulse than anything. I was surprised to find that mine were the only ones up waving. I had an "Oh Shucks" moment, finally realizing my peers were all busy, business school New Yorkers who had no time for television. "It's Mad Men, sir," I replied. He smiled, although I bet he was relieved that at least one person watched the show he loved so much that he included it in an academic presentation.

"Do you know why the show's called Mad Men in particular?" he asked, his eyes twirling with cockiness. I hesitated and then spilled out, "Mad Men was a term used to describe the advertising agents of Madison Avenue in the '60s. It's a term they coined themselves," I added. "Very good," exclaimed the professor and there it was; I was, at least in his sub-conscience, his favorite student.

As the course progressed, I found myself to be very adept at quickly understanding new terms introduced in the Marketing Foundations class. Not only did Mad Men help me understand the basic terminology of what traditional marketing terms like "Positioning," "Target," "SWOT," "Slogan," and "Segmentation" meant, but it also helped me grasp the understanding of the various stages of the marketing process. Watching Draper work his magic, ever so closely, every episode, I realized that I organically developed an understanding of certain marketing/business etiquette. Through the span of the semester, I was also able to appreciate the marketing campaign and strategies of the mammoths of companies that Coca Cola, Nike, and Apple to name a few were, and I also impressed my fellow group members with my ability to quickly come up with marketing slogans, jingles, and positioning statements for our brand in the group presentations. Mad Men, unintentionally, helped me and I'm sure it did many others.

I did eventually get an A+ in that class. Now let us move on the story of how watching Top Gear helped me ace my Automotive Engineering Class.
 

More from Billy Norbu:-

Why the NYC Greenmarket Farmers Market is the Best Choice for Your Grocery Needs

Which Football Team Will the Royal Baby Support?

Why Guardiola Chose Bayern?
Top 10 Central Midfielders in Football Who Aren't Big Stars
Seven Rare Mental Disorders

Which Football Team Will the Royal Baby Support?

Click here to View on Yahoo Voices!!!

 With the birth of the Royal Baby, recently named Prince George Alexander Louis, the burning question on everyone's mind is, "Which football team will the Royal Baby support?." The question has been trending all over the world, bringing heaps of football fans resort to serious debates. But to come to conclusion on which football team the royal baby's going to support is a strenuous task. Here below, are the several possibilities.

Queens Park Rangers?

For those who believe that one should support the team that's located closest to the place where he's born, look no further. The future king was born in St. Mary's Hospital, London, just over 2.5 miles away from Loftus Road, home of the Queens Park Rangers.

Chelsea?

Genuine football fans believe in supporting the team that's closest to where they're from, not where they're literally born. In that case, Chelsea F.C. are the clear winners as the royal baby will probably be raised at the Kensington Palace.

Peterborough or Norwich City?

There's also a chance that the Prince of Cambridge will be brought up at the Sandringham House, Norfolk, which will make his local team either Norwich City or Peterborough.

Reading?

Nicknamed the "Royals," Reading can be a strong contender on basis of the strong ties the club's chairman, Sir John Madejski has with the Middletons.

Aston Villa?

If you support the team that your dad did, you're going to have to pick Aston Villa as the royal baby's future favorite. Prince William has been a long time admirer of the club. However, don't be too surprised if Prince George doesn't follow his father's footsteps. Prince Charles, William's father, supports Burnley.

Arsenal?

The North-London club has long been the traditional royal club. Also, Prince George's uncle, Prince Harry, and grandma, the Queen of England, are keen Gunners.
Side Note: The reason Queen Elizabeth II is a sheer Arsenal fan is because in her youth, she admired Dennis Compton, the only man who's captained both the English football and cricket team.

Cambridge United: My pick.

Since the royal baby has officially adopted the title of the Prince of Cambridge, and the fact that his parents are the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the royal baby should root for Cambridge United, a small team who are struggling in the English Conference. Who knows, the future king's support may eventually help Cambridge United Football Club break into the Premier League which may be fantastical, but sure not impossible.


Similar posts from Billy Norbu:-

Why Guardiola Chose Bayern?

Top 10 Central Midfielders in Football Who Aren't Big Stars

Seven Rare Mental Disorders

Self-immolations in Tibet: First Person View

 112 Tibetans Have Self-immolated Since 2009

 Click here to View on Yahoo Voices!


It's been well over two years since Phuntsog of Ngaba set himself on fire, paving a path which many Tibetans eventually followed. So far, since 2009, there have been 112 deaths by self-immolation, according to TimeWord. Tibet is literally on fire. The main reason for Tibetans in Tibet to take up such drastic measures of protest is lamented by the fact that the Tibetans have run out of options to voice their concerns, as reported by CBS News. The enormity of the number of self-immolations in Tibet has left me with a lost frame of mind. I am sure of myself that I'm well against any form of self inflicted violence that's above the dangers of limited hunger strikes, let alone taking one's life in the most painful of manners. At the same time, I truly understand the mindset, and acknowledge the valor of those who've pursued with self immolation. Being a Tibetan sheltered in America's arms, I feel absolute guilt for having forsaken millions of Tibetans living in Tibet who are subjected in first hand, to oppressive Chinese force. That being said,the following concerns haunt me the most.

Lack of media coverage in Tibet.
Being an avid subscriber to the politically driven, Time Magazine, I've been long waiting for a thorough coverage on the self-immolations in Tibet. To my disappointment, there haven't been many breakouts on American news about the situation in Tibet. I'm not in appropriate shoes to judge, or come to conclusion the reason for Tibet's constant omission in the headlines here in America, but I certainly do believe that China's influence has something got to do with it. Al-Jazeera and BBC have impressed me the most out of all the news corporations, in terms of handling the Chino-Tibetan struggle over the years. If the cries of 112 Tibetans burning themselves alive facilitates lesser action by the media than the three Kardashian sisters, there's got to be something wrong.
 
The Indeterminate Reaction from the Chinese Government.
I haven't personally felt the wave of any sort of repulse from the Chinese government on the issue of self-immolations in Tibet. Other than arresting the survivors, and cracking down the ones involved in any manner with the self-immolations, the Chinese govt., according to the Economic Times, are yet to engage in any form of dialogue with the Tibetans. They have not taken any public action to help resolve the issue. Nor are they willing to talk to the Tibetan government in exile. Is China even slightly bothered by the monstrous nature of the protests? And does China have any regard for human life? I'm not naïve enough to expect the Chinese to give away their grasp of Tibet, but I do personally expect some form of cooperation from the Chinese govt. to help tackle the ongoing self-immolations in Tibet. Guns and brute crackdown aren't in any way going to stop the Tibetans in Tibet from self-immolating. It will only stimulate the Tibetans. I'm talking about steps to finally allow a decent form of media exposure in Tibet. Steps that finally allow the Tibetans inside Tibet to to freely express their love and devotion for the Dalai Lama. Yes, only these measures will stop the self-immolations in Tibet.
 
Will any nation dare to stand up against China?
I don't ever expect any nation to give an ultimatum to China, not even in my dreams. China's importance to the world is not to be overestimated in any way. What I meant, is for a nation, or a politically influential figure-hopefully, the likes of Obama, Gordon Brown, or Angela Merkel(My favorite politician)-, to at least publicly show a deal of concern for Tibet. That way, China will eventually have to react. China's response then, will be closely awaited by the whole world, and it may even pressurize China to take a more humane approach in dealing with the case of Tibet. Sadly, the world as we know, values economy over the lives of people from another country. The United Nations is helpless to us Tibetans. There have been years of fruitless protests in front of the UN headquarters in New York. China's all important "veto" unfortunately keeps in check the voices of thousands of Tibetans scattered all over the world.
 
Majority of the victims are monks, nuns, and teenagers.
In the list provided by FreeTibet.org, we see that the plurality of self-immolators are monks. It can be concluded that out of all the different estates of the people in Tibet, those having monastic background feel the heaviest blow of the Chinese rule, mostly so, because of China's ruthless dominion over the practice of proper Tibetan Buddhism inside Tibet. Even so, monks and nuns-arguably the most psychologically superior beings, according to research done by the American Psychological Association- who are facilitators of peace and harmony, shouldn't have to undertake such drastic methods as a form of protest. It all points to the strength and brutality in nature of the Chinese control in Tibet. The teenage factor, as in any case, can be explained by the sheer rebellious nature of the age group. It saddens me to experience the most innocent and inexperienced demographic of my motherland take such convulsive stances. I feel powerless and insignificant as I pray for the self-immolations in Tibet to stop.

Doom, Gloom, and Over the Moon

 -The Inevitable Fate

Click here to View on Yahoo Voices !

 

Doom.....
What's asked of us?
Ever beckoning for our end.
Shattered all and spurned fuss,
with those pitiless winds you send.
I asked you to keep
the death toll to a low,
yet across the Hudson they weep
for counts of human soul.

Gloom.....
What's next in store?
For the knocked and grieving,
endless anguish for sure,
laments you being unforgiving.
Relieve them of their sour emotions-
those materialistically deprived.
For now they depend on donations,
why bliss on bewildering minds?

Over the moon.....
Hence, continues the old sensation,
when from nowhere into thin air
spawns again, generations
of new millionaires.
With naivete faces,
and ignorant of past wind,
neither refuses, reduces, or reuses
till nature strikes her final win.