The Royal Highness

So it's over.

I'm free. It's just so surreal to experience life once more.

Hello world. I'm back.

For the first time after God-knows-when, I had a blissful 10 hours of sleep. Expected, because while waiting to enter the exam hall, we were making post-examination plans and the first thing on everyone's list was SLEEP right after lunch till the next day. So my 10 hours sleep could have been longer if it wasn't for the coughing fits that I'm having. Obviously, my immune system has taken a plunge as a result of turning into a nocturnal animal for the past three weeks. Good timing, indeed. Thank God it hit me right after the group of us declared freedom on ourselves.

Despite the irritating infected throat of mine filled with those green phlegm and the constant pressure in my skull, I'm obviously feeling well enough to stay conscious to go online so it should be fine.

But something's not fine. My privacy is going to be invaded next week because a relative is coming to stayover for 5 days. And for that, I'm being chased out from my room just so that The Royal Highness can sleep upstairs (with Brandy, Bobby's enemy as her neighbour, as Brandy sleeps in the balcony), rather than sleeping in the guestroom and have the whole ground floor all to herself (with Bobby as the guard outside).

So to prepare for The Royal Highness' visit, Mum insisted that I go on a cleaning spree and clear my workstation in in my room by this weekend, instead of the deadline of next weekend. But since I study downstairs most of the time, my supposed workstation is pretty dusty and filled with all my junk. The only blessing is that my book cabinet is an enclosed one so it is one thing less to clear.

Don't get me wrong. I'm perfectly fine with moving out of my room to let relatives stay. However, The Royal Highness is different. I do not favour her that much because of her bitchiness that just makes unlikable and because of how she judges people- based on academics (You are good if you are straight A scorer). To her, people like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Richard Branson, and Michael Dell who made it big without ever finishing a college education is just pure luck. It's nothing to do with personal courage and sacrifice, and finding and doing what they love.

And so who are The Great People in The Royal Highness' opinion? Straight A scorers, graduates from the Dean's List in science-related fields, and only those taking Business in prestigious Ivy League and Russell Group universities. Don't bother asking her about Australia's Group of Eight. Thus, I'm sure you can guess where do I stand in her eyes.

I know the success stories of Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and their ilk are truly stories that can make you feel like you can do anything in this world. While I cheer for all those brave enough to pursue their hopes and dreams and dream of following their footsteps, I do bear in mind that the only stories you and I hear are the successful ones. For every Bill Gates story we hear about, there are a hundred failures that you DON'T hear about. Probably that is also the reason why I am contemplating to settle for mediocrity!

I am well aware of the advantages these prestigious univesity graduates have over me. I am aware that many corporate icons are graduates from these universities. US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, formerly head of Goldman Sachs Group Inc: Louis Gerstner, and Meg Whitman of eBay are all products of Harvard Business School. The same goes for Jeffrey Skilling (Enron Corp’s former chief, who is serving a 24-year prison term for fraud and deposed CEO Stan O’Neal (Ousted by Merrill Lynch & Co after failing to know about mortgage risks)- they are also products of Harvard Business School.

So in short, The Royal Highness thinks that with stellar academic results, one can conquer anything and become extremely successful out there. That is why I have been slighted by her because of my less than stellar results back in primary and secondary school.

Anyway, since The Royal Highness is my relative, my room belongs to her next week. No choice and she better be thankful that I'm going to clean my room for her despite being in a semi-"comatose" state- Hey, I supposed to be resting. I'm actually going to clean my room to give face to my Dad, the person who told me last year when I told him my intended major, "Your life is yours to examine, and the choices- yours to make. Make them well. While I expect you to get your degree by next year, always remember that you are also there to learn, to grow and to become a better person. Never mind about what people say. Likewise your perceptions should be independent of man-made bias."