Chem Camp! Chemistry of Human Beings and Why It Matters!

Today was another busy yet fun-filled day. As you know, it was the first day of Chem Camp and at the same time, I also returned to practicing with the team today. Although I wasn’t able to get much sleep last night because there are a thousand things in my mind right now and I’m in a bit of a bind, I was surprisingly energetic and enthusiastic throughout the day. I should probably credit all the people I were with, who kept the spirit and energy at such a high level, namely my fellow Chem Campers and my teammates.

I honestly didn’t know what to expect from the first day of Chem Camp. I was honestly, a bit skeptical about joining Chem Camp especially since I wasn’t really a big fan of Chemistry during my Junior Year, but because of the fact that my Adviser chose me out of all her other students, I just felt that I should give it a try; who knows, it might actually be worthwhile.

Looking back at the day and everything that happened, it was definitely worth it joining the Chem Camp right from the very first moment when I reached the venue. It was my very first time to go to one of the top universities here in the Philippines, Ateneo De Manila, and I was immediately left in awe by the enormous campus decorated with tall trees and grasslands. I even got lost trying to find the lecture hall where we were suppose to gather for the orientation.

Things were only getting better. The orientation may have been a bit boring (what orientation isn’t?) but as the camp progressed and I got to know some of the campers, things started getting a lot more fun and interesting. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I whenever I meet new people and connect with them, I feel this tremendous joy and vibrance. To be quite honest with you, socializing was one of the main reasons as to why I even joined this camp and during the first day, I was not disappointed for I got to meet this group who were really jocular and witty. They actually made Chemistry sound interesting and I’m actually excited to attend Chem camp and interact with these campers again!

To add to all that, we had a really funny teacher handle us who was a bit nerdy but at the same time, was able to bring life to Chemistry. As I went through the module, I was convinced of what he said that he plans to help us see things in life the chemist way and realize the importance of chemistry in life. In other words, there won’t be any of those boring tests but we’ll be having a lot of experiments that will show us the application of Chemistry in our everyday life.

Moving on, getting back to practicing and seeing my teammates was another highlight of my day today! It was really surreal seeing them again after a bit of a long time and just exchanging stories. The aura they give out is really different and they really know how to have fun and just enjoy life. Being able to practice with these guys and create a bond with them is what makes being part of the team every bit worth it. It’s the camaraderie and friendships that are built that make all the blood, sweat and tears bearable.

First day of the week and I’ve already had so much memorable and high experiences. What I really learned though from all this is that we’re social beings and we are meant to interact with people and make friends. Like the common cliche goes, “No man is an Island.”  I used to be an introvert, afraid to interact with people, but I’ve come to realize that maybe starting a conversation or two with a person is always worth a shot. You won’t lose anything and think about what the other person might be thinking. That person might just be as scared as you and making the first move will make a difference and might possibly start a bond that lasts forever. And remember, people don’t bite (unless they’re crazy off-course, which is a totally different case).

The bottom line though and what I want you to take away from this is that don’t be afraid to socialize and be with people, for you may think you’re better off alone, but trust me, once you meet new friends from all sorts of backgrounds with a myriad of personalities, you’ll realize that life has so much more to offer!

Maybe there will come a time you also meet people who’ll make Chemistry sound like the coolest thing in the world!

-DOitChoco

Science Fair – Chemistry of Social Beings At Its Best

Fountain International Science Fair – February 23, 2013

I was never really a fan or advocate of fairs, let alone Science Fairs but recently, I’ve become more a more outgoing and gregarious person for I’ve realized how much fun fairs can be.

When my mom mentioned to me how there was an ongoing Science fair last Saturday, I was really fascinated and curious as to what this fair had to offer. It’s not everyday that you see grade school and high school students presenting their respective science and math projects in middle of a mall in front of the public.

I was really excited to go and see the different projects of young minds more or less the same age as me. I also saw it as an opportunity to meet new people and make new friends. I immediately called up several friends of mine if they were available or if they wanted to accompany me. A lot of them had previous obligations already but luckily, I had one friend who was willing to accompany me and be my partner in crime for the day.

It was also just last saturday when we had our Chinese Quarterly Oral Test, so I was really hyper and in a good mood already when I headed to V-mall where the Science fair was taking place. I had nothing to lose anyway and everything to gain especially since I had nothing planned for that afternoon and I would’ve ended up just bumming around if I didn’t go. Aside from that, I was really going to V-mall to finally buy an otter box for my phone.

As I caught sight of the Science fair, I was a bit skeptical that I would be able to see any breathtaking projects or get to meet any new friends but I knew I wouldn’t know unless I tried. I just said to myself, I won’t lose anything if I go but if I don’t go, I might have just passed on an amazing opportunity to learn and make new friends.

To my surprise, I actually had one amazing and breath taking experience. Some of the booths that really astonished me and left me a bit in awe were the solar powered robots and the mind reading using binary codes. These two were really innovative and it was really inspiring how students younger than me were able to come up with these projects.

What really made last saturday a surreal experience was the fact that I really interacted with the students and simply had fun trying out their inventions, inquiring about their projects and flat out just conversing and having a good time. I even made new friends and that feeling of gaining new friends will never get old.

The joy and extraordinary feeling one gets when interacting, socializing and getting to know new people is just indescribable. Quoting from my CLE teacher, we are social beings and we need each one in order to make the most out of our lives. Going to this science fair and getting to meet new people was an experience like no other and was definitely time well spent.

-DOitChoco