Time to Celebrate!!!

Ask me which is the best city on earth and I’d say Bangalore.. Know why? Because that’s where I won third place in the south zone level of Chemistry Quiz conducted by National Council of Science Museums, along with my best friend and team mate Zainab. Sitting here in front of my PC 20 hrs after the program, I still can’t believe we did it!

It all started when I and Zainab, the chemistry fans, signed up for the school level Chem quiz. We won that and were sent for the State level competition at the Regional Science Center, Calicut. Of the 72 teams that participated, we were selected for the south zone level at Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum, Bangalore. Thus we were off to Bangalore on 5^th July 2011. Though we enjoyed the journey along with our escort teacher and my dad, the anxiety still lingered. It doubled when we saw our rivals at the guest house and adrenaline filled our blood by morning of 7^th July, the D-Day! We gave it our best shot and miraculously landed in the finals with 3 other teams. But given the high standard questions, buji rivals, and our not-so-good luck, we were almost convinced that the last place was the one for us. But well, by the time the rounds were over, we, the only all-girl team (the others were all boys, except for 2 other mixed teams) had won the THIRD PLACE. Okay, now that was something unexpected. Naturally I was happy (well, that would be an understatement. It was beyond “happy”). 1^st of all, for overtaking the other team from Kerala and secondly for the position we had won ;) :D

The quiz was followed by a lecture by Dr.Hanudatta Arteya of Indian Institute of Science on Chemistry and Biophysics. Then our wonderful prizes and certificates were awarded and we got to click a pic with Dr.Arteya and the director of VITM as well. Happy that the hours of study and the prayers of many from our school & family and the TENSION finally had a “happy ending”. 

Looks like fact that we actually became the 2^nd runner-ups, though very very pleasing, might take some time to sink in. But many thanks to the “quizzing chemistry” between me and Zainab, for the many prayers of many lovely people and Thank God! This is truly A DREAM COME TRUE!!!! J J J