My Gratitude to My Great Chemistry Teacher, Ma'm Evelyn!

After more than 30 years, I was finally able to personally thank one of the best teachers I had in my learning years.

These are the Ariza sisters, Helen and Evelyn and both are teachers.

In the middle, Miss Evelyn Ariza, is my first year high school Science teacher way back when Madonna was still a virgin, Borderline was the song that would get all of us rushing to the dance floor during the soirees.

Anyhow, Ms. Ariza has since got married and she's Evelyn Ariza Cimafranca now and last night, her son, all grown up already, was part of the violin section of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra.

See how life plays out!

I finally got to thank her for being such an excellent teacher because she taught us the periodic table, including the useless information of atomic number and atomic mass of each element (JOKE!), so that when I transferred to another high school later on, I was way ahead of my peers in Chemistry class since I already knew those things.

In other words, I kicked-a**!!

And she also taught us how to use the bunsen burner and how to handle the test tube when there are chemicals in them - which was very useful when I did my Chemistry lab in UP much later on.

Because in UP, the teachers don't assist you. Bahala kayo sa buhay niyo sa lab! Here's the experiment, read it, do it! And the teacher just leaves the classroom. Nakakaloka!

It felt really good to finally thank her after all these years. The truth is, teaching the periodic table, if handled by a lousy teacher can be pretty traumatic for students.

Up to now, I have adult friends who don't know how to balance a simple chemical equation and they shudder at the experience they had.

And the great thing now is we're peers! Of course, she has 35 years of solid teaching experience on her sleeve while I am still a neophyte =)