Sidoarjo, Ursuline Campus - Hello to everyone reading! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Bella from Grade 7A. I'd like to talk about my experience at the Copain Du Monde camp. I've never been to any camps like this, so this was a first for me. And the fact that my first-ever camp was done outside of Indonesia was really amazing!

I never thought I would get chosen for a camp like this, but here I am, writing about my experience and the feelings I felt there. Now, it's not important, but I'd like to explain my experience when I was in Singapore for transit. My friends and I looked around the airport because it was VERY big, and there were tons of shops to explore! After exploring, we went over to the plane and soon flew to the Philippines!

When we reached there, we were greeted by two guys who seemed like our drivers to the place we were going to stay at for a few hours. There were two different cars: one for the boys and one for the girls. As the car drove, I couldn't help but admire the view outside the window. It was amazing, and it was raining lightly, which added to the vibe, making it a very memorable moment for me even if it was a small thing!

When we arrived at the place we were going to stay, the house of the owner of the Marisol Foundation whom we call Tito Danny, Sister Tati told us that we would be staying at his place for a few hours before going to the campsite. After that, we all just relaxed and talked around the place. We also had lunch with Tito Danny and played with a few of his dogs. Then the Nepal delegation arrived, and we played with them for a few hours. Not long after, other delegations came, and now the camp group was complete! Afterward, we went on the bus to the camping place.

When we arrived, it was raining lightly, and when I saw the place, it was AMAZING! There was a swimming pool, a ping-pong area, a gazebo, swings, a basketball court, and SO much more! The staff gave us time to explore and relax so we could learn more about the place. Then we were called to go to the conference room so they could discuss the schedules and explain other things that needed to be clarified for the camp. After that, it was name tag making. This was so people could know our names quickly instead of asking in case they forgot. After that, we all introduced ourselves to get to know each other better.

Then the camp director announced our assigned rooms. I was roomed with my friend Vika and two other Japanese kids. When we got to our room, they were EXTREMELY nice and welcoming! We got along pretty quickly even though they didn't know how to speak English, but we also used body language in case they didn't know the translation or meaning of what we were saying.

A few days passed, and it was performance day, where we had to perform famous dances or traditions from our country. It was a fun way to get to know each other's cultures. After the performance day, my country wanted to celebrate our successful performance by swimming in the pool! It was very fun, even though I didn't know how to swim, but we also played ball in the pool!

Days flew by, and then we were told that we were going to make famous foods that originated from our country. My country agreed and decided to make Indomie for lunch because everyone thought it was the tastiest dish that came from Indonesia! We served it to the other people, and LOTS of people came back for seconds, saying it was very delicious and that they wanted more. Hearing that made me relieved and happy at the same time because I'm glad that people were enjoying our food!

A few days later, we went to a place near a waterfall to eat. I could say that it was a perfect combo for me, because I really like admiring and listening to the sound of waterfalls while also appetizing myself. After that, we went to a swimming pool—a BIGGER one where EVERYONE played in it! We were all laughing, playing around, and talking once in a while. After swimming, we cleaned ourselves and changed into new clothes before going back to camp and sleeping.

Morning came, and our schedule said that we were going to THREE museums in one day! One was about history, the other was about the beauty of nature, while the third one was a mind map museum, which I think was about space because it had tons of space-related things.

Then the next day, we went shopping! Mostly for buying souvenirs to remember our time in the Philippines. I bought snacks, a bag, and a magnet for a fridge. I also bought Skittles to take home with me and to eat with my friends as a snack in the van when we got back to the campsite from shopping. When we got back, a few hours later there would be a bonfire event where we roasted marshmallows and made s'mores! It was my first time ever trying s'mores, and as soon as I took a bite, it was DELICIOUS! We played and chatted along until it was time for bed.

After a few days, it was time to go home, but first, we went to Tito Danny's house so we could all say our goodbyes. The Indonesia delegation and the Nepal delegation still stayed, because we were leaving at 3:00 AM, but the Nepal people were going home at 6:00 AM. We still had to transit in Singapore, and I bought some souvenirs while we were there. We also ate and talked together. After that, we finally arrived back home safely, where we were welcomed by our parents!

That was all about my experience in the Philippines. I'd like to thank my friends who accompanied me throughout the camp, the teachers who helped, Sister Tati for looking out for us, my parents for trusting and supporting my journey, all my friends at the camp, the fun staff for looking after us, Tito Danny for gathering us there, and Kak Yunita for inviting us! Without your help, we wouldn't have experienced such a wonderful and unforgettable camp.

Author: Bella – Grade 7 Student, Santa Maria Junior High School Sidoarjo