Aspiring young traveling scientist devoted to healing the world. Got infected with dengue virus thrice, so currently helping find a cure for it. I love everything science but have some non-science interests, too :D such as traveling, learning new things, adventurous sports, tasting local food (most esp local variants of chocolate, cheese, cake, and ice cream).

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/florence-pauline-basubas-43910054
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/florencepauline
Instagram: instagram.com/tigerheartstars/

Articles about me:
-https://medium.com/minerva-schools/a-conversation-with-florence-class-of-2019-ba2858bc5ab9
-https://www.nyas.org/news-articles/academy-news/undying-love-of-science-leads-to-a-bright-future/
-https://youtu.be/14ibnt_fgVg

Video my friend made when I hosted her: https://youtu.be/kVRiw9gyb4Y

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm on couchsurfing because I love to travel. I got a scholarship to study and live abroad through Minerva Schools at KGI for my undergraduate degree. This is how I ended up being able to live in several countries. As a student, I usually traveled on a budget by looking for cheap places to stay, or looking for people who would be willing to host me. I have been hosted thrice by families who I found through cold-emailing in Hyderabad, India (for a month), Houston, Texas (for four months), San Francisco, California (for three months). As a guest, I am pretty neat (I like to clean up and be organized) and helpful (I would like to help out in household chores). I have also hosted some friends whenever they came to Cebu, have my parents help them out when I'm not around or give them tips. When I lived in Seoul, I have also hosted a few people in my apartment.

I found out about CS from an influencer I have been following on Instagram shared about how coachsurfing is a great platform not only to get accommodation while traveling on a budget but also to get connected with locals as I like to do four things whenever I visit a city: try the local delicacies, visit something related to science (e.g., a museum, research institute, or laboratory), walk around the city for an entire day, and give back to the community (connect with locals, do volunteer service if I'm staying for long).

Interests

• education
• environment
• science
• sustainability
• museum
• healthcare
• science and technology
• space exploration
• space science

Music, Movies, and Books

I have a wide range of interests in music, movies & books.

Music: love all types of music especially classical music, pop music, EDM.
Movies: I also love musicals in theatre or movies, animation, sci-fi, thriller.
Books: I tend to read non-fiction these days on different topics involving life but mostly once that are backed by research. My favorite fiction books are the series: Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings, Divergent, The Hunger Games, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Harry Potter Series, The Death Cure. I also love historical classics.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Starting science education organizations in my country.

While traveling the world, I realized that science should not end in laboratories. We scientists have to share our discoveries and make sure they are applied well in the real world. I also realized how important mentoring and helping students cultivate their passions, especially in science. It's pretty difficult to manage organizations remotely, however, I want to start and help even in the little ways that I could - to help students realize their dreams and provide them with the tools I wish I had back when I was still an aspiring scientist.

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach: languages I know (conversational or basic), sing, cook food I know
Learn: languages I'm learning (German, Korean, Chinese), how to cook local cuisine, local activities, new things or skills
Share: experiences (I love to do nature activities: hiking, climbing, diving, etc.), hospitality, friendship

What I Can Share with Hosts

I would love to share anything I can and help out in any way I can:
-Buy food and contribute to any household items
-Cook and clean up (although I might not be very good at cooking but I would love to cook or learn how to)
-Clean the house, bathroom, car and/or yard
-Watch a movie or do any entertainment activities together
-Run errands, babysit, tend the garden or anything I can help with
-Share stories about life and travel experiences
-Learn new things together

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Brazil, China, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Liechtenstein, Macao, Malaysia, Malta, Netherlands, Peru, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey

Countries I’ve Lived In

Argentina, Germany, India, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom, United States