The Bouquet

Aw...what sweet dates we all had! Each of our them made sure we each had a memorable experience. Now you're probably guessing what kind of lovey-dovey surprises we had. Well, we will share with you how  overwhelmed we were with the big surprise each of our dates had for us! As in most dates, each of us got a unique and interesting bouquet. But what made it even more interesting is that the kind of flora we received  depended on some special reason each of our dates had. Here's what we have to say:

Starting off with Caitlin - She happily shared to us that she was given a Ginko biloba. What's this, you ask? Well, according to Caitlin, her date gladly explained a thing or two about it. He said that Ginko biloba was the ONLY species belonging to Ginkophyta. Also, in this division, plants are used as medicinal herbs to cure many kinds of sicknesses. It is known to be a plant that gives a person good memory. Caitlin mentioned that her date gave this to her so she will not forget him. He added that Gingophyta plants have fan-shaped leaves. “I picked this particularly so I may be able to fan and refresh you with the cool air,” he stated. Aww...how romantic!

Next is Marielle. She told each of us that she got a fern as a gift from her date. She also explained that this plant comes from division Pteridophyta. Her date told her many interesting facts on this. These plants do not have seeds nor flowers and they are also vascular plants. This means they have a xylem and phloem which transports the nutrients to the parts of the plant. These may also be used in fuel which is needed to make things work and going. Marielle explained that her date gave her a fern because to him ferns are special...and so is Marielle to him!

James had a different but interesting story since, for a change, this was coming from a point of view of a boy. He told us that his date gave him a part of a pine tree. At first, James wondered why she picked a pine tree, but as their date went on, he was able to understand why. His date said that the gift belonged to the division Coniferophyta. Plants here are woody and cone-bearing. They are also gymnosperms. He recalled that his date picked this particular plant because it was tough, strong and could survive through many stressful environments-- just like James!

Toni, on the other hand, shared that she got a lily as a gift! Her date explained that this precious plant belonged to the Monocotyledones (having only one embryonic leaf). These plants have different kinds, shapes and colors of flowers which blossom at their own time. Toni excitedly told us that her date picked a lily because it was grown for their attractive flowers, which reminded him of her. She mentioned that her face grew red the time he said that. 

Coincidentally, Gabbie also received Monocotyledon from her date! In addition to what Toni's date said, Monocots (for short), as Mr Flat Top explained, play very important biological, ecological and economical roles. And he gave Gabbie a pink orchid, specifically, the Waling-waling. Her date explained that he picked this because it was the 'Queen of Philippines Orchid', and to him, she was 'queenly' in her simplicity.

Moving on to the Crush Experience Output...

Fortunately, we all found it easier to prepare everything in this Crush Experience Output. One simple reason:  we already had loads of experience and feedback from our previous C.E.O. - so we knew how to better prepare for this one. We learned our lessons from previous mistakes and made sure we did not repeat them. We searched for how we could improve and excel. 

More specifically, in Caitlin's case, she found the making both CEOs easier because she did not have to work with anyone else. She shared that she works better, and is able to accomplish more when she is alone for the simple reason that she did not have to deal with different opinions and finding common schedules for the team to meet. In short, she had full control. Although being alone is not all smiles, says Caitlin. When you are not in a group...who will check your work? Caitlin shared that there might be a higher chance of getting mistakes when no one is there to evaluate, comment and check your work.

For the rest of the SDJS's, they had other love-bugs to share the work with and depend on to get the work done faster. That made it easy and...more fun for them. They all agreed that when in group, you do not have to carry the burden of doing all the work yourself. You may ask your other group mates to help and support you. So, not only is the work done faster, the tasks are also shared. Of course there are down sides, too. When a group mate is busy with something else, that love-bug may not be as cooperative. If the group is not careful, misunderstandings can also affect the work or presentation of the activity.

Whether alone or with others in the group, we each encountered unique challenges. Us three girls- Gabbie, Caitlin and Toni faced the same problem...the file we sent to the Love Guru could not be read in his computer. But instead of panicking, we instantly searched for the right solution and prayed that the problem may be fixed. And true enough, we all found our own solutions. James had a different kind of problem. It was more about how to work better as a group. They had misunderstandings along the way. But, thankfully, they were able to straighten things out immediately so it would not affect the quality of their project.

Through the road of planning the project, preparing a good presentation and presenting in front of the class, we picked up many lessons and values that really helped us...and perhaps help others too. People- whether a student or a grown working adults- should learn to cooperate and work with others with different personalities. We learned the important lesson of 'Give-and-Take'. That it is not all about doing a perfect project but giving everyone the chance to contribute and be listened to. Time management is also an important factor in preparing a good presentation. We should learn how to deal with different kinds of unexpected situations given a limited amount of time. And no matter what project or activity, we should learn to have fun in what we are doing, to reach higher, and most importantly, to respect each one as an individual in order to progress and become a better person. 

Special Credits: Gabbie and Toni would like to thank Alex for helping them with the Monocot report. James would like to extend his gratitude to Adi for the support in making the Coniferophyta report. Marielle appreciates the help given by Anabel for the Pteridophyta report.

We would also like to credit the sources of our pictures:
http://www.brayersfarm.com/ginkgo-biloba-in-herbal-uses.html
http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Fern-Frond-of-Ponga-Tree-Fern-New-Zealand-Posters_i2506140_.htm
http://www.music05.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Stargazer_Lily.jpg
http://hubpages.com/hub/Davao-City-One-of-Worlds-Largest-and-Philippines-most-Progressive-Cities

http://www.happysteps.net/2011/01/26/romantic-vacation-ideas-on-valentine%E2%80%99s-day/