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My Mother's Garden, Formerly Called Garden Room

My Mother’s Garden restaurant is Malu Antonio Veloso’s tribute to their mother, Dona Marina Antonio, wife of National Artist for Architecture Pablo S. Antonio. Malu Antonio Veloso and daughter Letlet Antonio Veloso are famous bridal gown / fashion designers, who alternately runs the restaurant depending on reservations.

The former Garden Room café in Pasay City was transferred to this 1940s residence of Pablo S Antonio and re-branded to My Mother’s Garden. If you are an architect, your house is a showcase of your architectural prowess.

The best time to go is during lunchtime to enjoy the garden views in this ancestral house and have a slow lazy lunch in the heart of Pasay City.

Avenue Q Final Run - 5 Reasons Why You Should Not Miss the Opening Night of Avenue Q’s Final Run!

1. Get to see the first time performance of Carla Guevarra-Laforteza as the new Kate Monster and Lucy T. Slut.
There is a long insider story on why Rachel Alejandro, 2007 Theater Best Actress-Musical Winner for Avenue Q, was replaced by Carla. Carla was a Miss Saigon alumni and honorable mention in the 2007 Theater awards for her performance in “Song & Dance”. Rachel is the soul of the past two sold-out performances of Avenue Q. Can Carla take Kate Monster and Lucy T. Slut to a whole different level? (If you know the insider story, please post on the comments section.)

“ Rachel Alejandro (“Avenue Q”). The best word for her turn here is exquisite, if not awesome.
Among the many pleasures of this musical, Alejandro’s aching rendition of
“There’s a Fine, Fine Line” will be remembered for some time. ”
- by Gibbs Cadiz

2. If you missed the first two runs of Avenue Q, this is your last chance to see it in Manila.
Avenue Q is performing in Singapore in late October at the Esplanade Theater for a three-week run produced by The Singapore Repertory Theater. I’m glad that they decided to have a final run in Manila. Don’t miss this for the third time – it is really good!

“ This definitely is the MUST-WATCH theater event of 2007.
IT WILL REALLY SUCK TO BE YOU if you miss it!!! ”
- Spanky Enriquez, Manila Boy

3. Be the first one to blog about it!
One of my SEO secrets for my OAP blog is to be the first one to write a review or post about an event. For the first run of Avenue Q, I probably published the first review ever: Avenue Q High on Sept 7, 2007. I got a lot of hits for this and that is why I’m watching on the opening night of Avenue Q: The Final Run. Also, you will be the star if you can participate in the chit chat and buzz about Avenue Q's opening night.

“I’m still on an Avenue Q high after watching the final dress rehearsals of Avenue Q last night at RCBC.
This is the best musical broadway show that I’ve ever seen since Rent in Manila.”
- Anton Diaz, Our Awesome Planet

4. OAP is selling the best value tickets for the opening night of Avenue Q’s Final Run!
In partnership with Ticket 2 Me, I’m personally selling limited tickets to the June 13, Friday 8pm Opening Night and June 14, Saturday 8pm Opening Night for the Avenue Q Final Run. The shows will be sold out before June. I want my OAP friends to never miss this opportunity to watch Avenue Q's final run!

“Avenue Q is what has become of Sesame Street while we're away getting a college degree.

Coming back, we find a grungier, less innocent neighborhood.”
- Socky Pitargue, Tennis and Conversations

Avenue Q: The Final Run! June 13, 2008. Friday. 8pm. RCBC Theater
June 13 Seatplan. Reserve Your Best Seats Now!

Orchestra Center (P 1, 300). Special Online OAP Price $ 30.0
Orchestra Sides (P 1,100). Special Online OAP Price $ 25.0
Loge (P 1,000). Special Online OAP Price $ 23.0
Balcony (P 500). Special Online OAP Price $ 11.0

All Major Credit Cards are accepted. No Service Fees or Processing Fee. Compare Prices @ Ticket World.

Avenue Q: The Final Run! June 14, 2008. Saturday. 8pm. RCBC Theater
June 14 Seatplan. Reserve Your Best Seats Now!

Orchestra Center (P 1, 300). Special Online OAP Price $ 30.0
Orchestra Sides (P 1,100). Special Online OAP Price $ 25.0
Loge (P 1,000). Special Online OAP Price $ 23.0
Balcony (P 500). Special Online OAP Price $ 11.0

All Major Credit Cards are accepted. No Service Fees or Processing Fee. Compare Prices @ Ticket World.

Alternatively, you can reserve via email (anton@diaz.ph) and pay me in regular peso rates by depositing payment in my BPI bank account.

5. It is the best Happy Father’s Day gift you can ever give this 2008!
Manila celebrates Father's Day on the Third Sunday of June. Tickets to Avenue Q will be the best gift you can ever give this 2008. If you are away from Manila, you can purchase online and let me know if it is a gift so that we can personally wrap it with your greetings. Please specify it in your order above in the comments/ special delivery instructions.

“Look out for the wonderful performances that make you pause and think “am I reacting to the puppet or the actor?”,

the darn good singing from most of the cast (a few weak links won’t spoil the broth except for the overly picky),
moments of feeling transported back to childhood/young adulthood/actually most of life’s roller coaster

moments throughout the show, and laughter that won’t stop till that last encore.”
- Mila Tan, Watergirl.

7 Tips on Havaianas' Flipping for the Beach Contest

Havaianas launched the "Flipping for the Beach" Contest this summer to discover the unexplored gems and favorite coastal destinations in the Philippines. Department of Tourism Secretary Ace Durano fully supports the contest and declares that the 7 winning destinations will be included in DOT's focused tourism destination next year. Secretary Durano, together with Vince Rodriguez, Executive Producer of Studio 23 's News Central, Ms. Anne Gonzalez, Managing Director of Terry S.A, and top 7 travel writers in the Philippines will form the panel of judges for the contest. I’m honored to be part of the panel of judges and recognized as one of the country's top travel writers along side with the editor in chief of Mabuhay Magazine, Travel Life and the other travel publications in the country.

I’m excited to be a part of the judging on May 10. We will choose seven (7) winners who will receive the following:
- An exclusive Havaianas pair
- A 3 day/ 2 night all-expense-paid trip for two to the destination he or she wrote about
- Summer goodies from David and Goliath, T-Box and Dakine


(7 Waves in Anawangin Beach. The 7 waves special Havaianas series celebrates the Brazilian ritual of welcoming the New Year. Dressed entirely in white, Brazilians go to the edge of the sea and hop over 7 waves just after midnight. This ritual is believed to bring good luck and to open new paths for the year that is just beginning. I think the 7 waves for Men was inspired by Anawangin beach..)


Please make sure that you adhere to the contest guidelines:

1. It should be about a Unique Beach Getaway in the Philippines
2. Focus on distinctive experiences that you can expect from that destination
3. Deadline is on May 1, 2008
4. Write with no more than 500 words!
5. With at least photos taken at the destination. Make sure to take a picture of yourself in the destination as proof that you have been there.
6. Document via video (60 to 90 seconds running time in VCD or DVD format)
7. Photos and videos don’t necessarily have to have Havaianas featured in them. (But if you have one, why not?) 


For more details on the mechanics, please see flyers and counter-standees in select stores and for other inquiries, please call the “Flipping for the Beach” Secretariat at (632) 7809898 landline, (0927) 6621127 mobile, or email promo@havaianasphilippines.com.

Some thoughts and tips:

Anawangin's Mystical Beach

My Unofficial Entry to Havaianas "Flipping For the Beach" Contest :)

Can you keep a beach secret? I finally discovered the mystical beach called Anawangin in Zambales. Its name, Anawangin, literally means full of carabaos (nuang is carabao in Ilokano). This beach is very popular in the mountaineering community. It is a very special beach and most people who have been there wants to keep it as a secret. With the imminent opening of the Subic – Clark – Tarlac expressway, the 5-hour long road trip to Barangay Pundaquit, San Antonio, Zambales (which protected Anawangin from Manila beach goers) will now be cut down to less than 3 hours.


Imagine this place...Pine trees grow and thrive along the beach to provide shade and protection from the sunny heat. The explosion of Mt. Pinatubo covered the boulders and the entire beach cove with fine ash fall sands. At noon, the grey sand turns pristine white giving an illusion of Boracay-like beach sand. A portion of the beach is protected and maintained by Aeta descendants. There are no resorts available so you have to camp for the night if you want to stay overnight. Your food/ water: clothes ratio should be 2:1.


The beach sands and waters are undoubtedly clean, which makes it deserving to be called a paradise.



Just swim close to the shore at waist deep high. Bless the soul of the person who drowned in Anawangin last Good Friday an hour after the commemoration of Christ death. The most probable cause is the strong under current in Anawangin.

U2 3D Premieres in Manila

U2 3D Up Close

Official U2 3D Website: U2 3D Movie

I watched the premier press preview of U2 3D movie last night. I was not ready to witness a historic technological advancement in concert films history. I would agree that this is even better than watching the U2 concert live. At one point in the movie, I felt I was in the front row crowd singing "Sunday Bloody Sunday" with U2. The imagery created by the concert performance and video screens are something to see. You can be intimate with Bono who sings directly in front of you in virtual reality -- a defining moment in 3d movie history. The combination of 3d images and text, 5.1 surround sound quality and actual participation of the IMAX crowd, makes the experience surreal.

It would have been great if the entire crowd in IMAX was standing up with the crowd and singing. But again it was press night and most of the oldies just decided to sit back and watch. I know that you will be watching this specially the U2 fans out there. Please come with a mindset that you are attending a concert and having the best virtual reality interaction with U2 and the stadium crowd. Sing, wave your hands, clap, bring out your cellphones and forget for a moment that you are in a 3d IMAX theater.


U2 3D was shot during the last leg of the "Vertigo" tour in South America. U2 is not only recognized for their musical invention but also for reaching out to millions of fans through new technologies. This technologies include the use of video screens during the 1992-93 "ZooTv" tour, LED displays on their 1997-98 "PopMart" tour, and recently, the use of dimensional, light beaded video curtains above the stage at their 2005-06 "Vertigo" tour. They were also the first bands to embrace the Apple iPod device coming out with a U2 branded iPod. Bono wanted to go somewhere magical with the creation of U2 3D. He decided to shoot the South America Vertigo tour to capture the enthusiasm of the crowd who are excited to watch U2 after an eight-year hiatus from the continent.

Here is a 30 second clip on the U2 3D movie:

Massage Under Pagsanjan Falls

Trip to Pagsanjan Falls

Have you experienced the full body massage under the Pagsanjan Falls? We finally did it. and it was fun, scary and something that is worth the hassle of going to Pagsanjan. The safest time to go to Pagsanjan Falls is during the summer season when the water level is low and the waterfall is smaller and less powerful. We have been always discouraged of going to the falls because of illegal boat flaggers on the way to Pagsanjan Falls. Here are some tips on planning your Pagsanjan Falls trip:

1. Avoid the weekend or holidays where there are a lot of tourists. We would recommend to go on a weekday to avoid the traffic jam on the way to Pagsanjan and the tourist crowd.

2. Don't ever stop or entertain the illegal flaggers who would offer you overpriced boat ride to the falls. In fact, they are rude and would shout at you as if you violated a one-way road. You'll be intimated with the number of people swarming to offer you boat rides. Some of them will follow you via a motorbike so don't even attempt to have an eye contact with them.

3. Go to an accredited resort directly where you can pay for the proper boat ride fees. Currently, It costs P635/ person for the boat ride to the falls and P90/person for the raft ride to have the massage under the falls. Unfortunately, there is no kids rate so we paid full price for Aidan. We went to Pagsanjan Falls Paradise Resort (+63 49) 808-4393, 808-5494.

4. Expect that you'll hear a pitch that the boatmen only earn from tips. The intent is to condition you to give a high tip. Currently, the tourists are giving them P200 or $5 per boatman (there are two boatman per canoe). For the Raft man, he is expecting P100 tip. In total, we gave P500 tip to make everyone happy. That is an expensive tip for a local tourist, and the right tip would have been half of that. On the other hand, it is also very hard to paddle all the way to the falls and they took care of us throughout the entire trip.

5. Allot a total of 5 hrs to go up to Pagsanjan Falls from Pansol, Laguna. We went to 88 Spa and Resort in Pansol, Laguna for lunch and drove to Pagsanjan for 90 minutes. The entire boat ride is 2 hours. You'll be going back for another 90 minutes in time for the sunset scene in Los Banos.



Aidan was scared at first but courageous enough to join us inside the Pagsanjan waterfall. He is already wearing a swim suit so that he is ready to get wet. BTW, we heard that the film crew who was filming when we went inside the Pagsanjan Falls was from Unang Hirit. It was a pleasant surprise. I wonder how it looked because Aidan was so scared of the sound of the Pagsanjan Falls.