I just wanted to share a few awesome things to celebrate…
1. Our Awesome Planet in IMMAP!
It was awesome to present the story of OAP in the 3rd Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP). IMMAP is the biggest conference attended by the digital marketing industry in the country. I shared the story of how I grew OAP from scratch to becoming one of the most popular food and travel blogs in the country with as high as 15,000 hits per day. I presented together with Mark Lacsay of Sonic Logo Multimedia of Sound Drip, and Rianna Roces Trinidad of Proud Mama makers of Funky Feet on how Digital Delivers for Small and Medium Enterprises.
2. The First Winning Internet Marketing Strategies and Techniques (WIMST) Elective Class in AIM MBA!
Congratulations to the first batch of WIMST MBA Class for Cohort 2 and 3! We learned a lot from this first class — thank you all for the healthy discussions and constructive feedback about the class. It was my first time teaching in the MBA class, which was dominated by Indians who were very cool. 🙂
3. My first-ever Photoblogging Class in Cubao eXpo 🙂
I received a lot of questions on how to do what I do in OAP with the nice photos. For the first time, I was able to run a photoblogging class in Cubao eXpo. (Thank you to my guinea pigs! 🙂 ) I’m offering the class again this coming Saturday, Sept. 12, in Cubao eXpo. After that, I plan to conduct it in different destinations like Chinatown, Antipolo and/or Laguna.
4. Featured in Unang Hirit, alongside Mabuhay Girl Jenni Epperson 🙂
It was cool to meet Jenni Epperson and her photographer-husband Tom Epperson during the Unang Hirit Bloggers feature. She is the author of the popular fashion blog, Mabuhay Girl. She recently launched her Cuteture multiply store, which sells Jaguar Glamour Rings, Fruit Tart Necklaces, Spoon and Fork Necklace and other cute fashion accessories. Check out Jenni’s Cuteture shop.
5. Congratulations to Dexter and my cousin-in-law Pam Cinco!
Finally, after years of searching for the right guy, Pam tied the knot with Dexter. They have a cute love story… We are just happy that Pam found the right one. 🙂
6. The Launch of the Ultimate Philippines Tours 2010 Calendar!
Ultimate Philippines is launching our October 2009 to May 2010 Calendar by the end of this week. We are focusing on our core tours — Pampanga, Tagaytay, Batanes, Vigan Fiesta and San Isidro Festival. We are publishing it in advance so that you can fix your schedule and join us 🙂 We are excited!
7. Awesome Most Trusted Food Blogs Rogue Feature!
It was awesome to be featured in Rogue, side-by-side with Market Man. 🙂 It was an honor — thanks to Katrina for the kind description and write-up. At first, I did not get why it was entitled “The Recon Man”. She explained that it was because I go on reconnaissance missions to explore and check out new places before anyone else. Thanks again to Rogue and Katrina!
8. My 35th Birthday with my Family 🙂
It was simply wonderful to celebrate my birthday — breakfast, lunch and dinner — with the family. Food trip galore! 🙂
Thanks to my family for loving me for who I am. Thank you to all OAP readers and Facebook friends who greeted me on my birthday. Thank you to the 314+ people who gave feedback to Our Awesome Planet. Thanks for continuing to accompany me on my OAP journey!
Live an Awesome Life,
Text and Photos by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2009.
blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
email: anton@diaz.ph
AWESOME talaga! Congrats Anton! Looking forward to awesomer stuff SOOOOOONNNN….Go na go na! Woohoooo!!!
Very personal mix of events…stay positive and happy 🙂 I hope to attend a photoblogging class of yours.
Well done Anton! I think your blog should receive some funding from the Department of Tourism as it promotes Manila and other places in the Philippines better than the government can.
It’s good to know that you are championing Filipino food. Most of the foreigners I know consider Filipino food as the most bland in the South East Asian region (or Asia for that matter). I hope this blog would make them change their minds.
As I mentioned in one of my comments, I am coming back to Manila from my expat stint in Malaysia. To be honest, the only reason I am returning is the new compensation package I got. Meaning, I was not too excited going back to the Philippines because of all the problems – traffic, pollution, politics, poverty, etc. However, your blog made me (and continues to make me) excited to go home. Now, I can hardly wait for my last day in Kuala Lumpur. Keep up the good work! The Philippines need more people like you.
Haha 🙂 Thanks so much Pinoyexexpat! I’m launching one of the biggest
internet marketing campaign to promote the Philippines in 2010… watch out
for it! Thanks and hope to see you one of these days 🙂
anton
Look, if you need help in your internet marketing campaign, I would be glad to help. I like traveling and I plan to re-discover/rekindle my love for the Philippines when I get back. Also, I am planning to take up surfing with my wife so I am sure this new hobby will take us to different “undiscovered” places in the Philippines. I would consider myself a foodie as well but I am more into the cheap, easy and unique kind of dining, which is the reason I love Malaysia (and Indonesia and Thailand). I am looking at doing a blitzkrieg on Ongpin whenever I miss hawker food. Btw, have you done any write ups on the Ongpin estero-style restos/food courts?
Congrats Anton. I’m happy for you and you’re family’s milestones. Belated Happy Birthday and see you soon. Thanks for all the help. =)
Not yet, my friend, Ivan Man Dy is the king of the that and one of these
days, we will do a feature 🙂
anton
congrats anton!! here’s to more awesome adventures! thanks so much for featuring the best of the philippines 😀
ang galeeennnggg!!! enjoy God’s blessingss!!!!
‘filipino foods the most bland in asia o south east asia’ that is bcoz they tasted o have seen have visited the ‘NOT’ so experts the proper o right cooks chefs places o homes all europeans americans blacks hispanics indians asians my families have invited for brunches lunches dinners cocktails or any family gatherings in hundres in thousands in hundred of thousands of them even those ‘snooty’ french german american japanese swiss chefs cooks i we fed in the past they considered our filipino food as one of the few best tasting food-meals globally EXCEPT for one bad o negative TRUTH which i always agreed in the past that filipino foods are UNDER REPRESENTED ‘globally’ DUE TO LACK OF DECENT ARTISTIC REPRESENTATIONS and some of the reasons for that is bcoz of lack of food budgets{poverties-timitipid ang mga sahog}another factors ay those filipino traits where almost everything that requires ‘masisi-details’ are done ‘speedy gonzales'{the mice cartoon character speeds}way like cooking so the flavors ‘rarely’ mature in the stove burners o ovens another factors are the lack of creativities sa table presentations bcoz of families hectic varieties of working social o studies schooling schedules so those genuine old DETAILS o proper way of simmmering sauteeds baking etc. are constantly OMITTED during the cooking process kasi they do not have those miraculously impetous long avid hours cooking time that old traditional in filipino cookings literally ‘dissapeared’ as karinderias & fast foods corners-centers-stations take overs in the philippines so the traditional filipino CULINARY ARTS are mostly lost due to modernizations-high techs products these including the old SLOW PROCESS ground wood cookings that adds great flavors to uniquely old filipino foods-dishes and the sad thing o the worst is FILIPINOS DO NOT COMPLAIN ABOUT IT ANYMORE filipinos became so passive about the quality of their own traditional cultural food processes coz theyre so HYPE UP about foreigners foods those low self esteemed filipino traits where IF IT IS NOT FOREIGNERS FOOD MENUS O INTERNATIONAL DISHES they must be INFERIOR lol!..so let’s hope those new filipinos karinderias o buffetts nationwide will experiment on filipino foods served in oversixzed white plates where yung ulam like adobo menudo kare kare dinuguan ginataang gulay ay circled-sorrounded by rice and they’ll drop a tiny parsley kamatis mangga pina papayng hinog o pinakuluan at gawing pang garnish o pang display sa ibabaw o gilid ng mga served filipino plates-foods pero syempre depende sa kulay ng ulam na kung dark sya eh light o medyo maputi naman ung mga garnish o nakasabit sa mga platong filipino to break the monotony in colors..BTW visual food presentations
are very important believe it or not people go GAGA in WOW ba WOW in intyernational food solely by just o simple thru food visual representations kahit ang lasa ay nakakasuka at it can be avoided if ganyan kadiri ang flavor of any international world famous cookings by simply cooking them with all the ingredients neatly elaborately ‘artistically’ state of the art ‘laid out’ in front of you{in the opens}to cook them opely-publicly as anyone o for the world to watch..but not bcoz filipinos foods-dishes are bland ONE DAY i will tech my grandchildren how to prepare cook & served them right how filipino foods must be properly designed.. lol
hi anton! i like to read ur comments section after the article. i just hope that maybe next time my fellow OAP readers kinda limit their comments in such a way that it is not blog long. no offense meant. just a friendly opinion. thanks! 😉
congrats, sir anton.. and belated happy birthday! ..I’m a big fan of OAP, and been trying out some of your recommendations (esp. good foods to discover) since I found out your photo-blogging site! thanks! 🙂
another additional cool things to happened in our awesome planet department could be the utilizing of philippines enviromental used another extra OAP department at another set of extra OAP staffs{staffers}like finding ways how to used unwanted ignored wasted nature’s materials for any tourists to visit go to plus helping unemployed filipinos nationwide o ofw’s who lost jobs-employments-relationships overseas-abroad an extension of social-civic OAP friends-viewers activities except these can make you millionnaires in the future SIMPLY by going around CALAMITY AREAS like provincies with many deep problems like of floods earthquakes disorganized landscapings neglected-dying bushes-forest-wooded grassy areas droughts severe poverties volacano eruptions junkyards{to closed down o emptied them faster}how to make millions out of it well for one..PICK all ‘damaged’ ‘broken’ ‘dry’ ‘recyclables’ ‘salvageable’ branches stones woods cemented pavements bottles{any non toxic materials}that can be recycled into a new products like say for examples on typhoons-floods those broken branches trees plants bushes part of destroyed homes businesses you see scattered in the streeto riversides can be recycled as kindergarten-nursery school mini toddlers chairs boards playground materials o school supplies such as rulers clip hangers toddlers benches o micro playhouses in businesses broken tree-plant branches can be recycled into wooden bakya-slippers-shoes soles chopping boards cooking wooden utesils baking materials such as baking spoons wooden spatulas dough shapers-cutters if the provinces places suffers from droughts used their dry materials into household offices schools hospitals or as ART SUPPLIES etc. if provinces suffers from volcano eruptions find squeezed areas[WHEN DRY}AS PART OF AN ART GALLERIES CONVERT AREAS OF DISTINCT ARTISTIC PLACE OF INTEREST in photography sculptures handcarves gardens-landscapings even studios for modelling stintsor a unique on top of volcano dried-hardened ashes ROCK CONCERTS or as a unique landscaping open prairies open dry wilds by simple planting some greens some bushes some plants in an obscure unexpected corners to give it a unique landscaping never seen before then place romantic tents sorrounded by mini spotlights so at night it is open for business as open bars open grill restaurants except it is on top of dry lavas lol cut broken branches as chairs-stulhs-benches to sit used as long as you have the right stereo sound system-speakers there will be parties there.. in doing SO some of these OAP ‘PICK UP THE BROKEN PIECES’ new department will help many filipinos MILLIONNAIRES in the future while helping the enviroment and helping the communities pick up their BROKEN PIECES into a RECYCLABLE USEFUL COMMERCIAL PIECES and you do not necessarily needs to buy nails do you know that small broken pieces of woods if designed as nails is as sturdy as any metal nails? how? well by simply designing all your new commercial BROKEN-DAMAGED recyclables as mini o micro ‘ PICK UP THE BROKEN PIECES ‘ commercial products say for the pedicurists pre schools kindergartens etc.{stulhs-low mini round-square chairs} shoe cd’s o book racks for students for cooks-chefs{chopping boards etc}for offices as paper blocks book ends dividers etc. mini trays glass coasters napkin holders salt & pepper shakers coat standers hats-umbrella holders etc. pictures art frames
cooking-pot gloves holders cups-saucers walls hangers etc.etc. etc. ..but all ARE from calamities deep seated area damages-calamities but should be could be OAP ‘ PICK UP THE BROKEN PIECES ‘ best HELP ‘the community’ best business ventures just think of all the enviromental damages turned into a filipinos million dollars industry this must be an adventurous challenging AWESOME future for many unemployed filipinos anywhere they might be lol!
ooopps.. meaning designed new recyclables as puzzles type materials items to NOT TO NEED any kinds of metal nails to earned way more to save new incomes way faster plus local filipino communities will be very happy if OAP circles can help them clean up their outdoor damages-messes-calamities-ruins ALL for the sake of NEW FILIPINO ARTS{new commercial re-invented products} nationwide so good luck to all OAP friends viewers circles who can hopefully make ‘PICK UP THE BROKEN PIECES’ to happened to make them a REALITY for so many unemployed filipinos anywhere they maybe lol
PHILIPPINES, MY LOVE..FILIPINOS IN LOVE.. O PHILIPPINES THAT WE LOVE..BEAUTIFUL PHILIPPINES..MODERN MARIA CLARAS NG PILIPINAS..SAMPAGUITAS, AMOY NG PILIPINAS mga mini coffee table na mga klase na libro na dapat pinag aaralan din ang laman sa schools at public social functions no matter how small the circles para awareness din{all w/ many varieties sizes shapes lines edges lenghts widhts corners styles of nationwide places homes & gardens parks agricultural activities businesses seasides women men children vendors filipiniana clothings jeepneys kalesas tricicles pedi cabs bridges fountains theme parks flowers plants & sampaguitas in particular}hopefully sana naman sa new philippines cultural o traditional o modern filipino books made produced by our awesome planet department-staffs for year 2010 din at good great photography ang kailangan lang nito sana naman lalo na ng mga SANTAKRUZAN FLORES DE MAYO mga parada o fiestas at lalo na pag pasko filipino masaya talagang sobra sobrang saya
I loved OAP since a fellow blogger recommended it, I have been hooked eversince..
Thanks for waking up the foodie in me Anton, I hope to see you one of these days =)
awesome! congrats!
awesome! congrats… you really deserve it 🙂
congratulations anton 🙂
no ‘wonder’ a lot of cool & cooler things happens to filipinos or to the philippines years o decades later lang to so many millions creative talented local filipinos no wonder a lot of poor filipinos stay poor bcoz poor filipinos are seen as threat by those who wants MONOPOLY like this one viewer here who wants others to shorten their comments as if knowledge ideas educational social exchanges o to be more informative to be not so ignorant as if more human deep social explorations are threats are crimes lol! no wonder a rich wealthy in natural & human resources philippines were past ‘decades’ engaged in lower lives lower undignified lifestyles ‘enjoying’ dark-mean illegal traffickings child labors etc so they can sell o prostitute some of those ignorant filipinos who cannot afford computers or has NO internet access so they could learned they could realized that STEALING PROSTITUTIONS ROBBERIES are not an original ‘filipino traits’ or lifestyles no wonder million of filipinos were drug addicts many law enforcers nationwide were thieves & bank robbers hired killers if not ex convicts millions of poor filipinos always wanted to be maids or strippers in numbers bcoz that’s mostly what they know ‘selling’ o ‘pimping’ ‘slaving’ their own kinds by these threatened individuals it’s bcoz of this kind of people o viewers {foreigners o filipinos} that ‘discourages’ ‘prevented’ people individuals to know more that here are more things in life than prostitutions slaveries stealings etc. as if to explore more to be more informative as if extra daily social educational exchanges is a threat a crime maybe obviously to some disturbed individual here who makes o has ‘extra’ time & effort to crab o create negative attention to another viewer by telling-asking to shorten their valuable comments as if asking individuals companies corporations businesses producat like drug stores please shorten your products by ‘ REMOVING’ THOSE ‘INSTRUCTIONS’ LIKE INFOS ABOUT HOW TO USE ELECTICAL ITEMS o those instructions on medical dosages o instructions how to put the vacuum cleaners parts-attachments & no extra interpreters please! according to this threatened ind/viewer’s attitude that all citizens of the world are all born perfect so they already know how to used-do them so people w/ low self esteemed o ignorants need not be bothered embarrassed o humiliated w/ those additonal longer product explanations-instructions as if these threatened individuals do not want to feel they are not smart for that matter i can just imagine ‘these kinds’ in a places-country where english alphabets are not the letters of instructions i bet they will need more ‘cool’ informarions & surely i will not be cruel to deprived them of alternative informations just in case lol! to those cool or not foreigners browsing who’s english are beginners or not yet perfect i say keep reading keep blogging coz practices makes it cooler lol
Great! I’ll look forward to that.
Yes, please contribute to preserving true Filipino cuisine by teaching your grandchildren how to cook. However, you would make a great service to the Philippines if you don’t teach them how to write.
are you for real? you just typed over a thousand words, you do not use comma or period in your sentence and it absolutely doesn’t make sense.
are you for real? you just typed over a thousand words, you do not use comma or period in your sentence and it absolutely doesn’t make sense. please stop polluting this blogsite and come up with your own.
and now you changed pa your name from grandma to haay?? we know its you grandma! please stop this non-sense.
lol!..this one maybe not a part of OAP cool things lol..there’s some kind of foreign mafia ‘ gang ‘ like viewer like this viewer named blog police roaming around in internet they do that too in youtube ‘foreigners’ who speaks tagalog o filipino languages just to descredit the filipinos-philippines some even creates-pretending to be a filipino blogger corners just to steal intellectual properties from ‘trusting’ viewers sad that helpful OAP & comments are being sabotage by a thug like blog police kind who’s motives obviously harrassing happy fun filled viewers by commenting so miserably..but hey though youre not really a police blog but self appointed-calling-pretending to be one..i say have fun & good luck if your ‘gang’ o internet mafia likes ‘discouraging’ viewers hey i wont stop you for WHO YOU ARE.. your miserable non humurous comment i find it still very ‘entertaining’ other OAP viewers who’s like you may enjoy it too lol though not really cool lol!
pinoyexexpat named viewer WOW lol..but i already did lol! hey your non humurous comment is too personnal i did not mentioned any of your loved ones it is-you are out of lines..also my writing is way better to teach than your rudeness no question about that ‘speciffic’.. the food-cooking comments were in general comments & non personnal i did not mentioned any names countries o business places so your anger to my comments means your one disturbed individuals & not worth my time.. so do not be so rude no need to be rude meaning just stay in the context or topics which is about cool stuffs that happened or might happened wow
viewer named blogpolice: maybe bcoz my writings is not for you..it is as simple as that..you have the right to remain silent & the right to ignore me lol
viewer named blog police: i really want to help you bcoz you seem really so ‘disturbed’ really out of control in what you prefer to read lol! normally youre not my business bcoz youre a stranger i do not know you at all BUT i really would like to help you to make you feel better meaning i sense an underlying pressures in you it is from your foreign-non filipino mafia like gang?
what we can do for you is to e-mail the owner of this blog site tell him what’s up so he can reply to me in private as to what is ‘really bothering you as what is ‘really’ your problem i just wanna help you bcoz if your foreign gang is doing this questionable pressures youre in..it should stop coz it is not cool at all..it is unhealthy.. say for example: if you will be playing with some handicaps say a basketball game how will you react if the handicaps cannot performed the way you want them to play..will you yll at them?..will you stop them?..will you beat them up? or will you publicly humiliate them so they would never play imperfect ever again in your prsence-with you? blog police did you ever hurt or wanting to hurt anyone just bcoz they do not behave like you do? coz being disturbed just bcoz another person writes long or not using periods commas etc coz normally it does not bother that much-extreme other people if youre a normal person coz any extremes could lead to something more for you & your circles o your families.. i want you to be happy honestly but you need to ne truthful to the owner as to why youre behaving not so cool at all publicly coz i have no problem not posting any messages i can fly-go to europe o philippines this week end just to have many unwanted social inter reactions in person lol..let me hear your underlying true problems first then i’ll weight whats the next coolest thing to do as one of so many OAP viewer just to help you at sincere ako lol!
you should have kept quiet. ayan tuloy… hehehe ;)peace!
friend, fellow oap fan, just a suggestion – just skip her comments. not getting anywhere para na tayo na sa ibang dimension 😉 hehehe. peace! 😉
You are blessed, Anton! Enjoy life with your wonderful family! Thanks for sharing with us!
hi anton!! i saw you last saturday in cubao expo. me and my friends wer in allan’s enjoying their tokwa’t baboy and barbeque w/ a couple of beers when ur group passed by.
What’s with grandma? Does anyone understand her? Quit while you’re ahead, grandma.
Thanks Becky! Sana you said hello 🙂 I want to meet you guys next time…
thanks prof anton! 🙂 belated happy birthday also 🙂