NETWORKING WORKS!

I speculated a while back that the Consular Corps in non-capital cities didn't seem to have as much social interaction among themselves compared to the Diplomatic Corps in the capital cities. I must have been completely wrong about all that (or maybe someone from the foreign office actually read this blog!), because they just threw a great networking reception for all the working group-level consuls in Sydney, i.e., every member of the Consular Corps who is not the head of post, i.e., kasali ako!

And a most enjoyable and productive evening it was! Counterparts who had lived in Sydney for years but who never had occasion to work with each other got to meet over drinks...

   

 not quite #nerdprom, but just as endearing

The event was held at the Museum of Sydney which, among many other things, has great exhibits of ancient Asia-Pacific-Australia trade 

Sydney was already gearing up back then for the hipster coffee houses to come

It also happened to be ASEAN day, and all the ASEAN consuls were able to stage our own special photo-op (and report it back to our capitals)

TO:ASEAN CONSULS FR:CAPITALS - WHY AREN'T YOU DOING OUR SPECIAL HANDSHAKE?

Best of all, our host from the Foreign Office would raffle off at the end of the event tickets to a prestigious Australian dance company. The winner would be drawn from a big glass bowl containing all of the attending consuls' calling cards -- except I wasn't able to place my card in the bowl! (I'm guessing I was in the bathroom when they started collecting). With literally seconds left on the clock before they drew the prize, I tossed my card from half-court (well, three feet), the card flew through the air, went clean through the bowl mouth and splashed the card pile just as the bowl was being taken away. After mixing the pile up a bit, the host drew a card and read a name...Moi! I joyfully bounded onto the stage -- to the surprise of the host who apparently only intended to announce the winner and not really hand the prize right there up in front. 

 still, #clutch #poise

So to my original point...let's have more gatherings, Consular Corps! We get so much out of it!