You'll never know if and when you'll ever be called up to be an AHOP, and I suppose one can never say that there's a best or worst time to become one, but for me I'm kind of glad my stint happened to run through June -- this June in particular -- and I had the honor and opportunity to be front and center for the full spectrum of indie month experiences.
From leading the Flag-raising and Oath-taking...
...to witnessing the spectacular return of Vivid, whose showcase installation "Temple" was co-created by a great Philippines-Australia storyteller...
...and, oh hey, it also happens to be my birth month and even the temp building security guard wants to slide into my DMs...
...meanwhile, the community decides to celebrate the National Hero with tinikling and (*checks notes*)...The King
The Department likewise commemorates its founding with a slick online global concert/presentation, and includes Sydney in its hype video montage...
The Sydney Fil-com also comes roaring back with their first (of many, many, many) post-lockdown Independence Day celebrations...
...which was all supposed to lead up to the social event of the season, our own piece de resistance, the biggest Fil-Com gathering hosted by the Consulate on its premises since the pandemic began, the one to show the worst's behind us and we're now stronger than ever, the one...
...where over half the Consulate and their families come back positive the day before and the whole thing has to be hastily cancelled.
Alas. What could've been.
the June-iverse works in strange and mysterious ways
