I CAN TASTE THE COLORS, MAN

So Sydney has come up with a great way of beating back the winter blues: "Vivid" is a 10-year old festival of light displays and installations that literally illuminates the city and its landmarks -- and in the process keeps people outdoors, engaged and ready to partay! It's held during the coldest and darkest time of the year, but is so big and beautiful that staying home is simply not an option for Sydney-siders. And since there's so much to see all over the city, people can space and pace their enjoyment over a period of time -- like savoring a seven-course gourmet meal...under psychedelic lights...served by neon waiters...cooked by lasers.

The fam's own "Vivid" visual feast took us three weeks and through...

...a light sampling at Chatswood...

...some starters at Circular Quay and The Rocks...

...side dishes at Darling Harbor...

...leafy mains at the Botanical Garden...

...and finally, a relaxing Harbor Ferry Sunset Cruise dessert 

Dudes. I now got the munchies.
            

TAPOS NA MALILIGAYANG ARAW NAMIN? HARDLY

So the Sydney Succession plan has come to pass and ONE MAIN IDEAL and I duly power down with the arrival of our new Consul General to Sydney, "TnT" -- one of the department's most senior and respected officials, a former boss of mine back at the home office, and an all-around nice person. A warm Aussie welcome, ma'am! 

we're ready to work as hard as our printer 

FAB FIL FABRICS

since I'm away at (Tim)Tamworth imma gonna leave it to this blog's senior fashionalista (and her cub reporter) to attend and document Tuloy Po Kayo, a fashion/trunk show featuring designers and design houses that support indigenous communities and livelihood programs in the Philippines. The event was a collab between some Fil-com groups, the Embassy, the Consulate and our Tourism office, and brought in some of the most accomplished and well known (well, except to me) artists from both the Philippines and Sydney. 

I don't know much about fashion, but i know that they like

IT'S SATURDAY, I MUST BE IN...TAMWORTH

(or, as the LLDD-Baby calls it, TimTamworth!)

(TimTams are these delicious chocolate biscuits that are the go-to pasalubong from Australia, you see)

So, yeah, the Consulate drove over six hours to beautiful (Tim)Tamworth for its first consular outreach mission of the year, and my first mission ever as team leader (I was only a junior officer during all those consular missions around the UK bearing Cadbury pasalubongs, you see). Anyway, I'm happy to report that there was nothing untoward to report -- thanks to my experienced and professional team members, the whole operation went as straightforward as possible: from the crack of dawn clackity-clack mission gearing up montage...

....to the mission proper...

...to the mission accomplished packing up and, um...mission carpet cleaning up of wee from a dog that got too excited playing with the last few kid applicants... 

And while we didn't get to see much of Tamworth itself, we saw enough of it to get a sense that this is beautiful proud farm Country...

In fact, it's the Country Music Capital of Australia! Tamworth stages the second largest country music festival in the world, featuring hundreds of awesomely named acts...

'sup, Mustered Courage and Hillbilly Goats

...a cavalcade down main street...

'sup award-winning Fil-com parade floats

...rising stars...  

'sup, Keith Urban's mullet

...the coveted Golden Guitar awards...

'sup, 37-time Golden Guitar winner and awesomely named Slim Dusty  

...and an actual GIANT GOLDEN GUITAR

'sup, y'all

(Tim)Tamworth, take us home country road! And don't forget the pasalubong!