AHOP YOU DON'T MIND AHOP YOU DON'T MIND

Keen observers of my CarMin confirmation post would have noticed that the incumbent Consul General in Sydney was at the same hearing and confirmed as - PLOT TWIST - Ambassador to Egypt.  Yes, after just two years heading the Consulate, our boss was cross-posted/promoted to another Mission, but not before leaving a substantial legacy, including elevating our socmed graphics game...

(shout out, Canva)

...effectively steering the Consulate's PHL-AUS anniversary celebrations through a pandemic...

(there was like, literally, a halo)

...and earning the respect and admiration of the Fil-com...

(I mean, if you're someone's zoom background...) 

...whose tributes read like fine poetry, if not dope rap

BARS 

Keener observers would have also noticed that FSO and CarMin batchmate and fellow Sydney Consul ONE MAIN IDEAL was not yet part of the same confirmation hearings -- because of an administrative technicality, my nomination was submitted and considered slightly earlier than hers.   

So...

Our former boss' appointment as Ambassador to another country created a vacancy at the top of the Sydney Consulate and even though ONE MAIN IDEAL and I are exactly the same rank and she actually assumed her position here a year before I did I was technically considered more senior by like a month because of my earlier confirmation which means the Consulate's website was just updated and THIS GUY is now Acting Head of Post (AHOP) 

AHOP for the best.

I'm sure this will go well.

as all acting appointments do

LOCKDOWN HAIR DON'T CARE

Got my second stick, and other than more luscious lockdown bighair (Jestoni variant), no adverse side effects

But lockdown drags on, there's no open barber in sight, and I have to return to the 80s to find my happy hair place (Jojo Alejar preppy variant)

Symptoms worsening...

...and called out on a zoom meeting about how pathetic my mullet flow is by 75 years of Philippine-Australian relations standards

LLDD-Hyphen-L literally takes matters into her own hands, puts her Prime points to use, and stages bathroom ambush

Let's do this

Ready...set...SHAVE

Breath...

Finish strong...

VICTORY

we're on to eyebrows....

CAN'T SPELL LOYALTY AWARD WITHOUT O-L-D

Has the Batch really been at this for 15 years now? Per the Department's livestreamed anniversary celebration, yes, yes we have been here since the Consular section was a back-alley basketball court!   

Not as somber as the Oscar's In Memoriam segment, but still a solemn reminder of one's purpose, dedication, and existence before the e-passport

THE LLDD-HYPHEN-L LOOKS AT LETHARGIC LOCKDOWN LANDSCAPE, DECIDES "THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO BECOME A CERTIFIED PILATES INSTRUCTOR"

The ensuing training montage:

Buys second-hand reformer and sets up makeshift online classroom

(shout out LLDD-Baby's end-the-violins stand)

Trains daily 

(holds gun-show nightly)

Impresses practical examiners by showing teaching mastery over lamest, doughiest, most uncoordinated student available

(bitchin' Depeche Mode and Smiths needle drops student's idea, obvs)

Preaches proper nutrition/punishes student for 80s workout jam by quarantining doughnuts  hidden around house

(d'oh!)

Crushes finals, gets own studio sessions, ready to rock re-opening 

I'd define you as awesome

DELTA MADE THEM DO IT

Hoo boy.  Delta's here, and it's game-changing.  How have Sydneysiders coped with the hardest of lockdowns to date?

Well, my local grocery immediately got the runs...

...the papers depicted a desolate Sydney landscape by running photos of - of all places - our office building and the failed quarantine hotel above it...

...and then there was this...

Sydney's fine 

DIAMOND WAS FOR NEVER

Au contraire, mate!  I mean, yes, most of the planned engrandeng celebrations for the 75th anniversary of PHL-AUS relations had to be cancelled, postponed or go virtual for health and safety reasons, but the diplomats, officials and communities on all sides still pushed through and put out a lot of meaningful work.  From commemoration kick-off, we already had some awesome branding and associated swag....         

drip drip

...official travel (by air!) to Canberra for a proper diplomatic/cultural reception... 

the Ang Tangi kong Pag-Ibig / Call me Senyorita mash-up we didn't know we needed

...and a ton of influencer-level lights, equipment and backgrounds...

...so that we could stage a virtual concert and a video greeting series from a who's who of OH MY GOD THAT'S THE LLDD'S MUSIC

mga nagpa-diamond peel for that diamond anniversary feel

SPORTWATCH: REVENGE OF THE TAMARAWS

Sporting events are back, baby!  Or at least the ones outdoors with crowds less than a 100! Woohoooo!  What better way to get your game on than a international friendly between the Philippine Tamaraws and that other rugby league powerhouse (*checks notes*)...Brazil!

And what a fun day it was, with the Philippines a wire-to-wire winner: for the opening ceremonies, it learned its lesson and got a professional singer for the anthem, as well as a proper bearer of the flag

(unlike the last time, when moi sang and staggered all over the field. never forget)

Then, once the whistle blew, the Tamaraws scored early and oh so often

And with the match all but settled by halftime, the battle shifted to whose grandstand grill was better, Brazil's... 

...or ang Pilipinas 

Well, it was Australia who decided! No, really, some local men came up to me, set up this spread, and said "What a sight.  There's your winner right there"

  Tama!

CARMIN A LITTLE BIT CLOSER BABY (COM-MIS-SION, COM-MIS-SION)

So this happened...

...and while the current boss at Sydney was the Headline, if you scroll through the article (or the event livestream) you'll find another familiar name from here down under. 

Confirmed!  Hold on, let's check with VAR sideline for any offside...

Onside! Ruling is confirmed! Crowd/staff goes wild! Onward to Plenary!  

But, seriously, a most happy and humbling moment. I didn't have to attend in person, but every candidate abroad still had to appear virtually in case there were any questions. It was great that the Committee Chair kept a nice account of the proceedings, with a copy of his remarks and a list and images of every appointee posted on his social media.           

the chosen slideshow screengrab indeed perfectly captured my honor and appreciation (not to mention relief at not being called for recitation during the hearing) 

CLEANSE THIS CONSUL

So happy the local health and travel conditions were favorable enough for the Consulate to resume its annual Consular Outreach Mission at Tamworth's parish center and we could meet and serve the community once more and OH MY GOD THE HAND SANITIZER DISPENSER I WAS USING ALL DAY IS ACTUALLY THE CHURCH HALL'S HOLY WATER HOLDER   

i will burn for this

GATHERINGS GONE WILD

Yeah, nah, that's a bit of a clickbait-y headline but I just wanted to convey the feeling that the indoor gathering rules have NOT put a damper on fil-com festivities judging by how quickly these recent events went next-level in their revelry 

Newly-formed non-profit goes from Kids Choir to Queen's toast to...the Copa...Copacabana

they fell in love

Boholano group goes from officers' induction to officers' dance-off to officer smashing Cats

ah, Memories

Women's group in Wollongong goes from cake-cutting to gift-giving to LOCAL MAYOR CLIMBING A LADDER AND FURIOUSLY CHEERING ON PHILIPPINE-AUSTRALIAN RELATIONS

wave your hands in the air, and wave them like you just don't care

Party on