ACT LIKE YOU'VE BEEN THERE BEFORE

Well, precisely, I've never been Acting Head of Post before so I've never been there/done that for a bunch of events normally reserved for the regular bosses club and it's taken all my energy and discipline to represent with poise and grace and dignity and not just run-around with my arms in the air going woo-hoo!         

What's up, 'HOP? Exhibit by an Aboriginal designer at a new Indigenous Rooftop Garden where they served (*checks placecards*) crocodile rolls and kangaroo pies

Poised or wa-Poise?  Poised as to the event proper, medyo wa-poise lang sa dami ng kinain ko

What's up, 'Hop? State Police Briefing for the Sydney Consular Corps

Poised or wa-Poise?  I mean, if I'm gonna be in a police line up with other heads, I better not look sus  

What's up, 'HOP?  International Women's Month event, with AHOP's message remotely delivered by videolink

Poised or wa-Poise?  Poised naman.  Substance was high, and thanks to zoom touch-up filter, forehead glare was low  

What's up, 'HOP?  Re-inauguration of Ibero American Plaza

Poised or wa-Poise? As much poise as this non-Spanish speaker could muster to explain why Rizal was part of a row of busts of Latin American heroes outside Sydney's Central station.  Bueno.

What's up, 'HOP? Sydney Consular Corps Gala Dinner with the Governor (or as I like to call it, the HOPs Hop! get it, get it? ah, what do you know about acting comedy) 

Poised or wa-Poise? Poised, although the placecard gave me an undue promotion, and I still lost out on the Will-I-Get-the-Steak-or-the-Fish-Plated-Dinner roulette.     

What's up, 'HOP? Official Engagements with the Sydney ASEAN-bloc

Poised or wa-Poise?  Consensus is...poised! And if I've said it once I've said it a thousand times: no matter what post you are in the world, there's no better food - and no better fits - than rolling with the ASEAN missions

    

What's up, 'HOP?  Premier's Iftar Dinner

Poised or wa-Poise?  Poised.   I've never been to an Iftar before, much less one hosted by a Premier at a football stadium.  All very cool.  

What's up, 'HOP? HOPs Tour of New Western Sydney Aerotropolis 

Poised or wa-Poise?  I personally am a sucker for construction site visits of big development projects, particularly when the welcome hype video is tailored to the visitors' countries.  You have this HOP's and his temporarily vested authority's full support, good sirs!   

What's up, 'HOP? HOPs Visit to Agri-Science Field Campuses of Western Sydney University 

Poised or wa-Poise?  I personally am a sucker for site visits to modern pristine research facilities and the geeky research that goes on within them, particularly when the loot basket is the edible product of such facilities and research. You have this HOP's and his temporarily high cholesterol's full support, good nerds!

SPORTWATCH: KAYA NATIN FOOT

I've always rooted hard for underdogs, and not just the sports teams, but the entire lesser-loved local leagues kind of 'dogs. Which is why at Washington I followed D.C. United over the formerly-known-as-Redskins, and why I've watched more Azkal than Gilas back home.  Whether in the States, in the Philippines or here right now in Australia, soccer's kinda saling-pusa, which only makes me love the sport (and my cat-dog crossover metaphor) even more.

Happily, I was recently able to support two underdog soccer scenes in one go, when Ilo-ilo's Kaya FC visited Australia and played Sydney FC in an Asian Champions League qualifying match.  It was a wonderful experience from start to finish, one which can be told as A Tale of Two Halves (i've got this footy-speak down pat)  

First Half : Pre-match    

Kaya FC paid a courtesy call on the Consulate and gifted its allegedly match fit Acting Head of Post with a tight jersey who reciprocated by carbo-loading the team with pizza so that everyone would share the same body-type anyway the team also produced an HBO Sports doc-type of video that captured almost all of the good energy...                    

...and I say almost because the video did not show that the team also took their time at the Consulate as an opportunity to happily initiate their new members and trainers and coaches...  

As I inspirational-speech told the team right after, "If you lads show the same skill and coordination and teamwork at the match as you just did with your performances, then, uh, yeah..."

Second Half : Match-match

(i don't got this footy-speak down pat)

Game time.  Stadium was good but weather was wild.  Crowd was small but spirits were high.   Sydney FC had home-field advantage, but Kaya FC...had THIS BLOKE

I never really got his full story, but apparently he was once a tourist in the Philippines who stumbled on a Kaya match in Makati and fell in love with the team and now took it upon himself to single-handedly cheer and chant them on without fear of opponent or La Niña conditions.

But while Kaya FC played really well and held their own in the first half, as the weather worsened, so did the scoreline...

Everything had turned cold...except for THIS BLOKE

...who NEVER STOPPED singing "Score a Goal!" until the bitterly wet and windy end...and Kaya almost did! 

Which was more than enough for THIS BLOKE

Muntik na kinaya!  Well done all you footie-dogs!

AT THIRTEEN WE TOOK TO THE SKIES

Whaaaat for your Thirteenth wedding anniversary you're getting on a small confined plane with no mask requirements in this wild la niña weather aren't you afraid of contagion or turbulence or the unlucky number 13 of it all? 

Ha. After thirteen years, y'all still don't know what this couple will risk for love and free welcome drinks.

Onward and upward! 

Ibang level na talaga naabot namin

 but we can still always be reached at the complementary post-flight breakfast buffet  

ACTING HUES OF POST

And let it also not be said of this color/style-blind Acting Head of Post that he was unwilling to lead from the front, er, fashion-follow from the rear when it came to the office's themed photo-ops of which there were more than my monochromatic wardrobe could bear

(shout out canva for filtering my outfits into the proper color-scheme)

SEASON'S CELEBRATIONS WERE LIT

How lit?  At the Australian-Philippine Business Council year-end shindig, CEOs and top government officials storm to stage for a singalong   

At an Ibero-American-Australian fiesta, guests rip up the dance floor to Pilita Corrales jams...on a harp 

And at the Seniors Association Christmas bash, no one gets down harder than the lola with a walker

Encore all y'all shimmying seniors, ENCORE! 

Nothing achy or breaky here.  PARTY ON!

STRONG END TO THE YEAR FOR THE LLDD-BABY

Over the same weekend, she was elected one of her school's "Voice Leaders" following a campaign that featured platform-building, stump-speeching and election night result livestreaming....     

we credit the win to her socialized roblox policies and the lldd-hyphen-l's gerrymandering of pilates parents vote

...immediately followed by her dance school's production of The Greatest Showman and a stirring rendition of (*checks program notes*) "Swaying Linen / Newsboy / Doctor", where she was awarded "Most Improved" and "Best Class"

worthy of the Master Showman, amirite Kuya Germs?

...and then she comes home literally to the end of a rainbow...

voice, dance, weather control -- kid's a triple threat

UAA(HO)P

Some Big 3 university alumni activities for your Acting BMOC (Big Man on Consulate) 

Blue Eagle Swearing 

Despite Ateneo being my known nemesis from grade school, high school, college and law school, their local alumni still graciously invited me to induct their officers and join their association because of my Jesuit Georgetown connection.  

and because I rock the blue socks

Eat Your Greens!

O Brothers Burger, Where Art Thou? In Sydney!! Just opened!! And it turns out their founder/owner/chef  is a classmate from my primary LSGH years.  Great opening day, with lines longer than the neighboring Five Guys.  Animo!       

Anim Na takeaway na rin

Fighting Maroon-bra

Fitting that the UP Alumni Association chose Maroubra beach for their pakikibaka as the name readily lent itself to the dad joke above...

...plus the resident shore sculpture was a worthy challenge for the iskolars ng bayan...

...and the locals be around since the original oblation run

malayong lupain, kanyang na narating siguro