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

ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR APPLE PICKING MINDS?

Au contraire! Mid-autumn Blue Mountain fruit-picking/leaf-peeping/cidery-picnicking constitutes socially-distant outdoor activity, supports local tourism, and provides free labor!  Heck, we paid for the all-day walk-and-work-in-the rain-and-mud experience! You're welcome, local econo-mates!

getting loaded and turning into truckers just comes with the territory