JUNE SWOONS AND OPPORTUNES

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

CAN'T SPELL COVID WITHOUT O.V.

Many people are saying if COVID's around long enough its sure to run into your country's Overseas Voting cycle and if you're running your country's Overseas Voting cycle you're sure to be around someone who has long COVID many people are saying this

And so it came to pass that this AHOP...

...tested positive...

...right as the vote-by-mail was about to kick off...

...and while symptoms were mild...

...trolling was not.

Still, once I recovered and cleared quarantine, the rest of the election period went by quickly (if blurrily) and before I knew it we were already at the final counting stage...   

...and the physical challenge for posts around the world became who could stay up through the night/time-difference while 30 copies of everything were being printed at dot-matrix speed...

...who would have people just crash under their tally tables...

...and who would have AHOPs fall asleep sitting up while delivering returns to the Embassy

 I was just resting my blurry eyes

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!