Lunchtime Topic - Miss HK 2008

Today's discussion topic over lunch with my department was on the results of the Miss Hong Kong 2008 held over the weekend. The attendants consisted 2 gals and 2 guys including myself. Both the guys were very disappointed with the results, especially the winner whom they thought really do not deserve to win at all. The other gal in the group confessed that she didn't watch the whole event as she thought it was really poor quality this year, so she played with her son instead. I, on the other hand, had no son to play with, so I watched the whole event while reading my notes and had thought that it was really entertaining. I thought it was entertaining not because I thought the quality of the show or the girls were good but I am just amazed at how hard these girls try to present themselves on stage even though they are being treated like puppets and props. The girls were made up to look like some hardrock bar-top dancers, peacocks, babydolls, beach babes and lastly they had to wear the Chinese Qipao with shoulder-pads so big, it looked like some costumes from Star Wars, now aren't that entertaining? I really admire their courage to pursue their dreams despite it all.

The guys thought that they are just bimbos but I think bimbos or not, these girls are merely trying to pursue their dreams and I think they are better than many bimbos out there who may not even know what they want in life. I think people who have no dream, no goal, no purpose in life are more pathetic. This yearly event is the expressway to stardom for many Hong Kong girls without which they will be just another nobody in this crowded city. Without this beauty pageant, the gossip columns will have 1 event less to write about! We, the normal working class people will have 1 topic less to discuss over lunch. And all the eligible bachelors and rich men will have less "stocks" to choose from!

Beauty Pageants

Miss Hong Kong Gallery 2008

I love watching beauty pageants, especially the ones held in Hong Kong yearly, I think there are be at least 3 major pageants. Miss Hong Kong, Miss Asia and Manhunt Hong Kong. This year's Miss Hong Kong was held last night and I watched the live telecast on TV. It was terribly entertaining to watch those girls worked so hard on the stage, trying their best to remember their dance steps, their spots to stand on the stage and not forgetting to smile. They had to walk up and down the stairs on the stage in their ridiculously high heels and outrageous gowns, yet they could still maintain good posture (chests up, butts out) and kept smiling the whole night! Other than the usual dance routine, self introduction, evening gowns parade, swim suits parade and the Q&A sessions, there was a session where the girls had to do the trampoline stunts in clown-like costumes. And I thought that was really terrible for the girls. *Poor things*

I don't know...although I had done some modelling in my teenage years, joining a beauty pageant had never crossed my mind. I guess walking around the stage in a bikini to be judge by people is never my forte. But for these girls, this beauty pageant is their entry ticket to the entertainment business in Hong Kong. Many famous actresses and singers are born this way in Hong Kong. Maggie Cheung, Cherie Chung and Anita Yuen...just to name a few actresses that I really like.

This year's winner is Edelweiss Cheung, 22 years old student and in her own words, her dream is "to be a successful person". 1st runner-up is Skye Chan, an air stewardess who aspires to be a Japanese-language teacher. 2nd runner-up Sire Ma who is also a student and her aspiration is to be a successful actress. The names are special, aren't they? I believe these names are not given by their parents but adopted by themselves for fashion. And I guess these days the fashion is to find a name as rare as possible for themselves?

Nevertheless, the winner this year is definitely not the prettiest one in my opinion but she is definitely the tallest. She towers over all the other contestants and made the 3 male hosts looked like dwarfs! Well, I think it is good that they had chosen a tall girl to represent Hong Kong, at least she will still be able to stand out in the international arena. Good luck, Hong Kong!