Miss Singapore Universe

I cannot help but “pity” beauty pageant contestants, especially those in Miss Singapore Universe (MSU).

In the past, the pretty ones are labeled “bimbos” who have nothing to boast for except their body and breasts. Try as they might to smile and beam at the cameras, they are still best remembered as beauties with a serious lack of intelligence.

The irony is, this year’s contestants are again caught in the centre of a controversy. Not for being “brainless beauties”, but for being “brainy”.

It is said that the “quality” of this year’s MSU contestants has “improved”, in the sense that the pageant has attracted highly educated participants, with some even pursuing PHDs.

You may ask, what are these highly educated women doing in such beauty pageants?

To prove a point: beauty and brains can co-exist.

But it seemed that their plan backfired.

Instead of appearing as bright ladies out to outshine the other girls, they emerged far from it.

These supposedly smart ladies gave disappointing answers during the Q&A session which made me drop my jaws as I watched the competition while it was shown on television last Sunday.

I could not tell what those ladies were driving at, and I somehow wondered if they understood the questions in the first place.

Frankly speaking, it is not an easy task cracking your brains for an answer to a question within just a few seconds.

Many of us must have had the same kind of experience in school, when we freaked out during an oral examination in front of the examiner. Not to mention appearing in front of a huge audience and a panel of judges who are ready to pick on your faults.

But like they said, these are apparently intellectual ladies who excelled in academia, and we expected more from them.

We are not satisfied with them just provided elementary answers (or worse still making incoherent and ridiculous remarks). We listen in the hope of being impressed.

Unfortunately, many of them failed under expectations.

At the end of the day, we can only conclude: Yes, these girls are Ace students on certificates, but No, they are not witty on national television.

It is a fact that more often than not, contestants in Miss Singapore Universe are held under the microscope, and their flaws may be magnified. And I must admit that sometimes they may be subjected to unfair scrutiny as well.

Nevertheless, although I admire these ladies’ courage in participating in the competition, I cannot help but feel that they ought to do some homework before they step up on stage. Not for winning the competition, but for their own sake.

I think this pageant has sent us an important message.

It is not easy to please the audience and it is an uphill task to show that a woman can possess both beauty and brains.

Most importantly, it is never too wise to try unless you are sure you have them in you.

Are you getting old?

When I realized that I no longer enjoy some of the things I used to like doing, I am hit with the hard fact that I am getting “old”.

“Panicking”, I quickly made my own checklist.

What are the things that most young people like doing? Do I still enjoy doing that? What are the things that I used to take pleasure in doing but now feel that they are immature acts?

With a full score of 10 for “Yes, it is a fact that you are getting old” and 0 for “Cool, you are still young!”, I had a score of 4!

Whew!

Everyone gets old. It is just a part of the growing up process. But it still feels good to know that even though your age seems to increase exponentially once you hit 20, but your heart remains young.

Here’s my checklist:

You are no longer young if......

1) You find Campus Superstar a silly programme.
2) You do not like bubble tea anymore.
3) You no longer crave for MacDonalds.
4) The last time you took neoprints was ages ago.
5) You find online chatting a waste of time.
6) You stop mass-mailing or forwarding cute emails.
7) You find birthday gifts like teddy bear soft-toys childish and impractical.
8) The only drinks you order at coffee shops are kopi-o or teh.
9) To you, class gatherings are history.
10) You think that hanging sweet key-chains on your bags is kiddish.

You get one point for every “Yes” answer to each of the above.

What’s your score?

Goodbye Crime Desk

Last week, I was still a rookie crime desk reporter.

This week, I have been transformed (strictly speaking, I am still under training) into a serious political news reporter.

Because of the upcoming elections and the lack of manpower, I was thrown into a completely new "working environment" (still with the same paper but a different desk), with just a few days' notice.

What a roller-coaster!

Young Singaporeans have always been labelled as uninterested in local politics, ignorant or plainly bo-chup.

To tell you the truth, I have never been truly very interested in politics. I can name who's who is in the Cabinet and I know the more well-known opposition party members. But that's the furtherst I could go. Or more precisely, that is all that I feel the "urge" to find out. Full-stop.

I wonder how many people feel the way I do?

Today, I went on my first political assignment with a senior journalist. It was PAP's announcement of their fourth batch of candidates.

Some 30 journalists appeared to come prepared with burning questions on their minds. It was no surprise, after all, news on the elections have been on the papers and television since January or even earlier. But being a greenhorn, I was in a bit of a "culture shock" and felt kind of out of place.

After the three candidates were introduced and they made their individual speeches, questions were open to the floor. Hands shot up from the left, the right, at the front, from the back, from everywhere!

Questions from journalists were blasted at the candidates, but they were not tough questions, and answers were fairly well given too.

As the session ended, photographers rushed forward to capture shots, while journalists pushed forward and held up recorders to the candidates, I was almost knocked off my feet!

There was another round of indepth interviews and within two hours, the whole session came to a close.

My mind often goes to a blank when I am thinking of interview questions for the politicians. It made me miss the times when I was in crime desk, where questions came instantaneously and readily to mind.

Well, I guess this is just my first day and I am still not used to the new jobscope. But in view of the upcoming elections, there is no time to lament or to dilly-dally, I need to do my homework fast!

I am not sure if interest can be cultivated, but knowledge certainly has to be built up.

Wish me luck!