Miss Guyana Universe 2009

Last Saturday, July 4 2009, I was invited to the Miss Guyana Universe 2009 Pageant. I got there late (which was not a bad thing) somewhere around 9pm, the Aspara dancers were on stage, and the show had started. Wayne Marshall came onstage a few minutes later. Surprisingly, the two older women sitting next to me were shouting and waving. Here were women who appeared to be somewhere in their late 50s, sitting in the first row (the expensive seats) of the auditorium. Who would have guessed? Not that they were in the expensive seats but Wayne Marshall? This night is already interesting. I myself did not realise that I knew so much of his music. He was very entertaining and the crowd loved him. Marshall got everyone involved in a screaming competition between the auditorium & balcony before bringing out the ‘Drunken Dance’ singer on stage for a few short minutes. When it was time for him too to leave the stage, I knew that the audience was not ready for that show to end. For a minute there we forgot why we were actually there that night. On the way to the National Cultural Center, I got the urge to jot down whatever got to mind while I was at the Pageant. Hence, my comments that follows. The start of the night’s competition: the Evening Gown Segment. Contestant No.1 Seems very confident. Lovely long, floral dress. I would wear this to a formal / semi-formal event. Contestant No.2 Gorgeous bronze dress. This is only the 2nd contestant and the dress is so spectacular with the perfect pair of shoes. Good luck to the others! From the roar of the audience she would have to completely mess up the question to lose. Hint- She didn’t win. Contestant No.3 Simple white & bronze polka dot strapless with bronze shoes. Not very confident in her movements. Contestant No.4 Sexy in purple. Sheer strip in the front revealing some, but not too much cleavage. I was a bit scared for her walking on the stairs, looked like she would take a spill. Contestant No.5 Yellow dress. Too much spring in her steps. Looks like she’s going on a picnic. Bang hides too much face. Definitely does not look like she’ll make top 5. Contestant No.6 Purple dress looks more like a Mash costume. Very confident but seems too in love with the camera. Contestant No.7 Blue dress. Very shaky coming down the stairs, eventually makes it. Nice smile though, one of the few whose smile was warming, no plastic there. Contestant No.8 Another picknicker. Guess she also could not find the time to work on her walk. Contestant No.9 I’d call her ‘Very Confident 9’. So full of confidence was she, that she almost tripped on her very colourful dress. Guess she was really embarassed because she practically ran off stage without completing her poses. Missy, there goes your chance at the Top 5. Contestant No.10 Pretty white dress with ribbon-like effect on the front. Not memorable. Contestant No.11 Wears her sexy white and gold dress with such confidence. Has a mermaid-like appearance with what seems like sea shells concealing her bosoms, paired with white gloves. Contestant No.12 Worst dress so far. Dangerously long slit in the front. I was afraid that she’s flash the judges. On the plus side, her hair was very well done. Thank you Kevin’s Reflections for saving her night. Contestant No.13 Okay, she is most definitely the 13th most attractive contestant for the night. Her attempting to breathe through the mouth or swallow a fly doesn’t help her situation. Who tricked her into thinking that this was ‘pageant sexy’? Sorry, not at all glamourous. Contestant No.14 First impression: looks like she has a curtain wrapped around her waist but she made the best of it. Contestant No.15 Most definitelty a crowd favourite. Black and silver dress, very common looking. The usual sequence on black look. Definitely the best walk though. Seems super confident, even blowing a kiss at the crowd. Awaiting the results: Since I was not a follower of the pageant prior to tonight’s event, my judgement is solely based on the night’s performance. My pick for the top 5 are Contestants 2, 11, 15, 6 and 1. The official results are in: Contestant No. 7 (Miss Mashramani) – There seems to be some mix up because she was introduced tonight as contestant no. 6. Funny enough when they read No. 7, the girl in blue almost stepped out until they read the correct name. I’m guessing that she was having a very good pageant thus far, because for tonight she doesn’t deserve the spot. Contestant No. 11 Contestant No. 2 Contestant No. 6 Contestant No. 15 Alright, not bad. Four of my five choices made it (smile!) I find these to be the best looking contestants in many, many years. The big FINAL QUESTION. Question: What is the role of a woman in today’s society? Good question. It seems very straight forward and certainly one that the contestants may have stumbled into while preparing for the pageant. No. 7: Nandani Seecharan - Miss R & S Mining She did stumble but not across the answer. Fumbled right off the start and never got around to a good answer. No. 6: Lucria Rambalak - Miss KRS Construction If this competition is about brains and beauty, and you’re judged the People’s Choice and Miss Photogenic, let’s just say you have one of the two. Her answer was simply UNIMPRESSIVE. No.11: Rachael Bakker – Miss Limacol Too long a response. I am sure that the answer was in there somewhere. Judging from the other responses this was still the best answer so far. No. 2: Janella Lewis – Miss GT&T Out talked herself. Crowd started booing; she got confused, took a long pause, and then committed verbal suicide. How unfortunate Miss Body Beautiful. She was a front runner for the big prize but just could not find an intelligent response to match her looks. 15 Jenel Cox – Miss UNICOM I would say this was a close one. Somehow, I think the judges may be swayed by the support she has brought. Think I was completely wrong about an easy question. Every answer was lacking. So now we await the judge’s decisions but are subjected to watching what appears to be an unplanned slideshow of the contestants. Fortunately at about No. 4, they decided to stop abruptly and return to the competition. Organisers you get an F. It was now time for last year’s winner to take her final walk. Guess she did not bother with going to the etiquette classes, because besides her very bored expression (or was she just trying to memorize dance steps), she was chewing gum. How classy! The Final results are in. The other 10 contestants are now back on stage. I thought that I was ‘seeing things’, but apparently not. No. 4 still has a very pissed expression. 4th Runner up – No. 7 Nandani Seecharan – good decision. Not to her, she was so confused she almost walked off the stage. She had to be told to stay and then had trouble finding a place on the center stage. 3rd Runner up – No. 2 Janella Lewis: another good decision. Let an opportunity of a lifetime slip away. 2nd Runner up – No. 6 Lucria Rambalak 1st Runner up is No. 11 Rachael Bakker. Winner: Jenel Cox No. 15. Did she just do a pump fist? What a sport! Sure hope she takes some classes in tact before taking on her ambassadorship. So, that was it. Until next time (whenever they decide to keep this pageant again...its supposed to be annual but...) Jenel Cox is our Queen.