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All posts for the month September, 2013

Marine Lorphelin: the lady who almost won Miss World 2013

Posted by Norman on September 30, 2013
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages. Tagged: , , , , .

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Miss World 2013 1st Princess Marine Lorphelin of France

Before we close the chapter of Miss World 2013, let us take one final look at the candidate who almost won Miss World 2013 and gave our Megan Young one tough fight for the crown.

Even our bet admitted that Marine Lorphelin is her toughest competition. Ask Megan and it’s only France that stood out in her mind as the fellow delegate with the excellent chance of snaring the title that, thankfully, landed our way.

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(Left to right): Marine, Megan and Carranza

There was a point during the homestretch when some quarters (including your blogger) felt that Marine was no longer a threat, and that Sancler Frantz of Brazil stood the best chance of winning outside our own. But the uber gorgeous Frenchwoman was not to be denied a clear shot at the crown. She blazed the stage and fought side-by-side to prove that, once and for all, it’s either her or Megan only for the win. And her perceptions turned out to be right. She landed 1st Princess honors to the candidate she was most preparing for since Day 1.

Congratulations are also in order for Marine Lorphelin – one of the loveliest modern-day Miss France winners ever. If she ends up travelling parts of the globe with our Megan, then I’m pretty sure they will it off well.

En vous souhaitant bon courage dans la suite de vos recherches! (Best of luck in your endeavors!) 😉 – I hope that went right.

Or to put it simply, “bonne chance pour le futur” (Good luck in your future!) 🙂

Predict Miss World 2013 and her two Princesses Winner

Posted by Norman on September 30, 2013
Posted in: 2 Shout-out-Looks. Tagged: , , , .

And we have a winner! (Miss World logo above courtesy of Miss World Organization


And we have a winner! (Miss World logo above courtesy of Miss World Organization)

The actual Top 3 (l-r): France, 1st Princess; Philippines, Miss World 2013 and Ghana, 2nd Princess

The actual Top 3 (l-r): France, 1st Princess; Philippines, Miss World 2013 and Ghana, 2nd Princess

Our winner all the way from South Africa!

Our winner all the way from South Africa!

And you thought nobody got the right combinations from a total of 247 entries? Well, there is definitely one who submitted 100% accurate predictions. And this individual beat the deadline (September 27, 7:30PM) by just a little over an hour. She is not from the Philippines. She is not from anywhere around the Asian region. She’s not even from the US or Canada. She participated in my contest all the way from Bushmansrivermouth, Eastern Cape, South Africa! Let’s give it up for international reader Mary-Elizabeth Coetzee!

“Wow, I am soo pleased I predicted the top 3 in correct order. I know Miss Ghana was an outsider, so well done Africa, France + of course Congrats and well done Megan Young of Phillipines (sic). U deserved the Crown and by far the most beautiful Miss World ever !!!” gushes Ms. Coetzee after I informed her of the good news. In just a few, she will be receiving her USD100.00 gift card from Amazon.com.

Screenshot of the winning entry

Screenshot of the winning entry

And since we do not have a Philippine winner for the part of the prize package that can only be redeemed locally, I decided to give a consolation prize to one entry. He got all three (3) ladies right, except that he switched Misses France and Ghana. I gave more weight to the part that he got the cast complete. And he is reader Christian Mercado. He will receive the P2,000.00 gift certificate from Beverly Hills 6750 and a Starbucks Card (with P500.00 stored value).

Consolation Prize (upon my discretion)

Consolation Prize (upon my discretion)

Congratulations to Mary-Elizabeth and Christian! 🙂

I already coordinated with Mary-E regarding her prize. However, our consolation prize recipient – Christian Mercado – has not replied to my email yet, so I’m giving him a few more days to confirm mailing details. Otherwise, I might have to select another one.

See you again for our next contest which will start in mid-October – “Predict Miss Universe 2013 and her Runners-Up”! 😉

Jonas Gaffud must be sitting on top of the world

Posted by Norman on September 30, 2013
Posted in: 2 Shout-out-Looks. Tagged: , , , , .

Jonas Gaffud sitting on the Miss World 2013 throne.

Jonas Gaffud sitting on the Miss World 2013 throne.

Finally.

Aside from Megan winning Miss World 2013, this is also a well-deserved victory for Aces & Queens headed by the indefatigable Jonas Gaffud. The beauty camp can now finally and proudly say that they have produced a big winner in global pageant history.

Honestly, it was only a matter of time before one of their own snatches a major victory. I thought that it would happen during Miss Universe 2012 when Janine Tugonon came so close to winning the Diamond Nexus Lab crown in Las Vegas.

Unabashedly crying after Megan won, Jonas Gaffud (below center) with Mark Besana (below left and right) of Aces & Queens feel the triumph of Megan's win.

Unabashedly crying after Megan won, Jonas Gaffud (below center) with Mark Besana (below left and right) of Aces & Queens feel the triumph of Megan’s win.

Patience is truly a virtue, and with rewards to boot. The group had to wait more than nine months before realizing that dream in Bali, Indonesia. And what a glorious vindication it came to be.

Now that the precedent has been set, the succeeding pressures will be greater, more intense if you will. It’s like winning a 1st Gold in the Olympics and getting hold of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th will become such a daunting task to accomplish.

But Aces & Queens will not rest on its newly-found laurel. Their next mission – particularly in Moscow’s Miss Universe 2013 – will prove to be the most challenging yet. And Jonas & company are ready for the whole thing – lock, stock and barrel. 😉

Sunday Specials: “…and I promise to be the best Miss World ever”

Posted by Norman on September 29, 2013
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages, 2 Shout-out-Looks. Tagged: , , , .

Miss World 2013 Megan Young


Miss World 2013 Megan Young blowing kisses to all

A golden fan instead of a scepter for Miss World 2013

A golden fan instead of a scepter for Miss World 2013

courtesy of TheEmeraldvideos

Do you know the feeling you get when something BIG and wonderful is about to happen and still, you’re not sure how to react to it? That was what happened to me last night. All the signs, all the positive developments and all the predictions have collectively pointed to Megan Young winning the Philippines’ first Miss World crown days before the finals night itself. And when she was actually called by Julia Morley as Miss World 2013, I wanted to shout to the top of my lungs. I also wanted to hug the person next to me (my mom, in this case). I did all that. But I started sobbing with a smile on my face first. The tears started flowing down my cheeks as if I had actually been in Megan’s place. The last time we won a title as big as Miss World (and that would be Miss Universe) was 40 years ago (Margie Moran) when I was just beginning to take interest in beauty contests.

And when host Mylene Klass interviewed a still-visibly stunned, shaking and tearful Megan while seating on her throne, one of the latter’s answers really caught my attention.

“…and I promise to be the best Miss World ever…”

Strong words. A strong promise. And I bet she will deliver on that commitment. And Julia Morley’s smile will have meant that the rightful winner has just been crowned.

Miss World 2013 Megan Young seating on her throne

Miss World 2013 Megan Young

From now till somewhere around the tail-end of 2014, Megan Young’s life will dramatically change. International travels. Fund-raising activities. Charity visits. Personal appearances. And a flat in London.

Just like her predecessor Wenxia Yu who has grown close to Julia, our Megan will most likely find a second mother of sorts in the pageant matriarch. Together, they will lead a purposeful year that will definitely open more doors for new challenges to take and opportunities to consider.

courtesy of isnaberongmacutelet

In closing, let me take this space to formally write my apology to Miss World 2013 for having doubted her resolve to seriously joining a beauty competition. I even tagged her as someone who cried wolf when she was neither here nor there in enlisting for Bb. Pilipinas, not knowing that fate has a greater plan for her somewhere else. I know that she has the kind heart to understand where I was foolishly coming from at the time.

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Left to right: sister Lauren, brother Victor and mother Vicky celebrate Megan's victory with Julia Morley in the background.

Now I know Megan better. After what I have witnessed from the time she won Miss World Philippines 2013 to her eventful weeks of stay in Bali all the way to becoming the first Filipina to wear the blue crown, there is no doubt that she is indeed poised to become the best Miss World ever.

courtesy of TheEmeraldvideos

Long live the new Queen! 😀

We have a new Miss World…MEGAN YOUNG!!!

Posted by Norman on September 28, 2013
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , .

mw2013a

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Miss World 2013 Megan Young of the Philippines!

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Hail to the new Queen!

mwindo1 The blue crown has a new wearer, and she is our very own Megan Young !

At the end of highly-anticipated and hotly-contested finals held inside the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center in Bali, Indonesia, Miss World 2013 has been elected from among 127 contenders. Megan Young of the Philippines makes history as her country’s first Miss World and the Asean region as well.

Coming in as 1st Princess is Marine Lorphelin of France, with 2nd Princess honors going to Carranza Shooter of Ghana . The remaining two ladies who made it to Top 5 are Spain and Brazil. Maroua Kharbouch of Gibraltar was declared People’s Champion and was included in the magic circle as the 6th finalist.

With so many special award winners announced for the pageant’s exciting pre-pageant activities, the top-placers (already revealed online yesterday afternoon) in Beach Fashion, Top Model, Talent, Sports Challenge, Multimedia and the all-important Beauty with a Purpose took their spots centerstage with a well-deserved inclusion in the Top 20. People’s Champion winner Gibraltar had to wait till the Top 5 was announced before locking in her inclusion.

Congratulations to all the winners but most especially to our MEGAN YOUNG! MABUHAY KANG TALAGA! 😀

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Long live Megan Young!

P.S. Your blogger is crying like a baby. And I’m not ashamed. Not one bit. I love you, Megan! 🙂

Miss World 2013 Final

Posted by Norman on September 28, 2013
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages. Tagged: , .

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Introduction of Candidates

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Our Megan during the introduction of candidates.


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Gorgeous!


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Onstage, our Megan effortlessly stands out. (Photo credit: Jory Rivera for OPMB)

Looking every inch the loveliest woman of the night, our Megan is.

Dances of the World

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Megan during her solo spot for Dances of the World. So concentrated.


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Dancing in harmony

The Top 20 for Interviews

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All scores will be reset to zero for tonight's finals.

Updated Leaderboard (after 4 Fast-Track events)

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Look who's leading!

Top 10

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Final Leaderboard

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Megan on top!

Megan is #1 in the Top 10! Ukraine bids my Five-for-Fighting circle goodbye.

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Megan (1st from right) during the Top 10 announcement (Photo credit: Jory Rivera for OPMB)

Back to zero for the Top 10! But the Top 5 and People’s Champion will be announced next!

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Megan in Top 5! (Photo credit: Jory Rivera for OPMB)

Megan Young makes it to Top 5!!! The four others who made it are France, Ghana, Brazil and Spain.

Gibraltar makes it as the People’s Champion. It’s now the Top 6!

Megan Young is now Continental Queen of Asia-Oceania!

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Getting ready for Q&A

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Top 6 ready for their Q&A

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Megan during Q&A

Megan gave a most impressive Q&A!
(Not verbatim)
Why should you be Miss World?

“I treasure a core value of humanity and that guides people why they act the way they do. I will use this to show other people how they can understand each other…as one, we can help society”

The Winners in reverse order:

2nd Princess is Ghana

1st Princess is France

And Miss World 2013 is……..

PHILIPPINES!!!!!!

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You are Miss World 2013....Philippines!

The Very Best of Luck to You, Megan Young!

Posted by Norman on September 28, 2013
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages. Tagged: , .

mw2013a

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Megan Young in her evening gown during final rehearsal. (Photo credits: Jory Rivera of OPMB and Ferdinand Abejon of Missosology)

Tonight, my fervent wish is for the stars to align in favor of our Megan Young. The super elusive Miss World crown is so close and within reach. If fate so decides that the Philippines finally makes it to the pageant’s long list of winners, then the achievement will mean more than just a blue diadem. It will symbolize the realization of a lifelong dream of a country in a beauty competition that has not formally placed its indelible seal of approval yet on the world-class Filipina.

It’s NOW or (almost) never.

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Go go go, Megan!


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Megan's siblings Lauren (L) and Victor lend moral support in Bali.

Best of luck, Megan Young!