JULY 27TH

• MISS NEW YORK CHINESE TALENT FINALISTS *Courtesy of Christopher Bourne & Yuan Kwan, Meniscuszine
  Talent finalists for Miss New York Chinese include #1 Anni Liang, #3 Cisy Liang, #6 Stacy Wang, #7 Louise Lau, #13 Yola Yu. Coincidentally, 4 of the 5 are currently in my top 5 list! It's quite a difficult year to choose...but let's hope the winner will be well received.
  
  Click here for more coverage from Meniscuszine.
  
  
  
  
  
• MISS HK PAGEANT TURNED UGLY. By Electric New Paper, Singapore
  Netizens slam winner as 'worst Miss HK'
  JEERS, instead of cheers, were heard around the Hong Kong Coliseum on Saturday night when 23-year-old Kayi Cheung was crowned Miss Hong Kong.
  
  Lily Ho, the hot favourite, was named Miss Tourism Ambassador, but she didn't make the top three.
  
  Miss Cheung, a college student from Vancouver, had drawn criticism from netizens who were shocked by her win.
  
  Some branded her 'pork chop'.

  According to an online poll conducted by Netease, 89 per cent or 7,632 voters agreed that she was the worst Miss Hong Kong in 20 years.

  Even veteran host Eric Tsang, who had been helming the annual beauty pageant for years, said he was shocked by the results.

  He told Ming Pao: 'The quality of this year's contestants is quite even. Everyone had different favourites.

  'Someone did mention Kayi and now that the darkhorse has won, perhaps she did leave an impression on the judges.'

  However, Miss Cheung was cool about the criticism.

  The 1.62m-tall contestant said she was too excited when she was crowned and did not hear the jeering.

  MISS VITALITY
  Miss Cheung, who was also named Miss Vitality, told Ming Pao: 'I don't care about those criticisms on the Internet. Some may like me, others may not, and I'm not bothered.

  'A win is a win. The most important thing is that in the minds of the judges, I'm the best.'

  Miss Cheung's upset win has resulted in a slew of remarks, attacking her on online forums.

  Said one netizen: 'This is a disgrace to Hong Kong! Can she be considered Miss Hong Kong material?'

  A netizen by the name of Aladin said on the asiabite forum: 'EVEN I look better than her. Don't understand why they choose her to be miss HK. There are absolutely many girls who looks better than her. Why?'

  Another netizen lamented the general quality of the pageant: 'It's been a long time since there was a pretty Miss Hong Kong.'

  Lily Ho, one of the hot favourites, scored low in the swimsuit segment.

  She told The Sun that Miss Cheung had the winner's look. When asked if it's her 'ample butt' that caused her downfall, she said the judges based the scores on their performances.

  Film director Andrew Lau, one of the pageant judges, admitted that Miss Cheung is not the prettiest.

  Mr Lau, of Infernal Affairs fame, told Ming Pao: 'For me, she's not the prettiest. But we've got to choose the best. In any case, we can't say she's ugly.

  'Before the pageant, we had interacted with the contestants and I found that Miss Cheung is the most eloquent.

  BEST CONTESTANT
  'I suppose she was also the best contestant all-round.'

  Others had raised questions over the pageant's judging system as Miss Cheung was trailing first runner-up Grace Wong and second runner-up Lorretta Chow in the earlier segments. But the show organisers said that the results have all been verified by a certified accountant.

  Miss Wong had also taken home Miss Photogenic and Miss International Goodwill, while Miss Chow bagged the Most Attractive Legs award.

  Sharp-tongued host Eric Tsang could not resist a jibe when Miss Wong was named Miss Photogenic.

  He said: 'This award means that she's not pretty in person...but absolutely photogenic in photos.'

  This year's Miss Hong Kong pageant had also garnered the lowest viewership in the last five years, with only 1.56 million tuning in.

  The Miss Hong Kong pageant had been the stepping stone to fame for actresses such as Maggie Cheung, Sonija Kwok and Michele Reis.

JULY 8TH

• MISS ASIAN AMERICA 2007 CONTESTANTS *Courtesy of Stephanie Ng
  Familiar faces: Amy Ng (Miss Chinese Seattle 2005, MCI 2006 participant, Miss Chinatown USA 2007 2nd Princess), Louise Wu (Miss Chinatown USA 2006, MCI 2007 participant), Tiffani Mah (Miss Chinatown USA 2006 - Miss San Francisco Chinatown),
  
  Lookalike: Illyssa Lu - Lillian Chan (Miss Friendship Ambassador 2005, MCI 2006 participant), Julie Tam - Christy Chung Lai-Tai (MCI 1993)
  
  

 

JULY 7TH

SONIJA KWOK AT TORONTO'S SPLENDID CHINA TOWER
Miss HK 1999 Sonija Kwok made an appearance at Toronto's Splendid China Tower where she modeled in fashion wear (casual, evening, & bridal gown) & expensive jewels by Hung Sing Chu Bo. She also stayed to play some games with the public & had an autograph/photo session. The event was hosted by Leslie Yip (VP & Director of Business Development of Toronto First Radio AM 770/1540).

Thank you to $10 for the invite! :)

Hong Kong's Grace Kelly
Hundreds of people waited patiently for Miss HK 1999 & actress Sonija Kwok…standing for 3 hours just to have a little glimpse. Some of us were lucky & had a seat. The crowd cheered loudly when she finally appeared during the fashion show. Simply put…Sonija is pure poise and grace. She is very slim & extremely ladylike. I thought her eyes were absolutely captivating. As beautiful in person as she is in pictures.

Fashion Show
The casual wear had some interesting pieces. Evening gown section took a tad long as the models were walking ever so SLLLLOOOWWLLLYYYY. But I was more distracted with their or the sponsors choice of footwear. Image this...elegant bridal gown w/ red or black platform high heels. When Sonija came out, she stood out like a sore thumb.

Happy Birthday!
Sonija modeled in casual, evening & bridal gown. At the end of the fashion show, she was surprised with a birthday cake (turning 32 on July 22). Sonija was extremely touched & started to get teary eyed!

Games
Leslie Yip tested the crowd with some Sonija trivia. Fav color, food, etc. Those who answered correctly received a pearl necklace valued at $150 CAD from Hung Sing Jewels, official sponsor of the event. $10 received one when she was asked the name of the character which Sonija portrayed from the series Blast from the Past!! Exciting! Unfortunately, there was no Miss HK trivia ...zero domination for moi! Other games included prize draws, acting scenes from Sonija's recent series with Eric Tsang, catwalk walkoff.

Sonija & Leslie Yip, who did such an excellent job hosting & getting people involved

Autograph/Photo
$10 & I ended up getting a photo & autograph from Sonija. Line up was quite long & security was tight. It was revealed that MHK 2001 & TVB actress Shirley Yeung Sze-Kei will be at Splendid China Tower on July 29th. My regret....should've brought the Nikon D80 even if it doesn't fit in any purse!

 

• MISS CHINESE SEATTLE SCHOLARSHIP PAGEANT 2007 RESULTS *Courtesy of Amy Ng
  WINNER: Samanth Chin
  First Princess: Ni Jiang
  Second Princess: Leslie Yeh

  Special Awards:
  Miss Talent: Vivian Chan
  Miss Congenialty: Jennifer Wu
  Miss Photogenic: Ni Jiang

  Contestants:
  Quenna Cheung
  Angela Chu
  Doris Wu
  Marissa Yap
  
  Official Website: http://www.chinesechamber.net

  Samantha Chin (17 yrs) will participate at MCI 2008 as well as Miss Chinatown USA 2008. She is preceded by Amy Ng. Samantha sang "Big Spender" for talent, 1st RU Ni Jiang (19 yrs) sang "The Moon Represents my heart", 2nd RU Leslie Yeh (20 yrs) played a piano piece by composer Claude Debussy. Miss Talent Vivian Chan (20 yrs) performed on the guquin.
  
  Miss Chinese Seattle 2005 Amy Ng will participate at next month's Miss Asian America pageant. She participated in MCI 2006 & Miss Chinatown USA 2007, where she was 2nd Princess. Good luck Amy!! :)
  
  
  
  ARTICLE: YOUNGEST CONTESTANT WINS MISS CHINESE SEATTLE PAGEANT. By Shane Allen, For the Northwest Asian Weekly

  Samantha Chin, 17, won over the judges at the Miss Chinese Seattle Scholarship Pageant on June 30 at Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue. Presented with a sparkling crown and $5,000 in scholarships following her performance, Chin will spend 2007 as the Miss Chinese Seattle queen.
  
  Chin will represent the Chinese community at this summer’s Seafair parades and festivals and will have the opportunity to compete in Miss Chinese International in Hong Kong this winter and the Miss Chinatown USA pageant in San Francisco next Lunar New Year.
  
  The teenager said her initial reaction to being named the winner was of astonishment. "I couldn’t believe that this was happening. The first thing in my mind was that, to me, all of us placed first. I am glad we all came here and created good friendships," she said.
  
  A junior at Seattle’s Garfield High School, Chin was the youngest among the nine contestants. All the other young women are in college or are recent college graduates.
  
  She is the granddaughter of a well-known member of Seattle’s Asian community, Ark Chin, a former regent of the University of Washington, philanthropist and retired engineer. Her parents are Dr. Curtiss and Omi Chin.
  A singer, Chin chose to perform the popular jazz tune “Big Spender” in the talent competition. She said she chose to sing because singing “has the ability to transcend all cultural barriers.”

  The talent competition offered a diverse array of performances that also included traditional Chinese fan dancing, salsa dancing and instrumental music.
  
  First princess Ni Jiang took home $3,000 in scholarships, plus a variety of gifts as the winner of the Miss Photogenic title.
  
  As second princess, Leslie Yeh won $2,000 in scholarships.
  
  The title of Miss Talent went to Vivien Chan, who displayed her interests in the Chinese arts. Chan demonstrated her calligraphy skills and also plucked a melody on the guquin, a seven-stringed Chinese instrument. She was awarded a $1,000 scholarship.

  The Miss Congeniality award was presented to the young woman who was considered most likable by the other contestants. Emotionally struck after being named the winner, Jennifer Wu was presented a $1,000 scholarship.
  
  Co-chaired by Millie Su and Suana Chin, the pageant is organized by the Seattle Chinese Chamber of Commerce. Su said she was so busy making sure things went smoothly backstage that she never saw the audience’s reaction to the show.

  The contestants were dressed in sparkling Western-style evening gowns and cheong sam (Chinese dresses) in a variety of colors and styles that reflected each woman’s taste. They also modeled light-blue swimsuits during the show.

  Poise, talent, form, speaking ability, presentation and fitness were among judging categories. Each contestant also had to respond to a randomly drawn question.
  
  The judges in this year’s pageant were former Mrs. USA Kim LaPlante; Michael Miller, executive field officer of the Miss Washington Scholarship Organization; author Lisa Quast; Ming Zhang, a senior partner at MulvannyG2 Architecture; and Dr. Deirdre Yen Chiu, 1982’s Miss Seafair and Miss Chinatown Seattle.
  
  Former first lady of Washington Mona Locke and actor Bruce Locke (no relation) emceed the pageant. Mona Locke is currently pursuing a career in philanthropy after stepping down as an anchor and reporter for KIRO-TV this past April. Bruce Locke appeared in television’s “Mortal Kombat Conquest.”

  The 900 or so audience members included former Gov. Gary Locke, whose appearance received much applause.
  
  There was a slight change in the rules for the contestants this year. The women could not have any history of pageant participation prior to joining Miss Chinese Seattle. “It was decided so that each contestant could have an equal chance in the pageant,” co-chair Su explained.
  
  The winner, Chin, said she plans to work with the Chinese Chamber to create unity within the community. During the pageant’s Q&A session, she was asked how she would help Chinese American children embrace their Chinese culture. Chin replied by saying that she would create intergenerational programs that forge friendships between young people and the elderly.
  
  Some controversy erupted after the pageant when a complaint was lodged by family members of one of the contestants that did not win. They pointed out that pageant rules require the contestants be between the ages of 18 and 24. The winner was a year too young to wear the crown, they charged.

  Organizers said they determined Chin was mature enough to participate following a special interview. In addition, they pointed out, she will be 18 for the national and international pageants.
  
  This was the 51st Miss Chinese Seattle pageant.
  

JULY 6TH

• MISS CHINESE TORONTO 2000 CISSY WANG EXPECTING BABY #2
  Congratulations to Miss Chinese Toronto 2000 Cissy Wang & husband Donnie Yen, who're are expecting baby #2! The couple already have a beautiful 3.5 year old daughter Jasmine. The baby is due at the end of 2007 or early 2008.
  
  Other expectant pageant mums due this year are...MHK 1987 Pauline Yeung Bo-Ling (7 months), MHK 1990 2nd RU Noel Leung Siu-Bing (due this month), MCI 1996 1st RU Melissa Ng Mei-Han (due this month).
  
  

JULY 1ST

• MISS NEW YORK CHINESE CONTESTANTS CHOSEN*Information courtesy of Eric Yuen, Miss NY Chinese
  Finals of the Miss Chinese New York pageant will be held on Saturday, August 4th in Mohegan Sun, Ballroom (Uncasville, CT). Guest stars will be Moses Chan Ho & Selena Li Sze-Wan (Miss HK Photogenic & Talent winner 2003). The 13 contestants will also compete in talent.

  CONTESTANTS
  A press conference was held on June 26th introducing the press to the 13 finalists for the MNYC pageant. They are #1 Anni Liang, #2 Crystal Kong, #3 Cisy Liang, #4 Yancy Yu, #5 Min Ming Jiang, #6 Stacy Wang, #7 Louise Lau, #8 Yin Zhang, #9 Elaine Lu, #10 Judy Yu, #11 Lanna Xu, #12 Allison Chen, #13 Yola Yu. The contestants were quite confident & it was evident they've had some training since the first interview.

  The youngest contestant is #13 Yola Yu, who's 17 years of age. Most of the contestants were born in China (Beijing, Shanghai, Harpin, etc.). #7 Louise was born in HK and raised in Taiwan. The contestants are also quite talented and will be performing in the talent competition in dance, piano, violin, singing, or acting.

  ACTIVITIES
  06/30: Finalist Contestants attend Kite Festival 2007 in Jacob Riis Park, Rockaway, NY
  07/03: Finalist Contestants visit Sponsors
  07/10-12: MTV Production for Finalists in Mohegan Sun.
  07/20: Talent Show at 7:00 pm in 46-45 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY. 11355, East Manor.
  07/24: Meet the judges

  TICKETS
  Talent Competition
  Date:Jul 20, 2007 (Fri) 7:00 pm
  Location: East Manor Kissena, 46-45 Kissena Blvd., New York NY 11355
  Dinner Ticket: $150(VIP), $100, $80

  Final Show
  Date:Aug 05, 2007 (Sun) 1:00 am
  Location: Mohegan Sun, Ballroom
  Ticket: $150(VIP), $95, $65
  
  AWARDS
  Awards to be distributed will be Miss Phtoogenic, Miss Friendship, Miss Talent, Best Costume, Miss Internet Popularity, Miss Popularity, as well as the winner, 1st RU, & 2nd RU titles.

  The winner of Miss New York Chinese Pageant 2007 will compete in Hong Kong at Miss Chinese International 2008.