tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35800123526248086782024-03-14T00:24:33.467-07:00Boba Tea and PageantryNikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053239627937172030noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580012352624808678.post-24989861274519751202011-08-17T00:11:00.000-07:002011-08-17T00:15:54.322-07:00No more pageant, but there will always be boba<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG91JdGUtnDM-3HRUjQL-9-xvHMb_kvLka2e1A0SmjACNtazzs8x0zgKFoQlLMOwyVLmClrPzTSXU5Q0zAsstL72OXEhZ9unyFXgKKn8Zn0UapE4tyaky3sPi6URklg8W60_BhMplwF3Bm/s1600/223626_10150345711120452_567160451_9668359_5906807_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG91JdGUtnDM-3HRUjQL-9-xvHMb_kvLka2e1A0SmjACNtazzs8x0zgKFoQlLMOwyVLmClrPzTSXU5Q0zAsstL72OXEhZ9unyFXgKKn8Zn0UapE4tyaky3sPi6URklg8W60_BhMplwF3Bm/s400/223626_10150345711120452_567160451_9668359_5906807_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If I were at all creative, I could probably find some poetic way to say "The pageant is over, but this blog is just beginning"...preferably using a metaphor involving boba tea. I thought about it for about three minutes, and then realized that I have a lot to cover in this post, and should probably write it before I put it off any longer.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What's new in my life since my crowning Saturday's pageant? WELL. For one, if you thought that being crowned princess <i>at the pageant itself</i> was good enough, you would be wrong. This past weekend, there was another ceremony for members of the press, where we were given a plaque, our monetary reward, and, most importantly, the fake-glass award statue that I will proudly display on my desk (next to the Newton's cradle), when I become the CEO of some badass company.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpew8G9exSLOxWpvaJqDm8LELw2kTcUDCENoVxUaXswwL2NlsDP12Hj1rJUEpaLbGot9XNRJ34_ExvZw-Dhj3H3KDVdSOK4RHDski8-6iwZtE-ZNTfxiC2_-heay38vXpFMAUz53In4TjJ/s1600/glass+statue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpew8G9exSLOxWpvaJqDm8LELw2kTcUDCENoVxUaXswwL2NlsDP12Hj1rJUEpaLbGot9XNRJ34_ExvZw-Dhj3H3KDVdSOK4RHDski8-6iwZtE-ZNTfxiC2_-heay38vXpFMAUz53In4TjJ/s640/glass+statue.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm the CEO, betches</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And what is a press event without terrible footage of me? </span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Below is the news report that showcases my awkward smiles and inability to keep my dress up:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="280" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/82MMFmUlxTc" width="300"></iframe></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Q: Can you guess which interviewee is pageant CEO? A: Read on for the A!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">One of the Q's I posed earlier in this saga was about post-pageanting life. So here I am to answer what is expected of me now that I've achieved Princess status. I speculated before that the Queen and her court would be going to events on behalf of the pageant institution and act as a speakerbox for all things cliche. <a href="http://bobateapageantry.blogspot.com/2011/07/i-couldnt-help-but-wonder.html">In that post</a>, I also bring up some pretty bold assumptions, which I will remind you of:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20px;"><i>These women have learned the confidence to represent something other than themselves. They can stand proudly in front of an audience and recite exactly the lines they were taught. They will dress correctly and be nice to look at, and maybe people will believe that what they have to say is important.</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20px;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">Looking at the video above, I think it's fairly obvious that Pageant CEO is the third interviewee. She has the most poise and confidence when speaking, and frankly, if I had to choose one out of those three to speak at my event, I would choose her because she can communicate the most effectively. However, do any of these qualities negate any of my assumptions?</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">I have not gone to an official pageant event yet. We only recently received our events list after the press crowning ceremony. They mostly consist of cultural/community events, which I was expecting, like Lunar New Year parties, Race for the Cure in partnership with NATWA (North American Taiwanese Women Association), etc. There were also a few wild cards in there, at least in my opinion. For instance, the Cathay Pacific Golf Tournament and...organizing a cheerleading squad for the Taiwan Center's basketball team...huh. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">I'm not exactly sure where my assumptions fit into these events so far. But I would be more than surprised if they turned out to be false. In any case, I will definitely be reporting on my experiences.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">With that said, I have already discovered that being a Princess means more than just representing the court and the pageant institution. I am very excited to tell you that I was recently invited to speak on a panel about my Taiwanese-American identity at a dinner for the winners of a Taiwanese pride contest. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">This opportunity was really cool on many levels. First of all, it almost had nothing to do with the pageant. Yet, the pageant played an important role in elevating my status as an active Taiwanese-American, and therefore somehow qualifies me to speak on a panel.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">Secondly, I met with other the other influential Taiwanese-Americans on the panel. Okay, so I knew two of them previously....but hadn't had the chance to sit down and chat. Ben Ling, the national president of the Taiwanese American Citizen League, Iris Shaw, the program director for the Formosa Foundation, and Peter Chen, legal counsel for Formosan Assocation for Public Affairs, were the three other guest panelists. Honestly, I had the least amount of credentials (quantitatively and qualitatively), but it was an awesome opportunity to meet these people and learn about more ways to get involved (both politically and socially).</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">Thirdly, and probably the most interestingly for you (I'm pretty sure you skimmed the past couple paragraphs), it was really fun to meet with the winners of this contest. The winners were all young Taiwanese who entered this contest in the form of fine art, video, or writing, the theme being Taiwanese pride. I doubt I was very interesting to them, but for me, it was interesting to see what sorts of Taiwanese issues mattered to them. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">I was very impressed by the six winning entries:</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoEtE8kEG39dIkvGVM5ckGmkhYJjQlD3zRTLyg_1Q-eCMjGxnjF4rFFzJ0M_csFPCQK-Wp80gXAbOKexrAs3ufjIfc3krF39h7nWGjRJFRdLl0NwG0gIlXtF_BirPhtbe0nyBLXPex8m3X/s1600/201137-SR189.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoEtE8kEG39dIkvGVM5ckGmkhYJjQlD3zRTLyg_1Q-eCMjGxnjF4rFFzJ0M_csFPCQK-Wp80gXAbOKexrAs3ufjIfc3krF39h7nWGjRJFRdLl0NwG0gIlXtF_BirPhtbe0nyBLXPex8m3X/s640/201137-SR189.jpg" width="452" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">This is about how the youth builds/decides the future of Taiwan</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtUzO2nQ1jls9mjIl-DUM693YwbpbxCl99LnhgMXslPnVCVp1eo1UO8ir-lBnRYwB3zuY0z1Gy7wDI-z72d8DDhRgv_MsmacoqhnVPOGVZC9kyw-Dh6ueId6qXDBFYBNedoKAOBsTj_sbB/s1600/2011311-153k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtUzO2nQ1jls9mjIl-DUM693YwbpbxCl99LnhgMXslPnVCVp1eo1UO8ir-lBnRYwB3zuY0z1Gy7wDI-z72d8DDhRgv_MsmacoqhnVPOGVZC9kyw-Dh6ueId6qXDBFYBNedoKAOBsTj_sbB/s640/2011311-153k.jpg" width="450" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">This is about rocket-shipping Taiwan into the future because it's awesome.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHe4TN47NXbqFeadYD4Q8wwGpYxTuLgOWYjIxSjFqI1kw6-4E0w2tBSj9zAVl_nFNLqvcHVzPjit9gwKc-gqEUTajgX6M0WuECFjRuWjK_ulWqvmJCRrb0zXYntoDP5VWJMwDFYqjtOpXT/s1600/201139-111k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHe4TN47NXbqFeadYD4Q8wwGpYxTuLgOWYjIxSjFqI1kw6-4E0w2tBSj9zAVl_nFNLqvcHVzPjit9gwKc-gqEUTajgX6M0WuECFjRuWjK_ulWqvmJCRrb0zXYntoDP5VWJMwDFYqjtOpXT/s640/201139-111k.jpg" width="478" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">This is about how politics in Taiwan suck, and you should make your own decisions</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There was one video winner, highlighting famous Taiwanese, and with an ending focusing on the youth:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="280" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wQsQ2U0c0jo" width="300"></iframe></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And two written pieces. One was a futuristic short story that can be<a href="http://www.eagleclub777.com/article.aspx?_sid=560058"> found here</a>, and the other was a piece that explored the meaning of Taiwanese pride (<a href="http://www.eagleclub777.com/article.aspx?_sid=560104">found here</a>). For fun, I recommend Google translate to see how beautiful writing can be completely garbled with the single press of a button!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'm sorry I have no discussion questions to offer here, yet I will beg for your comments, per usual. I will say that so far, I think post-pageant life is exceeding expectations. I hope to ride this momentum of pageant press and recognition for a while so I can catapult myself into more community events, be it pageant-related or not. If these aren't the duties of a Princess, then maybe I don't deserve the fake-glass award statue after all?</span>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053239627937172030noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580012352624808678.post-75955036311662814902011-08-10T01:46:00.000-07:002011-08-11T10:58:10.050-07:00"Dancin' all around, Mama's got a crown...'cause she's a PRINCESS" - Whitney FlinnPAGEANT IS OVER! I've been scouring the Interwebz for all sorts of sources to compile into a digital scrapbook thing. Well, are you ready?<br />
<br />
Photo credits are due first: Emily Wu, Felix Liusky, Michelle Lin, Mindi DePaola, Rebekah Boudreaux, Steven Lam, Stephen Hsu, Steven Chou, Wesley Wong<br />
<br />
And extra eProps to Mindi for Tweets and video :)<br />
<br />
Click below for a massive pile of media!<br />
<br />
Hint on how to use Storify: remember to keep clicking "Read More"<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<script src="http://storify.com/depaola/miss-taiwaneseamerican-pageant-2011.js"></script><noscript><a href="http://storify.com/depaola/miss-taiwaneseamerican-pageant-2011" target="_blank">View "Miss Taiwanese-American Pageant 2011" on Storify</a></noscript>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053239627937172030noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580012352624808678.post-18261883631883963772011-08-08T00:10:00.000-07:002011-08-08T00:11:50.846-07:00Epic Construction Zone<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I know everyone is waiting to know what happened this past Saturday night. Please stay tuned! I am working on an EPIC narrative consisting of all our favorite media, including TWEETS, PHOTO, and VIDEO.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">CAPITAL LETTERS YEAH!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.worldcinemanow.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/please_stand_by.9y11zmqxsgg8o4gg8wkwscwg4.6ylu316ao144c8c4woosog48w.th.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://www.worldcinemanow.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/please_stand_by.9y11zmqxsgg8o4gg8wkwscwg4.6ylu316ao144c8c4woosog48w.th.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We will return you to your regularly scheduled blog update...perhaps on Wednesday. In the meantime, the <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/search/realtime/bobapageantdreams">Twitter detour</a> might be able to sustain you for the next couple days.</span>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053239627937172030noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580012352624808678.post-63579959217354646502011-08-05T23:39:00.000-07:002011-08-05T23:42:03.403-07:00Great ExpectationsTomorrow night, I will wear dresses and makeup. I will try my best to put my shoulders back and stick my boobs out. I will not forget the opening dance sequence transitions. I will introduce who I am in less than a minute. Be impressionable. I will walk here, then there, curtsy, then pose. Then I will perform my talent, which is somehow supposed to prove that I am better than everyone else. I will answer one question that will determine whether or not I am a good Taiwanese-American. All while smiling.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Wish you were here!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">PS Live tweets from the San Gabriel Hilton will start at approximately 5:30PST with the hashtag <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23BobaPageantDreams">#BobaPageantDreams</a>, virtually hosted by my sister <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/mindiwen">@MindiWen</a></div>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053239627937172030noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580012352624808678.post-28028100807344280882011-08-03T17:12:00.000-07:002011-08-03T17:16:40.456-07:00Try to act surprised!<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">In case you thought the Q and A's were top secret...they're not. And if they're not a secret to the contestants, why should they be a secret to you?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.jcsdesignz.com/import/graphics/Wednesday/top-secret-wednesday.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.jcsdesignz.com/import/graphics/Wednesday/top-secret-wednesday.gif" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tacky gif FTW</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">Here are the possible questions we could be asked on Saturday night.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">Which is more interesting: that someone could be asked who the president/vice president of Taiwan are, while someone else could get asked a two-parter about their goals in life? Or that there are suggested answers in red/green and in mandarin only?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">How does this affect my theory of <a href="http://bobateapageantry.blogspot.com/2011/08/question-will-you-read-this-blog-post.html">pageant puppetry</a>?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px;">What do you think about these Qs and their suggested As?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">1. If you had the power to change one thing about the world, what would it be?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">如果你有能力改造世界,你會想要改造什麼?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">2. What can you do to promote the Taiwanese language?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">你認為應該如何推廣台語?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">由本身做起,多聽、多學、多說。</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">3. How is <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Taiwan</st1:country-region></st1:place>'s identity related to its history?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">你覺得在歷史上,台灣應如何定位?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">台灣歷經不同國家統治,至今仍屹立不搖,且在政治、經濟、文化方面都有輝煌的成果,所以我認為台灣應定位為對世界具影響力的主權獨立國家。</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">4. What is you most proud accomplishment? Why?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">你曾經做過的事,哪一件最讓你引以為榮?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">為什麼?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">5. How would you promote Taiwanese cultural awareness?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">你認為應該如何協助推廣台灣文化?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 24.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">自己先接觸台灣文化、了解台灣文化,參與各項推廣台灣文化的活動,並在適當時機將台灣文化介紹給自己週遭的人。</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">6. Describe yourself in 3 words.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">請你用三個形容詞來形容你自己</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">7. What are your goals in life? What do you hope to accomplish?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">你生命中的目標是什麼?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">你認為要如何達成這個目標?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 24.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">生命的目標是要活得有意義,要活得有意義便是在這一生中凡事對得起別人也對得起自己。為人處世光明磊落,待人接物公正無私,便是達成這個目標的途徑。</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">8. Why do you want to be Miss Teen Taiwan USA?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">你為什麼想要擁有台灣妙齡小姐的頭銜?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">如果我擁有台灣妙齡小姐的頭銜,我將有更多機會接觸台灣文化,服務台美人社團,成為一</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">個名符其實的台美人</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">9. How has your Taiwanese culture influenced you to be the person you are today?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">台灣文化如何影響妳,而造就了今天的你?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">台灣文化的精髓在於台灣人堅忍不拔的精神及淳樸優美的傳統,這些美德可以讓我有勇氣面</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">對困難迎向挑戰,就如同今天我能站在舞台上參加台灣妙齡小姐選拔一樣。</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">10. Name your favorite place in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Taiwan</st1:country-region></st1:place>, and why?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">你最喜歡的台灣地方在那裡?為何你最喜歡它?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">11. If you were to win the Miss Teen Taiwan USA pageant what would you do with this title?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">如果你贏得了台灣妙齡小姐的頭銜,你會想在這個頭銜之下做些什麼事?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">如果我擁有台灣妙齡小姐的頭銜,我將有更多機會接觸台灣文化,服務台美人社團,並能在各社交場合展現自己美好的一面,以提升台美人形象,並在適當的時機將台灣介紹給國際友人,希望有朝一日,大家都知道地球上有一個美麗的國家叫台灣。</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">12. How can you make others aware of the Taiwanese American community?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">你如何讓更多其他的人知道台美人社團?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">我將在各個不同的場合,將我所知道的台美人社團以不同的方式介紹給同學、朋友、同事或</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">鄰居,並邀請他們來參與台美人的社團活動。</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">13. How can you be more involved with the Taiwanese American community?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">你如何更積極的參與台美人的社團活動?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">除了本身的參與之外,並邀請同學、朋友、同事或鄰居,並邀請他們來參與台美人的社團活</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">動,以增進國際有人對台美人社團的認識,更進一步的讓他們認同台灣。</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">14. What do you think beauty is?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">你如何來定義「美」這個字?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">整齊合宜的外表,優雅大方的舉止,認真誠懇的態度,善良淳樸的內心。</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">15. Who is your most admired Taiwanese? Why? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW">你最欣賞的臺灣人是誰?為什麼?</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">16. What would you like to do to serve the Taiwanese American community in the future?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">你將來計劃要如何為台美社團服務?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 24.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">首先是本身的積極參與,出錢出力,並邀請同學、朋友、同事或鄰居,並邀請他們來參與台美社團活動,以增進國際友人對台美人社團的認識,更進一步的讓他們認同台灣。</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">17. What have you done for the Taiwanese American community thus far?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">在過去的這一段時間裡,你曾經為台美人付出了些什麼?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">18. What have you learned from being in the Miss Teen Taiwan USA Pageant?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">你這次參選台灣妙齡小姐,是否學到了些什麼?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 24.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">學習到如何讓自己同時擁有美麗的外表及內在,也更深一層的認識了自己的國家,而更深愛我們的故鄉台灣。</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">19. What is the greatest risk you have ever taken?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">到目前為止你最大的冒險是什麼?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">20. What is the purpose of Miss Teen Taiwan USA Pageant?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">請簡單說明台灣妙齡小姐選美的意義?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">促進台美兩國的良好</span><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: green; font-size: 11pt;">關係</span><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">與多元化</span><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: green; font-size: 11pt;">交流</span><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">。</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 24.0pt; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">提昇台美人在美國的</span><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: green; font-size: 11pt;">形象及地位</span><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">。</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 24.0pt; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">增進台美人與美國其他各</span><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: green; font-size: 11pt;">族裔之和諧</span><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">。</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 24.0pt; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: green; font-size: 11pt;">發掘、鼓勵並培養</span><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">優秀的台美佳麗。</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 24.0pt; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">闡揚台美人的</span><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: green; font-size: 11pt;">文化及傳統</span><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">。</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">21. What does being a Taiwanese American mean to you?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">你認為台美人的定義是什麼?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">台美人是住在美國卻又心繫台灣的台裔美國人,台美人雖然國籍是美國人,但卻是不折不扣的捍衛台灣,認同台灣的台灣人!</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 24.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -24.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">22. Name two things in our culture that we <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Taiwan</st1:country-region></st1:place> should keep and pass on to future generations?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">台灣人的傳統文化裡有哪些是值得代代相傳的?請說出其中二項。</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> <span style="color: red;">1. </span></span><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">原住民文化及客家文化等少數族裔文化。</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"> 2. </span><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">記載著先民足跡的民間藝術。</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">23. Name one thing that your parents taught you in being a Taiwanese American?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">你父母教導你什麼叫做台美人,請說出其中的一項。</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">台美人是住在美國卻又心繫台灣的台裔美國人,台美人雖然國籍是美國人,但卻是不折不扣的捍衛台灣,認同台灣的台灣人。所以台灣這二個字不只是掛在嘴上,還要時時刻刻放在心上。</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">24. What specific Taiwanese values or traits are inherent in your character?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">在你的人格裡繼承什麼樣的台灣人特性或價值觀?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">刻苦耐勞的精神、堅忍不拔的意志。</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">25. What do you feel is the most valuable Taiwanese characteristic?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">你覺得什麼是台灣人最重要的特質?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">刻苦耐勞的精神、堅忍不拔的意志。</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">26. What do you like best about <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Taiwan</st1:country-region></st1:place>?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">你最愛台灣的哪一項事物?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">優美壯麗的山川、具地方特色的各地美食、精緻的民間手工藝品</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 24.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -24.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">27. What can the Taiwanese American community do to promote its presence in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">United States</st1:country-region></st1:place>?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">你如何向美國主流社會宣揚台美人社團?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 24.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">我將在各個不同的場合,將我所知道的台美人社團以不同的方式介紹給美國的同學、朋友、同事或鄰居,並邀請他們來參與台美人的社團活動。</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">28. What comes immediately to your mind when someone mentions <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Taiwan</st1:country-region></st1:place>?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">當你想到台灣,第一個讓你連想到是什麼?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">優美壯麗的山川、具地方特色的各地美食、精緻的民間手工藝品</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">29. Who is your favorite <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Taiwan</st1:country-region></st1:place> singer? Name one of his/ her song.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">你最喜歡的台灣歌星是誰?他唱歌過那一首歌?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">30. How does knowing Taiwanese history help you as a Taiwanese American?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">了解台灣歷史,可以怎麼樣幫助你成為一個台美人?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 24.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">了解台灣歷史可讓我們知道台灣四百年來所歷經的苦難,也認識了台灣人刻苦耐勞堅忍不拔的精神,讓我們更深深的以身為台美人為榮。</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">31. In what way, as a pageant contestant, can you represent the Taiwanese community?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">以一位選美活動的角逐者,你如何稱職的扮演好一個台灣人社團的代表?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">多多接觸台灣文化,服務台美人社團,並在各社交場合展現自己美好的一面,以提升台美人形象,並在適當的時機將台灣介紹給國際友人,希望有朝一日,大家都知道有一個美麗的國家叫台灣。</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">32. Who are the president and vice president of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Taiwan</st1:country-region></st1:place>?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">請說出台灣現任的總統與副總統的名字?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">33. How do you describe <st1:country-region w:st="on">Taiwan</st1:country-region> to someone who has no knowledge of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Taiwan</st1:country-region></st1:place>?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">你如何對完全不了解台灣的人解釋台灣?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">告訴他:我是台灣人!為他介紹台灣的風土民情、歷史背景、地理環境、飲食文化、旅遊景點,並熱情的歡迎他到台灣觀光。</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 24.0pt; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-indent: -24.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">34. What does Miss Teen Taiwan USA Pageant mean to the Taiwanese American community?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">台灣妙齡小姐的選拔活動對台美人社團有何意義?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 24.0pt; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">能加強台美人社團的團結心與向心力,擴大台美人社團與其他族裔的交流,並可積極的融入美國主流社會。</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 24.0pt; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">35. Name three Taiwanese American Organizations.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">請說出三個台美人社團的名稱。</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">美國台灣小姐基金會、台灣會館、台美音樂協會。</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">36. How do you promote Taiwanese American’s image in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">US</st1:country-region></st1:place>?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">你如何在美國主流社會宣揚台美人形象?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">首先要讓自己同時擁有美麗的外表及內在,以傑出的表現讓大家都知道這麼優秀的一個人就</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">是台美人。</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">37. What is your favorite Taiwanese food? Why?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">你最喜歡的台灣菜是什麼?為何你愛上它?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">38. What makes Taiwanese American heritage so unique?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-indent: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-size: 11pt;">是什麼使得台美人的傳統如此獨特?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 24.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;">台灣人原有的多元文化,美國西方世界的薰陶,來自台灣的優質移民,經年累月的便形成了台美人獨特的傳統。</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 24.0pt;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 24.0pt;"><br />
</div>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053239627937172030noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580012352624808678.post-70047026857815830602011-08-01T07:00:00.000-07:002011-08-01T19:36:18.949-07:00Question: Will you read this blog post with no pictures?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Q: What is the purpose of the Question and Answer? I used to think that the Q&A was the most distinguishing part of the pageant, when you can really weed out the idiots because it’s when all the ridiculous things start flying out of the contestant’s mouths. <i> “Can you believe she said that?” “Typical dumb blonde” “Wow. Just wow.”</i> But let’s think about this for a moment. Is it the answer that’s bad? Or the question?</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Perhaps the best way to dissect the intricacies of the Q&A is to revisit the famous A’s of the past. Let’s all take a moment to remember the instant classic that is Miss Teen South Carolina, Lauren “Everywhere else like such as” Upton:</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lj3iNxZ8Dww" width="380"></iframe></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The key to deciphering questions is to read between the lines. I think this is where most of the brain power goes in answering a pageant question. “One-fifth of Americans can’t locate the US on a world map. Why do you think this is?” Obviously, this isn’t a question about maps. This was not obvious to Lauren at first…but then she gets it, sort of (she did mumble something about education for US Americans, right?). The second thing to note, and the reason this A is so famous, is word choice. I know I’m not the only one who has a feeling that contestants are instructed to memorize a list of buzzwords to toss around in their answer. I’m sure this list is chock full of synonyms for world peace, our children’s future, third-world countries, and America. The problem occurs when your brain short-circuits and starts using these phrases back-to-back, creating nonsensical redundancies. I will attribute the short-circuiting to being befuddled by the question with a hint of "I don’t know how to answer that question and am therefore nervous about it". To recap this Q&A: decent question (How do we fix education in America?), bad answer (“Some people in our nation don’t have maps”). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Not all questions are decent though. And if the questions are terrible, aren't we setting these women up for failure? The recent Miss America pageant provides a stellar example:</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/OVsaLj6pcFA" width="380"></iframe></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Q’s of pageants are supposed to bring the controversial issues plaguing America to the stage. In general, the most ridiculous thing about many controversial issues plaguing America is that they are treated and hyped like...controversial issues…plaguing America. You don’t need to be a media studies major to observe that news outlets sensationalize <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">everything</i>. For viewer ratings. For profit (please don't tell me you're surprised...). Many “issues” are “non-issues”, while the actual issues are too boring for anyone to watch (meaning less $$). My point in this being that the evolution debate is not a debate. Why are we asking people if evolution should be taught in public school? As<a href="http://youtu.be/9QBv2CFTSWU"> this video points out,</a> that’s like asking if math should be taught in public school. The other side to look at is the Answer. Sadly, like a lot of women <i>and </i>men in America, some of these women were also under the impression that evolution is controversial ("teaching both sides"???), and it’s kind of hard to label these as bad answers when the question (as an extension of America’s sensationalized approach to news) is just as bad.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And then there are the questions that are meant to draw the best middle-of-the-fence responses. I am not sure if these can be qualified as good <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">or </i>bad questions, because let’s be honest, what exactly are they training you to do? Stating your personal beliefs? The more controversial the question is, the more people will pay attention to your answer, and the more you will shrink away from saying how you really feel. Who gets rewarded in these situations? Certainly not the woman who speaks her mind (whether you’re right or wrong). I am of course, referring to the infamous Miss California, Carrie “No offense to anybody out there” Prejean and her opinion on gay marriage:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8XMvviFbkf0" width="380"></iframe></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This question is a mess of all sorts. It combines key factors from the first and second Q, and adds in its own fun. First, let’s read between the lines on this one. Is this question solely about gay marriage? I would argue that the best way to answer this question is to focus on human rights...because in essence, it <i>is </i>about human rights. Second step: since this question is about human rights, why is this even an issue [plaguing America]? Thirdly, anyone, not just Prejean would have been <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">expected </i>to answer this question with the buzzwords “equality” and “rights”, both used positively, without ever agreeing or disagreeing with anything.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> These sorts of questions seem to prepare you for a life of politics and diplomacy. By politics, I mean it in every sense: politics of the household, the workplace, the social sphere, and the government. It is the politics of compromise, where you say something to please everybody, and not because it’s the right thing to do. I wouldn’t say this is a terrible skill. In fact, it is probably a very useful skill. But, <a href="http://bobateapageantry.blogspot.com/2011/07/i-couldnt-help-but-wonder.html">as I bring up in a previous post</a>, do these skills ever serve the purpose beyond being someone’s puppet? Since when do women (or anyone) who stay centrist ever become a catalyst for change or activism? Is it the duty of a pageant queen to be a neutral ambassador who follows the script in order to make everyone happy? Or a woman who can lead others with her independent thinking style? Are these two things even mutually exclusive? What exactly are the duties and expectations of a pageant queen besides attending spectacles and making speeches about achieving goals? Maybe I am posing some difficult Q’s myself. But I am interested in hearing your A’s.</span></div>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053239627937172030noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580012352624808678.post-69584900841432584582011-07-27T08:00:00.000-07:002011-07-27T14:06:30.760-07:00"Pageantin' ain't easy" - MC Neekee<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strike>I'm trying to find a tacky/not-tacky widget to place on the side of the blog here, where you can see a countdown clock to the pageant day.</strike> Widget added! (Thanks Lan!) August 6th seems like...oh EFF, like next week??? As of now, where am I in pageant progress? What have I accomplished? What do I still need to do? If I had a widget that showed my pageant prep progress, this is where I would want to be:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNi9-bPZapbLSgzjICdyeMeLTHLaOakJvtS6M_Z5lmI_nwfxqeHLKr3kmU6kXny-gaEAbyQKei0YYI6prGc76Ggi_Cjy1tywwpezfruqCbwTALECY2Xh3SJUpdqFIT0LjCd7CL2XU1ez09/s1600/where+i+want+to+be.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNi9-bPZapbLSgzjICdyeMeLTHLaOakJvtS6M_Z5lmI_nwfxqeHLKr3kmU6kXny-gaEAbyQKei0YYI6prGc76Ggi_Cjy1tywwpezfruqCbwTALECY2Xh3SJUpdqFIT0LjCd7CL2XU1ez09/s320/where+i+want+to+be.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This is where I feel like I am:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy0qMeh_xSZjBLKdp_TVqC9rpgb7iJFM7pHNwjdn-o2NK5UUOphdYKREEAKZDSORXV-TZt2iUppvHtxZaCqJwLOhcpPN6vYGBpj3wd6BHUvxfFkFlmqtmCR2uy7NbDrZw9KYN1Rr-m2XdA/s1600/where+i+am.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy0qMeh_xSZjBLKdp_TVqC9rpgb7iJFM7pHNwjdn-o2NK5UUOphdYKREEAKZDSORXV-TZt2iUppvHtxZaCqJwLOhcpPN6vYGBpj3wd6BHUvxfFkFlmqtmCR2uy7NbDrZw9KYN1Rr-m2XdA/s320/where+i+am.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><a name='more'></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Things I can cross off my list:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strike>Start a blog</strike></span></li>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
<li><strike>Eat like I'm not in a pageant, i.e. cheeseburger and fries for lunch and Chinese takeout for dinner</strike></li>
<li><strike>Look awful in pageant photos</strike></li>
<li><strike>Walk decently in high heels</strike></li>
<li><strike>Buy a bass for talent portion</strike></li>
<li><strike>Find a piano accompanist for talent</strike></li>
<li>Most important: Get boba tea after every pageant rehearsal (in progress)</li>
</span></ul></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Things I have yet to do:</span></span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Actually write in the blog when I say I will</span></li>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
<li>Expand my evening gown options (<i>we need TWO now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)</i></li>
<li>Learn how to not slouch</li>
<li>Perfect the choreography for the <a href="http://bobateapageantry.blogspot.com/2011/07/monday-funday.html">bobee dance</a></li>
<li>Play the correct notes for my talent piece</li>
</span></ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I have to admit that I am struggling with all the above. I feel so resigned to look for/buy a dress, especially when evening gowns seem <i>so </i>impractical. At least with the six Ross dresses I bought earlier in the month, I can always wear the ones I don't return to parties/out. When would I ever wear an evening gown again? Do any of you fashion forecasters see them coming back in [to normal society]? ie, can I wear this to work, a club, <i>anywhere besides another pageant...</i></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.artrisa.com/1278-4084-large/one-shoulder-beading-blue-elegance-prom-dress-evening-dress-80339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.artrisa.com/1278-4084-large/one-shoulder-beading-blue-elegance-prom-dress-evening-dress-80339.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Important note to consider: can I walk my dog in my evening gown?</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Item number three, you'll see, is to not slouch. This is perhaps the biggest mountain to climb (while standing straight). It is pretty obvious to me that I never developed the muscles in my back/shoulders to stand up straight. I am not sure of the likelihood of developing those muscles in ten days, when I've been neglecting them for 22 years. At rehearsals, I've gotten so many comments from adults on the sidelines, telling me to fix my posture. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1uWxhWOG26f6gQn5M7r2uTjwR2YvBTVLFHd6ZzE1_cEbQ2biAhIz8Nrj8v2MhbU2MxyVZgkqcpmg37d7kfTWdTeUWhLUXzH24MP9Ww74Vlm0EEikR_hNSlc00hjdriVO4bYV8NVcEUq1B/s1600/sloucher.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1uWxhWOG26f6gQn5M7r2uTjwR2YvBTVLFHd6ZzE1_cEbQ2biAhIz8Nrj8v2MhbU2MxyVZgkqcpmg37d7kfTWdTeUWhLUXzH24MP9Ww74Vlm0EEikR_hNSlc00hjdriVO4bYV8NVcEUq1B/s640/sloucher.png" width="640" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I don't understand! It seems the more I try to do what they tell me, the more my body bends into an "S" shape. There's like some weird disconnect in my muscles, where my head will refuse to align with my back, and my back refuses to work with my shoulders. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">By this point, the adults on the sidelines just look at me and sigh. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Speaking of major disappointments, my photos from the photoshoot were <i>so terrible </i>that I was called out for being un-photogenic! The good news is that I was allowed to retake them, and this time did not smile or try to look happy. For some reason, that look just works for me. As a bonus for your patience with me through this blogging ordeal, I will treat you to <i>the worst photos from the first shoot:</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<iframe align="center" frameborder="0" height="300" scrolling="no" src="http://www.flickr.com/slideShow/index.gne?set_id=72157627291503060" width="300"></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<center><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><small>Created with <a href="http://www.flickrslideshow.com/">flickr slideshow</a> from <a href="http://www.softsea.com/">softsea</a>.</small></span></center><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Do I look surprised because someone planted a wig on my head? Or uncomfortable because I have lockjaw?</span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For comparative purposes, here is a better professional photo of me that proves smiling should be frowned upon (HAHAHAHA):</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJtfMtH7-argYgxN1XuhOAw0bhhXSS9hnOsafYhPt07qhaJmbk3nrNsXR5VO9f7vCtp3eC-ET0rUO_gX4GmBCLLVL90V4ixZ1IFC294DuWpTpot1Lvl79E2ZNu-AYSBuU0LN9Q2fC_ckUJ/s1600/Nikki_DePaola_MTA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJtfMtH7-argYgxN1XuhOAw0bhhXSS9hnOsafYhPt07qhaJmbk3nrNsXR5VO9f7vCtp3eC-ET0rUO_gX4GmBCLLVL90V4ixZ1IFC294DuWpTpot1Lvl79E2ZNu-AYSBuU0LN9Q2fC_ckUJ/s400/Nikki_DePaola_MTA.jpg" width="326" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">amirite?</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Anyway, I'm just relieved that the photo thing is behind me now. I will say that I do want to become more photogenic; it sounds vain, but does anyone need a practice model? I really could use the training.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Speaking of speaking of major disappointments, you know what also failed this week and caused me major headaches? My heels. I was told last week at rehearsal that my shoes weren't silvery enough. I assumed this would be a simple fix with the help of Michaels, the hobby and crafts store. Of course, it wasn't. Take a look at this simple formula I've recently discovered:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKSX67r785Feoxduq-a0NCQPXqYVmh4rd_Mfgj3KwJZxnSK8YHTZaylN1LfSPFRX5-6pWy0hjsIZ8S6630apmrSOuu2G2iC16QSp7mtkCgmjhGpdxQ0Fv4aZUM2kFLB8O1eAaquerrfRQC/s1600/shoe+equation.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="103" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKSX67r785Feoxduq-a0NCQPXqYVmh4rd_Mfgj3KwJZxnSK8YHTZaylN1LfSPFRX5-6pWy0hjsIZ8S6630apmrSOuu2G2iC16QSp7mtkCgmjhGpdxQ0Fv4aZUM2kFLB8O1eAaquerrfRQC/s400/shoe+equation.png" width="400" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Basically what happened is after the spray's glue-like paint dried, the shoe looked...exactly the same. Rather than wasting more time and money trying to fix the pair I had, I just went to Payless and bought a pair of silver-silver heels (which the store clerk asked if it was because I was a bridesmaid). Huh.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lastly, I know several people have asked me about this bobee dance. Basically, it's mostly the choreography from the Taiwanese video, with a little booty shaking from T-ara's dance. As luck would have it, I happen to be positioned <i>front and center</i>, meaning it is even more imperative that I learn this dance properly. I've definitely made progress, but it is still far from Queen-worthy. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Between practicing my talent and practicing the dance, I've realized that participating in this pageant is far more time consuming than just buying dresses and walking in heels. The second I feel like I have a break from work-work, I remember that I have to do pageant work. It's almost like being in school again. Almost.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Anyway, that's what I've been up to. Maybe you can come up with a better graphic representation of my progress bar.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">PS: I know this post is off and my schedule is all weirdo. If it makes you feel any better, pageants have been following me everywhere on a near-daily basis, reminding me that I haven't lived up to my blogging goals. For instance, yesterday, I saw ads for The <a href="http://www.annenbergspaceforphotography.org/exhibitions/overview.asp">Annenberg Space for Photography's exhibition "Beauty Culture"</a>, which sounds like a fantastic field trip for me. As the website describes:</span><br />
<div><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 18px;">Through different lenses focused on the body beautiful, the exhibition examines both traditional and unconventional definitions of beauty, challenging stereotypes of gender, race and age. It explores the links between beauty and violence, glamour and sexuality and the cost (in its multiple meanings) of beauty.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLbzz7kN_jVibp9yIO9Z3DAeY8jyZOVkcHn4sJNMfsg10IWuUK_OGZrHgCOtdUwfQ50Yiq2lzuYQgdXw91nmEO25LrzOu25e-vz7xRCcbOgdzv5xKTqvlzSNIoznhxzuKBTjToAxmkm-mK/s1600/annenberg+museum.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="67" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLbzz7kN_jVibp9yIO9Z3DAeY8jyZOVkcHn4sJNMfsg10IWuUK_OGZrHgCOtdUwfQ50Yiq2lzuYQgdXw91nmEO25LrzOu25e-vz7xRCcbOgdzv5xKTqvlzSNIoznhxzuKBTjToAxmkm-mK/s320/annenberg+museum.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Would anyone like to field trip it with me?</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">As a side note, I've loved reading all your comments on my last post, where interestingly, many found the topic of beauty to be the most compelling. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">The other instance occurred this evening, as I drove home from work. There was an offbeat piece about pageants on NPR. "</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Move over, "Toddlers and Tiaras." Take a seat, Miss Universe. Meet the newest beauty queen on the scene," the narrator started. And I honestly thought they were talking about me.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But no, they were talking about the new <a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/07/26/138722359/seniors-complete-to-be-miss-alabama-nursing-home">2011 Miss Alabama Nursing Home</a>, Andalusia Manor. First of all, can we not think of a better old person name than Andalusia Manor? </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/g-tdy-110726-ms-nursing-home-330p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/g-tdy-110726-ms-nursing-home-330p.jpg" width="314" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me in 80 years (I'm on the far right)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Second of all, doesn't this piece throw an entirely different curveball into my last post? You know what happens to post-pageanters? More pageanting. Pageants4Lyfe.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Anyway, just thought you should all know that I've been visited by at least two ghosts of pageantry, have learned my lesson and will never be late for a post again (...maybe).</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span></div></div>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053239627937172030noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580012352624808678.post-16443200575553728642011-07-21T16:13:00.000-07:002011-07-21T19:50:22.397-07:00"I couldn't help but wonder..."<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Nearly two weeks have gone by since I've become an official pageant contestant. Since the beginning of the blog, I feel like I've had to tread this line between expression and competition. If I veer too far into [critical] expression, I risk unofficial elimination. If I say nothing at all, then what is the point of this blog?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">One of the biggest questions I ask myself about being in this pageant is: how does this affect me as a feminist? I think the short answer is that it shouldn't/doesn't. Yet, now I feel like I need to pose rhetorical questions à la Carrie Bradshaw in order to make this entry meaningful and worthwhile.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I've been thinking a lot about what this pageant is supposed to be about, aside from being a cover-up for a fundraising event for the Taiwan Center. The mantra that I've been hearing from Day 1 has been "You will become confident". The pageant CEO firmly believes confidence will lead to life success, as she tells us in the first few minutes of Saturday training. When she first immigrated here as a single mom, Pageant CEO worked as a janitor. Her son was still young, and in attempts to not worry him about their now lower socioeconomic status (I'm not sure what exactly she did in Taiwan before), she would change her clothes, put on make-up, and do her hair all nice before she got home. Eventually, through inspiring conversations with her mom over the phone, she learned to hold her head up high and...<i>be confident</i>. We land on the happy ending when she meets and marries a doctor from USC. By the way, this is where the story ends. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Confidence, it seems, is the key to a happy ending. Pageant CEO's vision of a happy ending has marriage as its key feature (whether or not she deems this as the ultimate success for a woman in general is inconclusive, and speculation about this can be saved for another time). What I want to dissect is what happens after her story.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">After learning a few steps of choreography for, oh, 3 hours, we take a break to watch a different Taiwanese pageant she had directed before. What I thought would be a fun glimpse into how everything would eventually come together, turned into catty commentary hour. Pageant CEO spent some time showing us which girls had the best posture, made direct eye-contact with the audience, and had the best strut. I take all these components to mean exuding confidence, the purported goal of being in the pageant. However, it wasn't long before we came across some girls who were pageant failures. And by pageant failures, I mean disliked by Pageant CEO. Dress choices were critiqued, hair cuts were deemed terrible, and even talents were no good simply because they weren't very feminine. One girl, who appeared very confident to me, was criticized because she refused to get hair extensions and "looked like a tomboy". Even worse, she was in this pageant <i>for enjoyment.</i> The underlying theme to every failed contestant was that <i>they didn't listen to my directions.</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This is where the dichotomy of pageantry becomes apparent. It wouldn't be the first time I've heard defendants of beauty pageants ("scholarship pageants", <insert other euphemism here>) say that it's all about empowering/enabling women. Even on the surface level of being <i>in</i> the pageant, it is something that we are told is true, so I do not doubt that pageant enthusiasts truly believe that they are helping girls become confident individuals. It is everything else in between the lines that makes me skeptical of its effectiveness.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">How many former pageant contestants have become CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, leading scientists, or politicians?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I know what you're thinking...</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://sarahpalininformation.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/side-by-side-beauty-pageant-photos.jpg?w=620" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="206" src="http://sarahpalininformation.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/side-by-side-beauty-pageant-photos.jpg?w=620" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Okay, let me rephrase that to <i>serious </i>politicians.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I know I will be making a sweeping generalization when I say that it seems like the post-pageant career of many women is to be the "face" of something, be it a philanthropic organization or...a Republican campaign for presidency. These women have learned the confidence to represent something other than themselves. They can stand proudly in front of an audience and recite exactly the lines they were taught. They will dress correctly and be nice to look at, and maybe people will believe that what they have to say is important. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I know there must be some exceptions (because even I don't know everything), so if someone could please do me the honors of finding these exceptions, I will be forever grateful.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Despite what this post might have led you to believe, I am not in this pageant to tear it apart from the inside; I am actually hoping to improve my poise, posture, and public speaking skills. I want to learn a fun dance in heels, speak about my accomplishments, and most importantly meet other young Taiwanese-Americans girls. To be quite honest, the girls I've met so far seem intelligent and talented enough to be more than just the face of a cause, and I know they all have the ability to be more than just a pretty face.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And now for the missing piece that links everything together:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="background-color: black; width: 300px;"><div style="padding: 4px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" base="." flashvars="" height="288" src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:video:thedailyshow.com:103031" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="350"></embed></span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-september-18-2007/ready-for-a-woman-president-"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Daily Show - Ready for a Woman President?</span></a></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Get More: <a href="http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/">Daily Show Full Episodes</a>,<a href="http://www.indecisionforever.com/">Political Humor & Satire Blog</a>,<a href="http://www.facebook.com/thedailyshow">The Daily Show on Facebook</a></span></div></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What do you guys think? What does "success" mean for a post-pageanter? What does it mean to have been successful while <i>in </i>the pageant, other than just vague "empowerment" disclaimers? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">These are questions my friend Rachel and I have been discussing (and Rachel brought up) and I think it's time to open the floor to everyone.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Please post all comments, criticism, and discussion; I'm sure I've left a lot of gaps to cover.</span>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053239627937172030noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580012352624808678.post-88454809042233326742011-07-18T14:42:00.000-07:002011-07-18T22:29:15.283-07:00Monday Funday<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">GUYS sorry Sunday was ruined. I'm working on a more intense piece and I kind of want it to sound like I put effort into it.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">With that said, I'll leave you with something more on the fun side. While researching this "Bobee" song that we'll be dancing to, I discovered that it's a cover of a Korean song by pop group T-ara. I learned on Saturday that "Bobee" is a song about going to temple...or something. It's sung in Taiwanese, so I'm not too certain about the meaning, but I mean, look at the video. It's very temple-y. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">T-ara's song "Bo Peep", on the other hand, is not about temple, and was even given essentially an "R" rating by the Korean Ministry of Culture and Tourism. <a href="http://youtu.be/0AmjhX3dHy0">So-so-so scandalous!</a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Taiwan's "Bobee":</span><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_gWu5Y6yY4E" width="380"></iframe><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Korea's "Bo Peep":</span><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9403-9CptH8" width="380"></iframe><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you've ever seen a K-drama (Korean drama for you n00bs), on-screen couples are barely allowed to hold hands. As my friend Lan reiterated, "Omg, I didn't know Koreans kissed on camera"...</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thoughts?????? TELL MEEEEEE</span>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053239627937172030noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580012352624808678.post-61160854455067492232011-07-15T09:00:00.000-07:002011-07-15T09:00:04.077-07:00Storm and Stress<div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">It’s my first Friday Friday! And what a week it has been! I feel like I haven’t had a moment to rest, and the pageant has barely started. I can’t concentrate on a single thing at any moment, I’m eating all weird, and I wake up exhausted from crazy dreams about the Beckhams. The question is: has the pageant been stressing me out, or have I been stressing myself out? Read on to find the answer to this dramatically-phrased question!</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><a name='more'></a><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3tqr3woYyAkj-sjohuaHh3lMV5IKuqSR0WDjJphZ4-d8Q1Imiys2kns3jXWX1PZdr5YqPQ6SuOKeTwv7kQvZrucwMyOvbi8K7QxHq5TW3MNokfLMmWH4HSZndq2C7nHt4GORuL19ZIo5l/s1600/muscle-cramp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3tqr3woYyAkj-sjohuaHh3lMV5IKuqSR0WDjJphZ4-d8Q1Imiys2kns3jXWX1PZdr5YqPQ6SuOKeTwv7kQvZrucwMyOvbi8K7QxHq5TW3MNokfLMmWH4HSZndq2C7nHt4GORuL19ZIo5l/s1600/muscle-cramp.jpg" style="cursor: move;" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Google Image Search: Cursed Leg</div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Guys!<a href="http://bobateapageantry.blogspot.com/2011/07/cursed-leg-and-photo-goodies.html"> The Cursed Le</a>g has struck again! This time, the curse has transcended from affecting the living to the inanimate. I left work late on Tuesday to go to McCabe's Music to purchase a double bass for the talent portion of the show. I street-parked on a fairly busy street, so I did a little curb check to see if I was far in enough. And that's when I saw the latest victim of the curse:</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.phocabulary.com/words/vapid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.phocabulary.com/words/vapid.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="145" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Dramatic reenactment</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">RUFKM?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The front right tire of my car was completely flat! It doesn't take a conspiracy theorist to figure out that the right tire of a car is analogous to a human's right leg. Specifically, <i>my car. </i>Specifically, <i>my leg</i>.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">What was I to do? It was about 9:10 and McCabe's closes at 10. I went into the store, got a great deal on my bass (Plus a music stand! Plus rosin!), and called AAA. I don't have AAA, so the conversation went a little something like this "Hello, I'd like to buy a membership; also, can you send someone to fix my tire right now?" kthxbai.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">About half an hour later, Tony from AAA rolled in. He hopped out of his vehicle, gave me some bottled water (I guess in case I was stranded away from civilization?), and changed my tire to the spare. That's when we discovered the culprit:</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnezHOJS28fUqPvQ3ixBXZeiWTS5gCpeGVb_8yZDmwyPBHuTWZ4Krcz_ni559-it72kD-eD5rqHm7qdc9dbb7ysTkvfXT_7TQqQoIbkjgy8FqaOWJz8n-hekB6gJK2QbiZNO-Lf8HbytfJ/s1600/cursed+leg+-+screw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnezHOJS28fUqPvQ3ixBXZeiWTS5gCpeGVb_8yZDmwyPBHuTWZ4Krcz_ni559-it72kD-eD5rqHm7qdc9dbb7ysTkvfXT_7TQqQoIbkjgy8FqaOWJz8n-hekB6gJK2QbiZNO-Lf8HbytfJ/s320/cursed+leg+-+screw.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="179" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><Insert pun about screws, being screwed, etc></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">How did this screw conveniently cross the path of my car? I'm not going to speculate...but I can bet you can come up with some pretty tasty theories.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGuSvSWnNM3Ly9Fwk6ZbT33kxId8qhKOo6WlNpFS5OLpfG2nenFZq91-f3lGZ5binDzCtvbbjWohd2V7F60eEtijbgdcuN35aKu6ZijJk5sSWDgOyfUDyGe2rkk9kAE84AC6bVbwBATXle/s1600/cursed+leg+-tire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGuSvSWnNM3Ly9Fwk6ZbT33kxId8qhKOo6WlNpFS5OLpfG2nenFZq91-f3lGZ5binDzCtvbbjWohd2V7F60eEtijbgdcuN35aKu6ZijJk5sSWDgOyfUDyGe2rkk9kAE84AC6bVbwBATXle/s200/cursed+leg+-tire.jpg" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The spare. Guys, I don't have a spare leg.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">I arrived home late, completely drained. I made a 7am appointment online to get a new tire for my car at the dealership and, then passed out in my bed. And then I remembered that I had to write a blog update for Weekend Wednesday. In case you were wondering why my writing sounded like I had spent my whole day working, then scrambling to buy a bass and then dealing with a flat tire, well, that's why.</div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The next morning, barely fueled by the fewest hours I've slept all year, I woke up and took my car to the shop. The day became significantly better when I watched the World Cup at work, but then my body remembered that it can't survive off of 4 hours of sleep, and the rest of my day was like asklsdfksggejgeojkmc.</div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Actually this whole week has been like asefjasfkljs;gskdfjsd, but not to worry! I suppose it can only get better from here. I do have my bass now, and I've even practiced it a bit. The only piece I think I want to play is this haunting melody by Prokofiev. I'm not entirely certain that it's pageant-friendly though. What constitutes a pageant-friendly piece? Even if I could come up with a great answer for that, I think what is more relevant is what constitutes a Taiwanese pageant-friendly piece? I don't know any Taiwanese folk songs, and even if I did, where would I find music for it? And even if I did find music for it, would it even sound alright on the bass? The good news is that I <i>do</i> have an accompanist, which was always stressful for me to find whenever I had to go to competition in the past. </div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The last bit of stress on my stress-list is that I need to find jean shorts before rehearsal on Saturday. Yes, our classy attire for rehearsals includes jean shorts and high heels. I'm not sure if I could think of a...less flattering combination, for lack of less abrasive words. But there it is. If this pattern of working until 9 every day continues, I'm not sure when this jean short purchase will occur. Stress stress stress stress. I must find a way!</div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">To end on a very positive note, this blog was recently featured on <a href="http://taiwaneseamerican.org/">TaiwaneseAmerican.org</a>, a Taiwanese community website run by the incomparable Ho Chie Tsai! I first met Ho Chie at UC Berkeley for a Formosa Betrayed event, when we realized that he was the one who had first publicized my <a href="http://youtu.be/zMyrvcOzZFI">UN for Taiwan </a>video! It was an amusing coincidence. Anyway, TaiwaneseAmerican.org always features great articles and references for/about the Taiwanese youth, and I feel pretty lucky to have made another appearance on its pages.</div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">And that has been this week! Here's hoping my stress levels aren't as high anymore and that the US wins on Sunday (although I am still holding a special place in my heart for Japan <3)!</div></div>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053239627937172030noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580012352624808678.post-38248430924392997702011-07-13T08:30:00.000-07:002011-07-13T08:30:56.438-07:00First Impressions<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It’s finally Weekend Wednesday and I can spill all the secrets I’ve learned! For starters, I’m sure you’re quite interested in what exactly went down on Saturday. What did I do for 8+ hours? How were the other contestants? <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/prince-william-kate-middleton-visit-209520">Did I see William and Kate hanging out in LA?</a> My responses to these queries are: stuff, aiiiight, and yes we’re bffs now.</span><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">7am waking up in the morning, gotta be fresh, gotta go to Yi Pi’s house, so she can feed me and then do my make-up and hair (two RB references in two consecutive posts is pushing it, I know). From the two and a half hours I spent at Yi Pi’s, I can tell you that she is a make-up machine. Apparently, she won 6th place at a televised make-up competition sponsored by Shu Uemura. I’m glad I can help pad her <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">résumé </span>…</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We started with your basic facial mask, followed by a routine dunk-your-face-into-ice-water to firm the skin. Bracing! After a series of skin creams and foundations, Yi Pi started to really go at the eyes. For stage make-up, the eyes are actually a crucial factor and most people underestimate the amount of shadow and mascara to apply. For the average make-up user, you would look like you’ve just woken up if you were to take stand in front of an audience. If you are like me, and barely use eye make-up at all, you would look like a zombie. The weird thing about stage make-up is that you look like completely horrible up close, as if a toddler tried to draw your face on with only red crayon. But from an audience stand-point, you look like a normal human being. This phenomena is what Cher Horowitz refers to as a full on Monet, and so Yi Pi will continue to cake-up the make-up in order for me to look like a Betty for the audience. Meanwhile, the MySpace-esque pictures I take of myself for this blog make it look like I’m training for Cirque du Soleil.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www2.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Behind+Scenes+Cirque+Du+Soleil+Dralion+Auckland+l5XptYW0FyPl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www2.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Behind+Scenes+Cirque+Du+Soleil+Dralion+Auckland+l5XptYW0FyPl.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYcSiQCLoMCWLXsCeCx7D_-g4O3fo5BrDGrBdHrEsElyieyGC3e0_A5UdiiIdCA4rpwt5tRwnOJpGQ-9yi1gBwBn78UdXZmKF0Z0K9C2RZzOgL6XrfSvih0n_f5Utbrkgm_BHTQeTfJO15/s1600/cirque.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYcSiQCLoMCWLXsCeCx7D_-g4O3fo5BrDGrBdHrEsElyieyGC3e0_A5UdiiIdCA4rpwt5tRwnOJpGQ-9yi1gBwBn78UdXZmKF0Z0K9C2RZzOgL6XrfSvih0n_f5Utbrkgm_BHTQeTfJO15/s200/cirque.jpg" width="112" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small;">I may have exaggerated</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I still don’t really get hair process. I know it takes forever for Yi Pi to do, but I cannot seem to figure out why. There is so much straightening and curling and crimping and un-straightening going on and on</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, and I haven’t decoded the pattern to it. By the end of the day, my hair has had enough and it rebels against everything.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Throughout the entire hair/make-up process, Yi Pi tried to calm my nerves. She told me stories about times that she’s been nervous in front of an audience. Did you know the Taiwanese equivalent of imagining your audience is in their underwear is to imagine that they are all 蘿蔔 (<i>luo-buo</i>), or Asian radish? Or maybe this is Yi Pi’s personal antidote to combat stage fright. Either way, I actually don’t experience stage fright too often, and I wasn’t experiencing it then.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I’m not sure what it’s called, but I get more anxious from unfamiliar situations and unknown circumstances than from standing in front of a crowd of strangers. There is something about doing something different for the first time that makes me very uncomfortable. When I write it down, it seems kind of….mmm, lame; <i>of course</i> most people feel uncomfortable trying something new. Regardless, I think the biggest challenge for me on Saturday was to not let my discomfort affect my attitude and poise. First impressions could mean a lot.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Even though I had to arrive at 10:30 at the Taiwan Center in Rosemead, we left Yi Pi’s place in South Pasadena at 10:28. Eek. It should be known that I am generally a cautious driver, especially when I have a passenger. But Yi Pi peer-pressured me into speeding and passing cars in single lanes!!!!11!!!!!1!!!!!!1!!!! Maybe it was the rush from breaking like, two laws, but by the time we arrived I was not anxious at all. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This period of non-anxiousness led me to behave like an overzealous RA in your freshman dorm on move-in day. For the first half-hour all the contestants were sitting around tables and chairs, mostly silent. In typical RA fashion, I <i>almost</i> got around to every one of the fifteen contestants and introduced myself. During said introductions, I learned that most of the girls claimed that they were “actually not girly” and/or “not into this type of thing”. Huh. I may elaborate on this in a later post.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">More importantly, why did I feel the need to socialize when I had pledged myself since middle school to be anti-social and awkward? Who knows, but thankfully my super-social spree was interrupted. I was practically on the verge of organizing a fun ice-breaking game when it came time to learn how to pose.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Mrs. Susie, the pageant’s “CEO” clapped her hands and gathered us ‘round. The first thing she did was walk to a wall and firmly planted her back against it. This is how we must stand at all times. The second most important aspect of posing is to position your legs in a flattering way. This means one leg in front of the other, but with the foot pointed out and the knee caving inwards. No, I am not reciting the lyrics to the Time Warp.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.lisamertins.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/timewarp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="198" src="http://www.lisamertins.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/timewarp.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small;">...or am I?</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">After none of us had mastered the posing, the press came in and took photographs for what seemed like a full thirty minutes, about twenty-five minutes too long if you really think about it. The press event was followed up by a buffet lunch, where we had the opportunity to get our faces all greasy in time for the professional photo shoot at the San Gabriel Hilton.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Hilton shoot is where we spent two hours posing and trying not to all blink at the same time. With years of class photo-taking experience, I don’t ever recall this being that impossible. Seriously. This took two hours. The next two hours were spent for individual photos, where I learned that I can’t smile. You can tell that you can’t smile when the photographer looks at the preview display, winces, looks back up at you confused, and isn’t sure how to continue. He’s thinking “I’m confused because you’re technically pretty…but this photo turned out so horribly, oh it’s because you make weird faces that are supposed to be smiles."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I probably should have figured this out before the photo shoot, so I could work on some alternative weird faces. But what’s done is done, and I will just have to work with it. PS: These photos are going into the program book, for all to see!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">After deliberately avoiding the photographer who was taking photos of contestants against the fake indoor fern, I managed to make it out of there by 4:30ish. This brings the day’s total to 9 hours. 9 hours of fun or hell, you may be wondering. And the answer is more fun than hell. True, I gained a few blisters, had my face melt off in the heat, and took terrible photos, but I am now a few steps closer to being pageant-prepared. I have met my competition and asserted myself as a contender. I am no longer anxious or nervous about this competition in the way that I was on Saturday morning.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But, as usual, once one anxiety goes away, another one moves in to take its place. Next training session is choreography!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And with that, I will leave you with this delightful video we received with the following instructions:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Practice the Opening Dance until you are good at it. On 07/16/11, we'll only have time to transform the formation or shift the position. All you need to practice is the first 43 seconds."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1RuhY6Ns_Lc" width="425"></iframe>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053239627937172030noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580012352624808678.post-83844904352782292542011-07-10T13:28:00.000-07:002011-07-12T12:55:12.033-07:00Cursed Leg and Photo Goodies<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I’m sure if you’re reading this, you are anxiously awaiting to hear all about the details from my first day of pageant training. But first, I’m going to introduce you to my first character in this blog narrative. Everyone, please meet Cursed Leg.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><a name='more'></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Cursed Leg made her debut on Thursday night, when I noticed that there was a mysterious mark on my right foot’s toe. Upon further inspection by means of putting my glasses on and poking with my finger, this mark turned out to be bumpy and slightly painful. I’ve had blisters and calluses on my feet from years of athletics, and those are relatively easy fixes. But now, when I must force my feet into silvery high heels, these mystery bumps appear out of nowhere and I’m not sure what to do.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The first step in diagnosing mystery foot bumps is probably not going to get a mani-pedi. But of course that’s exactly what I did. After stress-chewing my cuticles into oblivion for the past few weeks, I knew I had to tidy them up lest I disappoint my pageant coach Yi Pi. You may think that I’m going somewhere with this…perhaps a hilarious yet embarrassing encounter at the nail salon, and then a haphazard plan to rid myself of the mystery bumps. Sadly, I’ve led you astray, but it’s kind of not my fault. Honestly, I was expecting my nail lady to look at my feet, exclaim “Hey! You have <insert name of problem here>!” and refuse to touch me. I would be super embarrassed, but get my fingernails done anyway, have my cuticles repaired, and find out how to cure <insert name of problem here> when I Googled it later. Instead, I went to the nail salon, had French tips applied to both feet and hands, received a delightful massage, and then left without a clue as to what the bumps were. Is there a doctor in the house?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The next sign that Cursed Leg was going to haunt me happened on Friday night. During a semi-routine shave, I somehow nicked myself TWICE. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">As Alexandra Wallace once so elegantly phrased, “R U freaking kidding me?” </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjblxnT3cR_QZf1GG9A8OzD2rGBQFAHIpIQVKiKUFlti-8twXlIfvnooF0ldBSTN7f_1oQdIpgKZldglPAIV2r88qKrbhYYa4DzhcGff76EepFBlJ0GtFnaGQoFLwT8Tn1S_Yq5lYavne6K/s1600/RUFKM.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjblxnT3cR_QZf1GG9A8OzD2rGBQFAHIpIQVKiKUFlti-8twXlIfvnooF0ldBSTN7f_1oQdIpgKZldglPAIV2r88qKrbhYYa4DzhcGff76EepFBlJ0GtFnaGQoFLwT8Tn1S_Yq5lYavne6K/s200/RUFKM.PNG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">RUFKM??????</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">I haven’t cut myself shaving since I was in 7<sup>th</sup> grade, when my dad was teaching me how to master the curves of the knee (Yes, my dad, because my mom’s legs are essentially hairless…TMI?).</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfEdhhkuuJdYyt4Sf-bY45st3cSXxIaclBjbMsCl0xouhsyv3GieKONiiye7T32UevtJekNzTNp6qUTvfXo9vRTC8-AB3VZAXJehCiZ6EBzcdOwPb32TPd1rMFhhlvO73EnPAhRR_-cGPD/s1600/IMAG0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfEdhhkuuJdYyt4Sf-bY45st3cSXxIaclBjbMsCl0xouhsyv3GieKONiiye7T32UevtJekNzTNp6qUTvfXo9vRTC8-AB3VZAXJehCiZ6EBzcdOwPb32TPd1rMFhhlvO73EnPAhRR_-cGPD/s320/IMAG0002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Cursed Leg</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In my world of conspiracy theories, I happen to think these two incidents constitute a Cursed Leg. Naturally, I will be checking into every contestant’s background for history of voodooism.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Now that all these words are out of the way, I will spoil you with a few pictures of my make-up process:</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><br />
</div><br />
<iframe align="center" frameborder="0" height="400" scrolling="no" src="http://www.flickr.com/slideShow/index.gne?set_id=72157627162904346" width="400"></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<center><small>Created with <a href="http://www.flickrslideshow.com/">flickr slideshow</a> from <a href="http://www.softsea.com/">softsea</a>.</small></center><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Guess how many cleansing pads I normally use. Now guess how many it took to wipe my latex-y face off. If you guessed one and five, respectively, then you guessed correctly. For those of you who are bad at math, let’s see…that’s <i>five times</i> the normal amount. I imagine this isn't very great for my skin, which means I will actually have to try and take care of my face. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">By now you’ve probably figured out that this blog entry is too long to delve into anything else. That is because I have tricked you into thinking that my Sunday entries would be about Saturday’s events. This is the point where I outline my blogging schedule such that you can be sure to click on that bookmarked link on the appropriate days.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><u>Storytime Sundays</u>: Days like today where I will tell you little about the pageant training day, and focus more on my thoughts and musings about general pageantry and preparation. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><u>Weekend Wednesdays</u>: Confusing title? <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r7wHMg5Yjg">Honey badger don’t care</a>! I never pass up a moment to alliterate. Wednesday entries will summarize my weekend activities, probably in a less amusing fashion because I don’t have enough time to be witty. Not to be confused with Witless Wednesdays.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><u>Friday Friday</u>: Gotta get down on Friday. If I have leftovers, I’ll be posting them here. Fun fun fun fun.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Until Weekend Wednesdays,</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Nikki</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Note: this entry was edited while I was distracted watching the most epic soccer game ever. #SeeTwitterFeed</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span></span>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053239627937172030noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580012352624808678.post-20247449562824570742011-07-08T22:43:00.000-07:002011-07-08T22:43:31.223-07:00IntroductionOh, hello there, I didn't see you come in. You caught me in the middle of preparing for my pageant. Won't you join me? Now that you've comfortably rested your mouse and your gaze has settled on my gorgeous background, allow me to welcome you to my blog! <br />
<br />
Should you choose to subscribe, you will be following me on my quest to become the next Miss Taiwanese-American. Honestly, I have a feeling I don't know what I'm getting myself into. What I do know is that I have bought six dresses and a pair of shoes at Ross for $150, I have one month to master my talent, and I also lack the muscles needed to stand up straight, wear high heels, and smile properly. Great!<br />
<br />
Luckily, my uncle's fianc<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">é</span></span> Yi Pi has graciously offered to be my part-time pageant coach. It'll be like MTV's Made but without Yi Pi pounding on my door at 6am telling me to run to the gym and taking away my fatty foods. <br />
<br />
Guess what guys, this pageant is on August 6. This means the whole month of July will be full on dedication to Taiwanese pageantry. As of now, the number of contestants is still a mystery, but I will enlighten you as soon as I get home from eight hours of preparation, rehearsal, and press conferencing! Unless I pass out. In which case I will be blogging upon resuming consciousness.<br />
<br />
Now that we're all friends, I look forward to your comments (omigodplzcommentsoiknowsomeonereadsthis)!<br />
<div><br />
</div><div>PS In case blogging up to three times a week isn't good enough for you, make sure you check out my Twitter feed on the side over there for some little extra-pageantry nuggets.</div><div><br />
</div>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053239627937172030noreply@blogger.com6