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25 Responses to “Miss Cebu 2009: Beautiful Cebuanas”

1. Ariel Allera Says:
   January 11th, 2009 at 10:13 pm

   Friends,

   Miss Cebu has always been one of the biggest events in town to look forward to each year. This year’s pomp and pageantry will take place come January 14 (Wednesday night at at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino’s Pacific Grand Ballroom… to be telecast live on Studio 23.

   Two of the aspirants are members of A.D. Models Philippines (managed by friend Dexter Alazas), the same agency that takes care of Miss Earth Karla Henry. They are Candidate #12 Kris Janson and Candidate # 9 Michelle Iva Eguia (Isa). Both are equally gorgeous yet qualified to be crowned as Miss Cebu 2009.

   One of the special awards to be given out during the coronation night will be Miss Internet (or something like that). Hence, I’m inviting as many people as far as this generic message goes to vote for the one candidate who deserves the award more than the others. I’ve talked to most of the girls, and while every one is entitled for the title, there’s one who stands out on account of her platform to make the most of her reign by teaching young Cebuano women the essence of body image (read: so that they should stop worrying about their weight, size, height, color, and whatnot). With that alone (among many others), we bet she should win not only the Miss Internet special award but, of course, the most coveted title of Miss Cebu 2009.

   I’m talking about Candidate # 9 Michelle Iva Eguia (Isa). She’s currently a Dean’s Lister at the Center for International Education on her Business Management studies. Not only does she have the wits, the brains, the smarts and the gift of gab, but more importantly, she has a very passionate heart. Her sunny disposition makes her stand out amongst the girls; her fluency bespeaks her spirituality in that she talks with a lot of sense and substance as a by-product of her pure thoughts and pacific emotions.

   Now, with all of the above, why can’ t she be the next Miss Cebu?

   Anyhow, there are voting booths at SM City and at the Ayala Center which you can utilize for free.

   To vote through Globe, text VOTE(space)FOR(space)MSCEBU(space)ISA and send to 2278.

   To vote using the internet, kindly go to http://www.cebucitytourism.com/ms_cebu_2009 and follow the links leading to Candidate # 9 Michelle Iva “Isa” G. Eguia.

   I guess, the safest or easiest way to get to the link is by simply copying the URL below and pasting the same in the address bar:

   http://cebucitytourism.com/ms_cebu_2009/candidates.html?contestant=9

   Thank you very much. Rest assured, Michelle Iva Eguia is going to make a perfect Miss Cebu should we give her the chance to prove her worth. May God bless us all!

   Sincerely,

   Ariel Allera
   Publicist, A.D. Models Philippines

2. Ariel Allera Says:
   January 11th, 2009 at 10:16 pm

   KARLA HENRY: The Down-To-Earth Beauty From The Queen City

   By Ariel Allosada Allera

   If Venezuela is allegedly known to be home to world-class beauty queens, the Philippines is haven to down-to-earth daughters of Mother Nature.

   This has been proven hands down by Karla Paula Ginteroy Henry, our country’s bet to this year’s Miss Earth beauty pageant, the very first Asian to have inherited the title after 7 summers, not to mention the first Cebuana to have made it beyond the national sphere.

   To say that she captured the crown by edging out the planet’s most environmentally responsible women and winning the judges’ nod with her bewitching charm and regal bearing would be an understatement for the country’s first title-holder who awakened the children of the earth that significant night.

   “I would suggest that environmental awareness be included in the current curriculum not only in U.S. schools but also here in the Philippines…. for I firmly believe that the children are definitely our hope in resolving global environmental issues,” replied Karla to the final question: “If you are to meet the newly elected U.S. President Barrack Obama, what will you tell him?”

   But what if she were to talk to our very own President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo? The quick-witted Cebuana charmer admits to having said, “I would tell President Arroyo the same thing as I would President Obama. The lack of awareness and ignorance towards the environment is an issue that is relevant not only in our country but also in the entire world. The youth, specifically young Filipinos, are eager to learn, and inasmuch as we want them to advance in their academic endeavors, we should also consider that the children are our best weapons for the fight against many of our environmental issues.”

   Tough competition

   In an exclusive interview for The Freeman Entertainment, Karla, a certified responsible woman of the earth, wouldn’t have changed a bit of her answer to the question, given another time and circumstances. “I wouldn’t have changed the content of my answer. I stand proudly by my advocacy which is environmental education. The delivery may have been more fluent but the content would still have been the same.” She adds that one of her dreams as Miss Earth is for her to really be given the once-in-a-blue-moon opportunity to meet Obama in flesh, so that together, they can discuss relevant issues of today, especially as far as global warming is concerned, and talk into best resolutions via their respective positions.

   She might have had a lot of pageant and modelling experiences, but Karla couldn’t underestimate the fact that she was competing neck and neck with fellow veterans from all over the world. While she was bent on becoming the first Filipina to win the Miss Earth title, Karla had her share of qualms and whatnot. However, she was more excited than nervous throughout the pageant. She shares, “I think that any of us 84 delegates could have easily been crowned that night given the right time at the right place. All of us were chosen by our countries because our countrymen believed that we are intelligent and beautiful women, that we would make perfect ambassadors for the preservation and conservation of the environment not only in our respective homelands but also in the entire planet.”

   From the onset of the competition down to the last round, Karla was apparently a stand-out amongst the bevy of beauties vying for one of the top 3 most prestigious positions in the international pageant field (vis-a-vis Miss Universe and Miss World). But inasmuch as Miss Earth is organized and held annually in our own backyard in the Philippines, controversies couldn’t help surrounding our very own environmental advocate—which would bring back to this writer’s conversation with Karla as her official chaperone during her homecoming from winning as Miss Philippines last May.

   Asked where Miss Earth would be held in a few months, Karla answered, “I heard it’s going to be in Korea, but negotiations have not been finalized yet. It would be exciting if it were to be held in one’s own country, but then I heard that it would lessen a local delegate’s chance of winning for delicadeza reasons. But if it should be happening here sometime in November, let me just do my best, and let’s cross the bridge when we get there.

   Unfazed by controversy

   Karla, the half-Canadian/Filipina mestiza who once was chosen as Miss TriMedia representing The Freeman, is nonetheless poised in the face of all the scuttlebutts around her winning the most coveted crown of Miss Earth 2008. “I respect people’s opinion, but I would disagree if they said that the organization was biased and unfair. For eight years that Miss Earth has been held in the Philippines, not once had our country won the main title. Even our very own Miss Philippines last year did not make it to the top 16 cut, thus paving the rumors that this pageant was fixed. I would rather dwell on my responsibility to care for our Mother Nature because that’s what I’m here for in the first place. I believe that the judges were right about choosing me and the organizers didn’t do anything to influence the judges’ decision because that’s beyond their control. If there are still critics out there, I urge them to rewatch the pageant either on Youtube or otherwise and be the judge for themselves. Besides, if we paid more attention to caring for our environment than putting down this one pageant for a cause, for sure we can gradually become a cleaner and greener nation,” says the brainy beauty from the Queen City of the South.

   Those who have the trained eye for beauty and grace, not to mention the keen ear for wit, couldn’t have been more downright quick in contesting the hearsays that the results were rigged out of a homecourt decision. Karla’s magical aura, let alone unblemished tasteful opulence in her stage presence that particular Sunday night at Clark Expo Ampitheater in Pampanga, stunned even the millions of viewers squatting before their respective boobtubes.

   No less than The Freeman’s fashion scribe Dexter Alazas, managing director of the A.D. Models Philippines that handles Karla Henry’s career and entered her in Miss Philippines-Earth, says “I wish everyone were intelligent enough to see through a beauty queen’s class and elegance, the inner beauty in her, and of course her EQ (Environment Quotient) so that they would understand why our very own delegate was picked the fairest of them all.”

   The very morning after being unplaced in last March’s Binibining Pilipinas marked her foray into what she later realized as her life-changing stride in this planet. Dexter Alazas had arranged an appointment for her at Carousel Productions, the outfit that organizes both Miss Philippines and Miss Earth, wherein she was to become an official candidate to Miss Philippines-Earth 2008 representing Cebu City. The next thing Karla knew, she had emerged as winner from a multitude of more than 50 delegates representing different municipalities, cities, overseas Filipino communities, organizations.

   Commitment to the environment

   During Miss Earth, we couldn’t help wondering what could’ve been her thoughts from the start of the pageant up until she was announced as part of the magic 4. And when it was just her and Miss Tanzania left to be proclaimed as either Miss Air or Miss Earth, what was Karla saying to Miriam (Tanzania) as both of them were holding each other’s hands? “I was telling her that no matter what the result would be, we had made our respective countries proud and so we should be both proud of it, especially that it would’ve been the first time for either Philippines or Tanzania to be either Miss Earth or Miss Air. Miriam was always full of energy, and I couldn’t be happier to have spent the one month with her, as well as with Abby (Miss Mexico) and Tatianna (Miss Brazil). I’m sure Miriam would’ve also become a wonderful Miss Earth had she been the one chosen,” Karla admits, and reacts to doubts out of curiosity whether she sensed an air of jealousy, “Miss Tanzania was never like that. She was a sweet and kind woman who’s never afraid to speak her mind—that’s why she and I got along very well. She was very happy for me. We were very close from the very beginning. She was like a sister to me all throughout. I remember she’s so fond of discussing politics, career, family, love, etc…”

   That would’ve been an exhausting night for Karla and all the other girls who had been gearing up together, prepping up for one month en route to the final selection and grand coronation. Hence, who wouldn’t want to know what was it like sleeping with a Miss Earth crown on her head and also what was the first important thing she did upon getting up as soon as the sun had risen? “To be completely honest, after many weeks of nonstop activities, I was just thankful that I finally had the privilege of a good night’s sleep knowing that I had reached my ultimate goal. I was finally able to sleep at peace that night,” she sighs.

   In the midst of her controversial victory, what could’ve her first morning as the brand-new Miss Earth looked like? “The next morning was quite intense. The four of us were immediately rushed off to certain activities… throughout the hustle and bustle of the day. We didn’t have the opportunity to notice any other delegate who might’ve been sour-graping. Plus, I think the girls were too busy cherishing their last few moments with each other before departing for their respective countries,” Karla remembers.

   With the pageant’s thrust in promoting environmental awareness via Miss Earth’s mission to dedicate her reign in addressing issues concerning the environment, it seems a rather tall order for this 22-year-old brown-eyed beauty queen whose highest goal before her reign ends is “to travel to many different countries promoting Ms. Earth’s message of a Green Lifestyle, and to actively participate in their respective environmental organizations…” As the 8th Miss Earth, she would like to be remembered for having accomplished many things for Mother Earth in the course of her reign and beyond. “I’m not going to consider my turnover next year as the end of it all, for the world’s environmental problems will not go away with the relinquishing of my crown to my successor. I would still gladly be ready to give a helping hand to the new batch of Miss Earth beauties.

   Currently based in Manila to fulfill her duties and responsibilities as both Miss Philippines and Miss Earth, Karla Henry may either choose to come back to Cebu or decide to stay in the Metropolis after her reign. It goes without saying that fellow Cebuanos would like to know if she is going to give it a shot, should showbiz beckon — just like it did to her fellow international title-holders Precious Lara Quigaman, Miriam Quaimbao, Michelle Aldana, et al.

   “I am taking things one day at a time and cherishing every minute of my reign. To think of the end would be quite depressing for me so, as I said before, let’s cross the bridge when we get there. But as for now, nothing fills my head but the duties and responsibilities entrusted to me by the organization and the Miss Earth Foundation,” Mother Nature’s most beauteous daughter beams, with a promise to be well worthy of both her title as Miss Earth 2008 and her cause to make this planet a cleaner and greener place to live in.

3. cyril Says:
   January 12th, 2009 at 1:06 am

   Candidate number 3 is a neighbor of ours Ceb in Mandaue Ceb. You could also do online voting for your Ms Cebu 2009 bet.

4. Snow Says:
   January 12th, 2009 at 7:08 am

   Among the bevy of beauties, I find numbers 4, 8 and 12 stunning! Hmmm, who among them would follow Karla Paula Henry’s ladder to international fame? Lets see…

5. ceblogger Says:
   January 12th, 2009 at 9:06 am

   cy, did you vote for your neighbor?

   snow, looking at the pics, I agree with you.i’d also like to see another angle of 9 and 10.

6. bingskee Says:
   January 12th, 2009 at 3:01 pm

   candidate numbers 2, 4, 8 and 12 are my bets. the others are beautiful and pretty, too but sometimes the make up is not good.

7. jeniffer Says:
   January 12th, 2009 at 3:34 pm

   definitely no question magaganda talaga mga cebuana.. sobra..

   Join the tribute campaign for senior bloggista: see http://painuminmoko.idlip.net/?p=104 for more details

8. mercblogger Says:
   January 13th, 2009 at 3:35 pm

   my bet is number 8,11 and 12,there so pretty…I’m hoping to be in Cebu this Thursday, unta maka anha ko dha bah…I really love Sinulog..:)

9. mercblogger Says:
   January 13th, 2009 at 3:40 pm

   Hi there, my bet is candidates number 8,11 and 12…ka mga gwapa nila bro…Sinulog napud i wish to be there..Viva Pit Señor…:)

10. gladita Says:
    January 13th, 2009 at 5:38 pm

    daghan gwapa sa sugbu!

11. eyes and ears Says:
    January 17th, 2009 at 11:18 pm

    The recently concluded Miss Cebu 2009 Search is not exempt from intrigues. Pageant experts can’t help commenting that the organizers could’ve made things better had they invited judges who had the trained eyes for poise and bearing or people whose credibility could not be questioned. It doesn’t matter whether one of the judges was a former supermodel, for she alone was not enough to have made a contribution in coming up with an intelligent decision at the end of the night.

    A lot of the winners of Best in Gown are obviously not worthy of their award. An intelligent judge will always bear in mind that they’re going to choose the one girl who’s got the most class and elegance, the best style and carriage, but then most of them are biased for reasons either political or personal.

    How could Rizzini have won the award this year when, obviously, she didn’t carry her gown quite well? She looked as though she was travelling hard. Many have talked here and there: Is it because she was wearing a Cary Santiago or the latter’s name is a hotstuff in Manila that she was chosen for the award? We don’t want to think that the judges were dumb, do we? The award should’ve gone to Kris Tiffany Janson because she was regal from head to toe.

    Last year’s Best in Gown should’ve been Kirstie Babor because she displayed such an opulent style and was carrying her gown with so much elan. Two years ago, it was Joan Kristine Uy who glided best as if trained by Osmel Sousa in Venezuela. In 2006, Angel Luzano stood out among her co-candidates despite the gown; she knew how to walk, didn’t she? Who can argue that during the 2002 Miss Cebu Search, it was Melanie Ediza who should’ve been awarded Best in Gown because she’s the most sophisticated of all the candidates?

12. tubmangal Says:
    January 28th, 2009 at 8:47 pm

    I think the organizers corrected their mistakes on that same night. Basin nakalimot si Kimberly nga gi-proclaim pud cya nga winner as Texters’ Choice; cguro that was when their team approached the organizers’ table, expressing their unpleasant surprise at Kris’s winning the award. Well, they had every right to do it, but then OA ra kaayo sila. Ila jung gipadako ang issue bisag gamay rajud kaayo and there was no fiasco that took place in the first place. Ingna lang nga dili sila kadawat nga 2nd runner-up ra si Kimberly Burden. They themselves should’ve known that their bet did not even stand out from the very start. Dako kaayog lawas murag lady wrestler, dili kahibalong mulakaw, dili kahibalong mo-project, baduy mo iningles nga taga SciHi man kaha siya. Mao nay pang Miss Cebu? Shame on their team. Now, nakasabot namo nganong OA ra kaayo mo? Faeta. Stop na kay Kris Janson is wearing her crown with inborn class and elegance, not to mention her grace under pressure. Bye, mga dahumira!

13. ariel allera spy Says:
    February 1st, 2009 at 7:43 am

    eyes and ears is entitled to express his opinion.but i do believe this person is someone who knows these girls he mentioned thats why he wanted them to win “the award”. kris janson and joan kristin uy are lucky to have a friend like you. ( yes i know who you are basing on the girls you wanted to win this award.obvious ang common denominator)

    all these “complaints” is so irritating already. pwede stop na?

    the pageant is over na bai.

    angal pajud mo na the judges were really credible. natalie glebova for an instance.and mostly were fashion editors and designers. kabalo jud na cla sa ila gibuhat.

    I’m not taking sides here but complaing because you dont find the judges credible is not a good idea. maayo na to cla mamili. their credentials and experience cannot be questioned.

14. Ariel Allera Says:
    February 2nd, 2009 at 7:49 pm

    The Glitch and Glamour:
    Burdened by ‘the beauty & the best’ of Miss Cebu
    By Ariel Allera
    Pageant Coach, A.D. Models Philippines
    Style Scribe, StyleFirm

    This is in reaction to a myriad scuttlebutts around the Miss Cebu 2009 controversy, as though not only pageant fanatics but also the people in general have been feasting on the topic based on what they’ve heard on radio, seen on T.V., let alone read in the papers. It’s quite burdening to note that some came up with reports, both written and spoken, as if they were missologists who knew much about pageants and the ropes.

    It stems from just one minor award given out during the selection cum coronation night held last January 14 at the Pacific Grand Ballroom of Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino. The award in question is Globe Texters’ Choice, which went to Kris Tiffany Janson. While such must’ve gone to Kimberley Burden, because the latter was in the lead on the survey, it’s not in any way Janson’s fault that her name was called. The spectators present at the venue, not to mention the televiewers who were watching the event live on Studio 23, didn’t have any inkling to whom Globe Texters’ Choice award was supposed to go.

    No less than Kris herself was quite taken aback on the spot, because the latest she’d heard about the poll was that it was Kimberley who was leading. Matter of fact, when she was proclaimed the winner, she was hesitant to come forward, until she was completely sure it was her name having been called out by the host. Janson’s supporters were as surprised at the announcement, thinking that maybe, just maybe, her votes had surpassed Burden’s at the eleventh hour.

    Kris Tiffany Janson’s bagging the Miss Cebu 2009 crown at the end of the night had nothing to do with the special awards she had garnered prior to the coronation, as well as those she had acquired several nights ago when the candidates were first presented to the public in a fashion show held at the Fuente Osmena Circle. Quite a number of Miss Universe delegates ended up as winners without any special award in the first place. We can only wish that, before anyone dared to write something about this, they should have followed on prestigious pageants like Miss Universe, as religiously as they keep themselves abreast with current issues…so that they would’ve known that Miss Universe 2007 Riyo Mori of Japan didn’t get any special award before her crown was relinquished by Puerto Rico’s Zuleyka Rivera (Miss Universe 2006), who wasn’t awarded with any trophy or whatever prior to her coronation. Canada’s Natalie Glebova won the Miss Universe title in 2005 despite her not getting any minor award. The three successive years had our country’s delegates (2007 Bb Pilipinas Anna Theresa Licaros, 2006 Bb Pilipinas Lia Andrea Ramos, 2005 Bb Pilipinas Gionna Cabrera) winning the Miss Photogenic special awards, respectively; however, they were unplaced in the final slot. In 1999, Miriam Quiambao won as Clairol Herbal Essences Style awardee and Spain’s Diana Noguera got both the Best in Swimsuit and the Best in Gown special awards, but then Mpule Kwelagobe eventually edged them out by wearing the Miss Universe crown on her way back home to Botswana.

    For 25 years now, Miss Cebu organizers have maintained their opulent taste in choosing the right people with the trained eyes for beauty, the keen ears for the sensible brains to match. Unfortunately (read: addressed to the ones who pretend to know something), this search doesn’t have a swimsuit competition. The fact that Janson was adjudged Miss Cebu would mean no more than that the judges saw her potentiality to be Cebu’s next official ambassador of goodwill, spokesmodel for young Cebuanas, voice to the world. Kris was indisputably a stand-out amongst everyone’s bet—what with her lovely face, her vibrant personality, her classy style, her regal carriage, her good breeding, let alone her no-nonsense answer to the final question. Any intelligent audience can attest to all of the above.

    How could they question the credibility of judges Tweetie de Leon-Gonzales and Katrina Holigores? Now, some people are making insinuations that both judges must’ve accounted a lot for Kris’s victory because she had been in one of Tweetie’s and Katrina’s modelling workshops in FTV-Philippines. Dear friends, Metro Magazine’s Katrina Holigores was judging only the Best Fashion Designer (Oj Hofer) as well as the Best in Evening Gown awards (take note: the latter went to Rizzini Alexis Gomez). Isn’t it shallow?

    The pageant is not just for anybody who comes in the Cebu City Tourism Commission Office and goes through the process with at least a five-feet-four stature, a beautiful face, a well-curved body, a fair-complected skin, a mind that contains her canned answers to hackneyed questions. The commissioners aren’t a dumb bunch of organizers who will give the last slot to whoever can fill in the blank. Which is why a string of screenings are completed before the list of official candidates is finalized. It is downright ridiculous that, after all, it seems easy for some to say that Kris Tiffany Janson had not undergone the screening process before she was enlisted as one of the 12 official candidates to the 2009 Miss Cebu Search.

    It was about 2:00PM on January 29 (Thursday) when Kris and I were together in Ayala Center, en route to Starbucks, where we were supposed to sit down on our interview for my entertainment article, when we received a text message from Dexter Alazas (her mentor, managing director of A.D. Models Philippines and StyleFirm) saying that there was a formal complaint to be filed against them for violating a pageant rule that prohibits the candidates’ parents, handlers, and agents from being present in any official pageant activity. It was later stressed that Dexter attended the press conference at the Cebu City Hall and also the Miss Cebu pre-pageant night at the Fuente Osmena Circle.

    Dexter had just arrived from Puerto Princesa, Palawan, together with Jam Charish Libatog, fresh from her victory at the Mutya Ng Pilipinas pageant the night prior. Being last year’s Miss Cebu 2nd runner-up and another Cebuana who just did Cebu proud, Jam was brought straight to the Cebu City Hall where a press conference was being held for the Miss Cebu 2009 candidates, hosted by reigning queen Sian Elizabeth Maynard, attended by Libatog’s fellow runners-up from the previous year and, of course, members of the press. Dexter’s presence that evening was highly regarded because, for one, he’s the manager of Jam’s and, on the other hand, he’s a fashion columnist of The Freeman newspaper and so he had every reason to participate in the so-called question-and-answer taking place in the room. Was that hard to understand?

    True, Dexter was also present at the pre-pageant night held at the Fuente Osmena Circle. And why wouldn’t he be? He’s the one who designed and provided for all the 12 red evening gowns that the candidates were wearing at the finale of the fashion show. Is this harder to understand?

    Anyhow, Kris and I then decided to just go straight to CCTC office where Dexter was awaiting. We couldn’t help laughing up our sleeves because, how could Kris have been enlisted as official candidate if she hadn’t passed through the screening? We were all just watching the video that contains the file of that said screening where Kris’s first runner-up Rizzini Alexis Gomez was with her, standing before a panel of commissioners who were interviewing them. It wasn’t in any way intended as a special screening for Kris and Rizzini, because there were two other girls scheduled to undergo such but didn’t show up for school reasons, because the list of official candidates was not finalized yet, because the last two applicants (Kris and Rizzini) were not difficult to fill in the blank. And what do they mean Kris failed to submit her curriculum vitae? There was the official Miss Cebu application form which every aspiring candidate filled out as a prerequisite for the screening. If that’s what they mean, maybe it’s time they knew its definition and the difference between the two.

    Somehow, when thoughts are clouded with sour grapes, the mind becomes restless over nothing more or less than false accusations, a by-product of sheer envy and pure jealousy. Please bear in mind, this is not addressed to the Burdens. It doesn’t carry a wisp of insinuation for anybody following on the controversy, for we believe that hate is too great a burden to bear it injures the hater more than it injures the hated. William Shakespeare wrote, “A wretched soul, bruised with adversity, We bid be quiet when we hear it cry; But were we burdened with like weight of pain, As much or more we should ourselves complain…”

    Instead that we keep pulling the strings of Kris Tiffany Janson or try to lift the precious 25th Miss Cebu crown from her head, why don’t we support the lovely Cebuana in her cause so that, together, we make Cebu go over with a bang in the next 25 years… and beyond? (ariel_allera@yahoo.com)

15. Ariel Allera Says:
    February 11th, 2009 at 9:39 pm

    FRIENDS, THIS PARTICULAR WRITE-UP CAME OUT IN SUNSTAR DAILY YESTERDAY, FEBRUARY 11. I THOUGHT I MIGHT REPOST IT HERE IF YOU WANTED TO SEE THE ORIGINAL VERSION. I WAS RIGHT, THEY’RE GONNA CHOP IT DOWN BECAUSE IT’S TOO LONG FOR AN OPINION PAGE. THERE ARE PARTS YOU WOULD’VE WANTED TO READ (OR I WOULD’VE BEEN HAPPIER FOR YOU TO READ), ESPECIALLY MY REACTION TO AND COMMENT ON BASELESS ALLEGATIONS. AT ANY RATE, I’M THANKFUL TO SUNSTAR DAILY FOR THE SPACE. MAY THIS ENLIGHTEN SOME PEOPLE’S MINDS. GOD BLESS, CEBU!

    The Glitch and Glamour: Burdened by ‘the beauty & the best’ of Miss Cebu
    By Ariel Allera
    Pageant Coach, A.D. Models Philippines
    Style Scribe, StyleFirm

    This is in reaction to myriad scuttlebutts around the Miss Cebu 2009 controversy , as though not only pageant fanatics but also the people in general have been feasting on the topic based on what they’ve heard on radio, seen on T.V., let alone read in the papers. It’s quite burdening to note that some came up with reports, both written and spoken, as if they were missologists who knew much about pageants and the ropes.

    It stems from just one minor award given out during the selection cum coronation night held last January 14 at the Pacific Grand Ballroom of Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino. The award in question is Globe Texters’ Choice, which went to Kris Tiffany Janson. While such must’ve gone to Kimberley Burden, because the latter was in the lead on the survey, it’s not in any way Janson’s fault that her name was called. The spectators present at the venue, not to mention the televiewers who were watching the event live on Studio 23, didn’t have any inkling to whom Globe Texters’ Choice award was supposed to go.

    No less than Kris herself was quite taken aback on the spot, because the latest she’d heard about the poll was that it was Kimberley who was leading. Matter of fact, when she was proclaimed the winner, she was hesitant to come forward, until she was completely sure it was her name having been called out by the host. Janson’s supporters were as surprised at the announcement, thinking that maybe, just maybe, her votes had surpassed Burden’s at the eleventh hour.

    Kris Tiffany Janson’s bagging the Miss Cebu 2009 crown at the end of the night had nothing to do with the special awards she had garnered prior to the coronation, as well as those she had acquired several nights ago when the candidates were first presented to the public in a fashion show held at the Fuente Osmena Circle. Quite a number of Miss Universe delegates ended up as winners without any special award in the first place. We can only wish that, before anyone dared to write something about this, they should have followed on prestigious pageants like Miss Universe, as religiously as they keep themselves abreast with current issues…so that they would’ve known that Miss Universe 2007 Riyo Mori of Japan didn’t get any special award before her crown was relinquished by Puerto Rico’s Zuleyka Rivera (Miss Universe 2006), who wasn’t awarded with any trophy or whatever prior to her coronation. Canada’s Natalie Glebova won the Miss Universe title in 2005 despite her not getting any minor award. The three successive years had our country’s delegates (2007 Bb Pilipinas Anna Theresa Licaros, 2006 Bb Pilipinas Lia Andrea Ramos, 2005 Bb Pilipinas Gionna Cabrera) winning the Miss Photogenic special awards, respectively; however, they were unplaced in the final slot. In 1999, Miriam Quiambao won as Clairol Herbal Essences Style awardee and Spain’s Diana Noguera got both the Best in Swimsuit and the Best in Gown special awards, but then Mpule Kwelagobe eventually edged them out by wearing the Miss Universe crown on her way back home to Botswana.

    For 25 years now, Miss Cebu organizers have maintained their opulent taste in choosing the right people with the trained eyes for beauty, the keen ears for the sensible brains to match. Unfortunately (read: addressed to the ones who pretend to know something), this search doesn’t have a swimsuit competition. The fact that Janson was adjudged Miss Cebu would mean no more than that the judges saw her potentiality to be Cebu’s next official ambassador of goodwill, spokesmodel for young Cebuanas, voice to the world. Kris was indisputably a stand-out amongst everyone’s bet—what with her lovely face, her vibrant personality, her classy style, her regal carriage, her good breeding, let alone her no-nonsense answer to the final question. Any intelligent audience can attest to all of the above.

    How could they question the credibility of judges Tweetie de Leon-Gonzales and Katrina Holigores? Now, some people are making insinuations that both judges must’ve accounted a lot for Kris’s victory because she had been in one of Tweetie’s and Katrina’s modelling workshops in FTV-Philippines. Dear friends, Metro Magazine’s Katrina Holigores was judging only the Best Fashion Designer (Oj Hofer) as well as the Best in Evening Gown awards (take note: the latter went to Rizzini Alexis Gomez). Isn’t it shallow?

    The pageant is not just for anybody who comes to the Cebu City Tourism Commission Office and goes through the process with at least a five-feet-four stature, a beautiful face, a well-curved body, a fair-complected skin, a mind that contains her canned answers to hackneyed questions. The commissioners aren’t a dumb bunch of organizers who will give the last slot to whoever can fill in the blank. Which is why a string of screenings are completed before the list of official candidates is finalized. It is downright ridiculous that, after all, it seems easy for some to say that Kris Tiffany Janson had not undergone the screening process before she was enlisted as one of the 12 official candidates to the 2009 Miss Cebu Search.

    It was about 2:00PM on January 29 (Thursday) when Kris and I were together in Ayala Center, en route to Starbucks, where we were supposed to sit down on our interview for my entertainment article, when we received a text message from Dexter Alazas (her mentor, managing director of A.D. Models Philippines and StyleFirm) saying that there was a formal complaint to be filed against them for violating a pageant rule that prohibits the candidates’ parents, handlers, and agents from being present in any official pageant activity. It was later stressed that Dexter attended the press conference at the Cebu City Hall and also the Miss Cebu pre-pageant night at the Fuente Osmena Circle.

    Dexter had just arrived from Puerto Princesa, Palawan, together with Jam Charish Libatog, fresh from her victory at the Mutya Ng Pilipinas pageant the night prior. Being last year’s Miss Cebu 2nd runner-up and another Cebuana who just did Cebu proud, Jam was brought straight to the Cebu City Hall where a press conference was being held for the Miss Cebu 2009 candidates, hosted by reigning queen Sian Elizabeth Maynard, attended by Libatog’s fellow runners-up from the previous year and, of course, members of the press. Dexter’s presence that evening was highly regarded because, for one, he’s the manager of Jam’s and, on the other hand, he’s a fashion columnist of The Freeman newspaper and so he had every reason to participate in the so-called question-and-answer taking place in the room. Was that hard to understand?

    True, Dexter was also present at the pre-pageant night held at the Fuente Osmena Circle. And why wouldn’t he be? He’s the one who designed and provided for all the 12 red evening gowns that the candidates were wearing at the finale of the fashion show. Is this harder to understand?

    Anyhow, Kris and I then decided to just go straight to CCTC office where Dexter was awaiting. We couldn’t help laughing up our sleeves because, how could Kris have been enlisted as official candidate if she hadn’t passed through the screening? We were all just watching the video that contains the file of that said screening where Kris’s first runner-up Rizzini Alexis Gomez was with her, standing before a panel of commissioners who were interviewing them. It wasn’t in any way intended as a special screening for Kris and Rizzini, because there were two other girls scheduled to undergo such but didn’t show up for school reasons, because the list of official candidates was not finalized yet, because the last two applicants (Kris and Rizzini) were not difficult to fill in the blank. And w hat do they mean Kris failed to submit her curriculum vitae? There was the official Miss Cebu application form which every aspiring candidate filled out as a prerequisite for the screening. If that’s what they mean, maybe it’s time they knew its definition and the difference between the two.

    Somehow, when thoughts are clouded with sour grapes, the mind becomes restless over nothing more or less than false accusations, a by-product of sheer envy and pure jealousy. Please bear in mind, this is not addressed to the Burdens. It doesn’t carry a wisp of insinuation for anybody following on the controversy, for we believe that hate is too great a burden to bear it injures the hater more than it injures the hated. William Shakespeare wrote, “A wretched soul, bruised with adversity, We bid be quiet when we hear it cry; But were we burdened with like weight of pain, As much or more we should ourselves complain…”

    Instead that we keep pulling the strings of Kris Tiffany Janson or try to lift the precious 25th Miss Cebu crown from her head, why don’t we support the lovely Cebuana in her cause so that, together, we make Cebu go over with a bang in the next 25 years… and beyond?

16. juan Says:
    February 12th, 2009 at 1:20 am

    To: Miss Kris Tiffany M. Janson,

    You’re endowed with such an awesome charismatic appearance. Venus personified. Goddess of Beauty.
    Your stage presentation was absolutely spectacular and magnificent. Truly a wonderful performance. Really a giant leap for you.

    You brought honour and glory to our beloved alma mater.

    What will always be treasured deep in my heart is your answer.
    No matter how far or how wide I roam,
    I still call Cebu my home, my paradise.

    Reminds me of T. S. Elliott’s “We shall not cease from exploration. But at the end of all our explorations, we will go back to where we started, only to know the place for the first time”.

    When will I go back to live permanently in Cebu? Maybe this year. Maybe next year. Maybe never.

    Yes, accepting reality. The life we lead is almost always not the one we want to live but the one we are forced to live in order to survive.

    Vaya con Dios. Always remember that life’s a rollercoaster ride. Whatever happens, keep smiling. Life is just a joke. A comedy of errors.

    From,
    A Lonely Cebuano Drifter

17. juan Says:
    March 3rd, 2009 at 12:58 am

    To: Miss Kris Tiffany M. Janson,

    Guess you’re having a real baptism by fire. This is your first time, made it with an astounding success, and, now, confronted with countless controversies. But if you get through this, you’ll get through anything.

    I’m one of the many observers from all over the world. You could say, we’re your newly acquired fans. We’re not interested in vote count or whatever politics behind the scene.

    Also, as somebody pointed out in another site, they owe you an apology, too, for making the mistake. In effect, the apology was biased. Taking you for granted.

    The consensus among us is that nobody deserves the crown better than you. Miss Burden is certainly a far cry from you. As someone put it: she has the body of a wrestler; not to mention badoy mag-ininglis. Miss Gomez is much closer to you.

    If promoting tourism is the main objective of the pageant, then, paramount consideration should be given to our feedback. We are Cebu’s prospective tourists.

    Besides, we’re the ones who packed up our few wordly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life. Sending money. Helping Cebu’s ailing economy.

    The issues didn’t come to me as a surprise, though. Not unusual for one’s catapult to fame and glory to bring about envy and jealousy. Made one vulnerable to intrigue. Remember the mighty Julius Caesar? At a tender age, he attained power. What subsequently happened were conspiracy, and, eventually, assassination. Remember his last words? “Et tu, Brute”? So, be warned.

    Just follow what your heart says and you will never be lost.

    From,
    A Distant Admirer

18. juan Says:
    March 3rd, 2009 at 12:59 am

    Just want to point out that whoever apologized to Miss Burden should also make a similar apology to Miss Janson. Otherwise, it won’t look good on her. People might suspect that there was a conspiracy to make her win. An apology made to Miss Janson will tell the world that she has nothing to do with the mistakes made.

    Whatever, I’m sure everybody’s not terribly in love with this controversy. Bad publicity. Bad for Cebu’s tourism business. Definitely, won’t help Cebu’s ailing economy. The economic downturn has a much greater impact on poor nations than on rich ones. So, when will this fighting end?

    The attack is now against individuals. Not against the system. As such, it’s no longer after justice. It’s seeking revenge.

    The pageant is not a perfect system. There’s always room for improvement. Bringing out its imperfections to help institute reforms is a brilliant idea. But personal vendetta is pitifully childish. Plain arrogance and selfishness. Most disgusting is withdrawing. No spirit of camaraderie. Satisfies her ego? Only humiliates her further.

    As Pres. Obama said, “the time has come to set aside childish things”.

    Yes, it’s now a mess. Why? Because someone, with a wrestler’s body (I didn’t say this), wants to be beauty queen. Had this happened, I’d still call Cebu paradise – a paradise of freak women. And I’d invite everybody to watch the next Cebu pageant – the greatest freak show on earth.

19. ceblogger Says:
    March 3rd, 2009 at 2:08 am

    @juan, i think the controversy had settled now. miss janson will make it through. One’s freak may be a masterpiece to another.

    Cebu will survive with or without the beauty pageants.It’s just unfortunate that these things happened in such a prestigious pageant.

20. juan Says:
    March 4th, 2009 at 6:01 am

    @ceblogger

    Allow me to liven this up a little bit. Hope you won’t mind.

    “i think the controversy had settled now.” So I heard. The mayor really gave his team a good kick in the butt, did he?

    “One’s freak may be a masterpiece to another.” This isn’t the point. There are selection criteria, standards, etc. Otherwise, why hold a beauty pageant?

    Speaking of Miss Burden’s wrestler body, so obvious her vital statistics is way off. But can be fixed. I think due to lack of exercise and junk food. Her mom, being a doc, would know better. Being an ex-beauty candidate herself, her mom would have told her. Had Miss Burden done something about it, she’d be more shapely than Miss Janson.

    Guess, as one said, she’s just a spoiled brat. Does show on her face. In fact, she recently proved it. Wreaking havoc to the pageant.

    But I think many men prefer spoiled brats. Remember Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew”? Must admit that that naughty face is very sexually appealing. Love to tame her.

    “Cebu will survive with or without the beauty pageants.” This isn’t the point, either. Again, otherwise, why hold a beauty pageant?

    Did Miss Burden rejoin the team? Think better she does. Form a tag team with Miss Janson and “fight” the system. I mean, take out the dirty linens hidden in the cupboard, so to speak. So, those lazybones will wash them. Improve the pageant. Otherwise, history will repeat itself. Both of them know better than anybody else where those dirty linens are. Just a suggestion only.

    Finally, did they apologize to Miss Janson as well? Didn’t see it anywhere.

    Thanks for your feedback. Always interested in them. If everybody agrees with me all the time, my life would be boring.

    Have a nice day.

21. juan Says:
    March 5th, 2009 at 2:48 am

    Would like to add something.

    Congratulation to Mayor Tomas Osmena for a job well done! Really a good skipper. The best to brave this stormy weather. Inspite of his ill-health and far from home, he’s still on his job. A dedicated leader. Another SHS-J alumnus his alma mater can be proud of.

    If only there were many Cebuanos like him …..

    All the best for him. Hope he’s now out of the woods. Think I should say the same for Miss Janson – in different situation.

    Know what? Historically, no black has become USA president. Pres. Obama disproved this. No Jesuit alumnus/alumna has become Philippine president. One day, Miss Janson will disprove this.

22. juan Says:
    March 9th, 2009 at 9:15 am

    Want to expand an earlier message but don’t know how to edit it.

    *****

    Think it’s better for Miss Burden to rejoin the team. Renew the camaraderie. As Pres. Obama said, “… time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed”. Pick herself up. Dust herself off. And help the group in the work of remaking the pageant. Everybody knows synergism produces a greater result than the sum of individual ambitions. Interdependence better than independence.

    “Never doubt that a small group of committed, thoughtful citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

    Form a tag team with Miss Janson and “fight” the system. I mean, take out the dirty linens hidden in the cupboard, so to speak. So, those lazybones will wash them. Present a better pageant next time; a better tourist attraction; help Cebu’s ailing economy. Otherwise, history will repeat itself. Both of them know better than anybody else where those dirty linens are.

    *****

    On one hand, possibility that the vote was corrupted. And on other hand, possibility that the mistake was deliberate. Conspiracy vs counter-conspiracy. Nothing new really. Mankind’s been playing this type of game since the dawn of time.

    In this game, both of them were the pawns. Later, the victims. So happened that one had a mighty queen lurking behind – protecting her. But the other was defenseless. They didn’t care about her. They didn’t even give her the courtesy of an apology. Absolutely pathetic. They were only protecting themselves – their own vested interests. Disgusting!

    I don’t disagree that the last pageant was a great success inspite of the mistakes made. But there will always be room for improvement.

    *****

    Speaking of Miss Burden’s wrestler body, so obvious her vital statistics is way off. But can be corrected. I think due to lack of exercise and junk food. Her mom, being a doc, would know better. Being an ex-beauty candidate herself, her mom would have told her. Had Miss Burden done something about it, she’d be more shapely than Miss Janson.

    As Pres. Obama said, “… greatness is never a given. It must be earned.”

    The pageant has not been the path for the fainthearted — for those who prefer leisure over hard work. Rather, it is for the risk-takers, the ambitious. Risk defines life.

    Guess, as one said, she’s just a spoiled brat. Does show on her face. In fact, she recently proved it. Wreaking havoc on the pageant.

    But I think many men prefer spoiled brats. Remember Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew”? Must admit that that naughty face is very sexually appealing. Love to tame her.

    In a way, think she’s tame now. Hopefully, we’ve seen the end of her mischiefs.

    *****

    All’s well that ends well. As Dr. Albert Einstein said, “Opening up yet another fragment in the frontier of beauty”.

    Cebu is a frontier of beauty. But can only be appreciated from a distance. I believe it is an obligation for every overseas Cebuano to help, in any way he can, make Cebu a better place to live in.

    As Pres. Obama said, “to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders”.

    Indifference is a weapon of mass destruction. Get involved.

    “Without tradition, our lives will be like the fiddler on the roof”. (from the movie “Fiddler on the Roof”)

23. ariel allera Says:
    March 9th, 2009 at 2:45 pm

    (THIS PARTICULAR ARTICLE CAME OUT IN THE FREEMAN DAILY A FORTNIGHT AGO. I’M POSTING IT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THOSE WHO WEREN’T ABLE TO GRAB A COPY OF WHICH. THANKS AND GOD BLESS!)

    MISS CEBU 2009: God’s Will and Kris’s Grace
    By Ariel Allosada Allera

    Despite controversies and all the hullabaloos Kris Tiffany Janson is beaming her reign as the 25th most beautiful lady Cebu has recently enthroned. To date, the 19-year-old Management Accounting Carolinian has been wearing her illustrious crown as gracefully as she made a stride towards her crowning moment during the Miss Cebu 2009 Search a few weeks ago.

    “What an experience it has been. I’m still quite surprised at the thought of being Miss Cebu, since I never ever dreamed of joining a beauty contest, although my grandmother used to tell me as a little girl that I should be a beauty queen when I grow up,” Kris recalls.

    Prior to the pageant, Kris admitted to not being inclined to pivoting on the world of pageants, although her sweeping background in modelling would have triggered the decision to give it a shot. She thought, should she join the prestigious Miss Cebu, she might as well make up her mind for the next year’s search. She discloses, “Some inner voice was telling me that it’s God’s will for me to join, that it’s going to be the right time, that I should go out there and encourage others by my example to believe in themselves.”

    Divine intervention, that is.

    True to her word, the first-time candidate shone on the pageant night, and eventually outshone the seasoned some. “I couldn’t believe my confidence while I was on stage, but I knew that God was taking charge of every moment, because I was in a state of grace. All along I never doubted His power to help me cast my fears aside,” the God-fearing Cebuana beauty testifies to her faith.

    Kris may be classified as Cebu’s most bankable print-ad model, as well as one of the city’s most favorite runway mannequins, but then she’s not one to vaunt her feats. A member of a devout Catholic family and a student of a train of Catholic learning institutes from grade school to college (viz: St. Benedict Childhood Education Centre, Sacred Heart School-Jesuits, De La Salle University, University of San Carlos), it will just be a piece of cake to tell that Kris has breeding, her faith in God is firm, and her humility is such that she’s one to keep a low profile no matter how many billboards she’s on, or how many times people have seen her in glossies, or the many prominent runways she’s catwalked on.

    During the “L’Amore Bridal Fashion Show” one weekend, the 2009 Miss Cebu Kate Mossed the Style Lounge of ParkMall in the Reclamation Area, together with her colleagues at A.D. Models Philippines, donning the exquisite creations of Cebu’s top couturiers. Kris wowed the crowd as the latter oohed and aahed at the beauty queen and the supermodel wannabe who was strutting the venue in a Dexter Alazas.

    “I enjoy modeling. My highest goal here is to become a Ford Supermodel, like my fellow A.D. model Verns Buckley who was blessed enough to penetrate the international scene. In the meantime, I want to concentrate on my responsibilities as Miss Cebu 2009, which I’m enjoying a lot. I would like my reign to be uniquely enriching not only for me but also for every Cebuano,” Kris explains.

    Hence, how would Kris Tiffany Janson like to be remembered amongst the 25 Miss Cebus? “Well, every one of us would’ve worn our respective crowns as beautifully as we would’ve lived up to our title uniquely,” she retorts graciously.

    A Miss Cebu’s reign embodies a year-round itinerary of commitments, all for the good of Cebu and its people that proudly put Kris in the forefront as an emissary of goodwill. But as far as her personal crusade is concerned, the altruistic young lady shares, “My mentor Dexter Alazas and I are working on a campaign which we fondly call ‘Trash to Cash,’ wherein we’re going to turn scrap fabrics into dolls, design clothes to be made of fabric combinations and patchworks, recycle other alternative garments for livelihood. We’re going to talk the Clothes for Life Foundation into supporting us in this cause.”

    “Trash to Cash” is aimed at putting into the public domain, particularly the Cebuano populace, its inspiring and feasible alternative to respond to the current global economic crisis which, apparently, is unravelling at great speed.

    “I take it as part of my platform being Miss Cebu 2009 to somehow make a difference in the lives of everyone. As a model, this particular project is my way of reciprocating all the perks that I get in the fashion industry. And because we’re all affected by the international economic system, I believe it’s a good response. By the way, who says it’s impossible to remain stylish during times of economic harship? After all, it’s fun to be a recessionista,” the responsible yet sensible Cebuana justifies, as gracefully as she tunes in to that voice within her where she finds the divine confidence to live out her reign to the fullest. (laraduttallerariel@yahoo.com)

24. juan Says:
    March 15th, 2009 at 9:25 am

    @ceblogger

    Just doing a “post-mortem”. Or, you could say, just being a pain in the …..

    Don’t think this has anything to do with justice or fairness. More inclined to believe seeking revenge. Not due to wrong done. But due to being outwitted.

    Considering a possible scenario …..

    On one hand, can’t understand how one, with a wrestler’s body, garnered such an overwhelming number of votes.

    On other hand, to say “honest mistake” is a cute excuse. Unless, perhaps, a last moment giant leap in vote count. Further makes sense when one considers why no apology was made.

    Besides, that catapult to fame was too good to be true. More like being groomed. Her stage presentation was too spectacular relative to the others. For a first timer, …..

    Nothing wrong in grooming one with potential. But, certainly, won’t discount the possibility of favoritism.

    Not uncommon for two well-connected families to rival each other for prestige, honour, fame, glory, etc. And, of course, the almighty peso. Lots of it. Won’t be surprised if, one day, ‘Kris Tiffany Janson’ labels will be on expensive fashion gowns, swimsuits, etc. Expensive because of the label. Her pic will be on product ads, etc. This list could go on and on.

    Nothing wrong with that, though. Nothing wrong with earning as much as one can. Do admire Miss Janson. She’s smart, hardworking, and ambitious. Sure to go far.

    Understand now why Miss Burden is only too unhappy not to win the crown?

    But that isn’t the point. The ultimate question, simply, is whether all candidates were given EQUAL opportunity to win the crown.

    Setting aside the event, I’d say Miss Gomez is the loveliest of them all.

    As Pres. Obama said, “… — and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended …; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.”, “For the world has changed, and we must change with it”.

    Believe it’d be in Cebu’s best interests not to let Pres. Obama’s words fall into deaf ears.

25. juan Says:
    April 3rd, 2009 at 10:36 am

    Just for fun.

    Thought we’ve seen the end of Miss Burden’s mischiefs. More like they’ve only just begun.

    Good on you, Miss Burden! Give those lazybones real good kicks on their butts. So, they’ll reform the pageant. Transform it into a fragment of real (not perceived) beauty in Cebu’s frontier.

    Oh, really love to tame that spoiled brat! Starve her and that freak’ll galvanize into a stunning beauty. A tornado and a hurricane all wrapped into one. No doubt about it.

    Indeed, that naughty face is very provocative. Have that irresistible urge to perform a ritual on her that’ll, shall we say, exorcise her ego. That’d be my greatest pleasure.

    It’ll be the most humiliating experience in her life. But I’m sure she’ll enjoy it. Just for the taste of it.

    Do it like a wild beast. Correction. As a wild beast. Must admit when it comes to that, I’m a wild beast. Yes, it’ll be beauty and the beast.

    No worries. I’m only uglier than King Kong. Ugly is in the eyes of the beholder, don’t you agree? And speaking of King Kong, didn’t that lovely lass he carried fall in love with him?

    Hope she won’t wrestle me, though. Otherwise, I’ll have to run for my life.

    Guess the mayor’s paying a high price for calling her Miss Cellphone. Perhaps, he never heard the saying, “I’d rather face the mouth of a hungry lion, than face the mouth of an angry woman”.

    Looking at the positive side, it’s become a stimulus for her to “fight” the system. Frees his team to devote more time to more pressing matters. Smart move.

    Shouldn’t be his team’s job, anyway. Just an escape for them, then, while the mayor’s away.

    In fairness to Miss Burden, I do believe in the saying,
    “You only live once,
    and life’s too short.
    Take time to do mischiefs,
    otherwise, life’s isn’t worth living.”