Day 25...Chiang Mai

Hello,

Well we arrived safe and sound in Chiang Mai at around 6am. We knew it would be too early to check into the guesthouse but we thought we would chance our arm anyway. In the end we were able to leave our bags there for a few hours to wander around until it was time to check in. I won't bore you with details of the morning as it is the afternoon where the fun really started.

We went back to the guesthouse at around half one and was greeted by the owner, Annette, who also happens to be Irish. Her first question was are you under 25? Yes...Do you want to enter a beauty pageant? Ummmmm...Of course she used the good ol' phrase 'Just for the craic!!' - so how could I refuse. The entry form said however to be there for two o'clock which gave us half an hour to get the hotel and register...so quick march we went.

A little bit of culture for y'all. Chiang Mai has many festivals during the year, with one of its most popular and famous being the Flower festival which takes place usually on the first weekend in February since 1977. The whole town is awash with flowers of every colour shape and size with several parades and shows also going on. There is also the all important Miss Flower Bloom and Miss International Flower Bloom beauty pageant!!

At this point Dom's day and my day go in two extremely different directions so I will get him to write his own experience. Anyhoo, myself and twenty-five other contestants were dress in traditional Thai clothing and make-up. The clothing was in actual fact lots of pieces of material wrapped around you and pinned together. I also had this 'chain-belt' around my waist so tight that I could only breath in half way, and that doesn't even take into account the corset tight material around the chest. Breathing and the toilet were put on hold for the day!! The make-up was really extreme and Dom couldn't stop laughing, it actually looked like I had four eyebrows. What was quite funny as well was that the lighter the skin colour the darker they made it look and vice versa. So all the Asian girls (not Thai though, just international) looked as if they hadn't seen the light of days for years and I looked like an 'ompa-lumpa'. Anyway, I drew the line at having no mascara on so I snatched it off the table ran into the bathroom and applied it myself!! Its a girl thing.

A quick note: Dom and myself have different views on political correctness, so unlike in Doms version of todays events, I refuse to emphasise this point!! But...the day cannot be told without its mention. The women that were doing all the hair and make-up were not actually 'women' in the sense of the word but more of the physically converted type with quite extreme mannerisms. I think this provided the answer to why Thai clothes and make-up continue to be so extravegant. Read Doms version for more detail!! He apparently had close encounters...

Continuing on, we got given extremely unclear instructions about where we were to stand and what to do etc so with the whole situation being as clear as mud all 25 of us headed down to the stage area. Once at the stage we met up with the Thai girls who were taking part in the Miss Flower Bloom - wowee - the hair and make-up were to perfection - They looked as if they had been preparing for this moment their whole lives.

I actually found out at this point that we had to do a little speech/song/dance talent thing for 2 minutes on stage to which I freaked!! What an earth was I going to talk about!! Also I found out that those who came in the top three would have to answer a question each in the final and take part in the parade the following day to greet governors and stuff. But that was ok coz we had organised to go on our trek the following day so I wouldn't be available, not that I told them coz what were the chances!

We did the dress rehersal which still didn't clear anything up so I planned on playing it by ear when the time came. At this point I hadn't actually seen Dom for a couple of hours, he and one of the other girl's boyfriends had buggered off.

The pageant begun. The spotlights were going mad, the cheesy music was blaring and the hosts had really strong american accents that you would associate with sports commentators - the stage was set. I knew we had to go out twice, the first time in a straight line for everyone to glare at you and the second when you did the 'speech' and the 'walk/pose' on your own. The first apperance came and went, and the second was fast approaching for me. I was number 19 so I had seen 18 girls doing it before me meaning you would think that I would get it right - wrong, completely wrong.

I appeared in the back/middle of the stage knowing I had to walk elegantly and gracely to the microphone on the right as this was to be the taller of the two microphones on the stage. However, I so fixated on the right side that I didn't realise that the mics had been swapped. As the mic was so low on the right I spent my entire speech bent really far forwards to reach it (gracely though of course!). Once I had reached the mic I was supposed to say "Sawadekaa" which means something along the lines of 'Hello, god be upon you' (don't quote me on that though) - I must have tried about six times Sakeda, Saweedak, Sawah etc - im sure you get the picture - in the end I gave up and greeted the audience "Good Evening!". After the speech during the audience clapping, I was suppose to do the walk/pose on the front stage so the judges can score your elegance and grace! So nervous and wanting to run off the stage as quickly as possible I completely forgot! So all the judges saw was me talk and swiftly walk away! Unfortunately, I swiftly walked to the wrong place! Instead of continuing the obvious straight line the girls before me had made, I thought I was to go to the back and start a new one (I told you the instructions were as clear as mud). In saying that they must have been clear to the girl after me as she continued the straight line making it clear I had pretty much made an absolute eejit of myself. The best solution I could come up with was to 'Swan Lake' it to where I was supposed to be - I therefore ballet danced 4 meters across the stage!

Of course I was representing Ireland in the pageant so I thought it would be nice to talk about the Green Isle itself. All I really remember is finishing off the speech with the fine words "In Ireland we have a similar opportunity to participate in such a wonderful event called the Rose of Tralee, I unfortunately have never taken part in it so I am delighted to represent Ireland Internationally where I can hopefully bring Chiang Mai home with me instead." Looking back - In a round about way its true- but what a cheesy way to put it!

We then had to stand on stage for at least another 20 minutes continuously smiling (my cheeks were killing me at that stage, and I had run out of different ways to smile) while the judges were choosing the final three. Eventurally the drum roll went and believe it or not my number was called out!! This adrenelin rush lasted only a few seconds though as I now realised that I had to answer a question. Expecting it to be on world peace or something I was trying to recall the film Miss Congenialty. The question I got was "What do you think are the differences between the women of Thailand and your own country?" Well, after the 'women' that had been doing my hair and make up all day that was the main difference that sprang to mind. In the end I started saying that Thai women always seek to continue tradition and thats why Thailand has a strong culture of food and music and that this is dying trend (as more women are choosing to go to work, therefore tradition in Ireland needs to be revived." I would like to make my position clear on this statement though - It is wonderful Thai women are strong and look after the home/ children etc. But...I am in no way advocating that women should give up work even though it may sound like it - Independent women are the way forward!! Enough said. Anyhoo, the other questions were on flowers and stuff so im glad I didn't get that. After what seemed a lifetime of the judges deliberating the results were read out.......drum roll please - I came 2nd!!! My official title - Miss International Flower Bloom 2007 Runner-up.

My prizes were a 5000 Baht (Euro 100) voucher for Dinner in a certain Chiang Mai restaurant, a 3000 Baht (Euro 60) voucher for a professional photo shoot, a bouquet of flowers and a plaque. Oh, and I had the honour of greeting the governors at the parade the following morning. Unfortunately we were going trekking at 9am so I thought I could bow out gracefully, it turned out that the duties started at 7am and I could finish if I wanted at 8.30am - Doh! I had no choice, it was to be a 4am start the following day for more hair and make-up...

Overall an unbelievable day, a fantastic once-in-a-lifetime experience, but it wasn't over yet.

Regards for another day,

Roisin
Miss International Flower Bloom 2007 (Runner-up!)

P.S - I donated the dinner as a prize to an upcoming silent auction charity event which builds schools for the tribal children of Thailand, and I gave the photo shoot voucher to Karen (another contestant who I became friends with, she is also Daniels girlfriend - you'll have to read Doms entry to see the connection.) The bouquet went to Annette (the Irish lady who told me to do it for the craic!), and the Plaque will be forever displayed in our livingroom (when we get one!)