Posts Tagged ‘pageants’

16
Oct
2010

Miss Earth Singapore crown

Some say winning a title puts the world on your shoulders. So you might say winning Miss Earth Singapore 2009 puts the Earth on my shoulders, but I beg to differ. Sure with the title, crown and sash came many responsibilities; responsibilities to my organization, to the lovely ladies in my court, my friends and family. But the most important responsibility I had was to Mother Nature. It’s been a year since I last landed the title and on Thursday, I handed over my crown.

I had mixed feelings about that night. My journey the past year has been a truly memorable one. Winning the title last year sounded like a huge calling: one woman for the environment. But the best thing about this newly bestowed power was finding out I was not alone in my cause. I realized that last November in the Philippines where I met 89 other gorgeous women who were all passionate about the same thing: creating change for our one home. We were all allies, competing allies if you must. But we were competing to see who would be able to make the biggest change for our planet; we were competing to be the voice of Mother Earth. One winner emerged but the month long challenge made us all winners in our own right. We could carry proudly of the growth in our hearts back home to our countries to further advocate for a better future. For me, the experience and growth from within was made all the more sweeter when I placed Top 16 internationally. The amazing experience of spending an entire month in a foreign country with beauties from all over the world will never be forgotten. I am thoroughly glad to have met these strong and beautiful ladies from all over the world who I know, without a doubt, will do good for our Earth.

Miss Earth 2009

Other than the Philippines, my journey as Miss Earth Singapore has brought me to many places, both literally and figuratively. I quote my very dear friend Miss Philippines Earth 2009 also Miss Earth Air 2009, Sandra Seifert, in her farewell speech: “The best thing about having all three (a crown, sash and title) is that when I speak, people listen.” Doors have opened and opportunities have been aplenty from the very beginning, and I am quite sure they will not stop.

My reign may have ended, but the winning never stops. Thus it heartens me, to know that my growth as an ambassador for our planet will not stop the once despite having handed the crown over. It is with our future children in mind that I will continue to push for greater awareness in the green movement. I am excited for the beautiful girl who has succeeded me. I have faith she will continue to do good and carry the title of Miss Earth Singapore to greater heights.

Miss Earth Singapore 09

Of course, my journey as Miss Earth Singapore 2009 in the last year would not be complete without the individuals who have lent their support to the Miss Earth Singapore organization. To my friends and my one and only beloved family, I thank you for standing by me unfailingly. You have supported me every single step of the way and I would not be the person I am today without your constant guidance.

Whether you’ve met me personally or not, I hope I have, in some way or another, inspired you to take baby steps forward in protecting our environment. I congratulate the new batch of girls for putting up an amazing show on Thursday and to my new queen Marcielle Wong, I am certain you will have the once-in-a-lifetime experience that only every girl can dream of in Vietnam if you open your mind.

Miss Earth Singapore 2010 Coronation
Photo credits: Chen Jinfu

Beauty, like I always say, is only a state of mind.

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16
Apr
2010

We often talk about how we can reuse, reduce and recycle to help the environment. But sometimes, I have to admit, it can be tough going green.

When it comes to old plastic and glass bottles, we generally use them as vases. But what can you really do with these bottles that will make a big difference to our environment?

How about using them to build cheap and stable houses? Sounds impossible?

Oh yes you can.

Someone in Mexico has done it. I was realllly impressed when I saw these photos so I thought I’d share it with you guys.

Isnt this amazing?!! The bottles are filled with sand and they provide great insulation. After all the painting, you really can’t tell it’s a house made out of plastic bottles! Definitely a very good idea if you ever need a house. Haha.

Share with me! What other eco-friendly things do you do with your plastic bottles?

Image source

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27
Mar
2010

Earth Hour is on hand! 3 and a half hours away in fact. In the spirit of going green, here are some things you can do for Earth Hour today.

If you’re intending to prune your trees, plants or even mow your lawn this Saturday (why you would do that on a Saturday I have no idea), gorgeous Miss Earth Venezuela, Jessica Barboza, has a tip for you. Not only is this girl a looker, she is also smart. Jessica is a lawyer and was one to look out for during the entire Miss Earth pageant. I remember seeing her for the first time and wondering how such a beauty could exist. She reminded me of Victoria Secret Angel Alessandra Ambrosio! But this beauty has an important green message to spread, and I’m sure she’ll do it well as 2nd Runner up of the Miss Earth pageant. Here’s her green tip from the Miss Earth calendar.

Instead of bagging cut grass, they can be left on the lawn to rot. These will decompose and contribute to soil enrichment.

We can do the same for our plants. If leaves dry up and fall off their branches, instead of throwing them away, sweep them up and put them back in the pot as fertiliser! You save money, save your plants and save Mother Earth.

During Earth Hour today, if you’re afraid of not knowing what you can do to entertain yourself, here are some fun things you can do while the lights are out and STILL reduce your carbon footprint!

1. Have a green dance party!
In the blackout hour today, call a few friends over to your place, get them all dressed in green, turn on the radio, pop in a feel-good CD and just dance your night away in the dark! One track I would recommend is Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance with Somebody. Such a classic feel-good song! While you’re at it, use a fan instead of the air-conditioner because air-conditioners are not environmentally friendly. Or just have your party outdoors!

2. Tell ghost stories in the dark
Turn off your lights, draw the blinds and curtains, light a solitary candle and huddle round in a room with lotsa pillows. Start by sharing your spooky stories and soon enough you find time has gone by in an instant! Even better if you could have your story-telling in the dark forest with tall looming trees in the background. Sets the ambiance don’t you think?

3. Go out for a romantic walk by the beach or in a park.
Air conditioners produce a LOT of CO2, more specifically 3605kg of it. But spending your night outside in the fresh air? 0kg. So why not take your loved ones out to the East Coast Park for a leisurely stroll and enjoy the beautiful sea breeze. You can also sit in one of our lovely parks and have a quiet tête-à-tête.

4. Star light, star bright.
Because of light pollution, it’s generally quite hard to star-gaze in our little island. But because tonight, we’ll have our lights off during 8.30pm to 9.30pm. Take this time to and act out the scene from Twilight. Go to a meadow, lie down and sparkle, watch the stars. No sunlight for you to sparkle in though. The stars, however, will twinkle in the dark night sky because it’s their time to shine.

5. Take a cold shower.
A hot shower will produce 110kg of carbon dioxide (CO2) but a cold one produces NONE at all! Some energy is used to deliver the water to the house but you can always try to reduce it by having two people in the shower. Hahaha!

Any other ideas for something fun you can do during Earth Hour in the dark? ;)

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26
Feb
2010

Last month, I started off with my green tip of loading your washing machine to its maximum capacity. I hope you did your little part in helping to protect the environment! Mother Earth needs us!

This month and the following others, I’ll be featuring the Top 4 winners of the Miss Earth contest! They’ll share with you their environmental tip; the little things we can do to help save the our planet.

Starting with the 3rd Runner Up, Miss Earth Fire: Miss Spain, Alejandra Echevarria Pedrajas.

Green tip: Use a bike when going on short distances. One less car on the the road means lower carbon emissions and cleaner air.

Increased carbon emissions in the ozone layer trap more heat and increase the greenhouse effect. This causes global temperatures to rise, damaging crops, changing weather patterns and melting icecaps. By reducing carbon emissions, we can slow down the greenhouse effect and prevent global temperatures from rising.

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19
Feb
2010

Given the numerous environmental issues we already face, I dont think we should have to deal with abandoned stray animals on our streets. So to encourage people to be environmentally friendly and protect our animal population, celebrity sex icon Dita Von Teese lends her sex appeal to PETA’s new ABC campaign.

From the Helping Animals website:
What does ABC stand for? Animal birth control, of course! PETA’s new ABC campaign tackles the issue of companion animal overpopulation and urges people to do their part by taking simple steps to help end this crisis.

Dita knows her ABCs and just how important animal birth control is. Every year, nearly 4 million dogs and cats are put to death in the U.S. because there are not enough good homes for them. Until we all do our part to put an end to this cycle, euthanasia will remain a tragic necessity.

In her ad, Dita urges fans to “bone up” on their ABCs and, if they are considering adding a dog or a cat to the family, to adopt from a local animal shelter and be sure to get their new family member spayed or neutered.

Good advice from the sexpert, I must say. I am a HUGE animal lover and seeing abandoned animals on the streets breaks my heart, much less thinking about the animals that have to be put down.

A pet is for life. If you’re intending to adopt one, be sure you will take responsibility to care for it, feed it and love it; an animal’s life, is still a life nonetheless.

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29
Jan
2010

I’m a calendar girl! Hahaha.

Okay. Well, sort of. The recent Miss Earth competition put all the girls competing in a calendar.

A green calendar, of course. We were all given a green tip and had to model the tip. It’s pretty fun to look at the calendar and the tips cause it reminds me of all the amazing girls I met and our strong messages for the environment. But that aside, they are helpful green tips that you can use everyday! It’s the small little things we can do for our environment that will make the bigger change.

Because not everyone can lay their hands on this limited edition calendar, Ima be nice and feature one tip a month with one hot girl of course. Haha. Who doesnt like to look at calendar girls right? I’m obviously starting off with me: Miss Earth Singapore, Valerie Lim. Picture self directed and shot outside my own house. Haha!

Green tip: Save energy by loading your washing machine to its full capacity.

Instead of washing a little laundry each time, load your washing machine to its maximum capacity and cut down the number times you have to do laundry.

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