Laoag, Ilocos Norte, Subic, Manila, Negros Occidental, Bacolod City and now Mindoro.
So many places, so many girls, so little time.
We stayed overnight in the L’Fisher Chalet Hotel after the talent competition. I was glad that the 11 of us girls with “no talent” (actually we have talent, just not the kinds you see on stage. haha) got a sort of night off. Still, we were required to go on stage prior to the actual competition to introduce ourselves to the guests present.
Then came the competition proper. 15 girls danced, sang and shook their booties to impress the judges. Cant say all were impressive but there were some that definitely stood out owing to its technical difficulty. Some wise person once said talent is being able to do something others find difficult. How very true. Miss France, Nepal, Tahiti and Brazil thus were truly deserving of their spots in the Top 5.
Today’s agenda in Mamburao was a hectic one. We visited 3 schools – an elementary school, a pre-school and a high school. The reception by the kids, regardless of their ages, was heart-warming. Some greeted us with shy smiles, brilliant smiles or even embarrassed ones as we blew kisses out. The high school kids especially swarmed around us within 3 seconds as we entered their compound. Even as we were leaving they banged on our vans and screamed our names. Not wanting to disappoint them, we opened our windows and shook their hands evoking louder screams and frenzy in the insane crowd. That probably gave our security headaches that would last them the whole day. Now I know how Hollywood celebrities feel. Haha. But seriously, I see the look of worry and stress in the faces of our security personnel and chaperones and know how dangerous the mob can be if things go out of hand.
We usually stay a night in most towns we visit so we hardly ever get to unpack our luggage and fully enjoy the comforts of the hotels we check in to. It’s quite exciting having to live out of a suitcase but I’m thankful I usually put things back where they go in my luggage so I can keep proper check of my stuff. Things can go missing or get mixed up easily since we’re living 2 or 3 a room.
Other than that, the one biggest fear I have of living out of a suitcase is leaving any of my personal belongings in the hotels we stay in. Especially since we’re moving around so much, leaving any item in the previous location would mean losing it forever. The worst is if you’re borrowing someone else’s belongings and you happen to lose it. How do you explain and account for the lost item?
If there’s one piece of valuable advice that the previous winner gave me before I came here, it’s this: Be self-sufficient.
And those will be the same wise words I pass on to my successor.
On a happier note, we got some free time today to go swimming. Chillaxing for the win! The governor of Mamburao opened his private beach to us and while some hung out under the villa in hammocks, a handful of us went swimming. The cold water soothed our skins and provided respite from the heat of the afternoon.
Chatting about our individual lives, it was as if we’ve been friends for so long and were just having a girly day out. Cultural differences, language barriers and especially geographical distance of our countries did not matter at that point in time and we could, for that moment, relax as friends gathered from all over the world.
