Gionna one of Miss U favorites

Curtain-raisers:

• There’s something "new" in Angelika dela Cruz and Nancy Castiglione in case you haven’t noticed. Angelika has her chin extended while Nancy has something done on her nose. But they looked better before the enhancement, didn’t they?

• Ogie Diaz and Niña Corpuz are out of ABS-CBN’s Showbiz No. 1, now only with Rica Peralejo and Dominic Ochoa as main anchors. Could it be true that JC Cuadrado is also "disappearing" soon?

• Readers’ reactions: From Gayle Montanez of California – I’m a Filipino speech pathologist working here in California. I was reading your article about Kevyn Lettau where you mentioned "vocal chords." The true and correct name for "vocal chords" is "vocal folds." I just want to share this information with you since not many people really know it... From Jo Soriano – I want to share with you more facts about Hollywood movies about Bataan. There was Bataan, made in 1942; starring Robert Taylor and George Murphy, and Back to Bataan, made in 1945, starring John Wayne and Anthony Quinn.

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Hope springs eternal.

As the 2005 Miss Universe Pageant nears the homestretch in Thailand, with the grand finals set for May 30 (to be telecast live from 9 a.m. to 12 noon), we again keep our collective fingers crossed and hope (against hope?) that our bet, Gionna Cabrera, will bring home the country’s third Miss Universe crown (after Gloria Diaz in 1969 and Margie Moran in 1973).

According to Internet reports, Gionna leads the Asian bets, followed by Miss India and Miss Thailand, with Misses Colombia, Venezuela and USA among those "most likely" to make it to the semi-finals.

Here’s a report on Gionna and the Miss U activities by Funfare’s "beauty experts" Felix Manuel, Gery Yumping, Joey Cezeare and Francis Calubaquib:

2005 Bb. Pilipinas Universe Gionna Cabrera arrived in Bangkok last May 10. The 21-year-old stunner had just finished training in Colombia. Her roommate for the pageant’s duration is Miss Colombia, Adriana Tarud Duran. The following is an excerpt of her interview from the official Miss Universe website:

Name one person, other than your parents, who has had the most influence on your life. Why?

"My grandmother has been an inspiring figure in my childhood when I was taking care of her when she had a stroke. She narrated her life experience, raising my mom and her four siblings alone and before that struggling as an excellent teacher during the war years and after that, continuing to set an example of being a woman of strength."

What is the most interesting or unique thing that has ever happened to you (aside from winning your title) and/or what is the most interesting thing about you?

"The most interesting thing about me is my multi-talented personality. If I focus on one particular talent I know I would excel in it, be it singing, drawing/sketching, writing, designing clothes and/or being active in my preferred sport of swimming."

What is your career ambition and what are you doing or planning to do to accomplish that goal?

"I would like to gain experience in journalism as a reporter and/or broadcaster, furthering the aims of a good media person to disseminate factual information and upholding truth as the ultimate goal. I would like to become an ambassador of goodwill after that."

Describe where you were raised and what your childhood was like.

"I was born and raised in the Metropolis, having studied in private Catholic schools from primary to the tertiary level(s). My parents have always loved traveling with their five children of whom I am the eldest. I have been traveling since I was four years old, having been to a few Asian countries, Australia, Canada and the United States. Being exposed to different environments taught me to adapt easily to the different cultures and these educational experiences cultivated my curious mind as a child."

Even before the delegates started arriving in Bangkok, four Asian delegates have been touted as top favorites to win the crown or even repeat Asia’s domination of the Miss Universe Pageant which happened in 1988 when four Asian women got into the top five. Thailand’s Porntip Nakhirunkanok won the crown. Aside from Gionna, the three other stellar Asian beauties are:

Miss Japan Yukari Kuzuya, 21. She is 183 centimeters tall, making her the tallest Japanese candidate in the pageant history. Yukari is a professional model who trained in Paris and London shortly after being crowned Miss Japan. If she wins, she will be the second Japanese to wear the Miss Universe crown. In 1959, Akiko Kojima, a model from Tokyo, became the very first Asian winner.

The new Pond’s Femina Miss India-Universe is Amrita Thapar, 23, a post-graduate in fashion designing who has done some modeling. She considers India’s first Miss Universe, Sushmita Sen (who won in 1994 here in Manila), as her biggest influence. India has become a superpower in the pageant scene in the last decade or so; having produced two Misses Universe and four Misses World.

Miss Thailand Chanunporn Rodsachan, 22. The delegate of the host country speaks three languages. She is another favorite to win the crown. Being the delegate of the host country would not affect her chances of winning, she opined. It has happened in Puerto Rico in 2001, so it can happen again.

This is the second time Thailand is hosting the Miss Universe Pageant. In 1992, amidst the riots and protests against the government, the first edition of the pageant in Bangkok took place. Of Thailand’s 62 million residents, almost 10 million reside in Bangkok, known in Thai as the "City of Angels." The 223-year-old city, which is rapidly becoming one of the premier fashion capitals of the world, is a dazzling mix of towering skyscrapers, shimmering golden temples (including the amazing and not to be missed "Grand Palace") and unique shopping districts. The city is also home to many ancient canals, which once afforded Bangkok the title "Venice of the East."

Outside the city’s 200-plus mile perimeter, the landscape is diverse. From the lush green mountainous forests of Northern Thailand to the stunning tropical white-sand beaches along the Andaman Sea (home to some of the world’s best snorkeling and scuba diving places), the country offers a variety of scenic tours and relaxing destinations. During the three-week pageant period, family, friends and international media from all over the world will be in Bangkok while hundreds of millions of viewers will tune in for the live broadcast.

The pageant is being hosted by Matching Studio Public Company Limited, Bangkok Broadcasting & TV Company Limited and BBTV Productions Company Limited, three of the most prominent companies in Thailand.

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