Miss Universe 2005
If there was one thing I got out of the Miss Universe pageant, it was the energy. I'm telling you, the energy that was coming out of Impact Arena Tuesday morning was amazing. I mean, sure, I've been to my fair share of concerts, but this was unlike anything else I've ever experienced. Unlike other gigs I've been to in the past, it wasn't manic teenybopper hormones that was driving the crowd, but rather pure patriotic pride and all that good stuff. Kind of like the World Cup, except more glamorous.
The sets and backdrops were gorgeous in real life, as were the contestants.
And no, I'm so not jealous I'm not six feet tall. Really, I'm not.
(Yeah right.)
I gotta say major props to the Puerto Ricans. They were MAD CRAZY and sooo supportive of Miss Puerto Rico, what with their army of congas and plethora of waving flags. You couldn't help but let their energy rub off on you -- I loved it! The Venezuelan and Mexican supporters were also pretty wild, but still, the Puerto Ricans truly took the cake.
First runner-up, Miss Puerto Rico
As for the Thai crowd, they were great. I think Thais really dig the Latina look, because when it became pretty obvious that Miss Thailand wasn't going to make it to the semifinals, they started cheering like mad for Miss Venezuela, Miss Dominican Republic, and Miss Puerto Rico. Poor Europeans. The crowd was especially fond of Miss Canada, though I do think a large part of it had to do with the charming wai and "kob khun ka" she added to the end of her answers. :)
"Kob khun ka," says Miss Canada.
And the Thai crowd goes wild.
I'm pretty proud to say my Miss Universe radar is still on par -- all my predicted contestants made it to the final round, as did my mom's personal fave.
Someone was really disappointed when Miss Venezuela didn't win.
Still, she was stunning, and will you take a look at that hecka stellar dress?
Amateurs need not apply -- it obviously takes killer curves and a ton of confidence to pull off a dress like that!
Miss Dominican Republic was pretty darn tall.
She's also a dead ringer for Jennifer Garner, all the way down to her trademark dimples.
"What? Me?"
Miss Canada being crowned by Jennifer Hawkins, Miss Universe 2004.
Miss Universe 2005
It was a tough call, but Canada's Natalie Glebova was a fine choice for Miss Universe 2005. Still, it has to be said, Latina power sure was blazing through Bangkok Tuesday morning!
Latina Power
Anyway, before and during the show, we were entertained by four of our American neighbors sitting in the row directly behind us. From this point forth, they will be dubbed Loud Americans #1, 2, 3 & 4. (More after the jump.)
As they were being seated, Loud Americans #1, 2, 3 & 4 commented on the location of their seats:
Loud American #1: Oh, isn't this just great.
Loud American #2: What?
Loud American #1: Look who's sitting next to us.
[Loud American #2 peers at the group of people seated next to LA#1]
Loud American #2: What about them?
Loud American #1: They're CHINESE.
Loud American #2: How do you know?
Loud American #1: (smugly) I know my flags.
Loud American #2: Huh.
Loud American #1: Let's hope they don't fire a nuclear missile at us.
Before the live broadcast, when Loud Americans 1, 2, 3 & 4 were trying to signal to their friend sitting on the other side of the arena:
Loud American #1 : (standing up; on cell phone with friend) Jess, we're over here! On the other side! Next to China.
[Pause]
Loud American #1: China? Their flag's red. With, you know, stars on them.
[Pause]
Loud American #1: No, not like the American flag. They have, like, yellow stars.
[Pause]
Loud American #1: How can you not see the Chinese flag? It's only the size of J-Lo's ass. (sighs dramatically) Okay, here, I'm waving at you. Can you see?
[Pause]
Loud American #1: How can you not see me?!?!?! (stands up to wave at friend from across the arena, accidentally banging Lynn's head in the process) Josh and Bex are totally waving, too! We're standing up in our seats. Do you need us to get our entire row to do the wave for you?!
Pissed Off Thai Person Sitting in Front of Me: (to her friend; in Thai) Hai thay si (translation = for the love of God, literal translation = go die). Are they too stupid to tell their friend that they're sitting right in front of the camera on the right wing of the stage? It's that easy. Why do they have to make everything so complicated?
During the pageant, when Miss USA appears on stage for the swimsuit show:
Loud American #2: WOOOOO! CHELSEA! GO USA! WOOOOO!!!
Loud American #3: YEAH! USA! GO USA! YEAAAHHH!!!
Loud American #4: Dude, Chelsea looks nervous.
Loud American #1: Yeah, she kinda does. She also looks kinda fat.
Loud American #2: Huh. You're right, she kinda does.
Lynn: (thinking to self) Oh, COME ON. If she's fat then I'm a nine-hundred pound cow!
Before the live broadcast, when the judges were being seated.
Loud American #1: Oh my God! It's Carson Kressley!
Loud American #2: Who? Carson Daly?
Loud American #3: No! She said Carson Kressley. You know, from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.
Loud American #2: Ohhh, Carson Kressley. OH! MY! GOD! Carson Kressley!
Loud Americans #1, 2, 3: (squealing) Carson, WE LOVE YOU!!!
Pissed Off French Guy Sitting Next to Me: Ta gueule (translation = shut up).
Before the crowning, when it's down to Miss Puerto Rico and Miss Canada
Loud American #1: Oh my God, if Canada gets it, I swear I'm gonna scream.
Loud American #2: I KNOW! I mean, Canada?
Loud American #3: Dude, she doesn't even look Canadian.
Lynn: (thinking to self) And who are you to qualify what a Canadian should or should not look like?
Loud American #2: I know, I mean, how come she's so tan? They don't even get any sun in Canada.
Loud American #4: Puerto Rico! Go Puerto Rico! Boooo Canada! Canada sucks!
Billy Bush: And the first runner up is...Miss Puerto Rico! NatalieGlebovafromCanadaisMissUniverse2005!
Loud Americans #1, 2, 3: (screaming; evidently in much pain) OHMIGOD! I can't believe Canada won! AHHHHHH!
Loud American #4: (launches into that South Park song) Blame Canada...!!
Loud American #3: Dude, I'm so pissed. Let's go.
Loud American #2: Yeah, I'm leaving.
[LAs #1, 2, 3 & 4 get up and leave before the show even ends]
By the way, I wasn't, you know, eavesdropping or anything, but as my nickname for them clearly indicates, they were awfully loud. (I think it's more a matter of who didn't hear them.) Anyway, I don't know what was more entertaining -- the actual Miss Universe pageant or LAs #1, 2, 3 & 4. Whatever the case, I had a fun time. :)
Currently Playing: Dude (Looks Like a Lady) by Aerosmith, because no one can rock it quite like Steven Tyler, and I adore Aerosmith. Too bad everything on the radio nowadays is crap (hello, are you listening, Simple "get a clue, you are SO NOT rock and never ever will be" Plan?) Of course, I will humbly admit to being a bit of a Britney Spears fan. But that's, um, besides the point.
Currently Reading: Pride and Prejudice by the grandmother of modern-day chick lit, Jane Austen. This is the fourth time I've read this, and yes, Darcy still makes me swoon. (The fact that Colin Firth played him in the movie version has absolutely nothing to do with it. Really.)
posted by Lynn @ 10:57 PM
21 comments
21 Comments:
^%$%#%*&^*&^*&^*& - that's me swearing to the four loud americans.
Canada gets no sun?!?!?!? Up your butt, my dear loud americans. hahahaha..
you should have told them that you were thai and could speak english lynn.. they would have been surprised! :P anyways, i'm glad canada won, but i was really hoping ms. venezuela would win. she was so hot!
I really wanted Venezuela to win, too! It's a shame she froze up during the question round. Still, you're right -- she was HOT.
I did think about turning around and addressing LAs 1, 2, 3 & 4 and asking them to, you know, STOP BEING SO GODDAMN LOUD...butI'm too much of a wuss (though I think that snarky makeup lady at the Mall would disagree...hehe, REMEMBER HER?!). I guess they were loud because they didn't think anyone around them could understand what they were saying. I think they'd be surprised to know that while Thais in general may not speak the best English, they CAN understand it...pretty well, in fact.
Anyway, you should be happy b/c not only did Canada win, but the Philippines won Miss Photogenic! When they announced the winner, I kept thinking to myself, "Yay! I wonder if Arwen's watching?" :)
Wow it's so cooool that you attended the pageant! I was of course sadly enjoying it in my room here alone :( But I was too into it to realize how lame I must have looked jumping up and down by myself. I wish they would air the entire show here, I heard Marsha and a bunch of Grammy people sang!
My choice was Puerto Rico I was so sad when she had to scurry away after they said Canada! haha but I like Canada too, and yes for her lovely Thai etiquette. She'll be a great PR person!
-Pam
watched it with my sister and as always was in awe, every girl was perfect so I had no favorites. Great pics and I love the American story especially the bumbling of Carson's last name. About one dude per sentence seems about right.
I like it when you go off on bands like Simple Plan.
i still think ms.thai was cool.
u sud hv turn yourself into a "Loud Thai commentator in ENGLISH+THAI" instead to scare them a bit. 555!
keatix
Pam: Miss Puerto Rico looked sooo elegant and poised. Definitely top-rate Miss Universe material. And yes, Miss Canada would definitely make good PR material! Marsha and the Grammy folks didn't play at the show I was at, but maybe they played at the national costume, swimsuit, and evening gown shows which were held a few days before that?
James: Heh, yeah, the LAs were pretty generous with the "dudes." I'm actually OK with Simple Plan; I just don't get why they go around calling themself a rock band when they clearly aren't. :X
Keatix: I should have, huh? Maybe next time!
LOL... Loud A.s they sure were! You had a lot of patience, Lynn. A patience of a well-trained monk! Congrats! If it were me, I'm afraid I would have runined Thailand's reputation regarding hospitality. I wonder if we can just call the guard to haul them out or tell them sweetly that we are going to sue them if they don't respect other people's right to a noise-pollution-free show? Oh, no, I start to sound like an American. :-P
Am I the only one who thinks Ms Canada is the hottest? Well, may be I'm a leg person. Look at her gown! (gulp!) Whoa, I'd prefer this to Ms Venezuela's dangerous gown anyday!
Thanks for the story, Lynn. :)
Miss Universe was great this year... i was really going gor Miss Mexico and Miss DR but in the end Miss Canada was really one of the best and most respectful. hehe at least those loud americans got one thing right... Miss Canada is actually Russian, but being rasied in Canada for a good portion of her life does make her Canadian...
I really loved the sets, they were absolutely beautiful although i wanted to bang my head against a wall everytime Nancy O'Dell tried to say something thai and i cringed when you was speaking during one of the videos... and Billy Bush my gosh i wanted to smack him so hard, his thai may have been better than O'Dells but his mouth just keeps running! But oh well... even though Miss Thailand didnt make it past the first round I'm really proud of the job that Thailand did as a host country... go Thailand!
opps... thats me up there
May
hey congrats on ur dental school admission. i've only been to the dentist once in thailand, but the service is 10x friendlier than in america. i was surprised miss thailand didnt make it the first cut! in my honest opinion,they shoulda had B namthip up there.
Paddy: You're just like my brother! He was really disappointed with this year's nang sao Thai, too. When are you gonna be in BKK again? I feel really bad for not being able to meet up during April since I was out of town for Songkran.
Ben: Playing games and slaving away in front of the computer is suuuuch hard work. Sigh. I feel for ya, I really do. ;)
Nash: Haha, nah, I don't have any monk-like patience; I was just a bit of a wuss. :P
May: I couldn't help cringing at Nancy O'Dell and Billy Bush's appalling pronunciation as well, but to be fair, part of the blame should be put on the teleprompter...I could see it from where I was sitting, and this was how they spelled ขอบคุณคะ่: kap kun ka. =[ Heh. (And don't even get me started on ตุ๊กตุ๊ก.)
Mark: Yeah, I've noticed that the dentists here are much gentler with their hands, too. I used to be scared shitless of dentists when we lived in the States.
Nancy O' must be stunning in person.
I have no idea who the lady in the "beehive" is. :-) **click on the picture**
The crowd was REALLY wild! I really wanted Venezuela to win though... Still, Canada was still one of my fav.
Remember when Thailand didn't make it in to the Final 15? Yeah, that was bummer but when Norway got in, people still cheered for her! Must've been for her part Thai blood.
Urgg... I really wanted to let Venezuela get into at least the top 3... Oh well, at least all of my favorite ones got in - Venezuela, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Domincan Republic. Jeesh - talk about South American power!
Yup - those L.A. were REALLY loud but it was kinda amusing... Especially when they were trying to tell their friends where they were... Oh well, great show! [Still wanted Venezuela! lol..]
We miss you on xanga!!!
Oops, I didn't know Miss Universe had already been chosen :$ (or "picked" or "had won", I don't know how to say it)
Lol, the "loud american" part was hilarious.
I can try to e-mail you some of the songs I've been playing in my xanga, if you want! ^^
Take care!
haha well at least the telaprompter can take some of the blame, but somehow i have a feeling we would have cringed all the same... what was it? a tucktuck or a tooktook i really didnt think that it was that hard to say.... oh yea... wanted to say that i really love jennifer hawkins dress, usually dont like yellow but she pulls it off well, but heck she could probably pull off a trashbag as a dress.
thanks for the bday wishes too... =)
May
oh yea.... ive been all caught up on this miss universe talk that i forgot to say congrats!! i hope that your happy and that you get to do more writing than prodding around in peoples mouths!
wow... this has got to be a record 4 comments for one post =P
May again
that conversation was hilarious. they should have heard themselves talking. the last time i saw a beauty paegant one of the contestant thanked her horse. beauty paegants are fun:D
i didnt even know that Doraemon was the real name of that cute little blue. i only know him as: "ding dong" (that is how he is called in cantonese).
I love shin chan. i especially enjoy reading the first series. the ones, when his baby sister is born, it begins to lose its charm.
i saw the show on tv... sadly, beauty pageants dont do it for me anymore.. i used to be so excited and would beg my mom to allow me to stay up to watch it.. haha.. those were the days.. i thought miss indonesia was hot! but dang those latinas are sizzling!
-- chanta
hey lynn~ you moved back to blogger! :P
and wow you went to the miss universe pagaent~ that was awesome! only saw a bit here and there on tv and it looked spectacular~
any signs of trump? guess not since you didn't mention him. hehe~
anyway take care :D
Latina Power! I like that ;)
You seem to move a lot... you went from starryseas.blogspot.com to xanga then back to blogger! Anyway, good call... as long as you keep writing and posting nice pictures :)
Take care!
BG
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