Introduction
Hello everyone! My name is Christa Borja, and I have been given the privilege to be crowned as Miss Philippines UK 2015. For the last couple of months, it has been one of the most unforgettable and truly humbling experience that I will forever cherish. Who knew what I initially thought was a ‘silly’ idea turned out to be one of the greatest journey of my life.
Unexpected Entry
It was my older sister, Chriszelle who pushed me to join the competition. In fact, I actually missed the audition and few scheduled rehearsals that made me believe I’ve dodged the pressure bullet. But thanks to sister’s persistence, she was able to get in touch with Yulee Foster, last year’s Miss Philippines UK Winner, and persuade the event organisers to take me in last minute – then boom. Out of nowhere, I received a random text message from sissy confirming: ‘Yahoo! Pasok ka na! Rehearsals starts this Saturday’.
First Day
My first day is a summary of sweaty palms and pits (yes I said it), Not only I made bad impression to Yulee for being 1 hour and 30 minutes late (which btw, I had a valid reason for), but I also sucked at following all choreos for Latin, Hip-Hop and Ethnic. It was interesting to say the least. I’ve always loved dancing since I was a kid, however, the problem lies to the fact that I haven’t danced in a very long time. I haven’t moved a single (dancing) muscle since my cheering days at university. And 2 years worth of unmoved body, I felt stiff, rusty and awkward throughout the practice.
After my torturous first day, I went straight home and asked myself whether I was wasting my time. Contemplations re-occurred and I started to have second thoughts. My schedule was already swamped with 9-5 working hours on weekdays and if I was to join the competition it would mean that my weekends would be filled with rehearsals too, therefore, leaving me no time to rest. I felt stuck so I began to seek advice from other people. While many of my friends/family supported the harmless idea of joining, one opinion struck me the most: ‘Pano kung di ka naman manalo? Edi nasayang lang yung oras mo?’ The doubtful remark fuelled more fire in me. From that moment, I decided to use the negative judgment to pursue the crown and show everyone that I was worthy to be called Miss Philippines UK.
The Journey
One word: Exhausting! I believe most of the candidates (even the previous ones) can agree with me on this. Rehearsals can be draining whether it might be the length of travel that some candidates have to go through; balancing either part-time/full-time work with weekend practices or the endless hours of catwalks and dance routines. Indeed it was exhausting however, the experience was also fun. Never in my life I imagined that pageants could be this tough! And it didn’t take too long until I started to rely on energy drinks and skinny latte’s as if I was back at uni on my last year preparing for exams.
Knowing that I had quite a lot to catch up on, I started my weekend routine strictly at 6:00 am. No excuses. Tired or not, I knew I had to push myself. I practiced the choreos early before the actual rehearsal at 12:30 pm. I even practised the Hip Hop on my head whilst on the way to work and on the way back home.
For a first timer like me, I had no clue on what to wear, how to prepare for Q&As or how to walk on pageant shows. I realised that if I wanted to win this competition, it requires more than just memorising the dance steps. It also involves embodying a mind-set of what a true beauty queen should be. So I researched some of the most iconic Filipino Beauty Queens from the past. From Melanie Marquez, Gloria Diaz, Shamcey Supsup to Megan Young. Believe it or not, I sat in front of my computer for hours! I studied different commentaries about how each stood out from the competition, how they presented themselves and how they delivered their answers effectively. I also took inspiration from MPUK’s beautiful winners: Jacqueline Llaneza (2012), Kallula Dixon (2013) and of course, Yulee Foster (2014). I took notes of what they wore, how they walked, smile and pose. It was all about preparations! As soon as I finished work, I’d go straight home and practice my walk on heels, smiling and posing in front of the mirror while my cat watched me with embarrassment.
The most fun part of this journey (apart from winning the title) was shopping for my outfits and deciding my hair & make-up, after all, it is called a ‘beauty’ pageant for a reason. Luckily, I had great tips from my best friend, Crescent Samaco, who btw has the fiercest catwalk ever. She gave me advice that if you want to stand out, you’ve got to sparkle like a diamond on stage. Not only she taught me how to walk with attitude but she also gave me insights of the ‘pageant must-haves’. For instance, nails must only be red or french tips; dresses has to be sparkly –gold, silver or nude; and accessories have to be bold – the bigger it is, the better. It was like entering a new world and oddly enough, I enjoyed learning these things.
M a b u h a y 