Published on May 13, 2005

With their dark skin, glossy hair and perfect bone structure, the beauty queens from Africa and the Caribbean have been courting plenty of attention from the local crowds as they visit Thailand’s temples and markets this week.

Some of the women also revealed to The Nation that this was their first trip overseas, and that – despite the tropical heat and hectic schedule – they were having plenty of fun discovering the country’s charms.

Miss Nigeria Roseline Amusu said that no matter what the outcome of the contest is, she was already proud to have been voted Miss Nigeria.

“Nigeria is a very big country with a large population, and I think everybody has come together to vote for me because I believe I can do it. They believe I can do it and they did a lot of voting and TV presentations, and my pictures are everywhere around Nigeria.”

Although not ranked as one of the favourites, the 21-year-old is confident that Africans are very beautiful people – on the outside as well as the inside – and have the requirements to reach the top.

The Nigerian beauty and English language student said this was the first time in her life that she had travelled. Despite being in Bangkok for just three days, she already loves the city and its enormously friendly people.

If her dreams come true and she wins the Miss Universe 2005 contest, Amusu wants to further her work with the heart foundation in Nigeria, describing the urgent need for hospitals where people, especially children, can be helped. At least 30 to 40 Nigerian children with heart problems die every day due to the lack of adequate facilities in the country, she added.

Miss Angola Zenilde Laurinda Josias might fool you with her beautiful smile but underneath the Angolan beauty is very much concerned about the civil war in her country. “I’m worried about my country so much because there is a new disease [war], and no cure now.”

She also displays a fierce determination to raise people’s awareness about the conflict in her country. “I want to get some help because we can’t do anything.”

Helping to inspire Miss Belize Andrea Elrington’s desire for the title, is the power she believes it would give her to help solve the HIV/Aids problems in her country. “For me personally of course it would boost my career more than anything else and it would give me a platform to expand the things that I’d like to do, for example [helping tackle] HIV/Aids. We believe it’s a big problem and having the title of Miss Universe would help and do something positive for the people in my country.

“For us to have a Miss Universe, somebody who can be an ambassador for the country and go out there and tell people about Belize and bring people back to our country and they can see what we have to offer, would be a great asset for everyone,” she added.

Miss Antigua & Barbuda Shermain Jeremy described the Caribbean islands of Antigua and Barbuda, close to Puerto Rico – “which I’m sure a lot of people can identify with” – as paradise.

“Antigua is paradise for everyone, the young, the old and the young at heart. It’s a tourist destination. People are so friendly and Antigua has 365 lovely white sandy beaches, one for every day of the year.

“That means you have to visit us more than once for all of the beaches.

“Barbuda is very exclusive, quiet and tranquil. If you’re the type of person who’d like to be exclusive and away from all the hustle and bustle, Barbuda is the place for you to be. Barbuda is also known for its pink sand, which is very unique in the Caribbean. Very few islands have that sort of sand. I’d like to invite all the people in the world – and in Thailand – to come to my beautiful country, Antigua & Barbuda.”

Comparing Thailand to her own country, Miss Jamaica Racquel Wright, 23, said: “The Jamaican people are very similar to the Thais.”

Wright said Jamaicans were just as friendly and as down to earth and that her agenda, and reason behind her decision to aim for the role of Miss Universe 2005, was to spread the beauty of her country to the whole world.

A graduate in political science and sociology, Wright said if she doesn’t win Miss Universe 2005, she would be attending law school this year. And if she does get lucky, she will postpone her study and concentrate on promoting education among the youth in her country.

“Kids are the ones who build the future of Jamaica,” she said, and she intends to concentrate on raising the level of political understanding by setting up a more interactive educational system.

Wright is also well prepared for the contest, having attended two months of preparation classes. The classes included voice and speech tuition, deportment lessons and – according to the beauty – it also gave her a chance to increase her knowledge of the world.

When asked what she brought with her from home, Miss US Virgin Islands Tricia Homer said: “I have some pictures and brochures about the Virgin Islands. It’s warm and beautiful. We have great beaches and the people are like the people of Thailand, the land of smiles.

“It’s my first time here. It’s very humid but I like the heat. I love to be outside the hotel. Oh, no more air-conditioning! And I’m still adjusting with time. I don’t even know what day it is today. I woke up at 3am.”

And how big is Miss Universe in the US Virgin Islands? “The beauty pageants aren’t a big thing and I don’t think everyone will watch it. But the people who know me are very supportive.”

Miss US Virgin Islands also gave a refreshingly candid reason for her suitability for the title, “I really think they should support me because I have a free spirit and I’m just here to have fun.”

Silke Kujas, Kreangsak Suwanpantakul

The Nation

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