‘ACCIDENT’– Let’s call her an “accidental beauty queen,” for indeed she is one.
Here’s how the “accident” goes, one with a happy and triumphant ending. A friend, artist and photographer, to accommodate a fashion boutique owner, agreed to do a pictorial for a magazine. The model would be a pretty Spanish mestiza, an actress-singer-host.
But, they were having problems with her schedule, postponed so many times. “Let’s look for another model,” they agreed. But then, the magazine deadline was nearing.
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‘DESPATSADORA’ – My photographer-friend paused for several minutes and then said, “Puede ‘yang ‘despatsadora’ mo. May itsura at pigura.”
He was referring to the boutique saleslady, who was, indeed, pleasant looking and friendly. “Are you sure?” the boutique owner asked, puzzled. “Of course, just you wait” was the curt answer.
With the right make-up, wardrobe, and stance, the “despatsadora” turned out to be “parang artista, beauty queen.”
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BEAUTY QUEEN – True enough, when the fashion pictorial came out, she was a big hit.
Friends urged her to join an ongoing nationwide search for beauty queens to represent the country abroad.
Well, the “despatsadora” (saleslady) won the top prize and was sent abroad to compete with beauties around the world.
She made it to the semi-finals and, lo and behold, nearly was included in the finals, coming out No. 6. Too bad that only 5 contestants were needed.
Now, isn’t that a happy and triumphant ending for the “accidental beauty queen.”
Lesson of the story: There are gems in a shore full of pebbles.
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‘ONE TO WATCH’ – Highspeed chanced upon this item in the Jan. 23 issue of People mag, under the heading “One to Watch,” penned by Patrick Gomez:
As a child in the Philippines, Ivory Aquino dreamed of being an actor but never imagined there were roles for transgender girls like herself. So she decided to be a singer. “With androgynous figures like David Bowie, I thought I could do music without thinking about gender,” says Aquino. After moving to the US in her teens and undergoing gender-confirmation surgery at 26, she says she finally felt like herself.
“My first thought was ‘I can act!” Now she stars as real-life transgender activist Cecilia Chung in ABC’s miniseries “When We Rise.”