HECTOR JOAQUIN'S NOTES #2 - MISS UNIVERSE 2011

"...but when she posed for us, she had a bossy attitude and told everyone how the pictures should be taken."

The first activity I attended was the Media Junket #1 that presented the current Miss Universe Ximena Navarrete and selected candidates. The event was open to the national and international press. When I got there, I was met by Kristen and Susan from the public relations office of Miss Universe and they immediately showed me the space that I would be sharing with Media Press and Mister Shadow, two Brazilian media outlets. To my surprise, there was also the photographer of Miss Brazil On Board message board. It was exciting to meet candidates such as Puerto Rico, Curacao, Colombia and many others who already knew me via Twitter or Facebook. I also met reporters from UOL Brazil, Brazil Yahoo, and VEJA Magazine who were interested in interviewing me.

Here are my first impressions of the candidates at the Media Junket #1:

ANGOLA : Leila Lopes looks better in person. She has a great personality and although she may appear heavier in photos, in reality she is not. She is very confident, well-spoken and approachable. Leila wore a light violet shirt and black trousers, giving an executive look but also elegant and sophisticated. Definitely I have to see more of her, but she has everything going for her to be one of the semifinalists.

ARGENTINA : Natalie Rodriquez has the most beautiful eyes in the competition. She has a beautiful face, she is very sweet and kind. When I spoke to her, she seemed very intelligent. She knows what she wants and how to get it. Maybe her dress yesterday was not the most appropriate because it made her look older, but that beautiful face compensates for a dowdy outfit. She was trained by famous pageant coach Katty Pulido.

AUSTRALIA : Scherri-Lee Biggs is your girl next door. She has a gorgeous face, and her beauty is natural and fresh. I did not detect any sign of cosmetic surgery in her face whatsoever, contrary to other girls in the pageant. Scherri-Lee is friendly, very cool and has an impeccable diction. When talking to her, she seemed to be a young woman with her feet firmly on the ground and shes enjoying every moment in Miss Universe. Shes definitely a strong competitor who can win the third crown for her country.

BAHAMAS : Anastagia Pierre (photo), my great friend Anastagia! Her evolution has been phenomenal. She has taken her preparation for Miss Universe very seriously. Without doubt she is one of the best-dressed contestants at the event, thanks to the beautiful clothes provided by the Miami-based boutique, La Casa Hermosa. Anastagia has all the qualities that fit a true Miss Universe. I think it's time for the Bahamas to place in the finals. When I asked her about the glittering jumpsuit by designer Eduardo De Las Casas that she wore for the evening gown pictorial, she said that it looked very different from the usual gowns and that it would create some buzz whether people think it was good or bad. However, she isnt happy with the photo on the Miss Universe website because its not the one she had chosen. Anastagia is a pageant veteran. She was Miss Florida Teen USA 2004, Miss Florida USA 2009, Miss Bahamas Intercontinental 2010 and second runner up in Miss Intercontinental 2010 giving Bahamas the highest place in a beauty contest. She also holds the title of Miss Bahamas Top Model Of The World 2012.

BOLIVIA : Olivia Pinheiro does not look as old as many would describe her to be. Her personality and her way of being actually make her look much younger and radiant. I had the opportunity to talk to her about the age issue and she told me that it was an issue brought up by sore losers in her national pageant who wanted to discredit her. According to Olivia, she always had the support of her agency and it was she who at one time decided to relinquish her title and crown because it was not her who was suffering but her entire family, especially her parents who had been hurt by the controversy. Olivia speaks fluent Portuguese and she is admired by the Brazilian press for this. She is always cheerful and friendly to everyone. She also has a figure to die for!

BRAZIL : I find it interesting that Brazilians bash their own candidate,Priscila Machado (photo) more than they bash their own president. It is the opinion of every Brazilian that I have spoken to that Priscila should not have won Miss Brazil. Many claim that she won the national competition because four of her best friends were members of the jury and that she did not deserve the title of Brazil's most important beauty queen. Priscila is not the most beautiful woman, she lacks facial beauty. Maybe in photos she looks more stylish and more elegant, but when you see her in person, she looks ordinary. It was disappointing. I dont want to be pessimistic, let alone being in her country, but when she posed for us, she had a bossy attitude and told everyone how the pictures should be taken. We the press members just looked at each other and wondered what the hell was going on with her. Her attitude leaves much to be desired; to think that shes the hostess and she had nude photos taken before she won Miss Brazil! I noticed too that she always seemed angry or upset and couldnt wait for the media junket to be over. Sorry, but she doesnt deserve to be placed at all. She may have a great body, but shes not beautiful and shes the worst Miss Brazil ever.

CHILE : Sorry to say, but Vanessa Ceruti was a great disappointment for me. First of all, her styling yesterday was not the best. Her dress left much to be desired and she seemed as if she didnt want to be at the event. I think she should pay more attention to her appearance if she really wants to take the competition seriously.

CHINA : Luo "Roseline" Zilin (photo) is awesome and anyone who says otherwise is on drugs. There is a controversy revolving around a photo of Zilin posing next to her national director Yue-Sai and Alvaro Garnero, a Brazilian businessman originally selected as one of the preliminary judges. As soon as this photo leaked out, pageant fans were quick to suspect favoritism and to contact MUO to remove Alvaro from the judging panel. MUO has not issued any press release to confirm who the preliminary judges will be. Jeff Lee, who interviewed Zilin and Yue-Sai for Critical Beauty, informed us that the picture was taken a few days even before the selection of the prelim judges. With or without Alvaro in the judging panel, Zilin surely has what it takes to win Miss Universe: a warm personality, a great body, and a polished manner of speaking. She also thanked me for putting her photo on my blog; that speaks volumes of her graciousness and class! If you see her in person, theres only one thing that comes to your mind shes the next Miss Universe!

COLOMBIA : Catalina Robayo is the most adorable woman in the world, without question. Talking to her is like talking to your best friend of many years. She is intelligent, has a charming personality, and comes across as a well-educated young woman. She also has a fabulous figure. When I asked her about her participation in the Miss Colombia pageant, she said that she never wanted to enter. As a curiosity, this was the second year that Catalina participated in Miss Colombia after having held the title of Miss Valle 2009 for about 3 weeks - a title she inherited after the original winner of the contest, Maria Salgado Diana Salazar, was dethroned.

COSTA RICA : Johanna Solano has a figure to die for, she's always well-dressed and is very sexy. My only problem with her is her height but she could pull a surprise. She was very kind to all members of the press and is well liked by her roommate, Miss Curacao.

CURACAO : Evalina Van Putten definitely has everything to give Curacao a place in the semifinals after Verna Vasquezs phenomenal performance in 1997. Eva has the height, presence, body, and an infectious personality and according to her competitors, she has the most fun of all the contestants. I could talk more about her, but as her main guardian at the pageant I feel obligated to be as objective, impartial and politically correct as possible. One thing I can say is that the Brazilian press loves her!

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC : I had only known Dalia Fernandez (photo) via the telephone when I visited the Dominican Republic in May we never had the chance to really get to know each other until yesterday. Dalia has a flawless face, a beautiful hair and impeccable skin. The best thing I like about her is her manner of expression. She also has a lovely figure, shes a smart dresser, and she is heavily requested by the press. She also bears a striking resemblance to Ximena Navarrete which could work for or against her favor . She is certainly one of the most photogenic contestants. When I asked her if she sees herself as one of the finalists, she said shes working on it.

FRANCE : Laury Thilleman is friendly, spontaneous and with an incredible sense of humor. Another disappointment for me because in the photos during the first activities of the pageant, I had seen her as a strong competitor, but when I saw her yesterday in person, I dont think shell place.

JAPAN : Maria Kamiyama is the first Japanese contestant not to be groomed by Ines Ligron after Ines stepped down as Japans national director last year. Even though Maria may reflect some traits from Iness touch and that she looks better in person, she lacks the competitive edge of Iness girls.

KOREA : Sora Chong is a shy girl, quiet but very polite and classy. When I had the opportunity to speak with her, I complimented her on the beautiful dress that she wore for the official photo and she said that she would probably use it for the prelims and the final because she had received very good feedback on it. However, I dont think shell place.

MEXICO : Karin Ontiveros is a charming girl, truly spectacular and amazing. She has a good figure, contrary to malicious comments made by posters on trashy message boards. Karin supposedly and allegedly had gained weight; when I saw her, I gave her a hug, looked at her again, and I thought she was perfect! I could talk to her for hours and never get tired. I liked her hair and her outfit. Though she has to work harder because the competition to get to the semifinals is rough. I am sure she can do it.

NETHERLANDS : If the Miss Universe pageant were held today. I would not have the slightest doubt that Kelly Weekers (photo) would win the crown. She is the complete package of what a Miss Universe should be. If she wins, she will be the first Dutch woman to win the crown since her compatriot Angela Visser won in 1989. Kelly looks better in person than in photos and her figure, her hair and face are perfection, which makes her as strong favorite for the crown. I would be happy if she won. Special congratulations to her national director Kim Kotter (Miss Netherlands 2002) for doing an excellent job training her.

PERU : There is something special about Natalie Vertiz. You have to look at her closely because she shines and she has the face of an angel. Thanks to Twitter, I had much communication with her, so when we saw each other in person, it was a beautiful and enjoyable moment. To her favor, Natalie has a fabulous figure, a healthy head of hair, a face that draws attention, and an excellent wardrobe. Natalie auditioned for Nuestra Belleza Latina 2010 but was not accepted. But I think in Miss Universe Natalie could pull a surprise and I can easily see her as a semifinalist.

PHILIPPINES : Shamcey Supsup is very sweet, approachable and pleasant girl. The first thing I told her was that Critical Beauty fans were sending her greetings and kisses which moved her. She's always available for the press, she's very articulate, intelligent and has a lot of class. Though I doubt about her placement in the semifinals.

PORTUGAL : Laura Goncalves is the woman with the most class and elegance in the pageant. It is good to see a candidate from Portugal return to Miss Universe after a long absence. Laura is a natural beauty and she has a unique personality. When we spoke, she told me that she was never interested in competing in beauty pageants even though she had been living in Venezuela for 19 years. But when she went to Portugal, her agency insisted that she compete. She accepted the challenge and she won Miss Portugal! Laura is one of those candidates whom I would like to see as one of the semifinalists.

PUERTO RICO : Viviana Ortiz, my dear Viviana. If a candidate yesterday was the most requested for interviews by the local and international press, it was Viviana. For starter, Viviana wore one of the most beautiful dresses that any titleholder has worn in the history of Puerto Rico. It was the same blue dress that she wore for the official photo in the Miss Universe website. The dress, designed by Harry Robles, has become a topic of conversation here in Brazil. Everyone knows now that Viviana will be wearing the most beautiful gowns in both the preliminaries and the finals. What else I can say about Viviana besides her excellent wardrobe? Well, she has a fabulous figure and many candidates see her as a possible winner. Undoubtedly Viviana can easily bring the sixth Miss Universe crown for Puerto Rico, thanks to a great preparation by her national director, Desire Lowry.

RUSSIA : Natalia Gantimurova has a beautiful figure and looks much prettier in person. Prepared by former MUO travel manager turned pageant coach Roston Ogata, I have a strong feeling that Natalia will enter the semifinals due to her own merits and not because she was coached by Roston.

SPAIN : Paula Guill is a very elegant woman who was trained by Katty Pulido. I can see her making the semifinals. Things in her favor are her luxurious hair and her unique face, but I think she needs to shed a few more pounds.

THAILAND : Chanyasorn Sakornchan is definitely a girl who likes to have a fun, is very friendly and has a great sense of humor. Sadly, I do not see her as a semifinalist.

UKRAINE : I met Olesia Stefanko at Fadil Berisha's studio during the first week of August when she was posing with Miss USA for the new catalog for designer Sheri Hill. When I saw her for the first time, I was instantly smitten by her charm and breathtaking beauty. If the pageant were held today, I could see her taking it all! She's been compared to a young Brooke Shields. Personally, I would put her in the top 5.

USA : I met Alyssa Campanella in New York City when I interviewed her. She surprised me in all senses. She's a high-profile and high-maintenance Miss USA, and it's been a while since we have seen a Miss USA of Alyssa's caliber. One would have to be blind not to see Alyssa's stunning beauty and she surely has what it takes to become the next Miss Universe.

VENEZUELA : Vanessa Goncalves is more than I expected. Many stories have been fabricated about her and I needed to know who the real Vanessa is. Just what I perceived, Vanessa is beautiful, elegant and classy. Although she may sometimes appear quiet, it's a trait that sets her apart from the rest of the girls. She impressed us by changing twice in less than two hours! Her detractors say that she looks old in photos, but in person she looks fresh, well-groomed with perfect makeup. And not to mention that she has the fiercest body in the competition! She has secured herself a spot in the semifinals.