A Foggy Day (in London Town)

London is not as foggy as I imagined it to be. There is actually a fair amount of sun (10-minute bursts?) in the afternoon.

I'm honestly nerve-wrecked at the fact I haven't secured another back-up apartment to move to. The one that's been confirmed is situated in a not-so-familiar-looking neighbourhood, and I (being a fussy young lady who lived her adolescence in a predominantly English-looking area) am not too impressed with it.

Surprisingly, I made friends to two lively girls, both packed with loads of personality and an interesting background (and suprisingly: Asians well-conversed in English, with one having a slight Brit accent.) At this stage I'm not too stressed not to find Caucasian-looking friends as it is a one-month preparatory class. There are some benefits coming from the classes too, one of them being well-acquainted with the accent. Meh heh heh heh.

As I have also left this blog hanging for some time, I will also clarify the experiences of being in a beauty pageant. Here they are:
1. Contrary to the presumption that beauty queens have their beauty sleep, we were expected to present ourselves to the make-up team no later than 5AM every day. This is noteworthy as our previous day usually ended at 11PM the earliest.
2. Yes, we do have good skin, but we do have the occasional zit or two. And yes, it's possible for one to be in an unlucky situation and have her foundation colour mismatched to her skin.
3. The majority of girls who were quarantined have good personality and ethics. A vocal minority, however, did exhibit certain traits of jealousy and tendency to cat-fight at minor setbacks. Therefore, it's important to keep one's sanity and develop an extensive network regardless of whether one is a target of such bitchiness or not.
4. Not all of the girls (myself included) have previous experience in such competitions.
5. The sash, the number plate and the nametag are indispensible accessories to every occasion.
6. It was amusing to find out the buses we rode in are flanked by two policemen riding in a zig-zag manner on a huge motorcycle.
7. Choreography was a day-to-day activity staple: at least four hours are dedicated to it every night.
8. It's important to keep one's room clean at all time, as you might have an interesting personality (or two) come into your room and go through your pile of dirty clothing. That being said, it's handy to take advantage of the daily laundry allowance being offered by the hotel.
9. We did get a range of unusual classes, one of them being "the wave" class.
10. Being down-to-earth is a trait of personality that is highly valued. The competition may get glamorous and unrealistic at times, but our lives do return to normal (exceptions for three very lucky/pitiful girls) after it ends, so be normal.
11. Not winning is not the end of the world, and it may be a good thing at the end.

I miss the friends I made during the whole experience though... sob... it's also enlightening to learn that we could get to where we were because of the extensive support of our friends/rivals and family, and not solely on our capabilities. These evidences only became so apparent and undeniable during those days, and seeing them materialize is definitely a life-transforming experience in itself.

After all those are being said, I am now making a remarkably smooth transition to London. I do have a visa that was sloppily prepared, but I have almost nothing to complain about (and I wouldn't like to complain about things anyway.) So... I guess that's all for now.

Oh, as another note, this blog will count in as part of my homework of a diary. So Kevin, if you're reading this, take it as my diary. Meh heh heh heh.

Take care!

A foggy day in London town
Had me low and had me down
I viewed the morning with such alarm
The British Museum had lost its charm
How long, I wondered, could this thing last?
But the age of miracles hadn't passed
For, suddenly, I saw you there
And through the foggy London town
The sun was shining, everywhere.