Pageantry life. Do you really know what goes on behind-the-scenes? What goes on in the mind of a young competitor who knows she will be judged on her appearance, communication skills, and other talents?
We recently came upon a personal blog by 22 year-old Miss Nikki DePaola who is competing in this year’s Miss Taiwanese American Pageant, which takes place on Saturday, August 6, 2011. It’s the 3rd time that the Taiwan Center Foundation of Greater Los Angeles has hosted this competition, and Nikki has set out to blog her experiences throughout this process.She writes: “Honestly, I have a feeling I don’t know what I’m getting myself into. What I do know is that I have bought six dresses and a pair of shoes at Ross for $150, I have one month to master my talent, and I also lack the muscles needed to stand up straight, wear high heels, and smile properly. Great!”
We’ve come across Nikki DePaola before, having known her name as one of the 2010 Formosa Foundation Ambassadors who came highly recommended to us as a student leader and Taiwan advocate. With brains, boldness, and beauty, she no doubt has a well-rounded competitive profile. From her name and looks, you may also wonder about her hapa Taiwanese background. Nikki was born and raised in Manhattan, Kansas to an American father of Irish-Italian ancestry and a Taiwanese mother.
Nikki is a recent graduate of UC Berkeley in Political Economies and Media Studies. Having just moved to Los Angeles earlier this year, she is now working in advertising. And as she tells me, she “joined the pageant to connect more with the Taiwanese community and to learn something new.”
As the Miss Taiwanese American Pageant quickly approaches, she recognizes that she has a lot of preparation to do. And according to her, this “means the whole month of July will be full on dedication to Taiwanese pageantry.”
So, join Nikki as she documents her quest for the Miss Taiwanese American crown and takes you inside the world of pageantry. We wish her and her fellow contestants the best of luck. With a witty yet introspective sense of humor, we’re looking forward to her stories from the inside. Follow her personal blog, Boba Tea and Pageantry:
http://bobateapageantry.blogspot.com/
The 2011 Miss Taiwanese American Pageant will be held on Saturday, August 6th, 2011 at the San Gabriel Hilton at 6:00pm. For more event details, follow the Facebook event page:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=133141200097995
Last year, TaiwaneseAmerican.org’s Ho Chie Tsai took a peek into the 2010 Miss Taiwanese American Pageant. Watch the video below:
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