8/02 - Final notes from Miss Tourism Queen International 2007...

* The final event was a breathtaking one, with an impeccable production, stunning musical numbers, and the beauty of some of the world's 108 most beautiful women. With an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion viewers, in 2007 Miss Tourism Queen is expected to fight on equal footing with Miss Earth for the 3rd position among the 5 Grand Slam pageants (Miss World and Miss Universe are the two biggest ones, Miss International is the 5th).

* The new Miss Tourism Queen International, Olga Zarubina of Russia, is unquestionably stunning and very elegant. She is 24 years old and stands at 1.75 meter. She does not speak a single word in English, but is eager to learn it in the few upcoming months.

* A few delegates were surprised with the judges' pick, once they expected the winner to be someone able to communicate with those around her, after all, she will be a tourism ambassador. None of the girls questioned Miss Russia's looks, but thought she was a bit too "cold" for the job.

* This year the continental queens of beauties were chosen among the ladies who did not make it to the Top 10. Just like those who placed in the Top 5, they were asked to remain in China for the following ten days after the final competition. For some it seems rather unfair with the 5 remaining Top 10 semi-finalists, who went back home right after the pageant was over.

* Miss China "disappeared" after not being called among the 10 semi-finalists. The Chinese beauty did not get along with most delegates, and was considered to be too spoiled and to act like a "movie star". It is the first time since the pageant started taking place in China in 2004 that the local delegate does not place among the semi-finalist.

* Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and Fernando de Noronha, not only debuted in a Grand Slam pageant, but they also placed and scored in the Grand Slam ranking. Fernando de Noronha earned 18 points for its 3rd position, Armenia earned 13 points after being in 8th place, and Kyrgyzstan earned the first 11 precious points for her country in history. The Democratic Republic of Congo (former Zaire) scores again for the first time since 1986. Congratulations to the 4 of them!

* The Latin delegates fell discriminated, since no Spanish speaking candidate placed among the 10 semi-finalists. Misses Nicaragua and Puerto Rico, two pre-pageant favorites, were very close to do it, but it was Mongolia who fell short few meters from reaching the beach shore: in the preliminary round of competition she tied in 9th place with 2 other candidates, and after a new round of voting, the Asian beauty ended in 11th place...

* Miss Cuba, who had injured her left foot during rehearsals last week, was very brave and participated in the who final event. She was named "Miss Charm".

* The candidates have been leaving the hotel since Wednesday morning. The last group to go back home will be leaving on Friday. Only the Top 5 finalists and the Continental Queens of beauty will remain in China for a few more days.

* The day after her victory, Olga Zarubina of Russia participated in a photo shooting with three other former titleholders: Zabina of India (2004), Anu of Finland (2003), and Justine of the Philippines (2006). They all welcomed her to the Miss Tourism Queen "sisterhood".

* Miss Fernando de Noronha, the pre-pageant favorite and 2nd runner-up, has received innumerous invitations to participated in beauty and modeling competitions in Europe, Asia and Latin America, including one for a major pageant, which she is currently considering. She has also been approached by an Indian journalist who invited her to try her luck in Bollywood! Will we see beautiful Tamara shinning in India's big screen??

* If there's always one complain or another among the contestants, 90% of the them went home very happy with their experience and surprised with the pageant's organization and dimension. Alex Liu, president of Miss Tourism Queen International, and the Chinese organizers, showed the world that China can indeed put a great event together. Just imagine what we can expect from next year's Olympic Games in Beijing!

* Speaking of Beijing, next year's event is supposed to be even bigger: it shall happen in the Chinese capital, with the participation of over 130 countries and territories.

* MISSES Who Were HITS! With only 10 candidates landing into the semi-finals, many amazing beauties had to be left behind. Global Beauties' next 10 picks would be:

- MACEDONIA: Absolutely stunning, a press favorite who speaks 7 languages and who caused a very positive impression among the Chinese and other delegates as well, she was certainly missed among the finalists;
- MONGOLIA: #11 in the judges' ranking, Miss Mongolia was among the most fashionable delegates around;
- NICARAGUA: What a smile! A Miss Universe semi-finalist, many expected her to be a finalist here too. It did not happen, but she was cool about it: "I know I've gained a few pounds since Miss Universe, so I don't question the judges' decision. It was a wonderful experience anyway", she told us.
- PUERTO RICO: Those in the internet who criticize Uma Blasini, certainly have not met her. She is very elegant, classy and pleasant. Just like Nicaragua, she missed a semi-final's spot by a detail.
- SUDAN: Simply unforgettable, Miss Sudan left China with virtually thousands of fans: "I never thought I could feel right at home in China, but that's what happened". Fashion industry professionals expect this African beauty to do well in the international runways.
- LIBERIA: Another African beauty who exuded beauty and presence throughout the whole competition. She was also a close call.
- SPAIN: A press favorite who was a true hurricane on stage. This young model just needs to mature a bit more to conquer the world (smoking in public, for instance, might have hurt her image).
- CHINA: The Chinese representative may be spoiled and not the best host candidate, however, her beauty, elegance and intelligence were undeniable.
- AUSTRALIA: After being named "Best in Swimsuit", there was a lot of expectation towards Miss Australia's performance. The Aussie press gave a lot of coverage to the pageant, but if on one hand she did not place among the semi-finalists, at least Miss Australia will take home the "Miss Tourism Queen Oceania & Islands" title.
- BRAZIL: A stunning black beauty from Cuiaba, Miss Brazil had one of the most beautiful faces of the competition. Had she been in her best shape, she could have advanced to the semi-finals, as originally predicted by many.

Other strong candidates: Estonia, Hungary, New Caledonia, Romania, Colombia, Uzbekistan, Somalia, Azerbaijan, Greece, Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Indonesia, Cameroon and Dominican Republic.

(photos, from above: the final event; Miss Russia in national costume; Miss D.R. of Congo is interviewd by Angela Chow; MTQI 2003, 07, 06, 04; Miss Fernando de Noronha; Miss Puerto Rico. GB/Thiago Castro)

7/31 - It's show time!

* Tonight the 108 international tourism and beauty ambassadors will take on the stage to compete for the Miss Tourism Queen International title, one of the Top 5 ranked international beauty contests in the world. Who will win it? The press journalists and photographers have their own lists of favorites, which when combined, put Misses Fernando de Noronha, Curacao, Macedonia, Russia, Nicaragua and Spain right on the top. You can see how they voted HERE.

* Where is Fernando de Noronha?? A huge favorite tonight, Tamara Almeida represents the beautiful Brazilian archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, where tourists find some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and the friendliest dolphins to swim with. Because of her favoritism, everyone in China has been asking all kinds of questions about it. The 18 islands which comprise the archipelago are located 350 km off the Northeastern Brazilian coast. It has a population of 2.200 people and has the status of a national park, which means that its incredibly rich fauna and flora are 100% preserved. It is a scuba diving paradise, in addition to hosting some of the world's hottest surfing competitions. You can learn more about it HERE.

* After hosting Miss World for four years, the very talented Angela Chow will also co-host Miss Tourism Queen International, which means we can expect a great presentation tonight.

* The 5 continental queens of beauty (from the Americas, Oceania & Islands, Africa, Asia and Europe) will actually be chosen from the girls who do not make it to the Top 10 or further. It means that if a girl is declared continental queen of beauty, she no longer has a shot at the big prize.

* It could be said that Vaida Tomkevicivte, reporter from Lithuania who writes for the Republik Newspaper, was just as popular among the Chinese as any of the contestants competing for the Miss Tourism Queen title. Blond, with green eyes and pale complexion, she has been asked to photograph with locals hundreds of times. "I will miss that when I go back home", she says. Among her fans was also an American NBC news researcher, who even broke the rules and voted for Vaida in GB's International Press Choices. In that competition she actually ranked higher than Miss Lithuania! Perhaps we will see Vaida as a contestant in 2008? The Chinese will be delighted.

7/30 - The lastest tidbits from Zhengzhou...

* The Talent competition's results pleased most contestants, who thought Miss Curaçao deserved it 100%.

* Back in Zhengzhou, there was another welcoming ceremony by the banks of the Yellow River. Afterwards the contestants returned to the hotel and got ready for the prejudging event.

* Prejudging lasted for 5 hours, having ended on Sunday at 3 AM. All 108 delegates paraded in swimsuits, evening gowns and were interviewed by the judges. Although tired, most delegates managed to deliver clever interviews. They have certainly impressed the judges and proved that there's essence in their beauty.

* Candidates have been rehearsing exhaustively in the last few days for the final event, which will take place on Tuesday night in Zhengzhou. The stage is supposed to be the most impressive in Miss Tourism's history: it's 35 meters wide and will count with many lighting and other special effects. Organizers are promising to make history with Tuesday's event.

* 1.5 billion people are expected to watch Miss Tourism Queen International 2007, either live or delayed, in over 35 countries in Asia and the Middle East. If the organizers' expectations are fulfilled, Miss Tourism Queen International will become the Grand Slam's second most watched pageant in the world, only behind Miss World and surpassing Miss Universe.

* Press favorites: Global Beauties has promoted a survey among all international press journalists covering the pageant to learn who their favorites were. Each journalist/photographer picked his/her Top 5 choices for the crown in order of preference. Points will soon be combined and the results will be announced on Global Beauties.

* Miss Tourism Queen's web cast: attention, for those who are not able to watch Miss Tourism Queen International on TV, the pageant will be web cast live on Tuesday night (8 PM, Zhengzhou's time). More information coming up soon.

* Miss Somalia is a total trip! The girl gets along well with everyone, is always in a good mood, and does the most unexpected things. Not too long ago, when all (very tired) candidates went back to their rooms after hours of rehearsals, she put on one of her best gowns, went back to the lobby, and started walking as if she had stepped on the stage of a fashion show! It's needless to say that photographers who were hanging around were delighted!

* Miss Tokelau, on the other hand, is one of the brightest candidates in the contest. She told the press that her country is made out of only 4 small islands and a population of 1200 people. There are no shopping malls, movie theaters, and everyone gets to know each other, "which is not exactly a good thing", she jokes. There's no airport in Tokelau either. The only way to reach the islands is by boat! On top of being very intelligent and well-spoken, Miss Tokelau sings like a professional and has participated and won several music contests in New Zealand and Europe.

* The Mongolian press is giving a lot of coverage to the pageant. A few journalists from this China's neighbor have been following all activities with much attention and enthusiasm. Few days ago, Miss Mongolia herself got to interview some of the contestants for on of her country's tv station.

(photos: contestants are staying at a 5-star hotel in Zhengzhou, their home away from home; Misses Somalia and Tokelau; Miss Mongolia interviews Misses Chile and Panama. GB photos/Thiago Castro)

7/27 - Disco bits and more...

* The Miss Disco Queen of The World contest, which took place last Wednesday and had Miss Trinidad & Tobago as the winner, was not only entertaining to the crowd and television audience who watched it, but also for the girl, who thought it was a great way for relaxing and taking some of the pressure out of their shoulders.

"It was very nice, we just went out there and danced and danced, a great way to relax", said Miss Estonia, who many believe has a smile which could light up the whole Asian continent. Miss Chile agrees with her: "With few days left to the final competition, this was just what we needed, it was fun!", she told GB.

Standouts in the dancing competition, other than the very deserving winner from Trinidad & Tobago, were: Belarus, Macedonia, Monaco, Germany and Spain from Europe; Curaçao (3rd place), Martinique, Guadeloupe, Niue and confident Tokelao from the islands; America, Nicaragua and Argentina from the Americas; Ghana, Liberia and Somalia from Africa; Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrguzstan (2nd place) and Uzbekistan from Asia.

* Treated like princesses: in China pageants' runner-ups are highly valued. If the winners are considered to be queens, the runner-ups are the princesses. Crystal Chen and Kelly, Miss Tourism Queen China's first and second runner-ups, have been involved in most Miss Tourism Queen International activities and official presentations. Gordana Strajin, who last year was Miss Serbia & Montenegro and Miss Tourism Queen International's 1st runner-up, is also in China, and will be one of the special guests in the final event.

* Speaking of Gordana, she was recently crowned Miss Balkan Beauty Ambassador, competing with representatives of all countries located in that region. Congratulations!

* Tonight the city of Anyang, China's Bronze Age capital, will host the Talent, as well as the Best in Qipao (Chinese tradition clothing) competitions. For the talent portion, 25 finalists have been selected in a pre-casting.

* Alex Liu, president of Miss Tourism Queen International, has been a gracious host. He is always around and worried about his guests' needs and well being. His friendship with the pageant's former winners and runner-ups show that Miss Tourism Queen Organization is indeed a big family!

* Miss Kyrgyzstan, Inessa Nazarova, is the first representative of her country in any of the "Big 5" international pageants in history. She was surprised and happy to learn that. Ms. Nazarova was the 1st runner-up in the Miss Disco Queen of the World contest and has been getting more press attention ever since.

* Meanwhile, Miss Sudan, Angelina Nyiajima Jial, remains among the Chinese favorites. It doesn't matter where she goes, there are always fans who want to be photographed right next to her. Miss China, Miss Fernando de Noronha, Miss Thailand and Miss Puerto Rico are the other four most requested delegates for photos with locals.

(GB Photos/Thiago Castro - from top to bottom: Estonia's radiant smile; Miss T.Q. China's runner-ups; Justine, Alex Liu, and Gordana; Miss Kyrgyzstan; Miss Sudan meets a fan)

7/25 - Impressions about Best in Swimsuit and more...

* Before a large crowd of over 15 thousand people, the 108 candidates paraded in swimsuits for the judges. It is the so-called "moment of truth" in pageants, and indeed, some favorites lost ground, while previously unnoticed beauties started gaining attention. The standouts from last Monday's competition were:

Albania (3rd place), America (great body), Argentina, Armenia (great surprise), Australia (Best in Swimsuit), Azerbaijan (great figure, amazing eyes), Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria (what a face!), China, Colombia, Curaçao (2nd place, hot favorite), Cyprus, Czech Republic (excellent performance on stage), Democratic Republic of Congo (one of the best African delegates), Estonia (very refreshing beauty), Fernando de Noronha (2nd place, another huge favorite), Guadeloupe, Hungary (stunning face), India, Indonesia, Kenya (what a body!), Kyrgyzstan (nice debut), Liberia, Macedonia (another favorite), Martinique, Moldova, Mongolia, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Poland, Puerto Rico (nice figure), Romania (stunning), Russia, Serbia, Somalia (very sassy), Spain (best runway skills in the competition), Thailand (gorgeous from head to toes), Trinidad & Tobago (another perfect figure) and Vietnam (a doll).

It is very possible that the top 10 and the eventual winner iare among the 40 ladies above mentioned.

* After Miss China, the African delegates were the most applauded in the swimsuit event. Perhaps the candidate who received the longest round of applause was Miss Sudan (photo, above), who the locals believe to be the personification of a genuine African beauty. Miss Sudan smiled back to the crowd and walked the runway with much confidence.

* Other confident ladies on stage were Misses Tokelao and Niue, who walked side by side. Although they were considerably overweight for western standards, they hit the runway exuding confidence and joy. The Chinese crowd captured that and cheered them up.

* Most contestants agreed with Australia as the winner, since she indeed has one of the best figures in the competition. Miss Fernando de Noronha, the runner-up, was the one most international press journalists thought should have won, but she was happy with her placement.

* Miss Curaçao's favoritism sky rocked after her swimsuit presentation. She was probably the most charming, and one of the sexiest delegates competing. Miss Albania, who looked like a doll, has also become a strong possibility for a top 10 spot.

* Misses Estonia and Macedonia displayed much energy and grace on stage, while Romania and Russia were 100% beauty and Czech Republic had a phenomenal stage presence.

* Miss China is still a very popular choice, not only for being the hometown girl, but also for being a competitive candidate. However, many believe that Miss Thailand could easily take the Queen of Asia title. Misses Vietnam and Indonesia could also surprise many people.

Bathroom Rush!

* As mentioned here before, whenever there's a bus stop, the girls rush to the bathroom, competing to get there first (see the photo). In a stop on their way to the Bai Yun Mountain, many of them were surprised when they found out that in that specific bathroom they had to pee in a hole on the floor, instead of a toilet. To make things even more complicated, the bathroom was wide open, with no privacy to "do their business"! As a matter of fact, this is very common in the Chinese countryside.

* During the visit to a park on the Bai Yun Mountain, Miss Chile was bitten by a spider! She was a bit scared at first, but then the locals explained to her that those spiders are very common in that region, and that they could not cause any harm, other than some pain.

* The treatment journalists receive from the Miss Tourism Queen International organization is by far the best of all 5 Grand Slam pageants. Not only they have all their expenses paid for, staying at some of China's best hotels, they also get to attend over 90% of the delegates' activities. The other big 4 pageants should take Miss Tourism Queen's example. Positive press exposure is essential to the success of a beauty pageant.

(photos, from the top: Miss Sudan competes in swimwear; Miss Estonia competes in swimwear; rush to the bathroom. GB photos/Thiago Castro)

7/23 - Busy days for 108 international beauties

* The 108 beauties competing for the title of Miss Tourism Queen International 2007 have been quite busy in the last few days. This Sunday, for instance, they woke up in Zenghzhou, traveled to the ancient Chinese capital of Kaifeng, visited Nanyang, and ended the day in Xixia.

* Kaifeng is one of the oldest towns in China and a former capital of the country. The candidates were amazed with the beauty of its architecture and excitement of its people. As a matter of fact, the police had to intervene at one point to hold back the people who tried to grab the delegates' arms and take photos with them.

* Some of the delegates complain quite a lot about the intensive rhythm of activities. Some of them even cry, claiming to be feeling homesick and tired with so many trips. Most candidates, however, try to enjoy the most of every and each activity they have.

* Candidates and the international media are still getting used to the food here. In the last hotel they stayed at, hot orange juice and fried chicken were served for breakfast!

* Most Latin candidates are always together. They enjoy dancing the Macarena, and as it happens in most major international pageants, are always ready to jump in front of a camera when they see one!

* Other groups are the African-Caribbean French speaking candidates, the Asians, the Europeans, and a triangle formed by USA-Hawaii-Australia;

* With a week left to the final competition, some favorites start to emerge among press photographers, journalists, and other people following the pageant. From Africa Miss Liberia is getting some attention, from Asia-Pacific Misses China, Indonesia, Thailand and Australia are the front-runners; then there's Armenia, Russia, Hungary, Netherlands, Macedonia and Czech Republic from Europe; the Caribbean has Puerto Rico, Curaçao, Dominican Republic and Guadeloupe getting some positive reviews; and finally, from the Americas, Fernando de Noronha, Nicaragua (who was a Miss Universe's semifinalist), Brazil, Argentina and Colombia. The competition continues with Best in Swimsuit contest, on Tuesday morning.

* Traveling from city to city is a real challenge for the pageant's organizers: over 250 people among candidates, journalists and crew, distributed in 8 buses. Heavy security follows the caravan. So far they have succeeded.

* In long trips every couple of hours there's a stop for those who wish to go to the restroom or buy a snack. The girls virtually run from their buses to get to the bathroom first. It's a funny sight!

GB photo/Thiago Castro: Miss Colombia, one of the favorites from the Americas

7/18 - Fighting for the crown and for... food!

* The contestants are now in Chongqing, where they are enjoying all the good things a 5-star hotel can offer, including great food. But it doesn't seem like it... The other night journalists and even other candidates were amazed to see a small group of delegates fighting for food! The competition was so fierce, that some girls even took food from other contestants' plates! Watch out girls: we wonder how far these few women can go in the runway!

* Most international delegates were upset to see Miss China winning the Miss Best Smile award. They complained that all judges were Chinese and don't think the choice was the fairest.

* After nearly 2 weeks of competition and hours of daily rehearsals, some candidates seem already tired. Others, on the other hand, keep on smiling and claim they've been enjoying the experience to the fullest.

7/11 - When the curtain opens...

...the show begins, and so do all backstage stories and curiosities. GB shares the first ones with you:

* Miss India is the kind of girl anyone would enjoy hanging out with. She is funny, smart and loves to chat. She considers herself to be a "compulsive buyer", and is taking advantage of China's variety of products at incredibly low prices.

* Miss Greece is the tallest candidate in the competition, standing at amazing 1.90 m! Nonetheless, she carries herself very elegantly and has been appointed by many as an early favorite.

* There's a handful of ladies who are visibly out of shape, at least for Western patterns. One of them is Miss Tokelau, pne of the smallest territory (an atoll in the South Pacific) competing at MTQI'07. She compensates her extra weight with one of the most vibrant personalities in the group, the other girls truly enjoy her jokes and good vibes!

* Miss Bolivia is not only pretty, but also a very nice person. Her constant good mood is appreciated by all.

* If some have only smiles to spread around, others are getting fame for being extremely stuck up. How far do they think they will get in the competition maintaining such attitude?

* Cultural crash: some delegates have been complaining about their roommates' lack of deodorant use. It's well known that in some regions it is not a "must", as it is in others. One of the girls claimed she can barely sleep because of the strong smell!

* In yesterday's night opening ceremony in Hangzhou Miss China was the most applauded delegate. Others were Costa Rica, Macedonia, Fernando de Noronha, Azerbaijan, Brazil (possibly the best cat walk), Bolivia, Greece, New Zealand, Romania, Korea, Vietnam and Sweden.

Photo: Bosnia, Serbia and Macedonia (GB/Thiago Castro)

7/09 - Tidbits about this year's pageant...

As Miss Tourism Queen International 2007 begins, here some some curiosities about this year's pageant:

* 110 candidates: if confirmed, it will break the Grand Slam's record for participating countries/territories. Will Miss TQI confirm the broken record?

* Although the pageant was born back in 1949, it's the 4th edition of Miss Tourism Queen International under Alex Liu's management. Alex's excellent work, with the commitment of the Chinese government, has turned MTQI into one of the top 5 beauty pageants in the world, today fighting for the 3rd position;

* Two Asians and one European have won the title in its three first editions: Zabina Abdul Rashid Khan of India was the first, in 2004; she was followed by Greece's Nikoletta Ralli (2005); last year Miss Philippines, Justine Gambioza, was the big winner.

* Some of the countries/territories participating in this year's pageant will debut at the Grand Slam of International Pageants. They are: Armenia, Fernando de Noronha, French Antilles, Kyrgyzstan and Somalia.

* The 2007 winner will take home a US$ 15.000 cash prize, plus thousand of dollars in merchandises.

* Over 100 journalists from China and abroad are expected to show up and cover this year's event.