How Asian Angels Perform on Miss Universe 2009

Miss Photogenic Award 2009 - Chutima Durongdej, Thailand

Once again that a little angel from South America has took the crown under remark of the most beautiful woman in the world. It was Miss Venezuela – Stefania Fernandez – who was named Miss Universe 2009. Although, we’re not going to describe about how gorgeous she is to lift up this 6^th time title for her country, but let’s have a look on how other angels from Asia Pacific region performed on the Miss Universe 2009 competition, shall we?

The 58th Annual Miss Universe competition was held at Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas on Sunday, August 23^rd. It was also the first time that the Miss Universe telecast was introduced by the American billionaire – Donale Trump. There were 12 out of 84 delegates from Asia Pacific region on this year’s contest who namely are;

Australia – Rachael Finch

China – Wang Jingyao

India – Ekta Choudhry

Indonesia – Zivanna Letisha Siregar

Japan – Emiri Miyasaka

Korea – Ree Na

Malaysia – JoannaBelle Ng

New Zealand – Katie Taylor

Philippines – Pamela Bianca Manalo

Singapore – Rachel Kum

Thailand – Chutima Durongdej

Vietnam – Võ Hoàng Yến

Even though many Asians would have something to be proud of from the competition a few years ago when Miss Riyo Mori of Japan won Miss Universe 2007, but all seems to be an unfortunate year for Asian this time around. None of a delegate from Asia took place in the final night and this was the first time since 1991 that Asians didn’t place into the Top 15 final.

However, there were some controversial achievements from Asian contenders. While Miss Wang Jingyao won the Miss Congeniality award and with Miss Chutima Durongdej who was able to claim the Miss Photogenic award from this year occasion.

The achievement would be the second time for a girl from China to win the Miss Congeniality award, since Miss Ningning Zhang won in 2007 and also coincidently the second time for Thailand as well to win the Miss Photogenic award, since Passaraporn Chaimongkol won in 1990.

Well, no matter how many times, they won or not won on these proudly awards, all Asian women is still considered best charming with soft and cheery attitude, which I’m sure that everyone can easily fall in love with.

Introduction to the 4 new Asian sites in World Heritage List

UNESCO World Heritage Site - Shushtar, Iran

If you still haven’t heard from the news, there was a recent release from the 33rd Session of the World Heritage Committee meeting in Seville, Spain last month on the new sites addition to UNESCO’s world heritage list. Four sites from Asia region were among the thirteen newbies which were categorized into two on natural sites and eleven on cultural sites making a new total of 890 properties around the world on the current list.

Below are some descriptions on these latest Asian culture heritage sites from UNESCO. In case you’re about to find place to go during this mid-year vacation;

Mount Wutai (China). With its five flat peaks, Mount Wutai is a sacred Buddhist mountain. The cultural landscape numbers 53 monasteries and includes the East Main Hall of Foguang Temple, the highest surviving timber Building of the Tang Dynasty with life size clay sculptures. It also features the Ming Dynasty Shuxiang Temple with a huge complex of 500 statues representing Buddhist stories woven into three dimensional pictures of mountains and water. Overall, the buildings on the site present a catalogue of the way Buddhist architecture developed and influenced palace building in China over more than one millennium. Mount Wutai, literally, the five terrace mountain, is the highest mountain in northern China and is remarkable for its morphology characterized by precipitous sides with five open treeless peaks. Temples have been built on the site since the 1st century AD to the early 20th century.

Shushtar, Historical Hydraulic System (Iran) A masterpiece of creative genius, can be traced back to Darius the Great in the 5th century B.C. It involved the creation of two main diversion canals on the river Kârun one of which, Gargar canal, is still in use providing water to the city of Shushtar via a series of tunnels that supply water to mills. It forms a spectacular cliff from which water cascades into a downstream basin. It then enters the plain situated south of the city where it has enabled the planting of orchards and farming over an area of 40,000 ha. known as Mianâb (Paradise). The property has an ensemble of remarkable sites including the Salâsel Castel, the operation centre of the entire hydraulic system, the tower where the water level is measured, damns, bridges, basins and mills. It bears witness to the know-how of the Elamites and Mesopotamians as well as more recent Nabatean expertise and Roman building influence.

Sulamain-Too Sacred Mountain (Kyrgyzstan) dominates the Fergana Valley and forms the backdrop to the city of Osh, at the crossroads of important routes on the Central Asian Silk Roads. For more than one and a half millennia, Sulamain was a beacon for travellers revered as a sacred mountain. Its five peaks and slopes contain numerous ancient places of worship and caves with petroglyphs as well as two largely reconstructed 16th-century mosques. One hundred and one sites with petroglyphs representing humans and animals as well as geometrical forms have been indexed in the property so far. The site numbers 17 places of worship, which are still in use, and many that are not. Dispersed around the mountain peaks they are connected by footpaths. The cult sites are believed to provide cures for barrenness, headaches, and back pain and give the blessing of longevity. Veneration for the mountain blends pre-Islamic and Islamic beliefs. The site is believed to represent the most complete example of a sacred mountain anywhere in Central Asia, worshipped over several millennia.

The Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty (Republic of Korea) form a collection of 40 tombs scattered over 18 locations. Built over five centuries, from 1408 to 1966, the tombs honoured the memory of ancestors, showed respect for their achievements, asserted royal authority, protected ancestral spirits from evil and provided protection from vandalism. Spots of outstanding natural beauty were chosen for the tombs which typically have their back protected by a hill as they face south toward water and, ideally, layers of mountain ridges in the distance. Alongside the burial area, the royal tombs feature a ceremonial area and an entrance. In addition to the burial mounds, associated buildings that are an integral part of the tombs include a T-shaped wooden shrine, a shed for stele, a royal kitchen and a guards’ house, a red-spiked gate and the tomb keeper’s house. The grounds are adorned on the outside with a range of stone objects including figures of people and animals. The inscription of the Joseon Tombs completes the two earlier series of Korean Peninsula royal tombs inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List: the Gyeongju Historic Areas, Republic of Korea, and Complex of Koguryo Tombs, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

For more information about UNESCO’s World Heritage list in Asia regoin, visit UNESCO World Heritage centre’s official website – http://whc.unesco.org/

Kick starts for New Year celebrations in Asian Style

New year celebrations in Asia

5..4..3..2..1..Happy new year!! Yes, this would be something we normally heard everywhere on the midnight of 31th December. Some might thought that why the happy times were getting past too quickly. But wait, if you’re around Asia, you could have same kind of happy feelings on those New Year celebration nights repeatedly over a period of six months. Forget countdowns to midnight and “the ball dropping” in Times Square. In Asia it’s all about water fights and silk dragons dancing in the streets.

Start from China, the Chinese New Year is usually celebrated in January/February with visits to friends and family, the wearing of new clothes, and the offering of food. The exact date will be determined on the Chinese Lunar Calendar. Lots of food. Firecrackers can be heard in Chinese communities and lion dances are performed in the streets. Korea celebrates the Lunar New Year at the same time, but in a much quieter manner, with offerings to ancestors. Koreans will usually wear new traditional clothing on this day.

In Thailand the New Year is celebrated in April with “Songkran” most famous for the nation-wide water fight that ensues. Traditionally, throwing water was a way to pay respect to elders, but the custom quickly evolved into a way to get through the hottest days of the year.

Diwali (or Deepawali) is known as the “Festival of Lights” and is celebrated in October/November by Hindus who mostly live across many parts of India and Nepal. Diwali is celebrated over a period of five days and include religious ceremonies, family gatherings, and fireworks. Clay lamps are lit and placed in all rooms of the home on the night of Diwali.

Surprisingly enough, Japan celebrates the New Year on January 1. Buddhist temples ring their bells shortly before midnight, representing the hardships and sorrows of the past year, and soba (buckwheat noodles) is eaten on New Year’s Eve to symbolize longevity. The viewing of the first sunrise of the year is considered to be auspicious.

Despite the differences, New Year celebrations in the region all have one common theme: Family. No matter what the country, New Year is a time for family reunions and gatherings, for reflecting on the year that has passed and looking ahead to a brand new beginning.