Beauty pageants are not all glamour. Behind the scenes at Miss Bikini World there was a pile of pizza boxes and a lot of hungry women. Apparently, they had not been enjoying Chinese food.
Some had fallen sick and 11 had failed to turn up. At least five of them had erroneously applied for visas to China and two spent the night at Taoyuan International Airport while entry permits were hastily arranged.
China's representative was not allowed to travel because of a brouhaha over Taiwan's flag appearing on the Miss Bikini World Web site. Efforts to find a diplomatic solution stalled because organizers were loath to change Miss Bikini World Taiwan's sash to Chinese Taipei.
It all seemed a bit pointless because none of the sashes on any of the contestants at the dress rehearsal Tuesday at the National Taiwan University (國立臺灣大學) sports hall spelled Taiwan's name properly. Instead they read: "Miss Bikini World Tiawan 2006."
Taiwan's Charlize Lin (林亞霖) said she was prepared to change her sash, if it helped. "It's such a shame that she [the Chinese contestant] can't come."
The public relations student has been studying in Scotland and even at the relatively tender age of 21 is a veteran model, actress and singer. A devotee of the Dalai Lama she characterized herself as a Buddhist with sex appeal.
Asked whether sh hoped to spread world peace by being crowned Miss Bikini World, Lin answered, "We can say something, but what else can we do? It's politicians and businessmen who have the power."
Lin said she entered the national bikini contest, which she won, to get "more exposure." But many of the other contestants were plucked from relative obscurity by a call to their model agency and the offer of a two-week "holiday."
Of the hundred or so major beauty pageants, Miss Bikini World is one of the minor leaguers. There are 202 sovereign states, but just 40 women are competing tonight at National Taiwan University.
Many of them represent former Soviet Union countries. Competition coordinator Jolin Tsai (蔡芝婷) said cliques of Russian, English and Spanish speakers had formed. "Most of them are friendly with each other."
The biggest problem, she continued, had been dietary. "They tried Chinese food but they just didn't like it. They don't want any more and have asked for fast food, pizza, spaghetti, that type of thing. They did like the night markets though."
Tsai said there had been plenty of opportunities to bond over the past two weeks as the beauties took part in a mask competition, splashed around in hot springs, went disco dancing and were given an opportunity to show their caring side at an orphanage.
Great Britain's Jennifer Wade said most days they were up at 6:30am and didn't get to sleep until 12pm. "No pain, no gain. It's hard work and all the time you have to look good."
The England-based Miss Tourism World Organisation, which is backing the event, claims to be "the largest producer of model and beauty pageants in the world." It has secured a market niche by offering countries international events that are relatively inexpensive and media friendly to boost tourism.
Miss Bikini World got an early blast of publicity in May when it was reported that the final would be held in the grounds of a Buddhist temple in Miaoli County (苗栗縣).
In the end, Tsai said, Taiwan's top academic institution was chosen to hold the event because "we want to show that we have brains and beauty." The contestant who was asked to spell the name of her own country and couldn't will remain anonymous.
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