Sabah Beauties @ Miss Malaysia Earth 2012

Sometime about 2 months ago, I blogged about our Sabah beauties i.e. the contestants of Miss Earth Sabah 2012.  I ended the post with ways on following their progress and achievements.  Have you been following them? ;-)   

Well, I did! I am glad to follow their tweets and on facebook.  There were constant updates and lots of stunning pictures.  Following every step of their activities and preparations for the coronation night, the journey had been one of most meaningful.  It was a testimony of their dedication in raising awareness of the need to protect our one and only beloved earth.  Following their progress, it is also a reminder to me, as the guardian of this beautiful land, that I should not destroy our only breathable planet but instead, sowing the seeds of caring for our environment. 

And hence, after what seemed like endless events and activities, with all its fringe prizes, the crowning of the winner was finally made on June 16, 2012:

 #01 : From the left, 2nd Runner-up (Water), Grace Chang Siew Ling.  

1st Runner-up (Air), Deidre Ann Walker.  Crowning Winner, Joanna Marie Faurillo.  

3rd Runner-up (Fire), Xandria Ban Kah Yee.

If you think the coronation night marks the end of these beauties journey, well you have just made the wrong assumption.  Instead, their quest had just begun as they continue in raising environmental awareness whilst vying for the Miss Malaysia Earth 2012 title.  The event was recently held in Ipoh, Perak.

All four beauties were further trained, groomed, advised and motivated to face the greater challenge, the challenge to face all the country's states' crowning beauty representatives.  There wasn't a minute to waste as upon touching down in Ipoh, they visited various places around the state of Perak, such as the nursing home, coal factory, BOH tea plantation, vegetable plantation and strawberry farm in Cameron Highlands, and also competing in many of the subsidiary prizes**.  Their quests were pleasantly reported in this :

#02 : Borneo Post, July 13, 2012

#03 : All the beauties of Miss Malaysia Earth 2012

The coronation night on July 15 proved to be oh so suspenseful as their tweets kept coming in.  It was the first time for me to experience such beauty pageant without even seeing on television!!  With Joanna, Deidre & Xandria making to the final 10, that is already a major achievement for Sabah.  Hooray!!   

To receive news of Deidre being crowned the Miss Malaysia Earth 2012 1st runner up, the excitement was beyond just happy.  I WAS ELATED!!

#04 : Deidre, 1st runner-up (Air), Miss Malaysia Earth 2012

#05 With the newly crowned Miss Malaysia Earth 2012, Deviyah Daranee from Kuala Lumpur

The success of our Sabah beauties cannot be describe complete without the hard work of Mandy Nandu, the Director of MNE Productions who holds and organises the State's Miss Earth Sabah.  Mandy is also the national crowning queen of Miss Malaysia Earth 2009.  She responded in an interview of her happiness and proud of the results gathered as it has always been what she visioned, to have representatives of high-quality, equipped with not just beauty but also talents and intelligence to compete in the National Level.

#06 : Deidre & Mandy

The Miss Earth Sabah 2012 titleholders dedicate their year as the Green Ambassadors to promote environmental projects and to address issues concerning the environment to the community of Sabah.  As the state organiser, Mandy continues to arrange environmental programmes and activities for the winners where they are able to contribute to the community by spreading the awareness of environment protection.

Even by recording the Miss Malaysia Earth 2012 event in this post, I can feel the gratifying sensation & how proud I am of our Sabah representatives' accomplishment.  I could not contain myself when I read this very thought provoking answer Deidre gave during the Q&A session.  I end this post with a picture of our very happy Sabah representatives and Deidre's powerful answer: 

"Do not wait until the last tree has been cut, the last fish has 
been caught and the only last river polluted, then only mankind 
realizes that money cannot be eaten" ~ Deidre Ann Walker

#07 : From left, Xandria, Grace, Deidre, Joanna, Mandy & Crystal who is also 

a Sabahan (won the title of Miss Malaysia Earth 2011 - 1st runner-up)

** The subsidiary prizes:

• Miss Earth Media Gorgeous 2012 - Deidre Ann Walker
• Miss Yee Hup 2012 - Deidre Ann Walker
• Best in Talent - Xandria Ban Kah Yee
• Miss Charming 2012 - Joanna Marie Faurillo
• & many other prizes' 2nd & 3rd placings.  Congrats!!

# Photos sourced from Miss Earth Sabah facebook page (#01) & @MissEarthSabah tweets (#02 - #07)

I Can Now Smile Confidently

Telling you this is like letting the cat out of the sack.  Something that have been with me for a long long time and I was hiding away.  Yet my conscience was getting louder and louder, so loud that I finally pick up my courage and plunge down the building........... kidding, not the building, but meeting the DENTIST :-P.

I have great phobia when it comes to seeing one of them.  This profession is no doubt, professionals in their field, but still the sound of their dental tools drilling and etching on my precious teeth while hands/fingers inside my mouth with myself lying helplessly on their dental chair?/bed? is sooooooo UNGLAMOROUS!!  Heck, terribly awful not shiok setting la.  BUT!!, its the consequences thereafter that counts.

So, jumping to the conclusion of this post, the brave in me made the leap and this is the end result:

Chio or not?? ^_^

For those who knew me, I have been suffering from this:

** Horrible discoloration - Pearly grey O.o

Reasons of discoloration can be anything from over consuming of coffee / tea, food colouring, poor dental hygiene, aging, smoking, expose of excessive flouride, metal existence in mouth such as fillings, genetic, & etc.  Those highlighted in bold were what I was suffering back then.  What's in my etc. list?  During my secondary school years, I was active in sports and had once suffered badly when an elbow was forced and accidentally hit bull's eye on my mouth.  Nothing major happened and the game continued on.  It was only later that uncomfortable symptoms were felt.  On top of that, I had gum bleeding when I was attending college.  But, discoloring was not really as bad then.

As time passes, with a suffered root canal tooth due for hideous discoloration, the aging factor was added for the rest of my pearlies.  Sigh, things became worst especially when I flip magazines seeing the Hollywood code of practice for amazing smiles.  SIGH!!  Felt really really bad la. "WHY ME?"  This was at end of last year.

Hence, since late last year, I have been embarking on a quest to attain better smile.  Some were quoting in thousands of ringgit and confusing procedures.  I'm not a complicated lady, I just want a simple answer.  My question was "Dr., please see my current condition and tell me whether I can attain whiter teeth?"  I didn't really care of the procedure as long as it does not burn a great big hole in my pocket & is not invasive with minimal damage to my healthy teeth.  YES, despite the colour, I am having real healthy & sturdy teeth that I could bite & tear a chunk of raw meat away from the bone............. kidding, kidding. :-)

I ended up convinced by this procedure called Everbrite.  I was made to understand it won't be as white, but it'll solve my discolored root canal-ed tooth.  This particular tooth is one of my bunny teeth, so you can imagine how much agony have I suffered with an imperfect smile.  If you are wondering, all my smiles in my previous posts were altered, teeth colored to an acceptable level.  There!!, that's the cat escaped from the sack!! Phew, letting the cat free, I am also one action lesser in altering my photos.

And now, I present to you the truthful Vkitty and her new found brilliant smiles:

The procedure took 1½ hours.  It was painful, but bearable.  I have great tolerance for pain.  I have afterall, delivered 2 babies.  NO PAIN IS COMPARABLE TO THE AFFLICTION OF GIVING BIRTH.  My apologies, I have to emphasize that.  Without a doubt, hands down, the dang-est pain in my life was labouring to see my babies. 

The whitening procedure is nonetheless, painful enough allowing myself shedding a tear.  Totally not what the Dr. mentioned of when I consulted him.  My kitty claws were gripping tight onto the chair?/bed? and at times, fist up ready to bash the person next to me........... kidding, kidding, kidding. ;-)

Well, that's all I can express about the procedure.  Its simple, non abrasive and fast.  I am happy with the result, nonetheless falling short of satisfaction.  But the Dr. welcomes me to see him again for further treatment/procedure in enhancing the whiteness.  But after that pain, I guess I need time to recuperate physically and mentally.  Gum was sore and pain killers were needed. 

Maybe I'll consider during my next 6 months check-up, with deliberation on the depth of my pocket & whether there are any other "more friendly" solution. O.o

By the way, depending on your lifestyle, Everbrite may or may not last. 

** photos in blue bb-T, courtesy of AngelBear