Indonesian Pageants International: Miss World 2013 Coverage : Press Conference

Pictures and highlights from Miss World 2013 Press Conference at Westin Nusa Dua Auditorium, Bali, last Satuday.

Jamaica, Lebanon, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Mrs Liliana Tanoesoedibjo, Wenxia Yu, Spain, and Netherlands

The Attendants

Several representatives from MNC Group, including Mrs Liliana Tanoesoedibjo, wife of MNC Group CEO Mr Hary Tanoesoedibjo and founder of Miss Indonesia, attended the Press Conference. Also attending were the Chairwoman of Miss World Organization, Julia Morley, and the reigning Miss World 2012 from China, Wenxia Yu. But the real stars of the event were the 9 Miss World 2013 contestants who were invited to meet the press. They were Miss Jamaica Gina Hargitay, Miss Lebanon Karen Ghraoui, Miss Philippines Megan Young, Miss Puerto Rico Nadyalee Torres, Miss Spain Elena Ibarbia, Miss Netherlands Jacqueline Steenbeek, Miss Cameroon Valerie Ayena, Miss Australia Erin Holland, and home turf delegate Miss Indonesia Vania Larissa.

Reigning Miss World 2012 Wenxia Yu and Mrs Liliana Tanoesoedibjo

The Show Must Go On

Despite some protests and rejections from several hard-line Moslem organizations in Jakarta, MNC Group as the official partner of Miss World 2013 insisted that the event will still continue to take place in Indonesia as planned. The Governor of Bali himself has also reaffirmed his support for the event, and about 1,000 police officers are reported to be prepared to ensure the security of the event.

MNC Group representatives with Wenxia Yu and Julia Morley

Tears of Julia

Perhaps the most surprising moment of the Press Conference was the moment Julia Morley cried her tears while being asked her opinion about Wenxia Yu. Still overwhelmed with emotions, Julia described Wenxia Yu as a true Beauty with a Purpose, admiring her genuine hard work and commitment for the humanitarian cause, and reflecting their time and professional relationship together. It was a very touching moment, almost like a moment when a proud mother talks about her prized daughter's achievement.

Miss Puerto Rico Nadyalee Torres

Miss Philippines Megan Young

We Are Similar

Two contestants talked about the similarity of their countries with Indonesia. Miss Puerto Rico Nadyalee Torres pointed out about the similarity of weather and climate in both countries, as both Indonesia and Puerto Rioc are tropical countries. While Miss Philippines Megan Young was initially surprised to find out the close resemblance of Indonesian people to Filipino people. She also noted the linguistic similarity of both countries, as several vocabs in Bahasa Indonesia can also be found in Tagalog.

Miss Cameroon Valerie Ayena

The Angel from Indonesia

One of the best speaker of the group, Miss Cameroon Valerie Ayena, shared that she was initially unable to compete for Miss World 2013 due to financial problem. However she then received a help from a family who willingly become a sponsor for her participation at Miss World 2013 in Indonesia. Coincidently, the family who helps her is an Indonesian family. Therefore, she felt a deep gratitude for Indonesia. As Indonesian ourselves, we can't help but feel sympathetic to her story and we are happy that she is finally able to represent Cameroon on its debut at Miss World in our country.

Miss Lebanon Karen Ghraoui

Homework for Mom

Miss Lebanon Karen Ghraoui made our day with her witty comments about Indonesian foods. She started talking about how she loved Indonesian food and continued on to express her desire to be able to eat these delicious food everyday. Then she made this witty remark, saying how she hoped her mother would learn how to cook Indonesian food so that she could cook Indonesian food for her everyday. This comment was welcomed by laughs and giggles from the attending press, including us!

Miss Indonesia Vania Larissa

The Home Turf

Last but not least we have the host delegate to speak and grace the media. It is never easy to play as a host delegate for an event as grand as Miss World, but Vania assured us that she is ready for the big responsibility. She also warmly welcomed all nations competiong at Miss World 2013 and promised that this will be the time of their lives.