Tag Archives: Angola

Miss Universe + Vivica (is) A. Fox

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Here she is, folks…Miss Universe 2011, the breathtaking Leila Lopes of Angola.

As they say in Nueva Yol..."una Barbiela!" (Photo: Manuela Scarpa/Photo Rio News)

I definitely have to say that I had expected a Latina to win – Puerto Rico was my personal favorite, and the pageant industry in Latin America is just that…they make Misses. Still, the Philippines!, USA, France, and Venezuela all represented well. Brazil? Meh. The buzz down here is surprisingly positive, though; people feel the judges (which included Connie Chung and Vivica A. Fox, both looking good!) were fair in their scoring.

Unfortunately, I was relegated to the press tent behind the auditorium (aka WiFi Central) and couldn’t see the goings-on live and in person, but it was fun chilling with journalists from around the globe (including the boisterous team from Colombia’s Caracol network). I did, however, get to line up along the red carpet and snap this photo of outgoing Miss U, Ximena Navarrete of Mexico.

Miss U 2010, wrappin' it up for the '11.

The coup of the night, though, was my one-question interview with Judge Fox as she glided into the auditorium. Obsoive:

(I swear, y’all…I wasn’t trying to cut off La Fox! Her media escort said I could only ask one question, was giving the ‘wrap it up’ and was tugging on her elbow. I got nuuuuurvus.)

On the whole, it was a good, good night.

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Dream Destinations, Vol. 1

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The other day, a friend asked me where I’d like to go next, now that I’ve got 30 countries under my belt. There’s still much of the world to see, aside from some of my favorite places that consistently call me back. Many places still incite visions of adventure whenever I see their names on a map, and here are a scant few (in alphabetical order):

Angola

Luanda at dusk. Image by Mondo123.

One of the homes of world-famous Brazilian martial art – capoeira – and one of the most expensive countries on the planet, it’s the culture of Angola that interests me. I’ve heard that it’s very similar to northeastern Brazil, but with a particular musical swagger all its own.

Australia

Packing for Perth. Image by TSM Photography.

I’ve yet to make it Down Under, and though Sydney is definitely on the itinerary, I’m also trying to hit Melbourne (artsy, bohemian, so I’m told), Queensland (tropical beaches, tropical beaches, tropical beaches), and Perth (just cuz).

Greenland

Titanic, she ain't. Image by TobyAdamson.co.uk.

Greenland just looks cool as hell. Icebergs, li’l tiny villages at the edge of the sea, ludicrously-large landforms…as a native Floridian who travels mostly in the tropics, I’ve never seen anything like it! Well, I’ve flown over it and was duly impressed.

Libya

Roman ruins in Libya. Image by meena me.

Yes, there’s unrest going on in Libya right now, but unfortunately, unrest is a part of life. That still doesn’t stop me from thinking about trekking up to some of the best-preserved Roman ruins still in existence, called Leptis Magna. I hope to get there before they become – wait for it – ruined by mass tourism.

Papua New Guinea

Li'l Man in PNG. Image by carteretislands.

Not only does PNG, officially the only country in Oceania that borders an Asian country, offer up an interesting local culture and is off the radar of most travelers, it’s also got the Carteret Islands, which are in the process of inundation due to global warming. And, somehow, it’s got black folks. There’s something they’re not telling us (raises eyebrow).

Where do you want to go?

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