Contestant enjoying festival experience
For Astuti Chand being a contestant at the 2018 Vodafone Festival of the Friendly North is not all about fame and beauty. The 25-year-old, who lives at Naodamu in Labasa, is one of the 12 queen contestants vying for the crown at this year’s pageant. Ms Chand, sponsored by Satya’s Plumbing Works and Building Contractors, said what prompted her to enter the pageant was her friends, who thought she had what it took to be a contestant. “I moved to Labasa last year with my older sister and brother-in-law. I am a new kid on the block,” she said.
“Even though it’s my first year, I already love the friendly people and hot sun.
“As a kid growing up, I loved watching contestants strut their stuff in pageants locally and internationally. I remember watching Priyanka Chopra and Aishwarya Rai being crowned as Miss World.
“Then later I came to understand that taking part in a pageant is not only beauty, but is a good platform to promote certain beliefs and important issues that need to be emphasised to the public a long way,” she said.
Ms Chand said the experience so far in being a contestant was challenging, especially on meeting requirements from the co-ordinators and time management.
“But overall, I think of it as an experience that will only leave one with lifetime memories, especially working with the other contestants, making new friends and learning to work together as a team,” she said.
Ms Chand said a challenge for her in the pageant was answering questions correctly during public judging.
“To conquer that, I am doing my bit of research on current affairs and issues related to this year’s theme and that is ‘Our Health and Our Future’.”
During the week-long event, she will advocate on physical activity for people’s wellbeing.