On behalf of myself, Fr Badaoui and my Brother Priests, we would ...

Shake And Bake
By Jodie Peter
Nearly 20 beautiful Lebanese girls competed in Miss Lebanon and Miss Lebanon teen at the Gold
R e e f C i t y c a s i n o L y r i c T h e a t r e o n F r i d a y M a r c h 1 2 . T h e r e w a s g r e a t e x c i t e m e n t a n d
c u r i o s i t y a t t h e s t a r t o f t h e s h o w , w i t h a w e s o m e e n t e r t a i n m e n t s u c h a s h i p h o p d a n c e r s w h i c h w e r e
d i v i n e t o w a t c h . W e a l s o h a d F a t h e r C h a r b e l s u r p r i s i n g u s o n s t a g e a t t h e b e g i n n i n g o f t h e s h o w .
T h e r e w a s o n e o f t h e b e s t b e l l y d a n c e r s I e v e r s e e n d a n c i n g t o s t u n n i n g A r a b i c m u s i c , a n d a s o l o
s i n g e r w h i c h e n d e d t h e n i g h t w i t h a b i g b a n g . I r e m e m b e r s e e i n g t h e c h o i r a s t h e o p e n i n g a c t a n d
t h i n k i n g t h i s s h o w w a s g o i n g t o b e a b l a s t . A n d i t w a s ! I t w a s f a n t a s t i c a n d w o r t h m i s s i n g K e l l y
C l a r k s o n ! M y g o r g e o u s s i s t e r J e n n a e n t e r e d t h e c o m p e t i t i o n a n d I k n o w h o w m u c h e f f o r t t h e g i r l s
p u t i n . O n e y e a r o f t r a i n i n g a n d p l a n n i n g . W e l l g i r l s , i t d e f i n i t e l y p a i d o f f , y o u a l l p u t o n o n e
a w e s o m e s h o w .
T h e p a g e a n t i s h o s t e d a b o u t e v e r y t w o y e a r s e x c e p t f o r t h i s y e a r w h i c h s a w t h e l a s t o n e i n 2 0 0 7 .
T h e M i s s L e b a n o n w i n n e r g e t s t o c o m p e t e i n L e b a n o n w i t h L e b a n e s e g i r l s f r o m a l l o v e r t h e w o r l d ;
l a t e r t h i s y e a r . T h i s y e a r m o r e m o n e y w a s r a i s e d t h a n a n y o t h e r M i s s L e b a n o n p a g e a n t b e f o r e . T h e
B a s e l f a m i l y d i d n o t d i s a p p o i n t , w i t h s p e c t a c u l a r e n t e r t a i n m e n t a n d h o s t i n g . C l i n t w a s t h e M . C . ,
h i s c l a s s i c j o k e s a n d g o o d l o o k s m a d e m e v e r y h a p p y i n m y t h i r d r o w f r o m t h e f r o n t ! N e i l w a s t h e
p r o d u c e r a n d D e l o r i s t h e d i r e c t o r . J e n n y A n d e r s o n w a s t h e c h o r e o g r a p h e r w h o t a u g h t t h e g i r l s
h o w t o s h a k e a n d b a k e .
T h e M i s s L e b a n o n c o n t e s t a n t s e n t e r t a i n e d a u d i e n c e s w i t h h i p h o p d a n c i n g , t h e a v a n t g a r d e s c e n e ,
c a s u a l w e a r a n d e v e n i n g w e a r a n d t h e n t h e c r o w n i n g o f t h e w i n n e r . T h e g i r l s s t r u t t e d t h e i r s t u f f
w i t h c o n f i d e n c e a n d s a s s . L e b a n e s e g i r l s a r e d e f i n i t e l y t h e b e s t ! N o w w e a l l k n o w w h y ! I r e a l l y
liked the fact that the girls simply had fun. It wasn’t about winning. It was about the experience
and making new, strong friendships. Experiences and friendships that will build the girl’s
c h a r a c t e r s a n d s h o w t h e m w h a t i t r e a l l y m e a n s t o h a v e f u n a n d w i s h t h e b e s t g i r l t o w i n . A s m y
s i s t e r p u t i t , “ r e h e a r s a l s w e r e s o m u c h f u n ! W e w e r e a l l s i s t e r s h e l p i n g e a c h o t h e r a n d w i s h i n g e a c h
o t h e r t h e b e s t . I t a l s o b r o u g h t t h e y o u t h t o g e t h e r . ” I a g r e e w i t h t h a t s t a t e m e n t . T h e p a g e a n t b r o u g h t
t h e L e b a n e s e y o u t h t o g e t h e r . C e l e b r a t i o n a n d l o t s o f p l a n n i n g c o m i n g t o g e t h e r t o b e e n j o y e d . T h e
p a g e a n t c r e a t e d b o n d i n g a n d s u p p o r t . A l t o g e t h e r t h e g i r l s r a i s e d t w o h u n d r e d t h o u s a n d r a n d . T h e
most ever raised!
T h e w i n n e r s f o r M i s s T e e n w e r e – L a v i n i a K a l i l m i s s p e r s o n a l i t y , p h o t o g e n i c p r i z e w e n t t o
S a r a h H a g e , J e s s i c a L a t e g a n s e c o n d p r i n c e s s , C h a r n e t K o r f f f i r s t p r i n c e s s ( a n d m i s s t e e n c e d a r )
a n d M i s s L e b a n o n t e e n 2 0 1 0 D e m i - L e e R e b u l a . T h e w i n n e r s f o r M i s s L e b a n o n 2 0 1 0 – T a l a r K a r a m
w o n m i s s p e r s o n a l i t y , p h o t o g e n i c p r i z e w e n t t o G a b r i e l l a S t e y n , s e c o n d p r i n c e s s T a t u m B a k o s ,
first princess Bianca Citron (and Miss Lebanon cedar), and Miss Lebanon 2010 Nikita McKinnon.
I w i s h t h e w i n n e r s t h e b e s t o f l u c k o n t h e i r j o u r n e y t o b e t t e r o u r c h u r c h p r o s p e c t s . O u r n e w
Lebanese school has a lot to look forward to with the big sum of money that has been raised. I am
h a p p y w e f i n a l l y h a v e a s c h o o l w e c a n c a l l o u r o w n .
To the ‘gheyas’ of the year, well done and make us proud!