left photo by Fadil Berisha

What are you doing now?

I am currently living and working in Los Angeles, California as a commercial actor as well as television host. But MOSTLY I am a stay at home mom to my 3 year old son..Fynnegan Marvin Kealaokamalamalama Euy Son Mell…hahaha

How did Miss Universe affect your life? Positive and negative consequences.

To be fair..Becoming Miss USA changed my life considerably..I went from being a student in the Communications Masters Program at the University fo Hawaii to living in Los Angeles and traveling around the United States and getting ready to compete for Miss Universe..being of Asian ancestry and representing the US was a BIG deal for minorities in the US..and I felt the importance if that…at Miss Universe there were so many countries and such a melting pot..it really reminded me of being back in Hawaii. I went from traveling continentally as Miss USA to traveling internationally as Miss Universe, but everything else pretty much stayed the same as I already was employed by the Miss Universe organization as Miss USA…well I DID actually get moved from my Miss USA apartment to Alicia Machado’s ( as the former miss universe) Apartment upstairs from me all while I was still in Miami doing press after the pageant…THAT was surreal. The positives were that is open doors to me I didn’t even perceive existed in my prior life..I have been places, met people, done things I would have never had the opportunity to do as a student and part time hula dancer in Hawaii.
I guess the negative..which is not really that different then most women face… except that as a former Miss Universe it is a double edged sword..having to be compared forever to that one moment in time when you won can be hard as I get older..but LORD knows I try haha.

photographer Kimo Lauer

What should be the purpose of Miss Universe about, in today’s life?

You know this is a hard question to answer specifically if I am framing it through the lens of being in the United States…as pageants in general have taken the back seat to reality shows as far as the fascination of the American Psyche. I joke that before there was Survivor or Jersey Shore..a pageant was the closest thing to a “reality show” as it got..as we were basically plucked from out of our towns and become famous over night, but as far as the REST of the World is concerned I think they look at the Miss Universe brand as a standard of an all around dignified and total package woman. We have to be able to travel on a heartbeat look fabulous while we do it, and be able to fit in anywhere…be it a pediatric wing in a third world country or the seat of honor at the Palace in Thailand. We are part role model, part fashion plate…and most definitely a diplomat of sorts. I would hope that Miss Universe’s role today is at it’s heart that same as it has always been…to be a conduit for cultural sharing…and bridge people from all countries together through her travels and personal charisma.

Your message to teenagers around the world?

As I have become a mother my message to youth has changed somewhat…become more specific as I look through the eyes of being a parent of a future teenager…and all I have to say is please PLEASE don’t grow up too fast. The world is moving along at such breakneck speeds now..with the onslaught of social media, teen’s don’t have the luxury of figuring out who they are in the privacy of their own homes and minds..one bad decision is broadcast across twitter, one inappropriate joke or photo can mean the difference between being able to get into a certain college, or even a job…fifteen to twenty years from now..it’s a hard world to grow up in a world where everything has lasting repercussions online. Surround yourself with good people, and family that believe in you and help you make good decisions…and always try to see the BIG PICTURE..because youth is but a fleeting moment..what may sound like or look like a good idea TODAY…may not be such a wise choice for the person you want to BECOME.


and that is all I have for my soap box sermon today!


mahalo Ines!
Brook

Me about Brooke…

The first time I met Brooke was when I just started as Japan National Director for Miss Universe Organization.

I saw Brooke at the rehearsals and she stood up so much compared to the other girls around competing for the title. There was a big smile on her face always, and she has this Ha-Wa-ian lack back attitude that make you like her right away.

The next time I saw her, i was stopped at a red light in Honolulu on my way to downtown and there she was… driving with open windows and singing to a song on the radio. She looked happy and her aura was big and bright. She did not know me, but she noticed that I was looking at her and she smiled at me with this huge smile of hers. She made my day!

Why she won, apart from being beautiful?

I love what she said when she won… Donald Trump was furious after Alicia Machado, the reigning Miss Universe in 1996 from Venezuela, a gorgeous beauty, blond and glamorous, but who had put on more than 10 kilos during her reign… Donald went public, I remember, saying that it was a shame and unacceptable for a title holder to get “so fat”… it made big headlines in the USA as you can imagine, because 80% of the country is overweight….!

When Brook entered top 5, she was asked: -”Miss USA, what would you do it it was your last day to live?”, and with a big smile, she replied instantly -”I would eat anything in the world… oh wait, and twice!” .

The public in the room went crazy and she got a standing ovation.. hum, almost, as Trump I am sure did not quite like her answer! I guess, she had started a fight with the Boss! But Brook personality and charisma won the heart of many, mostly in her country where the Governor replied YES after she went to ask him if HE could make her dream come true by inviting 80+ of the most beautiful women around the world, and to bring awareness to the beautiful islands of Hawaii to the Universe.

We have never met personally, but we write to each others sometimes, she is an easy going woman from the islands… I like that, I like her, cool breeze!

Please leave a message for Brooke as she will read it! Love, ines