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Pantene
Miss Egypt 2005
•
What three words best describe you?
Ambitious, Spontaneous and patient.
• What was your childhood dream?
I have always wanted to become a musician. Since my early years in childhood, I have learned how to play piano and the flute. However, I never thought
that I am good enough to take it professionally; Still, I love music a lot. It is one of my greatest interests that takes up most of my time and relieves me from stress.
•
What were the factors that led you to enlist at the Pantene Miss Egypt
2005?
I have always been known as a shy person. It was an attempting challenge that pushed me to apply in order to increase my self-confidence and to improve my communication skills. My parents, especially my grandfather encouraged me to join the contest and take part in this adventure.
•
What is your impression on beauty contests prior to participating in
one?
Well, I thought it was a very tough competition which turned out to be totally true. And as many people who don't know what is going on backstage, I thought it was shallow in a way. However, I found out that I was mistaken because through this pageant, my fellow contestants and I gained much experience and reached certain maturity in a very short period.
•
Can you put in picture the judging process that you went
through as a contestant of Pantene Miss Egypt pageant?
Miss Egypt was very different this year. There were many preliminary competitions. It was almost like a Miss Universe contest. We all competed in interviews on one day, and then in cocktail dresses and evening gowns on another pre-final show. In each competition, there were new judges that were very important people in Egypt and abroad. The phone voting which counted 25% of our scores was included for the first time in history. On the final night, the Top 12 were judged based on appearance, interview skills and fitness.
• What do you think are your qualities that
helped you win the Pantene Miss Egypt 2005 title?
I believe the judges recognized that I was talking from my heart. I was just being myself during the interview and it was almost like chatting with the judges instead of turning it into a boring question and answer style. Maybe because I entered the competition to enjoy every moment of it without being so eager to win, that certainly helped me to be totally spontaneous and to talk freely without faking myself, and I think this pleased the judges.
I believe participating in any event of this kind is a great experience and being accepted is already an important achievement.
•
You are still very young and learning...
but what do you think is the best lesson life has ever taught you?
When I had a dream, I never let go until I accomplish it. If you believe in yourself plus exerting as much effort as you can to accomplish your dreams, make sure that you have that belief that God will never let you down.
•
What is your most prized material possession?
It is a big poster in a beautiful frame that I created. I stabled pictures of me with my beloved family members and friends with their signatures on it. I have been posting pictures on it since my childhood and until now.
•
What is your opinion on activists' point of view that exposure of too
much skin in the swimsuit competition disrespects women?
I believe that swimsuit competition is a small part in any beauty pageant and has always been a main requirement since pageants were first launched. The motive behind it is not seduction, but it is to evaluate fitness & physical proportions. We have a saying in Arabic that goes "Good brains are in good shapes" and I totally agree with that because a Beauty Queen must come in a full package!
•
If you were the President of your country and right before you is a bill passed by Congress allowing Human Cloning as a legal procedure in the country, would you sign the bill or refuse the whole thing?
No doubt that I will totally refuse it. I am totally for science and new discoveries all the way because it helps us achieve a more healthy and comfortable life. However, when it comes to interfering with God's creation, I think this is an alarm to the beginning of a real disaster.
•
What are your passions in life?
Besides music, I love to be always surrounded with people that I care for, those whom I can't live without. I also have great interest in crafting and arts in general. Art has always been an obsession for me. I think I got that from my mother. And unlike most of the girls, I hate shopping!
•
Can you tell something that is so interesting about you?
During my childhood, I always played with boys and never really had any girlfriends until high school. Maybe that is why I was known as a shy person. Another interesting fact is that I never wore high heels before Miss Egypt!
•
How did you prepare yourself for the Miss
Universe pageant?
Unfortunately, my preparations before Miss Universe is quite short, so I barely
had sleep. I gathered as much information from previous Miss Egypt titleholders such as Nour El-Semary and Heba El-Sisy who were more than great with me. I worked a lot on improving my catwalk skills especially with high heels. Plus, I tried to improve my communication skills. I also had some sessions with great Egyptian journalists such as Mr. Mohamed Salmawy and many others. And of course, I prepared my wardrobe for this grand event.
•
How
will you describe your country to the rest of the world?
It is needless to say, I feel that I am out of words when it comes to talking about Egypt. It is just too great to be described! After Miss Egypt, I read a lot about the history of my nation. I've learned many new stuff that I never knew about our rich culture. I have to say that I have never felt so proud for being Egyptian as I am now. Besides that Egypt is known as a country of ancient history and civilization, it is also a great destination for tourists who are looking for spending nice time on beautiful beaches. Egypt has one of the best places for squab diving all over the World in Sharm El-Shikh and Hurghada. There is too much yet to say! There is the beautiful oasis of Siwa which is known for
its mysterious healing effect and the ancient Cairo which is full of Islamic art and architecture. To put it simply, Egypt is the land of endless beauty.
•
Give us an idea of your "ideal man."
He must be an honest person, a man who doesn't know how to lie. This is what really counts for me, because if he is honest enough, he will never lie to me when he says: I love you! He also has to be the kind of
man who goes wild sometimes and be crazy cause I do that sometimes too! 
•
How would you define "love"?
Love is the ultimate pleasure that gives meaning to life. Love helps us to be creative & happy and teaches us to give and to forgive.
•
Do you have a motto or personal quote that you live by?
"When there is a will, there is a way."
•
Aside from winning your local beauty pageant, what is the most fulfilling thing
you've done?
The most fulfilling thing I have ever done was getting very good grades during my last year of school. I have always been a normal student- not weak but not genius. And as I wanted to study business administration, I had to raise my GPA dramatically. It was almost like a mission impossible. However, I worked so hard and managed to get 3.9 at the end of my last semester at school and easily joined the school of BADM.
•
Tell us about your fashion sense and
style.
I would lie if I'd say that I have a certain style in fashion, simply because I am
very much into jeans and t-shirts but during Miss Egypt I started to feel more interested about fashion and I guess I have improved my sense of style a lot. I would say that I like being simple, elegant and very feminine.
•
Why do you want do be crowned Miss Universe and how would you define the title in your own terms?
There is no question that being Miss Universe is a great honor for both the winner and her country. In case I won, I would try to work very hard to make myself a unique Miss Universe of all times, besides
being the first Egyptian winner ever. I would love to leave a mark in history through charity works and projects.
I would define Miss Universe as the most prestigious beauty title in the world, an achievement that any woman would be dreaming of, and I think that the titleholder should be worth it.
•
What should pageant experts, your fellowmen, fans and beauty watchers expect from Miss Egypt at Miss Universe 2005?
They should expect an unusual representative from a usually overlooked nation who is really willing and ready to do all what it takes to win the title. I come from a very rich culture for being Egyptian myself, still, I think I have other great qualities which can make a great representative out of me. I am a very well-educated girl who gathers a big part of this universe inside her, and that is me, Meriam George!
•
Finally, leave a personal message to Missosology readers.
With their love and support, they will give me a great push to go far and beyond
my expectations. I hope that I will be a great representative for my country and I assure all of you that I will not let you down. Please pray for me, and of course vote for
me! (smiles...)
Thank you
Cynthia. Do your best in your
Miss Universe quest! Good Luck!
Special thanks to
Ahmed Khorshed & Rizwan Ali,
&
Pantene Miss Egypt Organization
