Rome wasn't built in a day: Sarina Maskey

KATHMANDU, Nov 20: Born and raised in Chitwan, Sarina Maskey, 24 recently represented Nepal at the Miss International Beauty Pageant held in China.

Crowned as Miss Nepal 2011, 2nd Runner Up, Sarina is a huge sports enthusiast. Basketball is her favorite sports and she enjoys badminton and tennis as well.[break]

Currently pursuing her Masters in Business Administration (MBA) in Banking and Insurance, Sarina alongside studying, also works for an insurance company.

She left her home town after completing high school and moved to Kathmandu. “I have always kept myself busy, especially after SLC,” she smiles. Even during high school she worked as a radio jockey for a local radio station in Narayanghad.

While flipping through various newspapers, Sarina read about the Miss Nepal contest. She surfed through the contestant criteria to note that the age limit was 25. “I told myself then and there that I had to participate, because if I didn’t do it I wouldn’t qualify next year as I would be 25,” she recalls.

Her time at Miss Nepal was “extremely fun,” she shares and claims to have never witnessed catfights owing to her reserved nature, “I can’t make friends easily,” She confesses.

After her participation at the Miss International Pageant she feels that she has opened up to her surroundings. Sarina however, is a bit saddened by the media.

“One specific complain that I have is that they tend to make a big deal out of the bikini pictures,” she shares adding “it’s just like any other round at the international pageants.” Sarina is specifically saddened by the fact that a few in the media chose to highlight only her swimsuit round pictures leaving the cultural dress photos out.

Currently back to her normal routine Sarina feels that there is a lot she needs to do for her nation. “I want to complete my education first and then make a difference in the economic sector of the country,” she says.

Republica joined her for a brief chat. Excerpts:

Do you feel any different after participating at the Miss International Beauty Pageant?

Definitely, the first thing I learnt is that at the international events things are not laid back as in Nepal. If an event scheduled for 7 am you have to be there at least five minutes earlier. There is no one to help you at all. Be it the make up or your performance at various rounds it’s like you are alone and need to do everything on your own. After attending the pageant, I feel that my personality has improved.

How has the media attention after the International Pageant been?

Well, first of all in our country it’s only the main title holder who acquires the most attention. The little attention that I received I must confess has not been very pleasant. The media only wants to scrutinize you, as a candidate never appreciating the participation. Winning is not everything.

What do our beauty queens lack?

First of all the preparation time is very less. The contestants have very little support, be it from the government, the sponsors, or the media. During the Miss International pageant I saw the vast amount of support and attention the other participants received from their home countries and that made me really sad. These little things matter because they tend to boost your confidence which reflects on your performance.

What do you count as your achievement during the Miss International pageant?

First of all I am proud of the fact that I represented my country at the international arena, which is an achievement in itself. Apart from that I was selected as one of the top contestants for the Main Sponsor round and was among the six girls who received an opportunity to perform. The traditional dance I did earned huge applauses. I was also selected to perform at the charity round and auctioned an Ankhi-Jhyal, The money was given to charity. It was great feeling. .

What do you have to say to the young people of Nepal?

We need to stop complaining and accept the fact that it’s us who are the actual change makers. Instead of complaining about everything from bad roads to the lack of electricity why don’t we all contribute from our respective sectors and bring about that much needed change in society. Of course it’s going to take time but we have to be patient, after all Rome wasn’t built in a day.