Our Crazy Summer, Part 6

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Before Audrey left for Vegas, I'd managed to lug home two evening gowns from Loehmann's and Nordstrom Rack to put on a mini-trunk show for her, hoping she'd give up the idea of wearing her ill-fitting eBay dress. I was a little disappointed that both my choices happened to be black, but the selections couldn't be that great when you're pressed for time and determined to spend less than $100.  I figured I'd be happy just as long as she agreed to wear whichever one that worked.

Audrey tried on the gowns rather half-heartedly, but I could see she had softened a bit because they looked beautiful on her. Both gowns needed hemming so Audrey wouldn't trip on the long trains, but the fit was otherwise excellent. I knew then I could take the gowns to a tailor in Little Saigon for express alterations, but as Audrey was still a little resentful that I didn't offer to do the same for her eBay dress, it wasn't wise for me to mention the subject.  Incredibly, Audrey also noticed the gowns were dragging on the floor but thought she could just wear high heels and kick away the train as she walked onstage.  It just shows you how green she was at this pageant thing! 

By early afternoon, Audrey had called to let me know the ao dai photo shoot/pre-judging was over.  She seemed to think she did quite well in this event.  The photographer praised her face as her strongest asset, but thought she should work on her waist... she relayed this to me without any trace of self-consciousness. I love Audrey!

On the subject of her measurements... a few adults in the family had urged me to talk to Audrey about her recent weight gain several weeks before the pageant started.  Nobody wanted to be the bad guy; neither did I. Truthfully, although I'd still love to trade figures with her anytime, Audrey has probably gained about two-thirds the equivalent of the freshman fifteen on her slender frame without going away to college and experiencing dorm food.  It made a difference in the way she wore clothes, especially in the pageant environment, and I understood everyone's concerns.  But as a mom, I've often wavered between supporting the child or the goal.  Of course I wanted Audrey to have a healthy body image and take good care of her physical appearance... but not get hung up on her looks! Sometimes my good intentions managed to tangle with each other and I'd never claim I knew best how to reconcile my conflicted feelings.  As a woman, one of the things I hated most about my gender was having to cope with the external pressure to maintain our looks.  I didn't want that on myself and certainly didn't want to lay it on my daughter either. So when Audrey ate a steak and half at dinner as she often did, I've mostly stayed silent on the matter of portion control.  Like me, she loves food and is lukewarm about exercise.  Fortunately, she never had a sweet tooth or a soft drink habit, while I've been known to wolf down ten candy bars from my dorm's vending machine each night while cramming for college exams.

Audrey with her cousin, Gisele, on my birthday in May

Audrey did share something I found particularly interesting and I wondered if it's the norm for all beauty pageants or unique to Miss Vietnam Global.  During rehearsals, the contestants were informed that once all the preliminary competitions have been completed, the results would be disclosed to all so everyone would know before pageant night whether they'd made Top 20.  Those that didn't were expected to conduct themselves as though they still had a chance at the crown for the remainder of pageant week.  It seemed unusual and maybe even a bit cruel, but I guessed there might very well be practical reasons to support this decision.   Since the pageant coordinators had only days to pull the show together, their best shot at seamless choreography of onstage events would be assured if they knew in advance who made the first round.

...

4 PM at the mall.  Lauren had pressed me to make good on my promise to take her back-to-school shopping.  I was in line to pay for her purchases at Forever 21 when she looked up from her cell phone and informed me rather nonchalantly, "Audrey texted there's a rumor going 'round that the pageant has been canceled."

It seemed entirely preposterous. Who in their right mind would cancel an event already in full swing?! I decided this update from Audrey wasn't worth paying attention to. "Ask her how the rumor started," I absentmindedly ordered Lauren to text her sister.

We completed our shopping and drove home. As soon as we opened the door, Andrea came out and said, "Audrey has confirmed the rumor to be true. The pageant will be postponed until November."

"What??" I was confused more than stunned. It just didn't sink in. "Has she said anything else?"

"She'll call you later." Andrea was typically laconic and never said anything superfluous.

...

Audrey sounded a little shaken over the phone, "Mommy, they canceled the pageant!"

"How'd they manage to do that?"

"We were rehearsing in the afternoon as usual when someone came into the room and spoke privately to the pageant coordinators.  They ended our practice session at that point and let us off for an early dinner.  Normally, they would have continued rehearsal right after dinner, but this time no one came for us and we stayed in the cafeteria for a long break.  Finally, they ushered us into a room and broke the news to everyone.  A few of the girls started crying.  When the issue of our personal expenses was brought up, Calvin (the event's head person) said to those who were upset, "Email me, and I'll take care of your complaint privately."

The official email correspondence released by the pageant master the next day read as follows:

August 18, 2010

Dear Finalist Contestants:

Regrettably, the Miss Vietnam Global 2010 pageant has been postponed until November 27, 2010. As a qualified contestant, you will automatically be considered a finalist for the pageant at this future date. If you are interested in competing, the fees you have already paid will carry over to this next show.

We will be sending a letter in the near future with the deadline date for confirmation of your attendance, and with further details of the November event. MFC Media, Inc. will be covering your hotel room expense until check out on Sunday, August 22, 2010 as per our agreement as of August 17, 2010.

Please take this opportunity to enjoy the sights and sounds of Las Vegas. MFC Media, Inc and its staff will be in Las Vegas until August 22, 2010 to help you enjoy your Las Vegas experience to the fullest.

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this postponement may have caused. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please direct them to info@missvietnamglobal.com.

Sincerely,

Calvin Nguyen

President

MFC Media, Inc, and its staff

As for the how the "rumor going 'round" had started, Audrey believed most of the contestants have been out of their suites since morning the day the news broke, but at least one who returned to her room in the afternoon claimed to have come across a phone message purportedly from the Planet Hollywood staff informing the participants that their scheduled event had been canceled and everyone should be prepared to check out.

According to Audrey, the contestants were assured by the pageant organizer early on, when the dispute between Planet Hollywood and MFC Media was first revealed, that they still had the use of their hotel rooms until the final scheduled day and that all their accommodations (including meals) were already paid for.  The pageant coordinators came in the room afterwards and apologized to the girls with the same basic refrain  – they had no decision-making authority and were just as surprised and disappointed about the sudden turn of events as the contestants, and that they've chosen to stay until August 22nd (the original check-out day for everyone) so the girls wouldn't feel abandoned.

Audrey didn't want me to keep her on the phone too long.  "I have to go to a meeting with all the contestants now.  We intend to stage a rebellion."

Despite the bleakness of the situation, I almost laughed out loud at her statement. It's akin to saying, "We workers are going on strike against a business that's already folded!"

"Audrey, you can't hope to pressure someone into persevering when they've already given up! To cancel the pageant at this late stage meant that the organizers were in such desperate straits they probably wouldn't be able to recover from the fallout. Are you going to be OK until I get there?  Should I buy you a plane ticket home?"

"Don't worry, Mom! Whatever happened already happened. But Mommy... could I please stay in Las Vegas? I really like it here, and I can do my homework in my room since I won't have to attend any more rehearsals."

"We have our own 3-bedroom suite at the Wyndham Resort, and you should probably join us there.  Are your roommates still with you or are they packing up to go home?"

"Thao will be here with me through the weekend if you allow me to stay. Chi Hang has plans to visit New York, but not until Friday or Saturday."