Miss World Fashion final held in E China

A contestant takes part in the Miss World Fashion final in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, April 24, 2011. (Xinhua/Han Yuqing)

A contestant takes part in the Miss World Fashion final in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, April 24, 2011. (Xinhua/Han Yuqing)

A contestant takes part in the Miss World Fashion final in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, April 24, 2011. (Xinhua/Han Yuqing)

A contestant takes part in the Miss World Fashion final in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, April 24, 2011. (Xinhua/Han Yuqing)

A contestant takes part in the Miss World Fashion final in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, April 24, 2011. (Xinhua/Han Yuqing)

A contestant takes part in the Miss World Fashion final in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, April 24, 2011. (Xinhua/Han Yuqing)

Mum’s the world in China - deccanchronicle.com

If you thought only single women can rule beauty pageants, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. Young mother Tina Rai Pun from the city, is the second runner-up in the beauty pageant My Lovely Mum. The pageant took place in Beijing and Tina has pipped contestants from three countries to stand third in the competition.

Being the only Indian to have won, Tina is ecstatic. Though she is a home maker, she has always been drawn to the sheen and glamour of the life on the ramp. “This competition was my childhood fantasy come true. As a child, I dreamt of participating in a beauty pageant and still cannot believe it’s come true!”

Though the world of fashion and beauty may appear enticing, one needs to prepare rigourously and Tina was put through the grind. “I took grooming classes, speech lessons and more. My confidence really grew when I saw the change in me. I had to train with a specialised team which took care of my posture, diet, style of walking, personal styling and more. I realised that the process of looking good is labourious. Being well-groomed is an asset.” She was trained by Saloni Duggal, Arun Kumar and Rajesh Shroff.

After winning the competition in the city, Tina travelled to Beijing where she contested with young mothers from countries like China, Malaysia and Singapore. She recalls the experience as “liberating and enlightening.” “I met several women who, like me, put their families ahead of themselves in life. It was great meeting like-minded women and I learnt a lot.” Travelling in China was also a different experience for her. “Chinese citizens live in a world of their own and are happy like that! They do not know English, they do not have Google or Facebook. They don’t even have pay phones! Life is so different,” says Tina.

The petite woman is still enjoying the after-effects of her newfound success. “I’m just really happy and thrilled. My three-year-old son Aryan is as excited as I! He was convinced I would win,” says the proud mother. After large-scale exposure to pageants, Tina plans to spruce up her Youtube channel. “This channel is dedicated to tips on beauty and make-up. It’s something that keeps me busy when my little one is at playschool. After this sojourn, I want to add value to my video blogs and online inputs.”