Kerenina Sunny Halim

The newly elected Miss Indonesia 2009

Yes, I'm blogging pageant.

Miss. Kerenina Halim, is chosen to represent Indonesia this year to be the next Miss World 2009. Beauty-wise, she has very distinct Indonesian face, although genetically she's half American by her mother side.

Upon watching the final Miss Indonesia 2009 on TV, which happened few months ago, Ms. Kerenina was proven to show a calm, good presentation, spot-on answers and very native english. At this point, she's almost flawless as a finalist and believed will win without a doubt.

And she did.
However, her latter quality backfired.

Kerenina Sunny Halim, a 22 year old Indonesian delegated to represent the country Indonesia as Miss Indonesia in Miss World pageant, speaks broken Bahasa Indonesia and uses English as her native language.

She made news overseas bigger than the Miss World pageant itself.

Miss Indonesia pledges to master Indonesian

Wed, Jun 10 04:10 AM EDT

JAKARTA (Reuters Life!) - The winner of the Miss Indonesia beauty contest has pledged to brush up on her Indonesian language skills after raising eyebrows for answering the pageant judges' questions in English.
.....

"It's been hard for me to speak Indonesian, because I use English every day," she was quoted by the Jakarta Post newspaper as saying. "But I will learn."

One of her best trait has raised eyebrows amongst locals and people overseas. At a time when some other Indonesians are at their best effort to embrace and roaring Nationalism (re: #indonesiaunite), Memen Suprietmen justify Ms. Kerenina lack of Bahasa Indonesia on representing the country overseas as 'enough to get by'.

He (memen is a he, right?) said,

"For Bahasa Indonesia you need enough to get by. But these days, you need to be fluent in a foreign language, English at least," Memen Suprietmen said on a posting on Kompas.com.

Ms. Kerenina's best traits and Memen Surprietmen's comment made me wonder,
if they're few of the people who have the chance to make Indonesia known overseas for its true Identity, then what Identity Indonesia is to be seen by the world?

I was once embarrased and was slightly mocked by a Singaporean for not knowing anything about my country, even as simple as "whats the population in Jakarta?" I said 2 Million. (last I check, that was population for Melbourne). This gives you rough idea that a common civilian like I am know very little about our own country and apparently, our reps overseas also bearing the same knowledge.

I am ashamed to have been cornered by foreigner and that's still in Jakarta. Ms. Kerenina will represent us as a Nation to the world on foreign terrain, how would she then feel?

From what I know, beauty pageant is not just about looks and physique. It's also not about politics. Mostly what to represent is a country's social culture, is it not? Then Ms. Kerenina should at least know the answer to: how many population in Indonesia? without googling or phone a friend.

Although not to judge her further, I see a potential in her for being the next Miss World, or at least Top 5 finalists. Maybe that was the judges' consideration to crowned her Miss Indonesia, since we've never gotten the chance to actually win the world's biggest pageant. Maybe hey, Nina could actually got the crown for us this year.

If she does, don't matter if she know not of Bahasa Indonesia.
We got the crown, Indonesia is proud.

Will it be that easy?
Covering identity with pride.

Heck, how could I know the answer.
I even write this in english and don't even ask me to translate in proper Bahasa Indonesia, 'cause then I would not dare to have a blog.



Article: Reuters


Update:
What's the difference between Miss Universe and Miss World? Which one has to do with the Trump?