In a circle where the allure of fame and fortune beckons…into the bright lights I stepped into when I signed up for the Mister Singapore 2007 pageant in late April 07. First up, the audition rounds which I got through…Then the final shortlisting to emerge as the last 18 guys left to compete for the title.

Instead of being known as M1, M2….M18, we were each given a housing estate to represent. Thus I metamorphosed into Mr Toa Payoh.

However innocent my original intents of joining were, it created a buzz in my life and the people surrounding me. And guess who my biggest supporter was? My mum…Originally I thought she would freak out but her response was so mild…Thanks mum She could only ponder aloud where on earth I got the courage from. Both my parents are pretty conservative so perhaps that explains why…hahaha…If only dad was still alive to witness me strutting my stuff…I really miss him.

I thoroughly enjoyed the photoshoot session. It was my maiden photoshoot by a professional photographer (nah…I’m not some rich kid who pays to get a coverlook makeover at the studios). I was really looking forward towards it and it really blew me away. With my body glistering with baby oil, I found myself seated on the bartop for the first series of shoots wearing only a pair of low-cut jeans and striking poses. The jeans was so low that you could literally pull it off me. In the trailers which was broadcast later during the pageant, I gasped when I saw the picture…oh my god. Definitely the most daring photo I’ve taken till date (or so I thought…the best was yet to come).

From the bartop, the next stop was the cemetery. We were lucky the police didn’t come when 18 guys clad only in skimpy trunks were parading around. There was the yoga pose we had to do, followed by the shots on and around the tree. Passers-by gave us this funny look but like all other Singaporeans, the MYOB instinct kicked in and they left us alone.

In the run-up to the presentation show (so called prelims) and finals, my cubicle was the centre of activity. Colleagues dropped by to give encouragement and pointers. Three of them in particular – Esther, Anderson and Raymond were particularly helpful and went out of their way to help me.

If you ask me how I would describe myself, I wouldn’t hesitate to say “metrosexual”. Yes, I’m quite vain. Hahaha…Preening and looking at myself in the mirror was already part of my daily routine even before the pageant. Now during the pageant, it was even more often. Everytime I looked into the mirror, I told myself I could get better, fitter and in better shape. I think they call it the Law of Attraction. When you tell yourself you want something, your subconscious mind takes over and makes you believe you can achieve it.

In the short span of one month, I was in the best shape of my life (I still am, by the way…hahaha) all thanks to a strict diet and a change in my workout routine. At what price, vanity for mankind? Hmm…at least it was worthwhile for me.

Preview Show. Fabulous. St James Power Station. We were doing a show for NewUrbanMale. The night marked two firsts for me. A first show for me and a first night out in a club. I don’t club. Yes, I’m the boy next door type who shuns clubs and nightspots. Anyway, the show coincided with boys’ night. And as expected, when we took off our tanktops in the middle platform revealing only the trunks, the cameras went shutter-happy. It didn’t dawn upon me then which part of my body they were taking. But I remembered the choreographer’s instruction not to smile less we send the wrong signal to our other brothers.

Presentation Show. Movida. St James Power Station. I guess the pressure, or rather should I say the lip gloss got to me. I didn’t feel that good after the show as compared to the previous night. In fact, friends and colleagues told me everything was okay for me (my mum and female colleagues even checked out the other competitors’ abs…you can always count on them…hehehehe) except they missed my smile. Yes, I felt it too. Very plastic. The very next day, Anderson got me a lipgloss and made it practise wearing it in office. It really helped, thanks.

Finals. Braddell Heights Community Club. The tension was indeed mounting. Prior to joining the pageant, I’ve already heard that winking to get special favours or even sleeping with the judges was a common thing. But I wasn’t going to stoop so low because I wanted to compete solely on merit. I felt happy when my estate name was the first to be called as a Top 10 finalist. I remember Anderson & Esther’s faces as they were seated in the front row. Esther even brought along her smiley face pillow…In the Top 10 round, we had to recompete in swim wear and evening wear. In a sea of blacks, mine was the only one of two whites…Time almost stood still when I did the evening wear walk as it was a slow and graceful stroll down the stage. Did I smile? You bet I did…It was also my last walk down the stage as I missed out on the next cut for the Top 5. Nonetheless, I was already happy enough. I even had strangers coming up to me asking to take photos after the event. Not bad for a pageant novice..Hahaha.

To be honest, I felt a sense of directionless after the pageant. After all, it was like living a beautiful dream. It was so surreal. But the only difference is that this dream has an ending point.

Wake up. Stop dreaming. So Mr Toa Payoh becomes a salaried employee again. I still have the trophy (it’s supposedly worth $2000 as it’s 24K gold plated) and sash at home. Looking at them triggers memories…Memories which I will keep within me forever.

Comments(0)