Markysa O’Loughlin shares experience of pageant trip to China

“I take my ambassadorial duties very seriously”

BASSETERRE, St.Kitts - EARLIER this year, Markysa O’Loughlin, now 21, flew her patriotic flag as Miss St. Kitts-Nevis in the 62nd production of the prestigious Miss World Pageant that was held in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China.

The Pageant’s Final took place on August 18 at the Dongsheng Fitness Centre Stadium. 

O’Loughlin departed the Federation in July for that country as did the other contestants.

A total of 116 beauties from around the globe - including O’Loughlin - entered the competition.

The 2012-crowned Miss World was China’s Yu Wenxia, while second place went to Miss Wales Sophie Moulds and third was Australia’s Jessica Kahawaty.

Notably, O’Loughlin did advance in the Talent Semi-finals of the competition. Her performed piece was a steel pan rendition of a popular nationalistic tune by veteran calypsonian King Ellie Matt.

“There were many aspects of the competition dubbed ‘fast tracks’ and I excelled in the talent competition. I entertained the crowd with my steel pan performing one of our most patriotic songs…’Viva St. Kitts’ by King Ellie Matt. Not only did I advance to the Talent Finals, but I also left an impression with the other young ladies. They all knew the chorus by the time the Semi-final round was executed and I was very proud,” she highlighted.

O’Loughlin revealed that she has taken a liking to Sushi since travelling to China and, in preparation for her trip there, the academically-inclined beauty studied Chinese vocabulary.

REPORTER: “How was the experience in China?”

O’LOUGHLIN: “I was shocked that I had ‘culture shock’ because I read a lot about Asian culture and have several friends who told me about their experience, but China is one of those places you must visit yourself to understand and be fully immersed into Chinese lifestyle.

“There was definitely culture shock. The food was much different than I expected. Traditional Chinese food is very different than the commercial eats we get here. Sometimes it was a bit ‘much’ for me (laughing) and I often longed for my mommy's coconut johnny cakes. The type of bathrooms/toilets they used is very different from what we're accustomed to, so that took some getting used to (smiling).

“The Chinese people are very friendly. In one of the cities we visited, Shanghai, almost everyone knew English so they were very enthusiastic to help.
“The architecture was mind blowing. I was amazed at how well they maintained their traditional buildings and even more amazed at the intricate designs of the high-rise buildings and skyscrapers.

“One of my favourite parts of the trip was visiting the Kubuqi Desert. It was educational, fun and inspiring to see how well the Chinese government has used their desert lands to facilitate recreational activities. Deserts are symbolic of hostile human existence, drought, famine and hardships in so many regions of the world, including Sub-Saharan Africa, but the Chinese government made their desert a prime tourist attraction.

“All in all, the experience in China was unforgettable and quite the adventure.”

REPORTER: “Describe the feeling of having been able to represent St. Kitts-Nevis on the global scale.”

O’LOUGHLIN: “It brought me tremendous pride to represent St. Kitts and Nevis on a global scale simply because our tiny islands have so much to offer and I wanted to show the world some of it. I was happy, excited yet nervous, all in effort to make St. Kitts and Nevis look good in this capacity. I take my ambassadorial duties very seriously.”

REPORTER: “I know you were doing some preparations for your China trip as it relates to language, did the few words you learn come in handy?”

O’LOUGHLIN: “Yes! Some of the words I learned came in handy when I visited a particular city where the residents barely knew English. It made the interactions so much better simply saying words like ni hao…hello, wo ai ni…I love you and xie xie for thank you.

“The Sushi, like expected, was my favourite part of the dining - it was always fresh and tasty. I also liked the noodles, dragon fruit, the seafood dishes and the dessert - Tiramisu.”

O’Loughlin and Miss Barbados were among those quoted on www.smh.com.au talking about Ordos city of China.

“Ordos could be the next Dubai”, said Miss Barbados Marielle Wilkie. And in relation to its architecture, OLoughlin said it is “world class”.

Other Caribbean countries that entered the pageant included Jamaica, Guyana, Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago and Belize while some of the international countries were Ethiopia, Japan, India, Germany, England, Colombia, Spain and France.