The lights, the camera, the clothing and the music... a lot goes into making a beauty pageant great... and it all begins with the talent!

The Phoenix Ballroom was decorated like something out of the past, but we were soon reminded that it was the present we were in, more about that later.

1988 saw the first Miss Singapore Chinatown Pageant at the Mandarin Hotel. Since then, the Pageant has grown to be a must for all those who want to get a thrust in to the world of mainstream modelling.

For some it is just a dream, few will actually make that dream come true.

The road to being a Pageant contestant is not an easy one, but probably one of the hardest that many of these young, and yes, beautiful ladies will take.

Some may, after being rejected in the finals end the road right there and then with the fear of never getting further. Others will strive until they get somewhere. That is true with some of the young ladies that took part this year.

After the Semi-Finals at ESTE The Club on Clarke Quay last month, twenty of the best were again battling it out for supremacy at the Novotel. The girls were dressed in fine fervour as well as glamourous attire. They passed the judges on their turn without a step missed; turned and faced the crowd and glided away to the rear of the ballroom.

The entertainment was certainly different from the mainstream pageants that we watch on TV, that can never be denied. It was like something out of the Chinatown Cabaret in Bugis, but it was fun as well as entertaining. The guys & gals were dressed for the part, eager to show off their moves. The troupe of male/female dancers, were especially entertaining. With an edge on Las Vegas but with and Asian directional twist, we were all left smiling.

Although she was not crowned as the winner, my favourite, Kooi Wei Wei, who was crowned as Miss Oriental Charm for 2006, I am pleased to say, was placed, and will represent Singapore in Malaysia next year.

The results for the Miss Singapore Chinatown 2006 Pageant:

2006 Winner: MC 13, Leow Cai Ling

1st Runner-up: MC 37, Low Xiao Qi

2nd Runner-up: MC 29, Choong Wan Jing, Chez

3rd Runner-up: MC 39, Kooi Wei Wei, Elize

With many other awards for the contestants, it was a glittering event. I will be following some of the contestants as they represent Singapore in Malaysia, including Kooi Wei Wei Elize as they again attempt to reign supreme.