Qs of Beauty Pageants ......... and Qs put to first woman on International Space Station !!!

In this beautiful World, many actions are carefully mimicked ….. the announcement goes …. ‘and the winner is’ ……….. the predictable reaction of the winner is display of emotions writ large in face trying to say that one does not believe it as tears roll in cheeks …. Aped from cinema Award winning ceremonies …. From Beauty Pageant winners…..  Beauty queens  are not exactly noted for their brains as judges tend to be more impressed with their looks and long legs.  Some reports put it that unusually, entrants  at  Miss France pageant  were  tested on their general knowledge to show they were not just a pretty face. The test reportedly caused 'panic' among the 33 contestants who took part at the televised competition on the French-speaking island of Mauritius.  Not that the questions were too tough. They included: 'What's the average price of a baguette?' 'Who is Usain Bolt'? 'Complete the squence: A, E, I ....' and 'Who is the Prime Minister of France'?

The perceived notion is that – When asked – who is the most influential person in life ……… most participants would say Mother Teresa and she would try to emulate.   Because she liked to help poor and I like to help poor too !;  I want to change this world by my social cause…. Or some would say it is own mother, who fought odds to bring her up to such a big position in life !!... ~ and most of the winners would say that they would like to render social service with the money earned … !!!..... and the media is not too kind either.

For Russia and women, Yelena Serova becoming the first Russian woman on the International Space Station (ISS) is a momentous occasion.  Yelena Olegovna Serova is a Russian cosmonaut. She was selected as a cosmonaut in 2006 and was assigned in 2011 to Expedition 41, which launched in September 2014. Serova became the first female Russian cosmonaut to visit the International Space Station (ISS) on 26 September 2014.  Serova is the fourth female cosmonaut to travel to space.  Previously, only three female cosmonauts: Valentina Tereshkova (1963), Svetlana Savitskaya (1982, 1984) and Yelena Kondakova (1994, 1997) representing former Soviet Union and Russia have flown into space. 

Despite being a flight engineer and the first Russian woman in space for 17 years, she was asked about make-up and how she will take care of her hair – which naturally irritated her.  The journalist asked the questions during a pre-flight press conference by Nasa ahead of the joint US-Russian mission to the ISS but Serova was not one to shy away from criticising the sexist nature of the topics asked. When she is asked about her hair, Serova returned a question of her own: "Can I ask a question, too: aren't you interested in the hair styles of my colleagues?".  The cosmonaut was also asked earlier in the conference about leaving her daughter behind for six months and how that will affect their relationship and the chance to speak privately.

Daily Mail reports that the Russian cosmonaut  hit back and was swift to chastise the offending member of the press after they made the comment at a NASA conference.   In the video clip of the press conference which is quickly gaining traction online, a visibly frustrated and embarrassed Yelena challenges the journalist, asking why they have not asked her fellow male astronauts similar questions. Yelena was obviously unimpressed by the nature of questions directed at her during the press conference.  Reports suggest that the  type of questions asked of Yelena were very different to those asked of her male co-astronauts Barry Wilmore (left) and Alexander Samokutyaev (centre).  Given the serious nature of her mission, and the extensive training Serova has undergone, it is not surprising that she became frustrated when asked inane and totally unrelated questions simply based on her gender.

Yelena was launched into space in the Soyuz spacecraft at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, accompanied by NASA’s Barry Wilmore and Russian Alexander Samokutyaev. She is expected to remain on the ISS for six months. ‘You are the first woman cosmonaut in 17 years, so what are you expecting from that flight? Are you going to take make-up with you? – was one of the Qs.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

1^st Oct 2014.