They make the final 20 list to The New Paper New Face contest - thanks to their assets
By Eri Akbar
[email protected]THEY look good.
But they know it takes more than a pretty face to beat the competition.
Twenty girls were shortlisted after an audition at Velvet Underground on Saturday .
Four of them talk about the assets (and not just physical ones) they say they are blessed with.
Leg up
Surya Sundaram spends her free time playing basketball, and her long legs have served her well on as well as off the court.
The 16-year-old girl said animatedly: 'Even a long skirt looks really short on me.'
She can certainly put her legs to good use at this contest.
She said: 'I joined New Face because it really looks fun and it's not sleazy at all.
'It's also a great opportunity for me to meet people and gain experience.'
Surya, who's originally from Mumbai, is learning Mandarin in school. 'I'm sure China needs lots of buildings in future,' said Surya, who wants to become an architect.
She says she is artistic and conjures up images on canvas.
She took physics and advanced maths in Australian International School, so that she could be one step closer to her ambition.
Surya, who moved here over a year ago, said: 'I see myself having a job, a family and taking care of my parents.'
This is one girl who knows her priorities, and that means no boys at this stage.
Toothy charm
Another shortlisted contestant who knows where she's heading is 20-year-old Rosliana Rosli.
She's training to become a Silkair stewardess.
Her best asset - her boyfriend told her so - is her smile, which could very well make the jaws of her future flight passengers drop.
What makes her smile unique is a prominent vampire-like incisor.
Rosliana grinned: 'All my family members have two (of those sharp-edged teeth).
'I'm half-lucky with one.'
Maybe it could be her lucky charm.
Rosliana, who has modelled for Malay wedding magazines, hopes to gain 'exposure' from New Face and realise her dream of becoming a singer one day.
The sporting girl even broke into Britney Spears' Everytime tune when requested.
Upfront appeal
Mass communication student Joanna Jean Chen, 17, is surprisingly well-endowed for a young Asian girl.
On her 34C statistic, she said with a chuckle: 'This is not my asset. It's my family asset.'
She thanks her mum, who's Eurasian of North Indian, American, Irish and Chinese descent, for the 'gift'.
Joanna is used to getting stares at chest level - not only from guys, mind you, but also from girls.
She doesn't have a problem with that but her boyfriend might.
'It's usually the people with me who are uncomfortable with the stares. My boyfriend says if anybody tries anything funny, he'll kena (Malay for get it),' she said.
Joanna can fill out a lot of clothes nicely, but it may be a little tough finding her a perfect fit in a dress.
When trying on dresses during shopping trips, she said they tend to turn out 'tight at the bust and ride up' in the rear.
But she's not banking on her asset to give her a win.
Joanna, who wants to work in events management in future, said: 'Having big boobs doesn't mean you'll win in a competition. If you've a dull personality, you won't be an attractive person.'
Apart from being a movie and book buff, Joanna is quite the thrill seeker and her escapades would be 'illegal to print'.
But what she can tell you is that she's dying to try skydiving.
Eye for beauty
Passion for music keeps shortlisted contestant Stephanie Ang going.
The 16-year-old girl, born to a Bruneian-Chinese dad and an English-Indian mum, looks like a cross between former MTV video jockeys Nadya Hutagalung and Sonia Couling.
She does aspire to become like them. She wants to interview her idol, Nick Valensi, the guitarist from The Strokes.
There's little doubt the United World College student, who has been living here since four, would look good in front of the camera.
Stephanie, who's 'just dating', is pretty vain about her eyebrows and makes sure they are immaculately-groomed at all times.
She said: 'I used to look like a nerd with triangular eyebrows. I even read beauty books to learn how to trim them.'
Apart from her grooming skills, Stephanie can also converse in French and Mandarin.
They strutted their stuff and got in
FROM over 1,000 girls who signed up for The New Paper New Face contest this year, some 200 were selected and went through an all-day audition at Velvet Underground. These are the final 20 shortlisted contestants:
1 Agnes Teo, 18, poly student
2 Siti Norjannah, 19, NAFA student
3 Ninnie Yeo, 18, student
4 Christabel Campbell, 17, poly student
5 Alexis Tan, 19, NTU student
6 Yanni Yoong, 21, SMU student
7 Rachel Mariyanti, 18, poly student
8 Surya Sundaram, 18, Australian International School student
9 Lee Cheng Ling, 18, NTU student
10 Stephanie Ang, 16, UWC student
11 Betsy Chen, 22, designer
12 Blyss Chin, 21, financial advisor
13 Selene Ong, 21, bank employee
14 Rosliana Rosli, 20, Silkair trainee
15 Joanna Jean Chen, 17, mass comm student
16 Vernessa Loo, 19, poly student
17 Jolene Wee, 18, SMU student
18 Elyna Vijay, 15, UWC student
19 Stacey Chia, 16, secondary school student
20 Hazarian Intan Sabrina, 18, a junior bowling executive
Sourec: NP
