I came from a family of superstars: Potpot the little beauty queen (part 1 of 4)

Potpot at 3.5 years old after the church thanksgiving

I remember about two years ago, in one of our exercises in Psychology class, we were asked to draw a family. When I showed it to my teacher, he said, "You're still the baby girl, aren't you?" And I just smiled.



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People thought I would be a beauty queen. I was really a bibo kid back in my toddler years. I WAS (gerd, I'm so tempted to put this into present tense!) pretty, witty and charming. People back then loooooooove Potpot, the cute kid who runs back and forth and chants "Pot-pot!" every afternoon, upon hearing the bread peddler's horn.

My mom would always tell me I was like Aiza Seguerra. And that I actually joined a pseudo-beauty pageant as a kid. It was a local pageant like that of Little Miss Philippines. But I didn't win. I was a runner up to an older, more matured girl. (But I can't remember any details, you know.)

I remember, my lolo and lola would always ask me to imitate Ruffa Gutierrez every evening, while we're watching TV. I used to tell I'd like to be like her (USED TO, okay!) but I wanted to be THE MISS UNIVERSE (move over, Venus Raj!).

Would you believe that I usually throw tantrums back then because my lola forgot to buy me lace stockings or my shoes have no heels! I was a diva. I even used permanent markers as eyebrow pencil and lip liner one evening. My mom's ninang (the late Lola Tessie) laughed upon seeing me with funny crude lines all over my face.

But then again, somewhere in between something went terribly wrong, when I am finally a grown-up woman, I started to hve crush on beauty pageant contestants! (Kidding!!! Please don't take that seriously, people.) I mean, I dread wearing evening gowns, the idea of putting make-up on my face is now synonymous to nightmare and I could only stand walking with poise and femininity for 10 seconds (after that, I could be mistaken for a kanto siga). I would be an awful, gross even, contestant to any beauty pageant now! (And I haven't even mentioned my love handles and potato farm on my sides.)

But the Potpot in me never really left, I'm still bibo (I think), and pretty (mamatay na ang kokontra!), and witty  (well, sometimes).

And yeah, I'm still the baby girl. And I will always be. :-)




NOTE: This series is a four-part blog entry that tells something about each member of the Panela family and why they're a bunch of superstars. :-) Tweet