Dear Lucy,

 We have been best friends since we were five and you are always a lovely bloom protected by family¡¦s care. I know you are often praised as the second Marilyn Monroe and you are truly an appealing girl. Surly participating in the beauty contests, grasping the triumph and unwinding your splendor have become your closest goal after your 18 the birthday. I have heard that you are going to compete Miss Asia 2007 next year. Being your intimate friend, I am bound to support you, however, I am sorry that I cannot positively encourage you in this circumstance. I choose to maintain my responsibility as an intimate friend and remind you about the reality: It is very wrong to join Miss Asia!

 We have just become university students. Overcoming that A-level examination doesn¡¦t mean that you can wallow in entertainment or worthless activities. I disagree with your desire because now it is more important for us to achieve academic results. I have heard that taking part in Miss Asia requires 6 months of pre-contest training courses and once you get into the final round, you will have to travel to Malaysia or Thailand for outdoor photo shooting. The opportunity of being the champion is so small, but you have to sacrifice a lot of time and spirits into it. If you join the competition,. You will have no time to handle your schoolwork and you may even have to skip lectures. You will miss vast chances of learning valuable knowledge and it may lead to pitiful school results. The cost of joining Miss Asia is too high. It isn¡¦t worth it.

 Bedsides, a lot of critics believe that beauty contests can create distorted values among teenagers, and I believe so. The main criteria¡¦s for winning are appearances and body shapes. Last year, the champion of Miss Hong Kong was a lady 170 cm tall, but only was 99 lbs! In 2005, the first prize of Miss USA went to a woman who had plastic surgery 10 times! When you join the race, you will inevitably and automatically compare yourself with other candidates, which will slowly twist your value judgment. Also, those beauty contests are often related to celebrities. I am afraid that your heart will be filled with egoism and money and fame will become the center of your life. I never hope that my best friends will turn to be such a perverted woman.

 Once you win the game, you will be more delicate to reputation. But trend and fame are like waves, the old generation will always be pushed and replaced by the new one. Next year you may win Miss Asia and bath in the ovation, but two years later. You will take a snub and no one will remember your name. Fame is not undying and can¡¦t last for eternity. I am afraid the fluctuation of reputation will shatter your dreams and fantasies. Famous artist Leslie Cheung had anorexia and committed suicide because he couldn¡¦t suffer being snubbed and changing trends. I don¡¦t want you to have the same ending.

 As I have said, most of the beauty contests are related to celebrities. Once you attend the competition, you will become a member of them. Of course then your like will be fulfilled by the disturbance or paparazzi. Apart from that, your life will be perverted, too. Those contests often are controlled by famous billionaires. Some of the candidates bribe the judges in order to win. Remember your favorite opera: Phantom Of the Opera? Christine Daae was accused of being a soubrette and slept with her patrons in order to perform the main character in Don Giovanni. The same story happens continuously in the real world, especially in various kinds of beauty pageants! I wish that you can stay away from abhorrent rumors and that is why I object you to join Miss Asia 2007. In addition, the world of celebrities often includes triad affairs, drugs and alcoholism. You are such an innocent girl, who can never imagine the darkness of fame. Under the limelight, artists seem to be glorious and fantastic. But they act and talk rudely backstage. They sell their bodies to tycoons in order to gain sponsorship and they contact triad members to defeat their rivals. I really don¡¦t want to see you jumping into the abyss.

 All in all, I believe taking part in Miss Asia 2007 will merely farm your fragile and pure soul. And I think you are still too young to face the dismal side of the beauty pageants. I recommend that you focus on your schoolwork in these few years, so that you can at least be a sophisticated person and have more job opportunities in the future. If you really want to join these beauty contests to prove your charisma and be praised by all your devotees, I suggest you to joing some just competitions, such as Miss Prettiest Stewardess or Miss World. These contests are held by international organizations and are more serious in pursuing the real beauty. They require winners to have both inside and outside beauty, and women who have won these races before will gain forever glory and reputation. I think they will be more suitable for you.

 My opinions may offend your beliefs, but please understand that they are all the most sincere words from the bottom of your best friend¡¦s heart. Hope that they will help you to make your choice.

With love,