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Miss Asia Pacific 1992 – Part 3/3

August 13, 2012 By: Mehroo6 Comments

……..continued from Post: Miss Asia Pacific 1992 – Part 2/3

MANILA, PHILIPPINES
DECEMBER 06-07
These two days after the contest was over were the longest and the most depressing days for me as there was nothing much to do except watch the winners get all the limelight and say a goodbye to the other girls heading for their respective countries. All I wanted to do was to go back home but after my terrible experience in Bangkok, the thought of spending another night there, en route to Bombay, filled me with dread.

MANILA-BANGKOK
DECEMBER 08
I was leaving Manila today and was filled with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. The organisers had just given me some cash to use for the hotel stay in Bangkok and I was supposed to make all the arrangements myself.  I reached the airport well in time for check-in as I had some excess baggage and had requested the organisers to help me out. Despite their assurances Philippine Airlines staff stopped me at check-in and asked for a hefty fine of US$165! I tried explaining, complaining but once again everything fell on deaf ears. I refused to pay a cent so I opened my bags and took out some of my stuff to carry in hand luggage. After I was done with the rearranging and repacking my hand baggage consisted of 4 plastic bags, 1 hand bag, 1 vanity case and 1 purse! All this juggling did not eliminate my excess luggage fine just brought it down to US$120! And I had no choice but to pay. After that I headed for immigration and then to the gate struggling with all my hand bags as trolleys were not allowed after a certain point.

My flight was quite pleasant and comfortable in contrast. It was a light flight and the aircraft was practically empty so I could stretch my legs and take a nice nap. However once we landed in Bangkok I was anxious once again about my stay. I struggled to stand in the immigration counter queue for a full 15 minutes before my turn came and when it did I realised that I had not obtained my visa on arrival! So staggering I first went to exchange my USD for Bahts and then to the visa counter where I spent 300 bahts for my visa and 150 bahts for my photograph! As I was just leaving that counter a lady came running up to me with a vanity case that looked exactly like mine…..apparently I had forgotten the case at the exchange counter! Once again by the time I reached the baggage carousel there were no other passengers around which made me realise how long I had taken to reach there. Someone had taken my bags off the carousel and they were standing there looking lonely waiting for me. I quickly settled all my bags onto a nice trolley and headed for the hotel reservation desk. I gave my budget and requirements to the lady in the following order of priority:
–close to the airport
–american breakfast included
–transport to and fro included
–sightseeing option
A quick dialogue followed and all was settled for Hotel Siam Beverly at a total cost of US$108 for one night!

The next day I woke up early to do full justice to my American breakfast and then headed for the sightseeing bus tour. We were taken to two Buddha temples which I enjoyed seeing. I suddenly felt very good about myself, very confident after having handled the hotel booking and getting such a good deal! I felt like rewarding myself and decided to do some last minute shopping. I asked the tour operator to drop me to a street market which was not very expensive. She dropped me off to Indra market writing down the hotel address in Thai for me since I had to find my own way back to the hotel. I had a good one hour to shop which I did and feeling much better and happier now that I was going to Bombay soon, I hired a ‘tuk-tuk’ (small rickshaw) and showed the address to the driver. He smiled confidently and I sat down and started dreaming about my flight back home. After one hour of driving around in some narrow lanes I realised that he did not know the address at all. I yelled at him and asked him to find out as it was already 2.00pm by then and I had to leave the hotel by 3.00pm for the airport! After another 15-20 minutes he finally got me to my hotel, I jumped out from his ‘tuk-tuk’, literally threw his fare at him (I was very upset) and ran up to my room. I finished my final packing carrying more stuff in my plastic carry bags as I was determined not to pay any excess luggage duty this time and I left for the airport in the hotel van.

BANGKOK-BOMBAY
DECEMBER 09
At the airport I was pleasantly surprised that I was not asked to pay for any excess luggage and now wished that I put more of my hand luggage into the suitcases as these were getting increasingly heavy to carry! But that did not stop me from buying a bottle of whiskey for my father at a duty-free shop. I am sure I looked like one of those nincompoop first-time plane travelers as I entered the aircraft carrying all these plastic bags, struggling to walk up the aisle. After I had deposited all of them in the overhead racks and mentally made a note of their final number, I sat down and relaxed. I had an excellent flight and I must have been smiling throughout as one of the air hostesses came upto me and asked me if I was going home after a very long time and I say “Yes” with a full smile, eyes beaming!

The flight was perfect, the landing was smooth and I was so happy to be back in my country that I just could not wait to get my bags out and run. I had never so happy in my life to see my father when I saw him just outside the aircraft, He had used all his special contacts to come all that way inside the airport, almost inside the aircraft to fetch me and to me he felt like a true super-hero at that time.

As I walked out I was giggling to myself and all the earlier problems that I had faced seemed so trivial that I was amazed I was actually worried about them! Having lived a sheltered life all throughout, I thought I was not very equipped to handle odd situations but this trip made me realise that wasn’t true, that I was quite capable of looking after myself. I give full credit for this to my parents who not only protected us and gifted us with all the world’s comforts but also gave us enough freedom to experience life’s realities and empowered us to take our own decisions with confidence and courage.

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  1. Kavita Sheth-Sanghvi says

    August 21, 2012 at 2:59 am

    Loved reading all the 3 parts Mehroo!!! Some adventures you had and you really came out strong in the end!! Way to go girl!! Totally agree with you, all that credit totally goes to your parents!! We are very lucky to have grown up in a sheltered environment, but still taught by our parents how to face the world and deal with things confidently!! In my eyes, you are a true winner of all the trials and tribulations that come with the Miss Asia Pac Pageant or any pageant for that matter. No offense, but I always used to have this image that most of the beauty competition contestants must be spoilt rotten during these pageants…but you've really opened my eyes and couldn't be prouder of you!! So the award for the MOST CONFIDENT & COURAGEOUS WOMAN goes to…….MEHROO MISTRY-TUREL 🙂

    Reply
  2. Mehroo says

    August 21, 2012 at 3:02 am

    Dearest Kavita,
    What a lovely comment….how very sweet of you thank you for all the compliments and you are right about our parents bringing out the best in us and gifting us with all the skills that we possess today….hope I will be as good a mother if not better! Thank you for reading and hope you continue to do so.

    Reply
  3. Reena says

    August 29, 2012 at 5:30 am

    Hey Mehroo, finally read all 3 parts of Miss India. Really liked to read your experiences and I am so impressed by how much you managed on your own at such a young age! Well done and hats off!

    Reply
  4. Reena says

    August 31, 2012 at 5:40 am

    Hello

    Reply
  5. Nitasha says

    July 19, 2022 at 1:22 pm

    That was very interesting to read . How splendidly u handled it all! On the other hand ,I am shocked Femina did not make arrangements for your stay there or to take a chaperone with you.

    Reply
    • Mehroo says

      September 21, 2022 at 4:36 am

      Those were very different days when participants bore the cost of everything. Things started to change after India won the 1994 Ms. Universe and Ms. World contests. Suddenly there was a flood of sponsors!

      Reply

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Join us for a day filled with fun, shopping, and fun activities for the whole family. 

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See you on Sunday at The Mother's Day Market

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Such an honor to collaborate with the Hive and be Such an honor to collaborate with the Hive and be a part of this engaging panel, sharing the stage with brilliant minds and accomplished women entrepreneurs at the 'Celebrate HER Stories' event last Thursday. 

Thank you to The Hive team for this collaboration and invitation to share our stories with authenticity. 

Thank you HER Fund 婦女動力基金 for daring to create a change and empowering women. 

Thank you to my Mums@PLAY community members for showing your support! 

And lastly a big thank you to the audience for your active listening, those nods and smiles, as you related with our ups and downs of running a business and balancing our lives as women, mums and professionals. 

Look forward to more powerful collaborations and opportunities to engage and motivate! 

#womenentrepreneurship #womenleaders #hkwomen #thehivehk
When you take the same route every day You tend to When you take the same route every day
You tend to lose sight of the details,
The flower that just bloomed
The leaf that just fell
You're oblivious to the present
Your mind is overworked
With baggage from the past
And future that is yet to occur. 

Today I said STOP
I woke up at 5:45 this morning. My head filled wit I woke up at 5:45 this morning. My head filled with Sabs.

Saboteurs or Sabs as we ”lovingly” call them in our family are the negative voices in our head that tend to overwhelm or sabotage us. They are the relentless inner critics that often overpower and undermine us. Typically, I assert control over my mind, not letting them overpower me, centering myself on my senses….but not today.

Read the full blog here https://mehrooturel.com/2024/04/21/saboteur-discovery/

#saboteurs #positiveintelligence #pqcoach #certifiedcoach #icfcoacheshk #icfpcc #emotionsmatter
Boredom brings brilliance, ....taps into the reces Boredom brings brilliance,
....taps into the recesses of our sub-conscious mind to bring about #creativity and #curiosity. But I also think that boredom could also lead us to dark dungeons of the past or apprehensions about the future, and if these thoughts are not controlled, they can lead to overwhelm and stress. 

Taking control of our thoughts becomes so important specially in the 45-sec attention span that we have.

Self-command, that is taking control of our own mind, in this fast-paced, tech driven world becomes not only important, but a necessity. 

Here are some examples of how you can practice command over your mind while still at work

- Take a walk to get your coffee (focus solely on your feet and the steps you are taking)

- Zone out of your computer by closing your eyes and taking two deep breaths, really focusing on the inhale-exhale pattern 

- Stare out of the window or stare into your laptop - really focusing on one thing and one thing only. 

- Close your eyes for ten seconds when you are having your lunch, and really taste your food or hear the ambient sounds around you. 

Just focus on your senses every few hours and see how differently you tend to handle your day and the challenges that are thrown in front of you. 

Have a great week ahead!
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In the chaos and constant stimulation of our world In the chaos and constant stimulation of our world, the mind often finds itself caught up in a whirlwind of thoughts, worries, and distractions. It seems as if it never rests, always churning with an incessant stream of internal dialogue. But amidst this perpetual motion, there lies a profound and transformative power—𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱

Imagine a vast, serene lake reflecting the beauty of its surroundings. Its surface is undisturbed, allowing the depths below to reveal their hidden treasures. In much the same way, the mind possesses an inherent stillness that, when cultivated, can lead to immense 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆.

Yet, achieving this stillness is no easy task. It requires practice, patience, and a gentle surrender to the present moment. We must 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗴𝗼 of our attachments, expectations, and the constant need to control. Only then can we begin to peel away the layers of mental noise and enter into a state of profound tranquility.

In this stillness, we discover that 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘂𝘀. We are not limited to the boundaries of our transient emotions or fleeting desires. Instead, we tap into the potential of pure awareness—an expansive, timeless space where the mind can rest and rejuvenate.

I often say that 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿, flowing, moving, splashing, having fun, but once in a while, the river needs to slow down and pause at an interim lake or pool to replenish its energy and nourish its waters. The pausing is not an end to its journey but a necessary part of its flow.

Learn to attain this stillness once every few hours. It will not take up your time, rather it will be the best investment of your time, as you get back to your work with renewed energy, vigour and creativity. 

Get in touch if you need help https://calendly.com/mehroo

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Wishing you a relaxing Sunday .... Enjoy your coff Wishing you a relaxing Sunday .... Enjoy your coffee, read the news, smile, laugh, take a nap.... just do what makes you feel good in the moment 🍹 😀 🌞 🌻 

#sunday
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