The event was kicked off by a press conference on April 22 in Hanoi, where organisers announced basic information about the contest, the first of its kind in Vietnam.

According to Nguyen Chi Tan, chief organiser of Miss Universe Vietnam, the winner must meet three basic standards applied at Miss Universe: intelligent, skilful and beautiful. In addition, Miss Universe Vietnam must have good communication skills and good English.

The qualifier rounds will be held in Hanoi and HCM City, and be open to all Vietnamese citizens between the ages of 18-26, at least 1.62m tall, high-school graduates upwards who are single and possess natural beauty (no plastic surgeries, no sex changes).

As summer nears, so does the time when a panel of judges will be asked to select an attractive girl to represent Canada in the battle of cosmic supremacy known as the Miss Universe Pageant.

Fifty-nine would-be Miss Universe Canadas have gathered in Toronto ahead of this weekend's pageant, and met with media at the Rosewater Supper Club yesterday afternoon. The Post's Matthew Coutts attended, merely out of curiosity:

3:30 Rosewater's second-floor hall is nearly empty, save the fancy bottles of water and strawberries dipped in chocolate. The contestants are AWOL and so is the media, save for a Russian TV crew and a couple of photographers.

3:36 The cadre of Miss Canada hopefuls arrives, quizzically asking if they are in the right place. Soon, the tables are filled with girls dressed in cocktail dresses and designer jeans. One gown is complete with a sequined Canadian flag, either a fashion statement or a bold pledge of allegiance.

3:43 An organizer says feminist groups still have issues, but it takes more than beauty to win Miss Universe Canada. Elegance and intellect, he says. "Paris, Britney. We're the anti-that."

3:47 A brief scan through the delegate bios suggests a truth to that. There are engineering and finance students, premeds and multi-linguists. The number of would-be journalists also indicates a high-level of intellect.

Jamie Hill succeeded much farther as a Miss USA 2008 semifinalist than she did as a participant on The Amazing Race season 10. 

The 24-year-old Miss South Carolina USA 2008 made it to the Top 15 of the Miss USA 2008 pageant, which NBC broadcast live from the Theatre for the Performing Arts at Las Vegas' Planet Hollywood on Friday night.

Unfortunately, Hill failed to be part of the Top 10 semifinalists in the 57th annual pageant.  Miss Texas USA 2008 Crystle Stewart was eventually crowned Miss USA 2008.

Hill's venture in this year's Miss USA pageant comes after her elimination from The Amazing Race with her friend Kellie Patterson, who were both tagged as the “cheerleaders.” 

During her reality TV stint, she came in 10th place after getting lost and having trouble with the Roadblock on Leg 2.

Long decried as dated and sexist, the Miss USA show ceased being a TV event in the late seventies.

As with the Miss Universe pageant, the concept stagnated until the television rights were procured by Donald Trump a few years back; since then, each Miss USA contest has increased in both scale and ratings.

Trump has reportedly stepped up the glitz factor on this year's event, airing for the first time in high definition and hosted by the brother-sister duo of Donny and Marie Osmond.

As in the past, the contestants from the 50 states and the District of Columbia will be judged in the traditional swimsuit, evening gown and interview categories.

The panel of judges will be composed of the usual assortment of semi-celebrities, including actor Rob Schneider, Nip/Tuck's Kelly Carlson and Heather Mills.