Blog #3

Second week of September started off extremely fun! First of all, I am the spokes person for the San Diego Glenner Alzheimer’s Center. I help out with their marketing as well as performing and visiting with the seniors at their three different facilities. On September 9th I was able to visit one of their centers and perform a whole set for 30+ seniors. At one point I had many of the residents up on stage with me dancing to "There's no Business like Show Business" and "I've Got Rhythm." The San Diego Union Tribune was also doing a story on me being involved with the center. (It was great publicity for both) ;]. These events are probably my favorite part of being Miss California. My crown really does transform the faces of many of the seniors because they are brought back to their youth: growing up watching Miss America.

September 12th was Grandparents day, so I performed, with a couple of old Adopt-A-Grandfriend members, at the senior home I had visited for over four years in my hometown. It was such a blast catching up with some of the seniors and meeting new ones that had arrived after my last visit. There is one senior in particular who always explains how she met the queen of England but every visit the story gets more and more extravagant; This visit was not any different :]. The caregivers were so helpful by having the entire performance area packed with seniors who were just enthralled with the experience. The residents even brought some of their grandchildren to come and watch Miss California perform! During my performance of "Orange Colored Sky" we had a 99 year old woman, an 80 year old man and a 6 year old girl dance with all of us on stage! I'll be honest the 6 year old definitely wore me out and I had to catch my breath at the end of the song.

The next week, I was on Fox 5 SD once again teaching the viewers how to practice proper etiquette. I discussed table manners and walking etiquette as well as simple tricks on how to eliminate "like" and "um" from your vocabulary. The show also had a surprised guess Ali from the Bachelorette, so I had a lot of fun meeting her as well!

I was also able to catch up with Kristy Cavinder that week. I am honored to follow in her footsteps as Miss California. She is such a wonderful person and I am so glad to have her support and encouragement.

The next day I had another appearance for the SD Glenner Alzheimer center at their other facility. This venue was a bit smaller, but I was able to talk to the seniors more than the time before. I learn a lot from these residents. Whether the advice is regarding where to travel, places I have to visit, how to understand men, or how Miss America had impacted their life as children. It is wonderful to hear them speak so vividly about their life experiences and bestowing their wisdom upon me. Also to know that I am involved with an organization that has influenced and been a large part of so many individuals’ lives is remarkable. Melissa Chatty, Miss California 2007, also helped me out by performing many beautiful pieces for the residents; well all enjoyed ourselves immensely.

My favorite singing engagement thus far would most definitely be singing the national anthem at the SD Chargers! I have been dreaming to sing for them ever since I could remember. It was such a blast and an honor to be on that field (especially for the first play). During my live performance there were helicopters that flew over, parachutes and fireworks! The stadium was almost packed, so the energy of the crowd was indescribable; I absolutely loved the rush.

The next day was our Miss America Lottery. ALPHA 10! Woohoo! Thanks to Russ Gladden and Bob Arnhym for staying updated on the phone with me at all times to make sure I received the spot that I wanted. I am so excited for these little steps bringing us closer and closer to January. This experience is truly surreal and I don’t think it will finally kick in until I arrive in Las Vegas a couple months from now.

That same week I started my Dale Carnegie class. There were so many high executive officials at the class, so it was wonderful that I was treated as an equal. I learned so much from one class, so I can't wait to see how the rest of the session will turn out.

Next was the Miss City of Orange pageant; my second local pageant as Miss California. Nikki Lehman was my chaperone which was such a blast. I love spending time with her, furthermore everyone involved with Miss City of Orange pageant truly made me feel welcome and special. It was their 75th anniversary of the pageant and it was wonderful to see many of the old volunteers and titleholders come back. It was unbelievable to see the differences the pageant was then from now. I was looking at an old program book which disclosed that every contestant had to wear the same swimsuit and receive the same haircut.

Until next time...

Arianna Afsar

Miss California 2010