MASTER MIND
uniformity
Mariatu Kargbo Afro-Chinese Singer
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nown as the “Black Pearl of China” to her millions of Chinese fans, Mariatu K argbo is also a Guinness World Record holder, former Miss World finalist and Sierra Leone’s Cultural Ambassador at Large. She shared some of her uniformed past with us. Which uniform was the worst fit? My school uniform. Because it had to last a long time, it was very big for me at the beginning. Two years later, it was very small and very worn. There was a brief time in the middle when it fit well.
David Nowak
Director of F&B, Intercontinental Beichen Specialist Subject: American Fast Food
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GENERAL KNOWLEDGE
Real big ... Mars.
Which Alice Walker novel was made into a film starring Whoopi Goldberg? I have no idea who Alice Walker is. If I had to pick a Whoopi Goldberg film that I’ve watched, then probably the last one was The Nun. She’s been in Glee, The Nun, The Nun 2 ... The Color Purple. It’s probably The Color Purple.
SPECIALIST SUBJECT
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Which city’s film festival culminates in a Golden Bear Award? [Mouths the word “bear” several times] California. They’ve got a bear on the flag. No idea.
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What is the chemical symbol for gold? The dollar sign. I’d use a dollar sign.
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How many lines are there in a limerick? Three. Erm, 32. Eighteen?
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Where is Olympus Mons, the largest volcano known to man?
In which state was Coca-Cola invented? Michigan. Sorry, Michigan’s not a state. Yeah, it is. Michigan.
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What kind of dog used to be in Taco Bell ads? St. Bernard. It’s either that or a beagle.
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In which film did Morgan Spurlock document himself eating only McDonald’s for a month? Super Size Me? Super Size You? Super Size Me.
Which uniform do you feel sentimental about? The dress I wore at the Miss World finals in 2009, which won the award for Best Design. It is a stunning creation: blue, mauve, black and silver, tight at the top and flared at the bottom. It comes with a small coat studded with diamonds. It was by a Lebanese designer who has designed many dresses for Miss China and other celebrities. Which uniform did you resent wearing the most? There was a TV station in a small city which made a dress for my performance. They didn’t know, but it had all the features I hate most. It was brown, it was ill-fitting with no shape and it came to just below the knee. I had to wear it, but I would
resist fiercely if anyone tried that again. Actually, that reminds me of another incident on a TV show, when the director choreographed a performance that required 15 or 20 singers to dress like street cleaners, with big overalls. We all spend a lot of time and money to look our best for a performance and none of us liked that. Still, we put on a smiling face. Which uniform did you have the most fun in? I loved the uniforms we wore for the sports competition at Miss World 2009. White and blue sportswear, basically a tight T-shirt and tight shorts with sneakers. Nowhere to hide. It was fun for me because all 118 finalists had a chance to show their athletic ability. Which uniform were you the most mocked for wearing? When I was small, my friends at school laughed at me not just for my uniform, but for my shoes as well. I remember one pair that was borrowed and too big for me and had two holes in the front. They used to call me “Old Granny Shoes” and I used to cry a lot. Thanks for bringing that up. Maria’s debut album, Thank You China (玛丽亚 谢谢你中国), can be purchased on Taobao and at all good record shops.
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Where is the world’s largest McDonald’s? Biggest? Square footage? Number of covers? [psssh] Las Vegas.
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Which fast-food chain invented the slider? White House? White? Yeah, White Castle.
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Verdict: A very respectable score puts the former pastry chef mid-table. If only we’d asked the Buffalo, New York native questions about Buffalo wings. Or about the calorie count of Cheetos, as David suggested afterwards.
WIN BEER!
Win a Hoegaarden gift pack by telling us: Which film soundtrack makes Fan Popo sad? Answers to win@thebeijinger.com Answers 1) The Color Purple 2) Berlin 3) Au 4) 5 5) Mars 6) Georgia 7) chihuahua 8) Super Size Me 9) London (Olympic Park) 10) White Castle
photos: lova and coutesy of mariatu kargbo
FINAL SCORE: 4/10
Find the full interviews at TheBeijinger.com
November 2012
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