Christine Weizel Gulfman - June 2012

How did you get started with modeling and joining pageants?
Back in school, I used to model on the side, which didn’t really offer much exposure. When I moved to Manila, I did it full-time for a while. I started really late, mainstream modeling in Manila at 19 years old. Most girls they start at 16.

How did you get into Ms. Earth?
I got into it because as a vegetarian, I really support conservation and I thought that was
a way for me to be able to get my advocacy out there. After Ms. Earth, I got a tattoo so no more pageants for me. [I joined] because Ms. Earth is an environmentally conscious pageant, at least that’s what they say it stands for. [When I was] 20 years old, I really felt that I wanted to be part of something that pushed for that.

Why did you get a tattoo when you knew that would prohibit you from joining more pageants?
I joined Ms. Earth because they stood for what I believed in. I didn’t join it because it was a pageant. I’m not a fan of pageants, really. After Ms. Earth, that was it for me. I didn’t want to be a part of any more pageants. It just wasn’t my thing really

So what is your thing?
My passion is writing. [It’s] the only thing I’m actually good at. Cooking would be the next great love and my advocacy would always just be for the environment. Some people are humanitarian. I’m just an nvironmentalist and an animal-lover, you know?

When you joined Ms. Earth, did you find it hard to deal with the scrutiny that goes with being a contestant?
Not really. I was never self-conscious or nervous because I felt that I was sharing something that people needed to know about or be involved in. It wasn’t really about me as much as it was about the message. If you make something less about yourself and more about the purpose, you become less self-conscious.

You spent a lot of time with your fellow contestants. Did you develop crushes on each other? Were there any pillow fights that we should know about?
I have girl crushes. But oddly enough, I never had any for my cocontestants although some of them were absurdly gorgeous, you know? I don’t know why I never had a crush on any of them. Right now, I would have girl crushes on officemates or something.

Have you ever acted on a girl crush? Don’t skimp on the details.
I dated a girl for a week but she was just so clingy and melodramatic. She drove me nuts. She got me breakfast every day and shopped for me every day. [She] called me every 15 minutes and wanted to live in on the seventh day. I couldn’t take it. She was insane, psychotic. When I broke up with her, she almost killed herself. She called me and said she had an accident. She’s stalking me. Whenever she gets a hold of my number, she’d call me. It’s been three years. It’s crazy. I’ll never do it again.

Why’d you date a girl then?
I thought I was bi until I dated that girl and then I realized I was straight. I kept checking girls out. I thought that wasn’t normal. So I thought, “I must be bisexual.” I don’t think I was attracted to her. I think I was just really attracted to the idea of dating a girl because it seemed cool. I’m done. That was the first and the last.

How far did the one-week fling go? Again, don’t skimp on the details.
The most we did was hold hands. We didn’t even make out. It was so uncomfortable for me. The moment her boobies pressed against mine, I freaked out. I really lost it because her cup size was bigger than mine. It was weird.