Miss Universe® Canada 2008 - The Magic Continues

AGE: 23 | HEIGHT: 5'4" | HOMETOWN: CALGARY, AB

A graduate from University of Calgary with a double degree in Literary Studies and Political Science, Anna (Anindita) is an aspiring television personality.

She loves to read, write poems, paint, and dance. Her favorite form is the West African dance, which she endearingly calls the cathartic-dance. She also loves hanging-out with her family and friends.

Sponsored by: Family and Friends.

Biography (click to open) ±

Anna is determined to eliminate the word "tolerant" from Canadian vocabulary and perhaps aid in ridding any preexisting "xenophobia", which is the essential purpose of her adventure travel show she one day dreams of directing and hosting. She believes that familiarity harbors acceptance, which in turn encourages appreciation.

Her adventure travel show not only informs Canadians of the exciting places and opportunities waiting to be explored but also delves further into the cultures and their roots and values and how these cultures add and beautify Canadian society when their agents immigrate to Canada. Her show will not only entertain adults and children, but also introduce Canadian kids to the world of cultures and perhaps help to reduce bullying amongst children, as she believes that "the fear of the other" is one of the key contributors of bullying.

Anna firmly believes that the Miss Universe Canada Organization can avail her the opportunity to realize her dream of a Utopian-like Canadian Society where different cultures re-create the greater Canadian culture that is defined by its peaceful and coexisting nature and set an example to the world that it is possible to get along no matter how different we are from each other.

Anna loves nature and this is obvious from her list of volunteering experiences. She is an avid supporter of the World Wildlife Federation Society and volunteers much of her free time to the Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation Society where she helps to rehabilitate injured wildlife. Anna feels that there is no greater feeling than to watch wildlife return to where they belong - in the wild. She also volunteers at the Calgary Zoological Society where she walks one of the resident tortoises.

Questionnaire (click to open) ±

Are you currently a student? No

Are you currently employed? Yes
If yes, what is your occupation? Legal Administrator

Have you completed secondary school? Yes
If yes, where? Sir Winston Churchill High School

Have you completed university/college? Yes
If yes, where? University of Calgary

Have you completed any technical/professional school? Yes
If yes, where? What subject? Documentary school - NUTV; Learned the art of making documentaries

Languages spoken Fluently (please include your native language if English is not your native language)
English, Bengali, Hindi, Arabic

List any special training you have had (music, art, drama, dance, etc).
Classical music; acting lessons and improv drama; West African and Irish dance; runway training; film camera and reporting training

In what sports, if any, have you participated and how long have you participated in each sport?
I am a big fan of floor hockey though I have not played it since junior high but I enjoy watching ice hockey, and I love working-out at the gym, dancing, and hiking.

Please list any schools and universities (public/private/graduate/trade or technical) you have or are attending, as well as the area of study, graduation date and any degree or certification you received.
University of Calgary - B.A. in English (literary studies) - 2007
B.A. in Political Science - 2007
NUTV (University of Calgary) - Documentary School - 2004
Mount Royal College - Certificate in General Arts and Sciences - 2003
Sir Winston Churchill High School - High School Diploma - 2002

What charity/charities have you supported with your time and/or resources over past two years?
World Wildlife Federation, Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation Society, Calgary Zoological Society, Women's Emergency Shelter, World Vision

What would be your "dream job" in life?
My dream job would be to host my own travel show that informs on 'off-the-beaten-path' travel across continents and educates our Canadian population on cultural differences, its roots, values, reasons, and analyze how it enriches our society and makes us Canadians unique and maybe one day eliminate xenophobia, which can be achieved through familiarity and acceptance.

Name one person, other than your parents, who has had the most influence on your life? Why?
I live by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi's philosophies as I believe that life is to be cherished and enjoyed, not spent in grievance and dismay as I find that today's sometimes war-mongering and technologically driven world seems to encourage. My favorite quote of Mahatma Gandhi is:
"I know the path. It is straight and narrow. It is like the edge of a sword. I rejoice to walk on it. I weep when I slip. God's word is: 'He who strives never perishes.' I have implicit faith in that promise. Though, therefore, from my weakness I fail a thousand times, I will not lose faith, but hope that I shall see the Light when the flesh has been brought under perfect subjection, as some day it must."

What is the proudest personal accomplishment (other than being in this or any other beauty pageant competition)
Out of perhaps the many accomplishments I am proud of I am most proud of all the moments a rehabilitated bird or animal is released back into the wild from the rehabilitation centre I volunteer at. It is a special feeling no words can help describe.

What is your career ambition and what are you doing or plan to do to accomplish that goal?
I am working towards directing and hosting by own travel show that informs and educates on travel destinations, cultures, and, in extension, cultural interaction in Canada. I am currently formulating my proposal for the show.
I am also an aspiring children's book writer and am working on my first fantasy epic.

Describe where you were raised and what your childhood was like.
I was raised in the Middle East (Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait) and Canada and I am fortunate enough to say that I have experienced the best of both worlds.
Apart from having the opportunity to make both sand and snow angels, I have experienced two very different political systems and cultures, hence I have both the conservative morals of the east and the liberal values of the west, which makes me a well rounded young woman who appreciates the value of all cultures, each of which has much to offer to the beautiful montage that is our global society.

List any interesting or unusual jobs you may have had.
I get to meet some of the most interesting personalities volunteering at the zoo and the wildlife rehabilitation society and it is amazing how personalities can vary from one animal or bird to the next - and it's quite entertaining.
I get to walk Sheldon, the zoo's resident tortoise every so often. And contrary to the story of the hare and the tortoise, I will have you know that tortoises, or at least, sheldon, are no slow tortoise. When he's ready to go back to his abode it is difficult to catch up to him sometimes.

List any volunteering you have done.
Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation Society - I help with rehabilitating the wildlife that gets injured.
Calgary Zoological Society - I help with anything and everything ranging from animal care to special events.

Where is the most interesting place you have been?
It is difficult to pick the most interesting of all the places I have been to, the list of which is quite extensive, as each place I have visited is incredibly interesting. But if I must pick one it would have to be Siem Reap, Cambodia. Nowhere else have I seen a tiny floating church, or a floating basketball court, or a floating school.

What makes you unique and different from the other contestants?
Having being raised in different environments and having traveled extensively I have been immersed in various different cultures and have attained an enormous sense of appreciation of those cultures and their differences. My goal is to eliminate the word "tolerant" from our vocabulary when describing our feelings of various different cultures that makes us a mosaic society, by informing and educating Canadians through my unique show that, in essence, is a comparative analysis of cultures and how they interact in Canada, but, in actuality, is a adventure travel show.

Also…

Although perhaps more viscous than fashion, the definition of beauty is ever changing and I feel that I embody the upcoming new trend in Canadian beauty - 5'4", I propose, is the new 5'11" in 2008!

What is your philosophy of/in life?
In short…
Live and let live.

What do you hope to be doing in 10 years?
I see myself amongst the markets of china exploring the cultural norms of the various societal sects of the country.
And I hope to have my nine part children's fantasy epic published by then as well.

Is there anything you would like to tell us about yourself? Something unique that has happened to you? Some interesting thing about you?
My favourite escapism is reading. I also love painting, listening to all types of music and spending time with friends and family, and of course, shoe shopping!