Seasons Greetings

Merry Christmas to all, and Happy Happy New Year!


No further posts between now and the New Year 2011!

Historical moment - 2010 T&T election results

A new era has dawned in T&T:

1. A Poeple's Partnership (PP) coalition has won the general elections with a result of 29 (PP) to 12 (PNM). The PP is made up of the parties/groups of UNC, COP, TOP, MSJ and NJAC. With MSJ and NJAC all being represented by the COP on the ballots. TOP is Tobago based and well UNC is UNC.
2. A woman-led coalition at that won. 
3. T&T is poised to have its first female Prime Minister sworn in...Congratulations Mrs. Kamla Persad Bissessar

I wait patiently to see what this new coalition party will bring to the table in governing T&T, 'cause despite your political allegiance we all still have to work, play and coexist here.

Change was asked for, change has happened...can we live with the change?

General Elections T&T 2010

Tomorrow is May 24th 2010, and in T&T it's general elections...again
Polling stations open from 6am to 6pm, make sure you know where your polling station is or check out EBC's website

GO OUT AND VOTE! 


Otherwise, shut up about whatever government is put into office...you had your chance to do something about it

2010 Thank you's

Island People 2010 has taken a page out of TRIBE's 2009 book and issued a thank you to their masqueraders.

"Dear ip masquerader,
On behalf of all of us at IPmas we would like to thank you for making our 2010 Carnival presentation, KUTCHELA, an amazing experience! Thank you so much for showing your creativity with the Monday gear, keeping the order of the chapters, and adhering to the rules. You were the best, we love and appreciate all of you. The smiles, the energy, the hands in the air, made the band come alive on both Carnival Monday and Tuesday!


We would also like to thank our sponsors Bmobile, Paramount, Blue Waters, Tropical Power Limited, Smirnoff, Stag, and Ocean Spray. You are a pillar in the structure of IPmas. For this we can never say thank you enough, your support is appreciated beyond words.


To the IP production, road management and security teams, thank you for your work in making on the road safe and secure and of course, full of surprises. 
 As we move foward for our next presentation, we invite you to share your thoughts on your experience. We look forward to hearing from you...your opinion matters!

Join us in 2011 as we bring to you, “Shades of the Universe”.


IPmas family"


And TRIBE's

A Spice Saga

A fellow blogger had some drama with her Spice costume collection this year.
I admire her restraint in not cussing Spice management and d entire set of them up in Hilton on each of the occasions that she went up there. With other folks, Spice's management and a good portion of their family tree would have felt the lash of a well-phrased, sweet cuss!

Read the entire saga here: Part 1 - Costume Collection, Part 2 - Really Spice? and Part 3 - Her Money (Ha Ha)

My opinion is that the damage done to Spice's reputation by this one experience by a blogger, and compounded by the various bad reviews sent in to Sauce's blog: Review 1, Review 2, Review 3, Review 4, Review 6 and Review 7 needs to be addressed. A business, like all things of this earth, is not infallible. Mistakes will be made. But how those mistakes are dealt with, is what often makes or breaks a business (Vista anyone?). Damage control via a functioning PR Department is often a requirement for a reason.

Spice: you are now under the glare of some very very bright lights. How will you address these allegations and come good in 2011?

It's done

Carnival 2010 has come and gone.
I have a rash around my neck and wrists 'cause as usual my skin has reacted to costume jewelery. Pulled a muscle in leg...but I had a blast.

TRIBE has gotten just too big. They absolutely MUST downsize, cut the band in half, I doh know... do something...it has become unmanageable.
I must give props, kudos etc to the security of TRIBE..they have the hardest job and they did well on both Monday and Tuesday. Well up to about 6:30ish on Tuesday anyways...doh know what happened after that 'cause I left the band then. They tossed stormers out during the day, and even managed to maintain some semblance of order whilst we tried to palance, chip, wine etc across Ariapita just after Adam Smith Sq. Since when is it ok for there to be only enough space in the road for the truck and 2 lines of masqueraders on either side?!!! Isn't that some safety issue?


Anyways I'll do a full review in my next post of  my Carnival 2010.


Hasta Luego

PALANCE!!!

It's Carnival Monday....Happy Carnival to you all.
See ya on d road!!!

Beyonce...I am...and IP Mas!

This was in my inbox earlier, below the 'Fit to Play' Update



"...Beyonce… I Am... and ISLANDpeople Mas

ISLANDpeople Mas is pleased to announce that its masqueraders will exclusively be allowed to purchase specially priced General Admission tickets for Beyonce’s… I Am Concert, at the amazingly low price of $300.00TTD. Don’t miss out on this once in a lifetime chance to see Beyonce live on stage in Trinidad and Tobago alongside our very own Machel Montano HD in his first performance for the season!

Tickets are available at the Distribution Centre only, starting from tomorrow Saturday 6th February. Contact the Mas Camp at 628-1FUN (1386) for further information!

Islandpeople Mas... the fun has just begun!"

Ah Collect mih Costume!!!

Collected my costume today...and it is GORGEOUS!!!
Not gonna post separate pics, cause Saucy has some here

Someone asked about fit:

• The bra: I read that some folks had bra fit issues, but I took a 36C and it fits perfect...no potential nipple issues (and I did some jumping and ting to test it out too!). Lots of string to tie it securely as well.
• The belt: Having lost some weight since I measured back in August I was concerned about fit. But no worries here...the belt is in four different pieces and each is connected to the other via loops and Velcro.   So if it's just a couple inches that have to adjusted, either up or down, then you're ok. More than a couple inches and my advice is go to the Customer Service people and let them know (a friend got hers exchanged for a smaller band)

• Leg pieces: never thought i might have issues...but since it's all one piece meant to fit as one around the entire length of your calf/shin , i'm thinking that some folks may have to do some cutting and adding ties.   This since the elastic thing used only stretches so far...and with boots, well you get my drift.

Sooo I cyah wait till Carnival :-)

p/s:- Sauce ah doing boots dis year eh...I've caved!
pp/s:- the pic is from Trinidad Carnival Diary

Quick News Brief

My how the time has flown.

Distribution Schedules
Both Tribe's and Island People's Costume distribution schedules are out.
  

Check List Items

• Stockings - check
• Boots - check (yep ah doing boots dis year!)
• Money to pay off d costume - check
• Accessories - to be decided after collecting d costume
• Make-up - Pre-arranged with d resident artists!

Now, I wait patiently on Wednesday February 3rd 2010 between the hours of 5:30pm and 8:30pm, to collect mih costume.

Welcome 2010!!

Happy Happy New Year folks :-) All for best for 2010, and may 2010 be all that you desire.

Onto other things: Sauce ended 2009 with a nice recap and interesting predictions...wonder how many of her predictions, and those of the commenters, come through. Only time will tell.

So it's just about six(6) weeks till Carnival 2010...Are you ready???

Can we Wee?!

Oh yes we can! ...I soo could not resist :-)

Sauce beat me to it, but ah posting still.
The pending decision, as reported in the Guardian) has been made. Heard it live on CNews.

The Wee Wee trucks will be on the road, at least for Carnival 2010. They'll be in the middle of d band (how ewwww is that!), but at least they'll be with the band. 

Thank God good sense prevailed. I agree with Luis Hart...exactly which law was being broken by having the truck with the band?


p/s:- why in the middle of the band though??? 

Quick Update

Well at looooong last I got it!

What is this 'it' that I refer to???

I refer to that elusive thing, called 'TRIBE Costume Receipt 2010'.

It was sent out on October 2nd 2009, to an emil address that I used waaay back when I first registered with TRIBE in 2005. I have updated my subscription since then..but seems that this is still linked there. C'est la vie..it's a good thing that I check that address once in a while.

It is confirmed I am registered in 'Osage'! Yippeee!!

Bring on gym time now!

p/s:- The pic is from Sauce's album from Tribe's launch...

Karma and all that...

Saw this headline on Sauce's blog this morning "Not In with the In Crowd".

It confirmed the email that we saw sometime yesterday.

What amazes me, is that this 'social outfit' (love the term eh Sauce, taking a lil borrow) was MOST upset by having been informed on. The email suggested that the 'social outfit' was displeased and in the strongly worded email stated that people should be more concerned with others, and doh be so focused on themselves.

Now isn't that just 'the pot calling d kettle black'...wasn't the outfit trying to make a lil something off of other people heads?!

We live in T&T, and what this 'social outfit' was trying to do was a lil smart-man something. It could work, BUT just remember d islands small, somebody go know somebody, so be prepared to deal with d backlash when it comes.

My $0.02

The wait continues...

• Attended launch of Tribe's 2010 presentation - check
• Found myself in Tribe's mascamp to view the costumes up close and personal - check
• Noticed the price preview for Tribe's 'Threads of Morocco' section - check
• Read Sauce's Spice price listing (try saying that three times quickly!) - check

....and now the wait is on for the prices of the rest of Tribe's 2010 presentation.

As I mentioned somewhere before, each year I expect up to a 20% increase.

Which means I expect Tribe's backline prices to average just about $3700 (based on ALB's 2009 base price of $3150). Of course with bigger headpiece options, tankinis, collars, and of course if yuh go FL, den I think expect anywhere over $4500 minimum (and that's being very very conservative)!!

Soooo let's see how far off I am.

p/s:- I defintely agree with Jumbie, Mulberry is growing on me :-)

TRIBE 2010 - Secret of the Silk

Aight so TRIBE's 2010 launch has come and gone, and I am underwhelmed by the costumes.

Mind you, if ah playing it'll most likely be with TRIBE (as in like 90% positive), but seriously I was not AWED by the costumes.

The entrance: Nicely decorated, as it always is for a TRIBE launch...lots of themed cushions, pots, pillows, swathes of cloth. All very Oriental and Silk-themed. What's with the Digicel-thai dancers? Like the fans, wish I had one.

The layout: hmmm, a change from the norm, and that stage is SOOOO high! How people gonna take pics? Sooo many bars, nice :-)

The presentation: Like the idea of a little background, done by video(?), not sure 'cause from my position at the side of the stage I could not see :-( Costumes were paraded by models who did an ok job of showcasing the costume, they posed for pics, walked to both sides of the stage and posed in groups as well as individually. My only issue with the presentation: please please please someone tell these folks that they need to SLOW DOWN on that stage. Us folks in the audience are trying to take in the costume, but when yuh in a rush like that we almost get whiplash from having to spin in different directions trying to get pics.

The costumes: What can I say that hasn't already been said? check Sauce's review and Carnival jumbie's review. Don't really have much to add to those reviews, they pretty much said it all.

Do I regret attending the launch even though the pics were leaked? Nope, needed to see those costumes in motion in order to really appreciate them...especially since the lighting is not the best in some of those pics.

My favs in the lineup (backlines of course): Osage (hands down my absolute favourite), Mystery of Loulan (something about the colour combination), Xi Ling Shi (recylced Cotinga beads et al!!) , Tyrian Purple aaaand Mulberry is growing on me. Carmeuse is aight, but I wouldn't wear it.

My picks if I played FL or Individual: Mystery of Loulan (I would camp out in order to be able to register to play as the Super/Premium version!!), Xi Ling Shi (the cape of feathers, the dip-dyed cloth trailing to the ground, yep sooo would play in this), Osage (all those gorgeous feathers!) and surprise surprise Habotai (d corset version though)

So that's my opinion on Tribe's 2010 Presentation 'Secret of Silk'.

Since I've already heard that BL downpayment is $1500, I patiently await full costume prices...and hope that I am able to register in one of the sections that I picked.

p/s:- The pic is from http://www.trinidadcarnivaldiary.com/.

And the countdown is on...

With Spice's launch showcasing some pretty decent costumes, I eagerly await Tribe's launch dis Saturday.

3 days to go!