Seasons Greetings

Merry Christmas to all, and Happy Happy New Year!


No further posts between now and the New Year 2011!

Happenings for T&T's 2011 Carnival

Much has happened since my last post.

• A couple other bands have launched: D' Krewe, Legacy and others. (Check Saucy's blog for more links.)
• BLISS has finally indicated that they're fully sold out
• There apparently are male costumes STILL available in YUMA 
• IP is selling out... slowly but steadily. BTW Lunar Cycle - Male Captain option is sold out ok! (...yes ah waiting to see which body  is rocking that costume!!)

IP - Lunar Cycle (Male Captain)

• Oasis has at least one sold out option (Gilia Frontline)
• ..and Harts being Harts has quite a bit of sections sold out, or options sold out, including this number that was sooooo NOT my personal fave 

Harts - Goldstone

• Then came news of a stage  - backflips and happy dances all over the place! ....looking forward to parading across that stage again :-)
• and then to top it off a proposed "People's Band". I've commented on Sauce's post about this proposed free-for-all, but for the benefit of all I'll post my comment here "...uhmm just bring yuh costume and come...." First off I would say not a bad concept. However as some others mentioned before, who's dealing with the logistics of this? Who's the DJ? (Ah hope some form of tendering process is involved and is not somebody tanty, cousin, friend!) How would you know who in this band or not? ('cause if i was a band leader I would want to know so I could NOT be behind this band!...yuh could imagine chaos when dis band hit d stage...ah getting flashbacks of Poison and the 'sit-in'!!!)Sooo, I await the details of this 'Peoples Band'

Many things have happened...and I guess more will unfold as we get closer to T&T Carnival 2011.

Stay tuned...d bacchanal now start!

GEMS 2011 - Band Launch

Saturday night saw me at Gems band launch...one of the new bands on the block for 2011.
Venue was 'Callallo Mas Camp', Chaguaramas.

Now, i don't know if anyone has ever gone to an event being held there, but this venue in my experience does NOT bode well for the success of the event. Every single event that I've attended at that venue has failed, and failed badly. Sooo with that in mind as a warning, we went on down.

Got there about 9.30 or so, chilled around outside for a few to collect our tickets and made our way in. The sign at the entrance, that proclaimed admission and registration at a special deal of $150, was my first sign.I should not have ignored that...and dammit I didn't take a pic of it...sigh!!
We went on in... and for something that had a listed start time of 8pm the place was EMPTY! Aight, we decided..time to look around scope the crowd, check the bar.
The bar, ohhh the bar...where do I start. No juices to go with the Vodka, no coconut water to go with the scotch, no water at all! Nope , we'll not dwell on the bar.
The food, there were options, but I'd eaten so did not partake...looked like sales were brisk though.
The presentation was originally scheduled to begin at 10pm. Then I heard 11pm, then 11:30pm...stopped checking the time after that. The pre-show included Synergy Soca Start contestants (that I'd never heard of from season 3 and 4) and Hunter. Then finally the presentation began, well one false start with the video clip being messed up...and THEN the presentation began. Made my way stage-side, met Carnival dude of Trinidad Events and took in the costumes up close. Check out the video clip on Trinidad Events(also available on Sauce's blog)
Here are pics that stood out to me

Merciless Macedonia

Granicus River

 Greek Guardians

I also liked 'India Punjabi Clan' and 'Pleasures of Babylon' but for some reason my pics of those sections are not uploading properly at all. 

All in all, the costumes aren't awful. The models all seemed to enjoy themselves parading in these costumes, one of them did not have on the bikini/thong and us in the front saw too much, the music that the djs played was appropriate...but oh gosh to have the mc come on right after the presentation and say that things have to shut down (at 1:30am!!!) not good, not good at all.

I wish them luck...especially after learning that another new band is struggling to sell costumes from a presentation of five (5) sections. Aww well, people must still think that they're just a reincarnation of a former venture. C'est la vie...

Good Luck Gems.

Carnival 2011 Plans - Update 1

Soo back in June I posted about possible 2011 Carnival plans
Then, last week i posted this about me being registered in TRIBE for 2011.

What does this all boil down to as it pertains to plans for our group for 2011?
Same damn thing that happened in 2010...crew split all how.
I have anti-TRIBE friends, I also have friends that are chronic stickers, last minute, indecisive so-an-so's ..deep breath...exhale! Anyways, the combination makes for extreme headaches when trying to plan anything. Sooo I went ahead and registered to play with TRIBE (with my usual gfs). Then heard that some of them gonna be playing with YUMA (anti-TRIBE folk included) and some STILL have not decided what they gonna do...smh

Whatever!

Way of the Warrior - Registered

I posted in response to Sauce's roll call earlier...so now it will be here as well for all to see.

As of now, I am officially registered to play mas for 2011 in TRIBE's 'Way of the Warrior' presentation, in the fabulously regal 'Mayan Eagle' section. LOVED this section on sight at the launch, then the booklet sold it to me...then I got up close pics. Kept falling in love with it over and over and over again.

A few pics of the costume (all courtesy TRIBE's FB album)

the only other section that was even a consideration for me, after poring over pics like a gazillion times, was the uber skimpy Amazon!

Now: it's to get into the best shape of my life to rock that gorgeous costume...

Gmail's 'Call Phone' Feature

I LOOOOOVEEEE my Gmail account, and use it for almost all my email communication.

Then day before i noticed a green phone icon just above my contacts

...when I hovered the mouse pointer over it a pop-up stated it's a 'free-calls to US and Canada' feature.

What, what, what?!!!

Free calling...via your email client? uhhh...ok then

So, being me...I clicked with the intention of calling mih cuz in Canada.

(also being me, I could not remember d number..duh!)

...so ah decide to try a local number...and guess what...

it worked!!! 

dialed 1868#######...and it rang...and I spoke to friend-from the PC-from within Gmail

I am such a geek...but I loooovesssss my Gmail account even more now!

p/s:- a message came up stating that the call cost 10c...but ahm what account they charging that 10c to??

YUMA 2011 - Zodeak

I did not originally plan to go this launch...but I did.
Glad that I did. Went as a regular patron, not as a Carnival blogger like Sauce, Afro Chic and Carnival Jumbie.
...Ohhh and must not forget 'Scene!
Their reviews and pics are must views. Stop over at their blogs for in depth reviews and pics, pics and more pics.

Anyways, my take on YUMA is as follows:
I LOVE most of the frontlines, they look gorgeous. If I lived in the gym from now till Carnival 2011, and had a gracious sponsor and did the FL thing, then yep: I would absolutely, positively play in one of at least two..no three...of those eye-catching fantabulous costumes! BUT ..I have neither a sponsor (gracious or otherwise), nor do I usually play FL...not my thing.
The backlines that grabbed my attention were

Sagitarius

Aquarius

Pisces

and 

Taurus

Notice that my sign, Capricorn, has not been mentioned...it will NOT be mentioned again in relation to YUMA. There is the other thing of: I will have no company if I went YUMA...not one of my mas-playing friends has mentioned or even hinted that they would consider playing YUMA....sigh


Next up: IP on August 20th 2010

TRIBE prices - a look back

People seem shocked at the prices of TRIBE's costumes.
I am not!
My most recent post stated that, given a 20% increase that magically seems to be applied to things year after year, costume prices could be in the range of TT$4350.
If the prices on Saucy's post are the final prices then I am quite happy to be proven wrong. Dancing with glee actually...'cause it means I'll actually have change from the TT$4000 that I thought I would have to fork out!

A regular backline costume, without options, for the past three years have cost me as follows:

• 2008: approx. TT$3,000
• 2009: approx. TT$3,200
• 2010: approx. TT$3,700

Sooo the TT$3800 average for the 2011 backline is quite ok for me.

Have my downpayment ready and waiting.

Will not mention the Frontline costume prices AT ALL!!! They speak for themselves.

TRIBE or BLISS where will you be??

Omg TRIBE and BLISS launched last night.
And ohhh what a launch. Pics are all over:

• Bloggers- AC, Sauce's Media launch pics here and here. Sauce's launch pics here , and the reviews of both TRIBE and BLISS. And Sweet 7's post of the booklet
• TRIBE's website. p/s:- good job on having the costumes up on the site so soon after the launch.
• and of course on Facebook, here, here, here, here and here

Sooo what's my take. 

Well based on the viewing from last night, the ones that stand out to me are: Amazons, Massai/Tribal Warrior, Persian Gold, Mongol Fighters, Xian Warriors and Mayan Eagle. 

The ones that invite me to take a closer look are: 

Gladiators 

Mongol Fighters

 Xian Warriors

Sashura

Amazons 

Mayan Eagle

Sooo now for the prices!

Last year I predicted a 20% increase over 2009's prices and was pleasantly found to be incorrect... A 20% increase over 2010's prices will take backline costumes to somewhere in the vicinity of 4350. I not even gonna venture into what the increase in Frontline and individual costumes will be.

I await the release of the prices with bated breath...and I also await news of when the camp will open, 'cause some of those costumes need to be examined up close!

FABULOUS Friday!!!

Wow what a day.

TRIBE
First it was the release of this tantalizing teaser from TRIBE...
Sauce did some screenshots, and those by themselves are alluring...put them together and it makes waiting for tomorrows launch a little exercise in torture. BTW: where will you end up?

  
















p/s:- Sauce: your analytical nature and attention to detail is much much appreciated...LOVE that 'TRIBE/Bliss Teaser!' FB album!



IP
Then IP sends out this....sigh.

Is it any wonder that actually concentrating on work was difficult this afternoon!

IP Shades of the Universe.

hmmm it will be interesting to see IP's interpretation of this theme. Launch date: Friday 20th August 2010. IP Fan Page is the place to go to get updates.

My my my...

...peeks, pics and other goodies!

In the past couple weeks we've seen

• Skullduggery's band launching, Woi Mas - Skullduggery The Dance Of Deceit
• Gem's "Conquest of Alexander" media launch
• Spice's media launch, and launch of their 'Signature Line'. And a review
• YUMA's media launch and another look 
• Oasis' band launch

...and only teasers (BLISS/TRIBE)from TRIBE and IP. 

Makes me very very antsy whilst waiting to see these presentations (BTW IP please pick a date 

July 24th is taking very very long to roll around!

It's coming... are you ready?

Tickets on Sale at TRIBE Mas Camp and from Committee Members from Thursday 15th July.

Mas Camp Hours

Monday-Friday: 12pm-5pm

Saturday: 12pm-4pm

Ltd. Advance TLC / Masquerader tickets - $260 

(Available until Monday 19th July, 5pm.  One ticket per masquerader.  ID required for purchase.)

Ltd. Advance $320 

Secured parking available.

Loved getting this email today...

Plans for 2011 Carnival

Aight so band launching season for Carnival 2011 is right around the corner with Skulduggery kicking off the season on July 4th..
Carnival 2010 saw our group seriously divided with respect to band representation. A few played in IP, a few played in TRIBE and some others sat out the two days. Post 2010 Carnival a review was done and we decided to make a concerted effort to have ALL of the group play next year, preferably in the same band. Now it's to figure out what band:

• TRIBE - some of us have never played before much less played with TRIBE
•  IP - some of us were scarred by the 2007 IP fiasco, and have serious concerns regarding going back to them
• Spice - after the reviews of folks' 2010 experiences, I for one have major concerns regarding that possible move
• D'Krewe??
• Pulse 8??
• One of the new bands? - Yuma, Gems, Oasis oh my

Decisions, decisions, decisions...hmmm wonder how this'll all turn out.

Personally, I'm leaning towards remaining with TRIBE, giving IP a chance again, OR giving D'Krewe, Oasis or Yuma a try in that order.

What would you do?

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

Happenings

Hi folks, i've been m.i.a. for a while there...work stress, personal life stress, just STRESS all over! A couple weeks vacation should cure all that stress, at least that's what I'm hoping :-)
Anyways, in the midst of this silly season that is the run up to elections in Trinidad and Tobago, there have been a couple happenings in the Carnival world. I'll try to capture what I can and post links where more details are available.


New Bands
Yep, you read that right, there is a new band, or make that at least TWO new bands on the scene.Oasis Carnival and Skullduggery. Oasis seems to be Elements reborn if the info on their FB page is accurate, and Skullduggery well they seem to have their act in order to present something different for T&T Carnival 2011.


Existing Bands
Island People mas camp has moved. 
Our mas camp has now moved to 50 O'Connor Street in Woodbrook, Port-of-Spain, which is at the corner of O'Connor Street and Warren Street. Our new telephone numbers are: 622-8145 and 622-9857. For any enquiries, feel free to call us or email us at info@islandpeoplemas.com 
...oh and their theme for 2011: 'Shades of the Universe'
TRIBE sent out a survey a week or so ago. Interesting questions, hope the masqueraders who were so vocal on Carnival Monday and Tuesday filled out the survey and let their opinions be known.


Band Launching
If things go as they've been going for the past few years, band launching season will begin in about a month. Soooo who'll begin the season? TRIBE,  Harts...someone else? We wait and see...'cause so far only Skullduggery has made their launch date (July 4th) known.

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???