The Countdown is ON!

It is December 20th  2011...


CHRISTMAS
There are 4 days, I repeat, FOUR DAYS, till Christmas 2011!
Go finish Christmas shopping now!
Finish clean the house, baking still has to be done...
Who delivering pastelles for me?

OL' YEARS 2011/NEW YEARS 2012
Whether you celebrate the ending of the year, or the ushering in of the new...there are 11 days left to get there.
You celebrating at home, at a friend, in Church or at one of those parties?
I'm a bit undecided still, but I will attend Mass, either Ol' Years night or early New Year's morning.

MY BIRTHDAY
My birthday is in early January.
Thus folks are usually still broke as hell from the Christmas season and/or skimping and scraping every penny to fete/play mas for Carnival by the time my birthday rolls around.
I am therefore not too picky regarding gifts...a great Christmas gift (which can meet the requirements of 2 gifts in one), a fantabulous birthday gift (thus making up for the non-receipt of a specific Christmas gift), a couple fetes tickets OR pay off my costume.

Ah giving allyuh options...muah!
 :-)



CARNIVAL
Carnival is on February 20th and 21st 2012...61 short days away from now!
Are you registered? Have you switched bands/sections?
How far are you from paying off that costume?

Are you getting in shape? Cardio, Strentgh training, endurance training?

How' your cash flow situation?
It's a short season...fetes piling up two and three to a night.
Don't believe me, check out Ticket Federation's schedule
Now seriously...how many fetes can you attend?
Financially, how many is it even possible to pay for?


tick, tock, tick, tock...time is not waiting...get a move on!

Stuff

Sooo, have I mentioned how much I like to get emails from TRIBE?
Well, let me correct that now:
I love these little emails...make me smile almost always. First there's this one

About 2 weeks early, but much appreciated.
Also in that email was this lovely lovely little gem:

I doubt that I'll be paying off my costume before December 31st 2012 (Fast Track collection is sooo cool though), but WOW what incentive. That pass must be worth at least $1000, and the individual cost of tickets to those fetes could probably add up to about $1800 or so.
Siiigh...

btw I will be accepting Christmas gifts in cash if anyone was wondering :-)

Then I got this in email:
Blah, blah, blah gym* wishes to advise its members and the public that in addition to the Aerobic Class that will be held on Christmas Day at 10 a.m., there will also be a Spin Class at 10 a.m. 
Really? Like really?? People go to the gym on Christmas day - In Trinidad and Tobago?!!!! For a serious workout? Seriously????!!!
OH.MY.WOW!!!
Talk about dedication!


*gym name changed to protect the innocent

 Anyways...it's about 60-some odd days till Carnival.
Keep working out and preparing for the days on the road.

That extra touch of Glamour for Carnival

From TCD's blog today I saw this great post.
This is soooo adorable and glamorous...



Great addition to your Monday wear to make it special.
Or as someone on FB indicated, a great touch for their wedding ensemble.
Contact the artist on her Facebook page.

Pic is from www.trinidadcarnivaldiary.com

Random Stuff

I was going through some old emails the other day and found this gem

...thought I'd share it with you folks.

Enjoy!

WORDS OF ADVICE

Don't date because you are desperate.

Don't marry because you are miserable.

Don't have kids because you think your genes are superior.

Don't philander because you think you are irresistible.

Don't associate with people you can't trust.

Don't cheat. Don't lie. Don't pretend.

Don't dictate because you are smarter.

Don't demand because you are stronger.

Don't sleep around because you think you are old enough and know

better.

Don't hurt your kids because loving them is harder.

Don't sell yourself, your family, or your ideals.

Don't stagnate.

Don't regress.

Don't live in the past. Time can't bring anything or anyone back.

Don't put your life on hold for possibly Mr/Mrs. Right.

Don't throw your life away on absolutely Mr Wrong because your

biological clock is ticking.

Learn a new skill.

Find a new friend.

Sometimes, there is no race to be won;

Only a price to be paid for some of life's more hasty decisions.

To make yourself happy, pursue your passions and be the best of

what you can be.

Simplify your life. Take away the clutter.

Get rid of destructive elements: abusive friends, nasty habits,

And dangerous liaisons.

Don't abandon your responsibilities but don't overdose on duty.

Don't live life recklessly without thought and feeling for your

family.

Be true to yourself.

Don't commit when you are not ready.

Don't keep others waiting needlessly.

Go on that trip. Don't postpone it.

Say those words. Don't let the moment pass.

Do what you have to, even at society's scorn .

Write poetry.

Love Deeply.

Walk barefoot.

Dance with wild abandon.

Cry at the movies.

Take care of yourself.

Don't wait for someone to take care of you.

You light up your life.

You drive yourself to your destination.

No one completes you - except YOU.

It is true that life does not get easier with age.

It only gets more challenging.

Don't be afraid.

Don't lose your capacity to love.

Pursue your passions.

Live your dreams.

Don't lose faith in God.

Don't grow old.

Just grow YOU!

Carnival 2012 Countdown is on...

It's just over 100 days till Carnival Monday 2012!

Some things to ponder:

• Have you registered in that section/band of your choice?
• What are ya waiting on?! 
• There are soooo many options to choose from, bikini and beads bands, traditional-mishallesque, alternative and haute coutre. Lots and lots to choose from
• Started looking at, or already purchased your boots? 
• Are ya going boots, or some other footwear option?
• Gonna get them decorated to complement that gorgeous costume?
• Talking bout boots...are ya gonna go diva with anything else? 
• Cups, bags, Monday wear, accessories, stockings...going down that route? How far?
• Started that 'carnival body' programme
• enrolled in gym
• bought those P90X or Insanity DVDs
• started walking...it's not all about best body, if you can't last the entire day!
• monitoring portions, cutting back on the junk (nooo i will NOT eliminate it completely!), cutting back on carbs and flour (sigh...this may make be cry!)
• scaling back on soft-drink intake, increase the amount of water you drink
• Those overseas: 
• have you booked that flight to T&T?
• where are ya gonna stay? 
• By now, both of these things should be booked...or at least reserved awaiting final downpayment
• T&T residents
• planning to stay at one of the hotels/guest houses/apartments in and around PoS?
• Have you booked yet?

Above all this...have you determined your budget for carnival 2012? Are you planning to stick to a budget?

• Costume cost
• Costume accessories including boots
• Fete options...planning to do all-inclusives, public fetes only, or budget-friendly. Or are you gonna forgo feting altogether? And if ya feting...what are ya wearing? 
• Accomodation
• Transport
• Other Carnival limes

Hope I've given you some food for thought and spurred you to get a move on if you've lapsed anywhere.

The countdown is on...tick, tick, tick!

K2K Alliance 2012 Presentation "The Waters – Seas of Consciousness”

This band launched a while back and can be found at their website and on facebook
Their concept to seems to be haute coutre of the marse-style bands.

The depiction of the prototypes on the models all link to the theme and the section names. Should be interesting to see this translated to a full band on the road.

This costume appeals to me the most

Something about it...just calls my name :-)

My only issues:
1. OMG those prices...they average just around $4000. Yes, they're all-inclusive, but they're a NEW band. They still have to prove themselves on the road.
2. '...snap-crouch bodysuit...': that phrase was repeated for many of the section descriptions. I have never ever professed to be an English major but I do believe that should have read '...snap-crotch...' It bugs me because of the number of times it's repeated.

I wait to see how this band delivers on the road.

2011-11-02 edit:- The '..snap-crouch..' typo has been changed. Have they read my blog post...hmmm!

Anya for Project Runway Fan Favourite

Once you've been following Project Runway Season 9, you would know that Anya has been in the lead more or less since episode 1.

She is now no longer in the lead...some of us have our theories on why, but no matter.

Getting her back in the lead is easy.

I'm not gonna type it all over...click on Saucy's most recent post for instructions.

Basically, type #pr9anya at the end of each and EVERY tweet, every 5 minutes...that is all!

Keep voting!

2012 Registered...and more

Got that official receipt email the other day..I am registered to play in TRIBE 2012. Section will be revealed at a later date though.

These are my fav TRIBE costumes

TRIBE - Cyprus (Fl)

TRIBE - Ibiza (Bl)

TRIBE - Sun City (Bl without collar)

TRIBE - Vegas (Bl, collar is standard)

As usual, I am not playing with a 'crew'...too many people, too many variables, too much, too muuuch. The 'crew' is in YUMA. There are my fav YUMA costumes...

YUMA - Call of Duty (Fl with Collar)

YUMA - Angry Birds (Fl)

YUMA - Tyris (Fl)

YUMA - God of War (Premium Fl)

YUMA - Luxor (Bl)

TRIBE costume pics are from TRIBE's FB album, whilst YUMA's pics are from Triniscene and T&T Carnival Costume Photos. 

On to Island People...we all know that IP launched and presented some serious wtf costumes. Then they did a redesign/revamp. The result has been some of the sexiest costumes I've seen in a while. Here are some that I like.

IP - Ki (Fl)

IP - Sun Re (Bl),
Throw in a fab headpiece and this would be gorgeous!

IP - Element (Bl with collar)

IP - Xenon (Fl)

IP - Azula (Fl with Backpack)

IP's pics are from their FB album

Hands down my absolute favorite costume this year between TRIBE, YUMA  and IP is Azula's Frontline WITH the backpack.

Hmmmm...notice a trend?

Next time I'll post my favs from another three bands.

Carnival customisation services 2012

Over the past few years reading Sauce's blog I kept seeing post after post on decorating boots, bras, Monday wear options, blinged out cups etc etc. Other than boot decorating I was not even aware that people did all these things for Carnival Monday and Tuesday.

Yep, I was a Carnival Diva n00b!.

Last year was the first year I even wore boots to play mas...this year I had my boots decorated to complement my costume.

Mayan Eagle boots

The question now arises: do I have my boots decorated again for 2012? Do I do anything else?
My answers: Yep...gonna go the route of boot decorating again for 2012, already signed up. Not sure about the other.
In general I tend to be one of the many vest and hot shorts Carnival Monday masqueraders, and cups to me need to be more functional than anything else. The one thing that matters quite a lot to me is having a decent bag to carry stuff on the road...Giving this some thought.

Carnival customisation services currently available from Afro Chic and Carnival Divaz...check 'em out! If you know of others feel free to share links in the comments.

IPMas 2012 - Heroes

Island People Mas' 2012 presentation is titled 'Heroes'.
As mentioned in my Band Launch Review post, many of the costumes presented were horrendous!


Since the launch, IPMas has done something very very commendable.
They reviewed the feedback on their Facebook page. Noted that many many masqueraders  were discouraged and disappointed by the designs portrayed.

What did IPMas do in reaction?

They decided to publicly involve the public in 'saving' the costumes that they liked. The ones that had the most 'likes' remained...the others went back to the drawing board. The Heroes that survived! A new 'Hot' designer was brought in to revamp the ones that got cut...and at this time we wait to see these revamped designs.

In the meantime IPMas' customer service machine continued rolling on.

• They provided a BB pin so that you have access to their 'Customer Service team': BBM Pin: 26F2C41 

• They also recently announced 'pre-registration'...now doh get tie up, dis not NOT something new to Carnival, and it is in no means something only done by one or two bands. ALL dem bands do it, some allow it for 'certain' number of spots, others do it for 'specific sponsors', others for 'family/friends/long-time supporters'. For 2012, bands just seem to be more open about it, and allowing all the available spots to be filled via pre-registration.  Ok, back to IPMas...they publicly announced pre-registration via email as follows: 

IPMas offers Pre-Registration Opportunity!

IPMas 2012 is all about giving you real vibes on the road, stunning costumes, and exceptional customer service. We thank you for your enthusiasm and patience as we prepare to give you everything you’ve asked for!

As we put the finishing touches on the new and revamped costumes, we’ve been receiving numerous requests from people anxious to register even before seeing the new Heroes. Due to the curfew in Trinidad, we will be releasing the new costumes and opening our mas-camp for full registration on Monday 29th August. Until then, we are offering you a Pre-Registration opportunity which guarantees your top costume choice while saving you some cash.

Here's how it works:

1. Starting Thursday 25th August at 12 noon, Past Masqueraders will be able to Pre-Register online at www.islandpeoplemas.com or at the IPMas mas-camp for an open-section registration. New masqueraders will be able to Pre-Register from Friday 26th August at 12 noon.
   1. To help ease the tension during the State of Emergency, we’re giving you a $100TT/$15US discount off your costume when you Pre-Register before Monday 29th August.
2. Select a costume or select “open costume” and pay the discounted deposit of:
   $1100TT/$185US Backline & Males
   $1500TT/$250US Frontline
3. When we release the new costumes next week, you will finalize your registration by picking the costume of your choice. (Registrations will be finalised in the sequence corresponding with your Pre-Registration number.)

Note: Although we haven’t released our prices yet, we can tell you that they range from:

Frontline: $4,995 TT - $5,995 TT
Backline: $2,995 TT - 3,995 TT
Male: $2,895TT - $3,395 TT

Once again, you’ve asked for it and we’re happy to listen to your requests and cater to your needs. Thank you for your input, we love having you as part of the team shaping your 2012 IPMas experience.

For more info please contact us through our Facebook Page, our BBM (Pin 26F2C411), Phone868.622.8145 or shoot us an email at info@islandpeoplemas.com. Our mas-camp is located at 50 O’Connor street on the corner of Warren Street in Woodbrook. It is open until 6pm.

IPMas…Real Vibes!!!

IPMas: allyuh seem to be addressing the one part of the band I have always hated and I applaud the efforts. Even if is just really really good PR...it has been noticed.

Well done...and keep it up!

Band Launch Reviews

This post is overdue, but yuh know what, better late than never.

Thus far I have attended launches for TRIBE, Island People and YUMA.

Rating scale: 0 (awful, awful)  to 5 (fantabulous concept and delivery)

• Venue
• TRIBE - Queen's Park Savannah. (5)
• Island People - Bowen Marine, Chaguaramas (aka the hole!) (3.5)
• YUMA - Pier 2, Chaguaramas (aka the hole!) (4)
• Parking
• TRIBE - not a problem, the Savannah after all (5)
• Island People - on the road's surrounding the venue. 'Parkng attendants' stalking yuh for 'a lil something'..not cool at all! (3)
• YUMA - half of Pier 2, getting out of there was a b!tch (4)
• Stage
• TRIBE - Clear view of stage from just about everywhere. Except if you setup camp behind the sound/camera tower which was smack dab in the centre. (4)
• Island People - Kinda odd. Stage was quite high and had an elevated section with lots of scaffolding. That scaffolding affected picture taking by all but the photographers who were closest to the stage. (3)
• YUMA - LOVED this concept. A central normal stage, with a 'catwalk/runway' around the venue. Great concept for all patrons to get a good view of the costumes. Points only lost because lighting on the runway was not the best for taking pictures (4.5)
• Drinks
• TRIBE - semi-free drinks i.e. Rum, Beers, vodka, certain brands of other drinks. Bars on both sides and in the back. Angostura Rum Cocktail bar had a presence. (4)
• Island People - semi-free drinks i.e. Rum, Beers, vodka, certain brands of other drinks. Two bars, and one didn't begin serving until about an hour after we arrived, oh and NO HEINEKEN...meh! (3)
• YUMA - premium free drinks. But Nuvo ran out :-( (4.5)
• Food
• TRIBE - Tao shushi, usual stuff. Food stalls were setup slightly to the right of the entrance, easy to traverse, no congestion. (4)
• Island People - Tao shushi, gyros, doubles. Shushi and doubles were setup near the entrance, unobtrusively off the pathways. Gyros were in the middle of the passageway heading towards the bathrooms..why? (3.5)
• YUMA - Only noticed gyros, in an easily accessed area... (3)
• Presentation Concept and Execution
• TRIBE - theme "Take me to...". 'Flight Attendants' brought on the costumes, felt kinda like a travel promotion, generic modelling of costumes(3.5)
• Island People - theme "Heroes". Great presentation concept. All about the heroes fighting the scourge of villains who have been threatening 'Westopia'. The Big Boss was 'Cyclops' (4.5)
• YUMA - theme "Press Play". Generic modelling of costumes...with the noted exception of the 'Call of duty' models who marched on in their military inspired costumes (3.5)
• Costumes
• TRIBE - siiiighh...could have been better. Some wowed, others bleh, For the theme I really expected over the top fabulousness. I have seen better from TRIBE...oh and only frontlines were presented. (3)
• Island People - another siiiiighhhhh...what in the world were the designers smoking when they drew these designs, then who d a$$ approved the designs and then inhaled some strong ish by actually making these prototypes. Spandex leggings in 2011?!!! Admittedly they are currently working on a redesign, but judging from the costumes launched...bleh One or two costumes saved this from being a total mess.(2)
• YUMA - le sigh. Firstly, how did they decide which games to use? Next, how'd the come up with the colour palette after deciding on games to be represented. Then...why oh why are the backlines so bland. the frontlines far outshine these backlines. Doh get me wrong, costumes are nice, but I am loving the FLs waaaaaay more than any of the BLs that were presented.(4)
• Launch Party
• TRIBE - as usual it's a party. Kes performed, people enjoyed themselves (3.5)
• Island People - good music, great energy, the stage was advantaged by guys! (4)
• YUMA - great music, great energy, that runway became a dance floor, the stage was bum rushed for an impromptu conga-line (5)

Overall Ratings (average of all scores)

• TRIBE - 4
• Island People - 3
• YUMA - 4

IP, YUMA...oh my

Island People's 'Heroes' on August 12th
...and YUMA's 'Press Play' on August 13th.

One I had planned to attend, the other a spontaneous attend thing... very different experiences, VERY very different costume concepts and translation into design.
Both had great launch presentations, talking the show itself eh not necessarily costumes.

Review of both to come soon.

TRIBE/Bliss update

I went TRIBE's 2012 launch... just have not reviewed it.
My opinion: Not awful, not fabulous, just somewhere in between.
I am currently torn between TRIBE's Johannesburg

Johannesburg

and Vegas

Vegas

The other TRIBE costume that I like is 'Ibiza'...each and every year there is a costume that I love but would NEVER contemplate wearing and for 2012, Ibiza is that costume.

Vegas

So, then I went Bliss' camp and oh my, Bali and Capri look lovely up close...if I went Bliss I would want to be registered in either one of those.

Capri

But I'm registered now eh ...

"Nirvana - Dare to Dream" - the review

Feting in June.

A reminder: The rating scale goes from: 0 to 5. 0 means not ever to be repeated EVER, 5 means best ever!

Anyways here goes. Fete details:

• Fete: Nirvana - Dare to Dream
• Promoter: The event page on FB listed names, but not an actual committee.
• Fete Type: Premium Drinks inclusive
• Date: June 22nd 2011
• Time: 10pm to 4am
• Venue: The Stage

The flyers:

My sis and her friends were the ones who told me about this fete. Night before the holiday, free drinks, ON THE STAGE?! What was there not to entice me...sooo here goes the review.

• First things first: where to park? No problem at all. The promoters sent this in an FB message "Hi everyone for Nirvana tonight it is very simple:
  your entering the Savannah from the South side/Grandstand entrance of the savannah. This entrance is directly opposite Ministry of Foreign Affairs and/or Chaud restaurant. Drive towards the grandstand and TURN RIGHT. DRIVE around the EASTERN side of the grand stand and proceed straight as you come around the corner. you will see the venue entrance as well as the carpark entrance there. NIRVANA carpark is situated were the NORTH STAND would normally exist for carnival. The entire area is paved so no need to worry about mud. SEE YOU THERE" Then to top it off, when we were actually driving in there were signs pointing you to where to park. Great touch, despite the awful spelling and grammar. Rating: 5
• Entrance: The entrance was draped in white, 'fog' was bubbling up from a mini-fountain, disco-spotlights were rotating and providing a funky lighting effect. Hosts/hostesses greeted you, put the usual band around your wrists and wished you 'have fun'...hope you designated a driver. Rating: 4
• Layout: This fete was held on the stage. Well to tell the truth it wasn't actually on the stage per se. The set up was just in front of the grand stand. Lets start with the bars, the many many bars, they didn't lie bout that nah. Hennessy was distributed from a booth just to the right of the entrance. Immediately to the right on entering was the food station and Tao Sushi. Just down from that was the normal bar. Beers, rum, soft-drinks, water etc were being served there. To the left was the Cold Stone booth, another general bar, then Johnny Green and Johnny Gold bars. These were followed by the Ciroc booth. In the middle was an elevated area about four/five steps up. The Stage. As you got up there you came face to face with the Jaggermeister booth, and at the other end was the Nuvo booth. The DJ, special effects, sound system, lighting were all in the middle of this stage. Bathrooms were to the back of the entire area...normal porta-potties, but with lots of attendants so they were kept relatively clean and decent smelling, with the stalls being stocked with TP regularly and running water and soap readily available. Yes these things matter lots to me! Rating: 4 
• Performances: No live performances. But the DJs oh the DJs...apart from a back in times set that went on for just a little bit too long, it was steady vibes. DJ Private Ryan was the main DJ and he was so hyped...people even continued partying in the drizzle and then in the downpour that came down around 3am. Rating: 4.5
• Food: Sushi, chicken and fries, bake and shark. I only had the sushi though. Rating: 4
• Drinks: For this I'll just list the drinks menu: Johnnie Walker Gold, Johnnie Walker Green, Johnnie Walker Double Black, Johnnie Walker Black, NUVO, Ciroc vodka, Belvedere vodka, Hennessey, Jagermeister, GoldSchlager, Two Fingers Tequila, Tanqueray gin, Angostura Single barrel, Baileys, Fernandes Black label, White Oak Rum, Carib Pilsner Light and a SHOTS BAR. I had Nuvo, Ciroc, Johnny Gold and water! Rating - 5

Fete rating: 4.5

This was a good one-off, free drinks fete...rain and all it was fabulous!

BTW: Five stairs to navigate after about 5 drinks meant there were many stumbles, no-one got hurt from my observations, but it seemed most ladies came prepared, heels were in the minority!

June too soon...HA!

It's June 2011 and here in T&T the rainy season has begun with a bang.

Almost every single day in T&T has had rain, in some part of the country...take today for example, I fell asleep to rain, woke up to rain, and it's been raining on and off... more on than off...since about 8am!

I.LOVE.rain

Anyways, onto other things.

Band launching season began last Saturday with D'Krewe's launching of their 2012 presentation 'Panache'.

Check out the pics over at Trinidad Events and in their FB album.

Other bands are poised to launch their 2012 presentation on the dates indicated:

• Spice - July 9th at Pier 1. It's a cooler fete and the same night as Island People's Caution.
• TRIBE - July 23rd
• Dream Team - August 6th
• Harts - August 12th at Anchorage
• YUMA - August 13th

Still to announce dates are: Island People, Legacy, Ronnie & Caro, Oasis and others. Wonder what'll happen with all the 'new' 2011 bands?!

Sooo enjoy the remainder of rainy June and bring on the band launchings!

I am alive!

This is a short post to state: I AM ALIVE!
Didn't realise that I'd gone more than a month without posting, how remiss of me.
My apologies... Sorry!

Quick update:
1. Following my Carnival 2011 experience I am positive that once health and finances permit, I will be on the road again for Carnival 2012. Band to be determined, i'm not a Tribe loyalist like some believe I am. I play where I am comfortable, where the costume calls and mainly where my Carnival road crew is.
2. I am back in the gym. Signed up for the full works, personal trainer and all. It's been about a month so far, give or take a day. My abdominal muscles hurt like shit when I laugh, sneeze, cough, pretty much do anything... Things better be happening under that fat layer!
3. I took part in a 5k. Walking, before I enrolled in the gym. I finished, that's all that needs to be said.

Think that's it for now.

Band launchings begin month after next... Should be on vacation then hopefuLly, cross your fingers for me.

Carnival 2011 Review - TRIBE 'The Way of the Warrior'

Ah it's all over, my shoulders are sunburnt, once again I have a rash from exposure to people and all that dust, not nearly as bad as it was in previous years though...but I had a blast on the road with TRIBE once again.

Let's see on to my review:
COLLECTION
As always this was a breeze, made even faster by the fact that this year I went the Fas Track route. The entire collection time from time that I parked in Cascadia to the time I got back to my car was about half an hour...no wait to go inside. I was ushered in to the ballroom to the Fas Track station where they verified my payments and printed out my receipt. Went to the collection area and a very very enthusiastic customer service representative reviewed my receipt, and went off to locate my costume. She brought everything back, checked off everything whilst showing me each item, did a mini demo of how the bra for my costume is to be worn and was bubbling and dancing all through the entire process. I did not catch your name, but you did well.
Mind you, I collected the same day as a couple people in YUMA. I had time drop them to Movietowne, get to Cascadia, collect my costume, get back from Cascadia to Movietowne and still had at least a half hour to kill..not cool!
MONDAY EXPERIENCE
Food - No problems getting lunch at all. I was among the second wave of masqueraders that got to the lunch stop and had from the Food Etcetera tent. Food was good, and for those that know me, yes I actually ate cassava, it tasted that good! A couple friends had food from Pollo Tropical and their reviews were all positive.
Drinks - I started my day with lots and lots of Gatorade, water and coconut water. I was nursing the remnants of a headache caused by lack of sleep. By about 3pm I'd moved on to Uncle Johnny and coconut water...ahhh my day was going good. Some of the trucks had slow servers whilst others were ultra-efficient, forgot to take note of which were the slow trucks...oh and the pace of the trucks, drivers, drivers remember people trying to place orders and collect drinks so please slow down a bit.
On the road - Met the band around noon, took the shuttle to the band which was on Frederick St by then, close to the museum. Lost the first crew I was with by the time we got to Memorial Park, met up with the next crew and limed, chipped, wined onto the greens then waited to cross the Savannah stage. Ohhh the stage, the stage, the stage! It was bittersweet seeing that stage. Bitter 'cause of the usual looong wait and total chaos about waiting to enter the Savannah (oh BTW whose bright idea was it to have drinks trucks turn off and leave the band by Keate Street?! Masqueraders were left with the option of either loading up on water/gatorade and hope it was enough to last till you cross OR patronise those vendors along Memorial or along the greens...and doh give me no talks about small man making money, they made nuff money ok wonder if it was a conspiracy...charging $10 for a small bottle of water wtf!!!) Anyways the sweet of the stage: the vibrations under yuh feet whilst waiting, the build up by the DJs, then the release of actually being let onto the stage that pulsated and vibrated under your feet. I stamped, stomped and advantaged that stage...the soles of my feet felt like they were on fire! We crossed and then headed to the lunch stop. From the lunch stop we headed down to Tragarete Road, turned left and continued on to Stanmore...TRIBE was done by about 6:30ish on Monday night.
Other - Truck movement was on the fast side...WHY?! Bathroom facilities at the lunch stop were efficient. Security was on point, but they were not nearly as strict as past years 'cause I saw several non-masqueraders in the midst of the band at several points during the day.
TUESDAY EXPERIENCE
Food - Got to the band around 8am, I'd eaten breakfast at home, so did not partake of TRIBE's breakfast offerings. From the reviews I heard it was aight. I was among the third or fourth wave of masqueraders that got to the lunch stop and this time I took Pollo Tropical...yumm yumm! Saw lollies and yogurt being distributed as well. Later on we got chips from the various bar trucks and when the band got closer to Stanmore got my Marios pizza slice. All in all quite decent food experience.
Drinks - Started off with gatorade and water again and by about 11am was onto Uncle Johnny and coconut water alternating with gatorade and water. No complaints this time, I'd found the truck with efficient service and decent pace.

On the road - Met the band around 8am, took the shuttle to the band which was partly on Frederick St with the rest of the band on Park St. Tried to walk back to see IP and YUMA who I'd heard were behind us, but after walking back and only seeing bits of IP around Globe I turned back and met up with my crew who were up near the Royal Jail. Saw a bunch of Gladiators in full garb, capes included. Again the journey to the stage along Memorial Park and then the greens. That was a looooong wait in noonday sun...we left the band, walked up and saw Oasis ahead of a us and another smallish band. Oasis looked good, but they were soooo small. Same feelings on seeing that stage, but this time I was in full costume, I crossed from the first section and went back and crossed again and again until Amazon or Mongol Fighters I think. Met up with the remainder of the crew after crossing, and then headed to the lunch stop. From the lunch stop we tried to keep up with the trucks only to realsie that they were headed into St. James...not a problem, we waited near the British Embassy, saw IP as they were headed to their lunch stop after crossing the stage and met back up with the band jsut as they were passing in front Fatima. At that point apparently a masquerader had climbed the railings outside the school, slipped and got impaled on the spikes. Blood everywhere... medics assisted him until an ambulance could get to the band. That was quite a sobering experience and I hope others keep that in mind. After that, the band moved on along Mucurapo onto Robert St at alternating brisk and slow pace depending on the amount of spectators in the area. The band continued chipping along eastwards till Carlos, turned north to get to Tragarate and then east till Stanmore. With it getting darker and darker, security was still in place, then they announced that masqueraders with bands were able to enjoy las lap in Jenny's car park...quite a sweet touch. All this time folks in YUMA were trying to get me, by then it was about 8:30ish sooo I left the band then and proceeded to the car park

Other - Bathroom facilities at the lunch stop were efficient, with foot massages and full body massages on offer if so desired. Clean facilities, wipes, mouthwash, body and feminine sprays, painkillers, hand soap and hand cream...yep usual bathroom amenities were in place. Security was on point, but they were not nearly as strict as past years 'cause I saw several non-masqueraders in the midst of the band at several points during the day and also in the park...though I did see more than one non-masquerader being removed from the lunch stop.

So my rating for TRIBE 2011 out of 10: 8.5, points lost for lapses in security and trucks leaving unannounced after the lunch stop.

Carnival Saturday 2011

Masai Tribal Warrior
Courtesy: www.carnivaltribe.com 

It's the ending hours of Carnival Saturday 2011.

• Costume:
• Have you collected your costume? 
• How does it look? 
• How does it fit?
• Issues actual product vs. prototype?
• Issues with collection??
• Did you go to buy a costume today? Heard the camps were craziness...but that if you were patient, as in there at 8am and willing to wait, and wait, aaaaannnnnnndddddddddd wait, you would have been rewarded with a costume!
• Monday wear in gear?
• Who visited Wonderful World today to accessorize? 
• OMG that was a little bit of craziness. Women in every little nook and cranny of that store, jostling for space to pick up that nail polish, see that bit of body jewellery, see that earring up close, "...nah that not going with my costume...", "...this one too blah, will make mih costume look bland...". Noise and lots of people, but cool.
• My WW discount turned out to be a mere $20TT ...aww well, tis better than nothing eh. Someone in the store got quite a decent discount, 'cause folks were cheering, but I wasn't close enough to hear the actual amount.
• Have you been breaking in your boots?
• Mine are from last year. 
• Collected my newly decorated boots from Afro Chic earlier today........and they are gorgeous, even after the hiccup that occurred! They go perfectly with my costume, thank you, thank you Afro Chic :-)
• Who went Soca Monarch finals?
• I attended this competition for the first time last night. 
• The performers I picked won their respective categories. 
• Well done Kes...yuh Wotless all how! 
• To all the haters...LYRICS MACHEL!! 

Sooo I wait not so patiently for Carnival Monday to dawn...will be with TRIBE's 'The Way of the Warrior' on the road!

Distribution Schedules are OUT!!!

By now many of you would have received THAT email. Yuh know the email, the email that makes hearts leap...'cause even after yuh went thru the stress/bliss/trauma/begging/pleading/ease of registering to play in THAT section..it's when you check your inbox and that email is there, the one with the date to collect yuh costume....that's when the butterflies take flight, heart rate speeds up, and the adrenaline kicks in. Well that happened for me ok...even though I paid off mih costume already, that email is what brought it all home....gonna collect mih costume in the next few days...sigh

I am scheduled to collect my costume on Saturday February 26th 2011...yippeee!!!
Here's a compilation of the ones that I've seen so far:

  

Lovely...can't wait to collect!

Review 2011 - Panorama Semi-Finals

My rating scale: 0 to 5. 0 means not ever to be repeated EVER, 5 means best ever!

My first time attending Panorama semi-finals in the North Stand.

Anyways here goes.
 Fete/Event details:

• Event: Panorama semi-finals
• Promoter: Pantrinbago Inc.
• Fete/Event Type: Pan competition, semi-final leg, Savannah Party
• Date: February 20th 2011
• Time: 9am till the last band play!
• Venue: Queen's Park Savannah

The flyers: No official flyer, but there were many 'crew' flyers, here's a sample:

I was in North Stands. As mentioned, this was the first year that I've paid to go pan semis... My sis organised me with tickets and hooked me up with a crew. Trinidad Events' pan semis lime was my back-up in case things didn't come thru with my sis. I got there just about 1:30pm, had a little bit of hiccups with transport...but I made it :-)

• First things first: where to park? Did not drive ...roads were blocked off all around d Savannah...People were able to park around the Savannah and inside as well. Not sure what the price was if any, but things looked pretty organised. Rating: n/a
• Entrance: Big signs were posted here and there close to the entrances...BUT some signs directing folks to where things were would have been nice. E.g i entered the Savannah just north of TGI, so I knew I had a bit of a walk westwards and then north before I'd get to the North Stand entrance...but what about the foreigners, how were they to find their way about. Rating: 2.5 could do better
• Layout: I can only speak of the North Stand layout but for this Pantrinbago deserves some credit. I LOVED the layout. Stands, imposing North stands high above the grounds, positioned nicely directly opposite the Grand Stands, close to the stage. Then directly behind the stands was an area for the BIG crews like Bmobile, Red Ants, Suppligen, Caesar's Army etc etc yuh get my drift. Bmobile had a stage setup in d middle where different performers did their do from time to time...I saw Kes, and heard that others were there as well. Bmobile's stage had the Pandigm electric pan folks setup and they provided entertainment. There was also a mechanical bull for those brave enough, or those that had had enough alcohol to not give a crap, to try to hold on. In front Suppligen's tent there was a mini stage as well, Iwer performed there. Bathrooms at both ends of the 'greens'. Soo many tents to visit and crews scattered all over. LOVED LOVED the layout! Rating: 4.5 (0.5 points lost due to the height of the stands...that was a LOT of stairs to be traversing)
• Performances: Pan selections played by your favourite band, rhythm sections, live performances, music blasting from speakers all over ...oh gosh i'm surprised I can still hear at all! Rating: 4
• Food: The spread was never-ending.. crews had pelau, roti and curry, alloo pies, finger foods, wings, friend chicken, there was doubles, geera, snacks from Holiday Foods and others and of course KFC ... oh gosh ah getting hungry! Rating: 5
• Drinks: What wasn't available?! Carib had their Pilsner and Stag on tap, other crews had all kind of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks from johnny walker to rum, chasers like crazy, Tequila, even saw Champagne flowing! Rating - 4.5 
• The event itself: this felt like a party, competition, meeting up old friends, former co-workers, meeting new 'friends'..all rolled into one big picnic/lime/party. This was epicness on a whole other level, loved it! Rating: 4

Fete/event rating: 4.5!

If this is how pan semis continues then I will soooooo be there next year and the year after and the year after!

So what's next? Carnival has continued to develop nicely.

p/s:- I have a couple reviews to post from other events... hope to post those soon.

'Carnival Hot Sauce' - Tribute to Saucy Diva

Photo courtesy BitDepth by Mark Lyndersay

Well done Sauce. Over at Trinidad Guardian's BitDepth column , they did an article about the one, the only Saucy Diva.Great article....and some time ago there was an interview.

I've met Sauce in person on more than occasion, and she has always left me with the feeling that with or without readers she would still be blogging, it is about LOVE for Carnival. It continues to impresses me that despite being a part of the crowd in sooo many T&T Carnival events, and then blogging about them, that she has maintained her anonymity. Her blog was part of the inspiration for me to begin blogging...and most of the traffic to my own humble blog  comes from her site. She even has me listed on her 'Carnival Blog Roll'...an honour that boggles the mind sometimes.

Thank you once again Sauce for the dedication and hard-work that you put into doing that each and every day! Hope you keep doing what you've been doing for a long, long time to come.