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Random musings I’ve had over the past month or so heralding the greatest show on Earth:

• I love Carnival, the excitement, revelry, anticipation, joy, splendor, colour! but something this year was lacking.
• The soca music this year left much to be desired. I’ve found myself waiting and waiting for the great ones and save a few I could count on one hand (‘Like a Boss’, ‘Lucy’, ‘My Home’…), there wasn’t a selection of music to raise the pores.
• Machel Montano is not doing it like a boss, he is simply a boss…the end. The passion he has for soca music is what puts him ahead of the game. Other artistes don’t exhibit the level of near madness with their performances, this is why Machel is ahead. Everybody else battle for second.
• When did I become priced out of fetes? Being a member of the middle class (read: working poor) means that I can no longer afford fetes I used to attend (that $850 for Central Bank’s All Inclusive fete threw me for a loop)…and no I’m not taking out a loan….and no, I did not save up all year for Carnival….and no, I’m not paying over a grand to party even if I could…but yes, if that ticket is free :). I know I’m in a minority.
• I looove Kiddies Carnival but whyyy Lord is the sun so hot on Carnival Saturday as opposed to Monday and Tuesday? I skipped it for that reason (thankfully the gremz didn’t play) and chose to go to Bunji Garlin’s children’s show in Arima Velodrome instead….which will probably never see me again…more on that later…
• This Monday Wear thing is a runaway horse, it’s putting so much pressure on people to wear decorated bikinis like when the Carnival gods decided that sneakers were out and boots were in for the road. If I were playing mas this year, I would wear a tank and spandex boyshorts for spite.
• You see this thing where you party in the night an go to work the next day normel normel, sometimes two, three nights in a row?, I can no longer achieve that feat.
• Calypso Fiesta Saturday usually finds me on my couch for the entire show, eager to hear the picong*. This year, some delivered, others need a re-definition of calypso.
• If I see my daughter swaying her hips while dancing which may be considered to be Trinidad wining, I will not condemn her. She does this in addition to the jumping, waving and hands in the air. She is a dancer so when the music hits, her whole body moves including her waistline. If however, her butt is rolling and rolling and she’s dropping it to the ground and that’s all she is doing, twerking song after song, I will drop the mic on her. I don’t know when parents will realize that this shit isn’t cute and this was in full display during the children’s show last Saturday. I was highly annoyed and it added to the lack of snacks (children party with no popcorn!?!), short performances and the whole rushed vibe of the thing. But hey the gremz seemed to have fun so what the hell.
• I’m not in costume playing mas this year and I don’t miss it. I don’t know if I should feel scared that age is creeping up but I’m watching the pics of people having a ball on the road and I feel no pangs of longing or jealousy. Maybe I’m over it? We’ll see next year.
• Finally, I still can’t believe I’m going to work tomorrow! Such a thing has never happened in recent memory! I don’t think I’ve ever gone to work the day after carnival, it’s going to be so strange. I may not know how to function after I get my ashes.

Have a great cool down!

TMIDM

*Picong or Piquant is light comical banter, usually at someone else’s expense. It is the way in which West Indians (particularly those in the Eastern Caribbean) tease, heckle and mock each other in a friendly manner. However, the line between humour and insult is fine and constantly shifting, and at times the convivial spirit may degenerate into more heated debate and perhaps, physical altercations. The ability to engage in picong without crossing over into insult is highly valued in the culture of calypso music. (Wikipedia)