Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Trini Carnival Updates

According to YUMA'S Facebook Fanpage registration starts today, this weekend also saw the launch of Island People's Shades of The Universe. Now I'll give credit where credit is due but...IP and YUMA lowkey dissapointed me. I expected, with all this talk from YUMA especially that the costumes would have been a lil bit more creative and not just beads and feathers on bikinis. Esp in a year like this where Tribe and even Harts stepped their game up, I just..wanted..more. Now I know I may be in the minority, I actually have friends who are going bonkers for IP and YUMA costumes and I am aware that a lot of masqueraders dont really care much about theme as long as the costume is pretty and skimpy BUT I guess I just wanted to see TRIBE get challenged in terms of creativity...O well, maybe next year....

i fell off! :(



sorry guys but hassle of roommate finding, school starting and my fave dog dying :( threw me off for a bit.

today tho...the much appreciated besssssss party fuh the weekend!



HARBOUR LIGHTS



Harbour Lights is some type of beachfront bar that for some reason draws the Crop Over crowd like bugs to a lamp on the Sunday before Kadooment Day. Now keep in my mind i was real sick, i'm talking coughing, sneezing, headachy, body pains sick. But being the true carnival baby that I am i took a swig of Buckley's threw some Ibuprofen in my purse and headed out anyway lol. Can I say BEST DECISION EVER!

The crowd was great, nice and uptown but not stoosh. Had nuff tourists but balanced it out with a lot of Bajans as well. I limited myself to two rum punch drinks (which tasted FAB) but didnt even need them as the dance had bare vibes. There's just something about partying on the beach..sand between your toes, star studded sky above you and EVERYBODY is just in a good mood, shit talking, wukkin up and just having a good time. Songs of choice for this night, Lil Rick's - Guh Down of course and suprisingly Shakira's Waka Waka...*insert comment about cbbean ppl and their love of (obsession with) soccer that turned this song into a party tune lol*

O and all that other stuff..bar service was really fast, friendly and had some hott bartenders too lol. parking was good as well, there were a couple parking lots nearby and well not much need for security as the crowd was uber well behaved. I found myself a sexy Baje ;) and danced all night. no really... literally ALL night!

Harbour Lights is def a do over, will be most present come Crop Over 2K11!



Tuesday, August 17, 2010

#cropovermemories

Just found this, sheer luck that i'm not in the video lol. but this was Lil Rick performing Go Down at Wadadah Foreday Mornin Brek Out.


Friday, August 13, 2010

TRIBE EMAIL:FYI

VERY IMPORTANT REGISTRATION INFORMATION!
Please read ALL information below carefully.
Showroom Opening Hours
TRIBE: Mon - Fri 12noon to 5pm
BLISS: Mon - Fri 12noon to 5pm
We will be opening both showrooms on Sat 14th Aug, from 12noon - 4pm
For more information on BLISS or to be added to the BLISS mailing list, please send an e-mail to info@blisscarnival.com
TRIBE LOYALTY CARD (TLC) REGISTRATION:
Online Registration ONLY. There will be NO In-House Registration at Cascadia

Online TLC registration: Your four (4) digit TLC code and username will be required. Online registration is valid and complete ONLY when accompanied by an online credit card payment.(VISA / MASTERCARD)
*It has been brought to our attention that TLC holders have been ‘selling’ their cards and/or use of their cards. TRIBE reserves the right to cancel any TLC for inappropriate use.
• TLC masqueraders who have forgotten/misplaced their username, can request them via e-mail by 5:00pm on Friday 20th August. Send e-mail requests to sales@carnivaltribe.com with subject "TLC user 2011". The e-mail must contain the following :
  • Your Full Name
  • Your 4 - digit TLC number

Please Note: Online Registration is NOT 24hrs a day. The website will be opened during the specific registration times ONLY
Important Advisory: When costume registration begins for TLC holders, please be assured that ALL SECTIONS WILL BE AVAILABLE.

We recognize that there is an increased demand for costumes this year and while we would like to accommodate everyone in their preferred section, we recommend that masqueraders have more than one choice, as each section has a fixed quota.
PAST MASQUERADER REGISTRATION:

• Online registration ONLY: Your username and password will be required.

• A subsequent e-mail will be sent out with details on Past Masquerader registration. Please stay posted to the website also.
MINIMUM DOWN PAYMENT:
Floor Member - $1500 TT or $250 USD
Frontline - $3000 TT or $500 USD


MEASUREMENTS/SIZES REQUIRED TO REGISTER:

FEMALE:
Hipband (Belt) Size in Inches
Bathing Suit Type ( Bikini , Whole piece, Tankini)
Bra Size (34B, 36C, 38DDD, etc)
Bikini Bottom Piece Type (Regular, Thong, Hot Shorts, Tankini-cut)
Bikini Bottom Size (XS, S, M, L, XL)
MALE:
Waist Size (34”, 36”, etc.)

IMPORTANT: Carnival costumes are custom-made items therefore please be advised that once registration is complete there will be:

NO exchange or switching of sections.
NO refund of deposit.
NO changing of measurements or sizes
NO costume transfers







Comments , questions concerns??

So far I know of at least a couple people who not too sure about the whole only online registration thing. I think it makes sense, I don't even know how Tribe made it work in years past with registration simultaneously online and in-house in terms of keeping track of costume numbers and knowing what sold out when. and doh talk for when the website crashed last year. IF (God forbid) that happens again at least you can rest assured that everyone is at a disadvantage and not just those who opted to register online. Plus this way it would stop people from spending the night outside Cascadia...yes there r some folks out there who did that last year...which apart from being a lil extreme is also NOT safe in these times. Anyways I think this is a step forward..good luck Tribe!

P.S. - Tribe has now updated their website so you can see the prices and options for the various costumes

P.P.S. - Nevermind...something's wrong and the costumes are not coming up..plus I think they have Bliss costume names down in error...confused..o well i'll give them a couple hours to sort it out

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Special-ish small mention goes to

Wadadah Mornin Brek Out....

hmm where to start.......Now I had chked out the Crop Over 09 reviews on trini jungle juice and spoken with friends who attended Crop Over in previous years to make sure that i went to the right fetes, jump wit the right band etc etc. Wadadah was one of those parties that had gotten good reviews, so imagine my surprise when we get there post-J'Ouvert and d dance bus. yes i said it, BUS! if ever u cud shout n hear an echo in a field it wudve been at that party. I have no idea what happened, if maybe they didn't promote it enough..if too many ppl were bun after J'Ouvert or what but yeh.....if I had paid to get in I would've been reeeeeal upset. I stayed for Lil Rick's performance...took a lil 2 step in the mud in front the stage (no fault of the organizers, there was beaucoup rain that morning) then headed home to rest up for the nxt lime. The End

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Interesting.....

Interrupting this lil CropOver review session for something i just noticed. As some of you may know, Tribe had a section in Baje International's Crop Over Band this year called Heaven to Earth. In my opinion, this was a gorgeous costume and truthfully the best I saw on the road for Kadooment.





'Heaven to Earth' - Tribe's section in Baje Internationals' Free to Fly (CropOver 2K10)

When Saucy first posted pics of the band, the general consensus seemed to be that this was not 'up to standard' and that Tribe needed to come better for Trini Carnival 2010 particularly because of the size of the head piece pictured on the right. Now fast forward to this morning when I checked Saucy's blog (as i do every day lol ) only to realise that Tribe is in fact offering a small headpiece option similar to one above for quite a few of their 2k11 costumes.





Xi'an Warriors backline with small headpiece






Persian Gold FRONTLINE with collar option and small headpiece

Interesting right....Now I can say that I am tempted by the small headpiece option, particularly after experiencing what it was like to chip down d rd in hott blazin sun with this heavy slippin-and-sliding-with-every-breeze-headpiece in Bdos, and also because it looks elegant and pretty in an understated way ...BUT Carnival is all about glitz and glamor and being out there with your costume so...y take a small headpiece when I can jam with something luxuriant and feathery...decisions decisions.....

In anycase I'm quite intrigued by what the feedback will be on these small headpieces..I think a lot of my people..like myself prior to 10am this morning were not even aware that the headpieces were that tiny..I actually thought that the Amazon headpiece I saw yesterday was the small headpiece lol (pics coming soon)

P.S. I have already started sourcing Monday Wear...excited much? lol

Monday, August 9, 2010

About This Blog

Just realised I jumped right into things without explaining the purpose of this blog, or why I started it. I love to party, fete, lime and play mas and have decided to share my experiences. Stuck here in D.C. for the last 5 years at school meant that I missed a grand total of FIVE yes FIVE Trini Carnivals for various reasons, not enough funds or having exams around that time etc etc. However being in the US also exposed me to different carnivals, I've been to Labor Day, MIA Carnival and DC Carnival and this yr I finally made it to Crop Over. For this reason my blog won't focus solely on Trini Carnival but instead review Carnivals around the world (aiming big ent! lol) and events in the DMV area since I currently reside there. I'm aiming to blog at least every other day whether is jus a lil video or full out review so stay tuned!

Guh down in d rain!!

So sorry for the delays in posting, this vacay was definitely not about rest and relaxation, it was more like 10 days of non-stop partying and rushing around. Am attempting to pick up where I last left off so lets see...

Backshun J'Ouvert



Sell off! Sell Afffffff!! lol. but no really, was a grrreat re-introduction to what real J'Ouvert is all about. mud, paint, liquor and bare vibes!

Things didn't start off so smoothly, went to pick up costumes Friday (J'Ouvert started at 1am Sat morning) and the 'boss' came out with a look after about 15 mins of looking for my costume. Apparently something went wrong during the costume transfer process and I was down for the wrong section. Well after hearing my trini accent that problem got solved one time(tourists rule!), doh mind my apparently medium backside ended up in a XS shorts lol. The boss and two other manager looking ppl were very cool about the whole thing. The two 'greeters' as they called themselves kept my friend and I company cracking jokes and talking ish while the boss sorted out the issue. Overall I was left with a favorable impression about their service just by that first interaction.

Then the day started. Dunno about other drinks but Rum Punch and Rum and Coke which is what I was drinking were flowing like water! That rum punch esp had a kick to it that well...had me up on the truck by the end of the morning lol. kudos to the bartender.

As for vibes...this band had vibes to spare lol. EVERYBODY was hype! Doh talk for when the rain come down, all u heard was 'guh down in d rain, guh down in d rain' as the dj pulled out a remix and the whole band most obediently continued wukkin up, jumpin and gettin on baddd! The route ended near a beach and that was all i needed, took a nice lil dip in d salt after breakfast then it was straight to Wadadah Mornin Brek Out.

Overall J'Ouvert experience on a scale of "(1)never ever doing dat again!" to "(10)sell afff i eeen that nxt yr!" did you even have to guess? 10 of course!

Below: One of my (and everybody else in Bdos) fave tunes for CropOver, Lil Rick's Go Down. This song took him to the second spot in the Road March competition which was no surprise as crowd reaction to it is ridic! Congrats sir!!



Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Recovery Mode

Am 100% bun out! Kadooment day was great, recaps coming sooon! Just taking this minute out to some free advertising for my band of choice for Miami Carnival, One Island Body Paint Band. My experience with them was tres magnifique last year, excellent customer service and bess vibes to boot so they will definitely see me for this year's Miami Carnival!

This year they are presenting AVATAR so check them out here! Personal favorite would be the male paint costume that looks as if its straight out of the movie!