Trinidad Carnival 2012 Survivor



Trinidad carnival 2012 was like nothing I have ever experienced in my life.  I really find it hard to put into words what an amazing trip this was.  Although I was in Trinidad for carnival last year & it was awesome, this year was off the frekkin richter scale.   It was non-stop fun, fun, fun. Even when I was just chillaxin, I was having outta this world FUN!!!  Trinidad is not for the weary, everyone always says that they are going, but I really suggest doing some smaller carnivals first. 

So here is my recap: Depart Atlanta Wed at 9am EST, layover in Miami where we hit it up the bar & get the party started at noon. Land in Trinidad 7pm GMT, go home & change & are at the S.O.S. fete by 9pm & party the nite away. 

Getting it in at the S.O.S. Fete only a couple hours after landing in Trinidad

Wake up the next morning & make our way to downtown Port of Spain to get our carnival costumes,  haul a$$ back home to get changed & get to the Hyatt for our Maxi (shuttle) to the C’est La Vie fete.  Had drinks at the Hyatt & then took a lil nappy nap on the long maxi ride to the fete.  The party went from the afternoon to the evening, I put in a fulls days work on the dance floor and at the bar.  I was exhausted at the end of that fete.  

C’est La Vie best fete location ever

She throw wine on me so I throw wine on she!!!

Then on the way home we were all nice & tipsy & had a fete in the maxi during the hour ride home.  We all look rough as sh*t so you KNOW we had a dayym good time.  

The next day we had some Carib's (Trini beer) with the neighbors across the street while they worked on their sound system then it was off to the Frenzy Boat Ride in the afternoon.  We did this boat ride last year & I loved it, then again I just love boat rides lolol 

After the boat ride it was a quick change of clothes then a fete called House Party which was like a big a$$ block party in the nite. Afterwards we made our way over to Girl Power, but sadly it ended early b4 Machel could even perform .  :-( Machel arrived there after winning Soca Monarch and it was all cheers from the crowd.  Everyone hung out & chatted till sunrise.  

House Party

Girl Power



Machel arriving after winning Soca Monarch

Got home round 7am, took a nap & headed to the Eclipze fete in the afternoon. Eclipze  was along the water at Pier 1 and the backdrop was amazing.  After that it was straight to the Ultimate fete till late evening.  Went home & slept for about 3 hours then it was off to the Shades breakfast fete till noonish.  Don’t ask me what day it is cause by now I am deep in the matrix.  My body is awake (thanks 5 hour energy), but my brain is FRIED!!! 

Eclipze

                                                   Eclipze & The Ultimate Fete 



Shades breakfast fete

This is where I threw up the white flag, I was supposed to go to a fete that nite with Rocky, but instead I just had drinks on the beautiful patio of the Hilton with my other homie.  I tried to catch up on sleep but we were right next to the Savannah and that wasn’t happening with the loud a$$ festivities going on during the day, the cool yet really long fireworks show that nite, then the Jouvert trucks driving past starting at 2am.   I couldn't do jouvert because I had to make my way to Rocky'z place to get my costume *frown face*

Brain dead zombie

Ok so by now it’s time for Monday mas, I was dead mid-day. Lack of sleep, the BLAZIN sun, partyn non-stop for 5 days… I abandoned the band & mid day & went to take a nap.  Sorry Rocky *BIG HUG* I spent almost none of Sunday or Monday with her, but I’m sure she forgives me & won’t put me on the carnival loser list.  Woke up round 5pm and my other homie & I hit The Avenue. It took us like an hour to find it, but then again we did stop to eat, drink Puncheon & dance with random trucks that were still going strong.  When we did find the Avenue, I was in heaven.  It was all the fun of playin mas during the day minus the BLAZIN SUN!!!  When I hear Machel Montano ~ The Avenue now all I can do it smile & daydream!!    


Monday Mas

I got a late start carnival Tuesday, Rocky was on the road by 7:30am, but I am SO not a morning person and I didn’t make it down there till 9am ish.  By 1pm I was sittin on a bench looking like a homeless Indian, debating whether I needed an ambulance or not.  It took me about 1 ½ hrs to get my life together, but eventually I did & got back on de road w/ the band & went we went strong till carnival was over.   I’m officially a carnival survivor.  As I walked back to the hotel I stopped at Queen’s Park to see the bands still crossing the stage, but I fell asleep leaning on the fence.  Made it to the hotel restaurant & ordered some chicken wings & proceeded to fall asleep on the couch while waiting for my food.  I got to the room and crashed on the entryway floor and fell asleep with a half-eaten chicken wing in my hand.  I woke up a lil later, ate a couple wings & got in the shower.  I fell asleep on the floor of the shower for who knows how long, the water started getting cold & woke me up.  After that I ate like 1 more wing and it was a wrap, I was GONE!!! 

Rocky Red Bird & Soundwave Wind Song

I’m dead tired, but you see I'm still drinking



Rocky & Charles

Charles actually got me to do the 6:30.  I was having so much fun I didnt care about being Wotless

Wednesday was a peaceful day of eatting real food again, hanging out in airports, sleeping on planes & recap’n on the awesomeness that is Carnival!!!  I went straight back to work Thursday and that was pretty pointless cause I was a mindless zombie craving more soca!!!  In 2011 a few of us said, “Ok we are gonna go this year & THIS IS IT… NO MORE.”  We said the same thing in 2012, but as soon as we got back we were all singing “I Coming Again.”  I promise 2013 is my last year!!!

In 2013 I def must do Jouvert again, especially since I wasn't on the road much Monday anyway.  I luv luv luv Jouvert!  

When you see the flags on the nails, u know its Ca'nival Time!

Here is the insane "carnival virgin" story of Trinidad carnival 2011 if your bored & want more!!!

 

On the road again

Great idea, Ima put white socks on my windshield wipers too!!!

I have alot of fun on the road by myself, there are some very entertaining things & people out there.  Like when I pass those people holding a "We Buy Gold" sign and they are dancing tryin to get your attention.  I just think to myself, "They have the best job ever, I wish I could dance with the "We Buy Gold" sign all day long.


Other times I get really angry on the road, for instance. I HATE TRAFFIC it upsets me.  I live 4 miles from my job (3 1/2 songs transit time), but sometimes it takes me like 30 minutes to get home.  One of the reasons is that my route is a busy 4 lane road with no turning lanes.  When someone needs to make a left they hold up traffic forever!!!  Why cant they just make a bunch of rights until they are in the direction that they need to be going???  *uuggghh*

Anywho, I was at the gas station last nite & this is what the person b4 me paid for gas. I really wanted to take a peak at the surveillance camera to see WTF they were driving?  I hope its worth it. I miss those days were you could pay for gas AFTER you finished pumping.  I would surely fill'er up & haul a$$  

Something that I REALLY enjoy when on the road is how my navigation f*cks up all the street names when giving me directions. Each time I’m compelled to reply, “That’s not how you say that dummy!”  Maybe that’s why she f*cks with me and sends me on stupid routes to nowhere sometimes.  I bet one of these days she is gonna reply with "F*CK YOU!"

I love love love when I’m behind a ramp truck on the highway, it makes me wanna pull a Dukes of Hazard / Nightrider move and fly over the truck into the back of an eighteen wheeler and escape the fuzz.   It takes me back to the days of spending countless hours building & running tracks on Nintendo Excitebike!!!

Lastly, one of the things I really hate on the road is these trucks that have pipes & ish stick'n out of them.  Im always scared they are gonna pull a Final Destination move & fly out & stab me in the neck.  Or those 18 wheelers that have a bunch of cars on them.  I know the cars are gonna start falling off & attack me... maybe I'm just paranoid!!! 

I have so many more awesome adventures on the road, but I think I shall stop right hurrrr!!

Very brief rant

Ima start off by saying, I don’t feel like conversing, I wanna conversate.   I find it humorous how often people complain about other people using the word conversate, BUT they don’t care about every other “non standard English” word that even they use themselves.   Do you feel smarter than a 5^th grader now? (Side Note: I heard someone tell someone else, "Conversate ain't even a word!"  and in my mind I'm thinking, "Sooooo does this sentence equal a double negative or summin?")

 *Whew* now that I got that off my chest, lets chat…

I brought my lunch today and I was ready to eat it as soon as I got to work. This is why I don’t bring my lunch, I shoulda just went home for lunch instead.  Cause if I eat it in the morning,  I'll be hungry  from 1pm-5pm.  But the most irritating part of this scenario is how I had to bring it.  I have a million tupperware containers and no lids. WTF happen to all the lids?  Are they hiding out with all my missing socks???  FYI, if I ever come to ur crib and you are one of those people that make everyone take off their shoes, I might just leave cause there is a 50/50 chance that I have on mismatch socks!!!  Sometimes I do it on purpose… sometimes I do it by necessity! 

I’ve got grey hairs all over my head… I’m not really vexed out that.  What I am vexed about is this ONE grey in the front that no matter how I comb, brush, twist, part, etc my hair he ALWAYS just does his own dayyym thing.   I’m always so tempted to pluck him out, but they (the infamous they) say that when you pull a grey hair out, 15 grow in its place in retaliation.  So I decided to name him Chuck & embrace him!

Summin summin in a bucket… f*ck it!!!