Fetes

:: TnT CARNIVAL 2007 FETES :: Shorlisted

Thurs 8th
TRIBE - possibility I arrive in Trini that night. I did same last year and went so no reason not to do it again. Travelling with family in tow could be tiring though
But I might make the effort cause I ain't see anything that catch my eye that weekend.


Wednesday February 14th, 2007
* Bacchanal Wednesday - Chaguaramas **** more likely

Thursday February 15th, 2007
* Machel in Concert - Under The Trees, Hotel Normandie
* TRIBE Carnival Thursday - Queen's Park Oval **** very likely

Friday February 16th, 2007
* Blue Range Cooler Fete - Diego Martin
* IslandPeople Girl Power - POS *****I want this one

Sunday Feb 18th
*Diamond Vale breakfast party -hmmnnn
OR
Sunny side up All inc – Petit Valley
Sunnyside up looks very promsing. But as a vale girl should I go Vale. My mom's house is close to Sunnyside though and I'll be staying there.

Where's those emails...

Friend from work and I are emailing this evening while I've been doing various things on internet. All to do with Carnival. Mostly I was checking out fetes. Anyway here are some of his emails

Email 1
Huw: yeah i do have broadband geek. i remember your magizine from last year, im still not ova that. lol u sound just like a gangster when u say that!

Email 2
Huw: yeah i only looked at the trinidad stuff. well i guess that lot had been drinking loads? yeah u showed me a picture of ur costume, still quite revealing..

(me- this is in relation to that site Saucy was warning us about yesterday.. say no more
)

Email 3
Huw- wat so u have to dress up as a group? men 2??

(me - I just showed him which costume I liked originally i.e Fancy Indian which had a guy in the photo. he didn't know men played too)

Email 4
Huw - when u say play in a band? do u mean instruments? sounds complicated i thought it was just a massive party!

(LOL I can't help but laugh my attempt to explain it only confused him more)

Email 5
Huw - man ur dressing u kid up 2? just destroy any photos before his friends see...!

(me- I showed him Rosalind Gabriel site & Spoilt Rotten to try and see if he could pick up)

Tribe updates updated

Bliss - apparently this year is going to have a winter theme, so that should be quite a spectacle if they pull it off right which I'm sure they will. That is for those of you who are still bothered about going.

Have you stopped to ask yourself why Machel not at Bliss? Maybe something to do with the price he wanted to charge? hmmmn

Anyway replacing 'too big for his boots' will be a whole host of other stars at the event this weekend Bunji, Crazy, Destra etc..

Smenita

I was just reading Woman Magazine in the Trinidad Express online. Rita Jones is only 23 years old! WOW!
I really took to her last year and i loved her performance at Insomnia. That's another good exercise song. I ran to that song plently over summer. Carnival Feeling was one of those songs that capture the on de road spirit.

" Feel the vibes feel the energy, watch the power take over me, and the people dey in a frenzy dey gone mad...Do you get this feeling?"

Yes I get the damn feeling shucks!


Anyhow I like her song with Bunji - Hardcore lovin

and Bunji& Fay-Ann song awwwww a bit cheesy but awwww.

Zan & Patrice have a song together again and its not bad.

I'm doing my homework but its time for bed now.

Browsing Triniscene take 2

OK somebody really needs to advertise the fact that just because it looking a little longer than usual doesn't make it a dress. It still supposed to be a top. Some people rocking it, and the others well made me write this post.

And on the other hand. The colour red is really working. It looks great with just about everything and gives it that extra glam. If you think you were being too cor-ordinated wear something red. I can't say that I've seen it look bad once. Not just on triniscene, but its the going thing here too for a little while.
Just yesterday on my swimming run I saw another mum in a cream cardy, blue slimfit kickflares and some high heeled red pointy boots. It came together nicely. Not something I'd wear to take what was her 3 children in tow for swimming lessons however she looked good.

Personally I don't own anything red. That may change but it may be a very bold if I do.

Back to work

Had to happen sometime.

87 emails later it wasn't even 10am yet steupse anyway. Like I said to everyone, I'm only killing time before I'm off again in less than 1 mth now (yipee).

After ommenting on Saucy's post last night, it makes me feel to post some of my own comments here.
Its just that the price of taking part in Carnival is really adding up. I'm not even there yet but I know I will feel it a bit, and still not sure how I really going about things as I've just come back from a holiday anyway. Its only going to be 2 weeks and I imagine that I'd want to party Fri, Sat, Wed, thurs, fri, sat. Now if I was still living in Trini I think it'd be a bit easier to pace myself and you'd really break the bank if you wanted to party round the clock, which I think that most people do. If you think about it the parties is start from band launchings go right up.
But for me this year is about catching up (something I've said before) After all them years of missing it, I have to go full swing this rounds to 'get it out my system'. I feel a bit controversial saying the latter but for me that's how its going to go. I don't have any forseeable PLANS to do it again in 08. So no matter how it happens I'm going to do all I feel I need to do to enjoy myself and make sure I ain't feel like I missing nothing.. I'm not going to make myself skint doing it, it'd be tight but I'd manage because it WORTH IT.
It'll be a special time as its my son's 1st, and the last time my husband was out there at carnival was when we first got together. He doesn't really care which fetes we go to, he'll have a good time at any soca party (he not keen on the machel though). He doesn't even have an idea as to how many fetes we going to hit and I really should let him in on it at some point too. But he doesn't like to hear me drone on about planning stuff.

Anywho, I can just imagine that there are people in Trini right now been paying to going to all these parties and will continue to do so till Ash Wed, liking theyself and I just don't know how its possible. Good for them. Normal people who aren't rich, how they doing it? My situation is I have the avg job, and my husband has a prof career -so where I can't afford he fills in ( and I feel guilty sometimes when those moments arrive however it DEPENDS). How many thousands you need to do everything you want to do in the Carnival season dread? That is like saving from the time carnival done till next carnival.

Which brings me to why I don't think I'll be doing it again in 2008. Where my son is old enough now we'd like to think that a couple of holidays abroad a year is reasonable to us. With those places generally being new to us. Now that we're all going for carnival this year its kinda off the 'to do list' unless my son really begs me to go again next year. I don't mind going off on my own if i'm desperate like I was last year. But I also have to APPLY to take him out of school and they're only allowed to have 10days off for the entire school year, the principal has to agree it. Carnival is always going to be during the school term. Then the other thing is that Carnival is a more costly vacation than it is to go elsewhere. I'd rather us all exp Trinidad at a time when we all haven't been. My husband is yet to exp a trini Christmas ( my family really want him to come for that), or it'd be nice to go out one year for my birthday which is July/Aug time. Maybe we can catch some good concerts and stuff. I hope you'll can understand. I don't want to just end up going once a year for one thing, because its not enough time to do all the other stuff I enjoy when I'm home. 95% of my friends do not like carnival and tend not to get involved. The weekends will be filled with kiddies carnival competitions, nights with fetting, and soon enough it will be the ever glorious Carnival Mon & Tues and then it'd be all over. Too soon.
Trinidad in 2008 is unlikely not written off, but unlikely.

I was also wondering what the carnival bloggers will blog about when the carnival done?

Finally done WDW pics

I've sorted our holiday pics for you guys to see. I've put them in my photo album here .

My son is in alot of those pics, he's repping the family.

I've done each park in a seperate folder so its easy to see where we were at the time. There are 6 folders in all enjoy.

Click here to see folders.

Red Ants J'ouvert

The theme of the j'ouvert band is supposed to be West Indian (something to do with World cup apparently???) and the cost is $300 as you'd probably already know inclusive of breakfast, drinks, 'cotume'. The only thing I wanted to find out is if they had secure parking anywhere that would be included. I'll put that up when I get the ans.

Prob will end up playing with them but still waiting to see what silver mudders offering

Lasik Wavefront

Oh gosh well the worse is done and over with. Where to start?

You HAVE to take someone along with you to the surgery (can't drive, and you could barely open your eyes after its done as your eyelids feel really heavy). Husband came along with me. They did 3 scans first of all, which were the same ones done when they checked my suitability for the op last month. That was all fine and then I had to wait to speak to the surgeon before the procedure as he has the last say to go ahead or not. In the meantime hubby went shopping.

I was in the waiting room for quite a while and hadn't seen the surgeon yet, when this woman who just had hers done came out. I couldn't even look at her, I just started to feel nervous one time. There were a few other people waiting to have the surgery done as well, and 'new eyes' lady was saying to us that it was fine, not to worry etc etc. I got on the phone and demanded to my husband that he come back and wait with me instantly. Couldn't take the anticipation and this woman there with her red stingy eyes. I was shaking inside from the time it started anyway, that kind of nervous inner buzz. And I think that everyone would feel some form of anxiety. One of the women waiting for her surgery said she'd been going to the toilet for 2 days she was that nervous.


Saw the surgeon who looked at my eyes breifly once more and said everything was ok to go ahead. The op takes about 20mins for both eyes if that. The anesthetic is local (drops put on your eyes) and you're wide awake for everything.


It was time and they put me in a chair and put it right down so that I'm lying flat. Started with my right eye first, they put tape on my eyelashes - fine. Put a patch over the left eye - fine. Time for the clamps, well Lord help me! They do advise you that you will feel some 'pressure'. The first metally clamps were bearable- fine. I felt PRESSUH for real when they put the clear plastic looking one over the eye area, then the suction began and so did my flinching. I'm a big baby so I'm sure it was easier for others. But its really those first bits BEFORE they actually start the laser procedure that was the hardest to deal with. It was uncomfortable which they tell you and they do apply the clamps to your eyes slowly. But I personally did not take to them well. And when they started on the left eye it was worse. I was panicky and I wasn't sure if I could see it through. Even though I grabbed on to my stomach as hard as I could and tried to resist when i felt my body wanting to flinch I couldn't stop myself. The surgeon stopped and asked me what was wrong, he kept repeating my name and said he couldn't do it if i It was all VERY embarrassing. I took longer than 20mins needless to say but got there in the end. I thought the surgeon woulda give me 2 cuff and shout at me to stay still lol.

Again to be clear ONLY the clamps gave me 'issues'. The actual procedure and rest of the surgery where they use the lasers and other tools on your eyeballs you CANNOT FEEL A THING! You're just looking up at the red light in the machine. There is a patch over the eye that they're not doing (which your supposed to keep that eye open as well) and its all over pretty quickly once they get started.

AFTER: Had to get my aftercare pack. Which includes 3 lots of drops to be applied 4 times a day; antibiotics, anti-inflammatory & lubrication drops. They also give you these goggles to sleep in, so you don't end up touching/rubbing your eyes while you're asleep. After having my what not to do talk, the surgeon had to give the flap they made a once over to make sure it was ok, then I went home. Had to have sunglasses for brightlight. I couldn't see for shit because my eyes were watering so much and your lids are heavy and naturally feel to close anyway - they advise you sleep for a bit which I did.
By late afternoon I could open my eyes but the vision is blurry a little bit. Today my eyes feel fine, no grittiness - felt a little yesterday. Haven't had any pains at all.
Been to check them up this morning and the optician said that everything is ok and as normal. My vision is more than 20/20 right now but still blurry a bit and will clear up in the coming days. The eyes can heal at different rates just so you know. I can drive once I feel comfortable to do so, and everything as normal except:-

No rubbing/touching eyes for a month.
No swimming, saunas, sunbeds, steamrooms for a month
No contact sports
No getting water in my eyes.
No pressure on upper eye lids
sleep with goggles for a week
Wear sunglasses outdoors/in brightlight
No eye make up for a week
Avoid smoky/dusty places for a week

2007 What lies ahead

Another flight out of this cold weather I could tell you that. Its still not too bad though but I can tell there was Gale force winds out there a second ago. To be completely honest out of our 10dys in Florida there were only 2 really nice days. The others were mild i.e a little bit cold or raining cats & dogs. Nothing holds me down though we braved every day that came.

Moving swiftly along. Eye surgery in the morning AH! I'm glad I've had the distraction of the holiday so I won't be backing out of it. 9.30am fingers crossed all goes well. Will report on the results when I get back.

Less than a month till I fly out for carnival now whoop whoop! I've been whooping out loud every chance I get since the last few days. I wonder where I picked that up from. Need to catch up on the tunes. Getting tickets for fetes early o'clock. J'ouvert is the next big decision carnival wise.

DisneyWorld

Hello all and Happy New Year to you. Its good to be blogging again, I've been reading all the regulars before I started here. When we were leaving my husband asked me if I could stay away from the internet for so long lol well I did. I should be making up for my messed up night of travelling I'm catching up with everything instead. Husband & son asleep long time now.

WaltDisney was indescribable. We arrived in our hotel late Christmas Eve night so there was only time to sleep.

Christmas Day - we got up early had our breakfast then headed out to Magic Kingdom for the day. Man that was something. It was busy, it rained and rained but the ponchos let us prevail. And then Wishes (fireworks) to finish off the evening, what more could you ask for.

The following days were spent at the other Disney parks Epcot, Animal Kingdom, MGM studios & Typhoon Lagoon back and forth. They were all as exceptional and as special as the next. Maybe with the exception of Typhoon Lagoon - the water park. Blizzard Beach was closed.
Basically we stayed just on WDW. I did manage to get a day & 1/2 of shopping outside on my own, was disappointed I did get all the things I wanted or expected to get. Did manage to catch a Victoria Secret & Old Navy sale though :-)

Highlights -
having bacon EVERYDAY!
All the firework shows. your pores could stay raised for the entire time. Magic Kingdom by far has the best display. MGM's Fantasmic was pretty spectacular (don't sit at the front!) But Epcot's Illuminations was special for me, as the new year was near, at the end of the display they played Let there be Peace on Earth. I haven't heard that since school and it was just breathtaking.
Hollywood & vine diner in MGM Studios- OMG the food was D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S and it was a buffet as well which included desserts. So you done know what went on there.

I remember some things from when I went to Disney as a child, but we didn't go to all the parks. So it was nice to do these things with my husband & son as they've never been to America before.
I beeped going through security at Orlando International on my way back. So ontop of all the fingerprinting and arbitory security measures I got frisked down good and proper and seperated from my family as I have a different passport to them anyhow. I didn't let it get me down I actually thought the whole thing quite funny and was laughing as such I couldn't help myself.

There will be LOTS of pics to follow I can assure you.

To all a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

As I listen to Mariah Carey sing O Holy Night its time to bid farewell.

Have a very Merry Christmas, have fun and a restful day (after all the cooking done). Eat a pastelle, ham & some stuffing for me.
Ring in the New Year in style and don't make any resolutions you can't stick to. Have a good time with family & friends and enjoy the season. We all know what comes next...

I'm off to Disney World Caribbean beach Resort for Christmas & New Year and will be back on the 3rd Jan. I suspect I'll have alot of catching up to do when I return.

from me to you Good Night!

Silver Mudders

Anyone played with them in recent years? I wanted to find out what their route is mainly. I have emailed them today, I'll see how fast I get a reply.

Browsing Triniscene

Babysitting = more time for computing. One child entertains the other.

Anyway back to the topic. I was initially searching for other j'ouvert stuff and I started browsing some of the galleries. First off, big up to the Trini girls most of which are rocking some real hot clothes(reminding me just how much I need to update my wardrobe before I start hitting fete in Feb). But I ain't understanding the men choices. Cause some women that looking real pretty have a real ugly man that hanging on to them. But who is me. Let me shut up with that before I get boff.

Once I started I had to trawl through some of the other galleries.Its me being fas from all the way over here seeing what old faces are up to.
Zan head big dread, cause I know he have two matchstick legs under them big jeans so his head to me looking real big I keep laughing anytime I see him. Like the ras though. Machel have some nice zip ups I'll give him that I wanna know where he shopping. Browsing the triniscene galleries is also a good means of checking out the local ahm *cough* *cough* 'talent' lol but that is few and far between. Hard pickings boy.
Moving along the dancers in Zen have skills, hot clothes and nice boots too. Well at least 2 of them, the other one need feeding though somebody help her.

ok so note to self: new tops, new shoes & pointy ankle boots, crop pants.

now I have to do another post about what I originally wanted to do

Holiday!!!

I'm on holiday officially. School is still on here till Tuesday. the diet went out the window considerably. But I don't really care right now. I'll fret when I get back in January.

Next Sunday we'll be off to airport early o'clock. We're flying through Detroit on Northwestern?? Never heard of this airline. wasn't expensive though. Detroit might be really cold, possibly snow I'm not sure. Would be fun if it did snow properly.
Looking foward to vacation now.

and Caisoqueens blog made me miss Trini boy. It was a real sweet blog. I think it captured the soul of any Trini abroad.

My hair is cut short now as of yesterday. It just falls under my ears I love it. Last night was a good night out. Chinese xmas meal. was 5 degrees though. ARRGGHH! we were in the restaurant from 8 till midnightish. Really lovely food.
Today's Chinese was good as well. Its hard eating the same kinda food 2 days in a row. Did my wifey bit for the day. Got rid of the boys and I'm home alone now - RESULT! I'm really really sleepy. I'm talking to my friend & mom on msn at same time.
ITs coming up on 5 o'clock and pitch black outside humph.

I still love Destra, any fete she at, I'll try and be there yes. she have me hooked!

Tribe's latest email

I'm sure everbody had a good read. Its good that foreigners could pay towards their costume instead of having to to pay the bulk at collection. Very important I will be looking into the system they're using. I don't have the name in mind now will correct when I get home. I figure its prob similar to paypal I just want to be sure there'll be no charges for doing the transactions on my bank account first (highly doubt anyway)


Tribe not Red Ants holding the Christmas party 22nd Dec as we've all read. Nice lil christmas get together for the masqueraders. Theyre are more or less one in the same running in the same camp but I got the idea it was going to be under the Red ants more than Tribe.

No word on venue for Bliss.

Nice of them to keep intouch awww

2 weeks

2 weeks till Florida, 2 weeks till xmas.

I real sleepy maybe I'll catch some z's in a minute. My mother in law is here and i'm just kinda hiding out upstairs biding time lol. Made some lovely tortilla wraps when I came back from church this morning. Been a really good day so far. My son was in a Nativity play at his sunday club. Came home put on the christmas music while making lunch. I now is just time for some sleep dread.

Finishing work this Fri and I will go back on Jan 9th. getting my nails did on thurs for Sat night. Sat cutting hair and ting ting HAH! Need a nice top though.

Blizzard beach looks to be closed for the period I'll be in Disney :-( But on the upside the malls should be open till late. one less park to see, more time I could go shopping.

Have a good weekend. Enjoy the sunshine & warmth for those who are getting it.

Carnival Gossip

Now these are just lil bits I picked up while I touched base with Trini this morning. How much of it will come to pass i ain't know, I just sharing anyway.

1. Bliss for 2007 may be in Moka - uncofirmed. they've checked out the area but not sure if they want to use it.

2. Red Ants should be doing a party for Christmas - (if on the day itself or just around Christmas I prob should have gotten more details on )


3. Route - bands should be using the same routes throught town etc, but instead of going to QPs as we know, it might be a matter of going round the QPS, which I have to say doesn't sound like a bad idea. Where they leave off from there is another issue. Ideas being thrown around still, band leaders are still undecided. - Cipriani boulevard, St Clair ave to end up by Roxy, Maraval Road - all which lead off from savannah way. So they should just be having judging points on the road, like how they do on Ariapta ave, downtown etc by the sounds of things.

4. The idea of having make up people on Mon & tues was brought up but is prob not very feasable considering the amount of time and amt of people as well. So highly unlikely. Although my fingers are still crossed for it. :-(

And in general converse the idea of planning & organisation was brought up. In respect to all the up and coming carnival bands (yuh know everybody bringing out a band these days - the more the merrier BUT...)

Carnival Mon & Tues on de road:
Where Tribe tend to be customer focused and listen to the opinions of the masqueraders and learn from past mistakes on how to improve on things. Other bands esp newbies may not realise the amt of preparation it really takes for them to get to that level. New bands want to follow fashion and be 'it' but not really taking into consideration what it takes to get there. When carnival come round they not up o scratch & shit hit the fan. Now I'm not saying that its all bad, I'm sure its good for most of the masqueraders. But good, is not good enough and good in comparison to the likes of Tribe may mean mediocre. This is the consensus from Carnival insider not mine, but I can agree.

Giving people the experience you advertise is hard work and they have to be putting it all in from now. When is Feb? I know that Dream team sticking on certain things, so if they want to really establish themselves and succeed on de road - heads up, eyes open.
I wish ALL the bands the best of course. Carnival is the Greatest Show on Earth not so? Emphasis on Show. The idea is to have alot of bands on the road showcasing their theme, as many as possible to make it interesting. And when new bands do it well,it establishes them for years to come and hence more choice for us the players brought foward.
I just want to make it clear that I am not some pro Tribe fanatic ranting away lambasting other bands (which I haven't). I'm just saying that its Feb soon, we already have the 'pleasure' of the no stage/route drama. Incase of any hiccups with the latter, the bands should make a real effort to come good so that things go as smoothly as possible Mon & tues as they should do anyway. Make it count!

Asses in gear starting blocks please!

Pink@BIC pics

Pink pics have finally been put up. I have some wicked video streams as well, but no on the website unfortunately.

Check out the pics, she was amazing! click link below


http://picasaweb.google.com/jknine3/PinkBIC

Its the most wonderful time of the year

Ding dong ding dong. Its Dec Hurrah!

I'm loving the season but definately need to me out more to be able to sing while I shop. Wish they had a nice christmasy template I could use.
I love all the old hyms you'd hear in church for christmas. I'd get goosebumps and get all soppy. Band Aid do they know its Christmas could make me cry anyday. How i miss carol service.
I'm going to be watching my son in his school Christmas play tomorrow night should be quite good.


Updates:

Bought my second round of Dove intensive I think its recently started to work.

Going out for meal tonight with kickboxing crew, 10 of us. Someone's offered to pick me up for a change so I don't have to drive either. You know when you always getting laboured with pickups and drop offs. I have to say it is a priority to know that people get home safely when its late at night or if its too cold out to be waiting on taxis or buses.

Went to a Virgin V party this Sat gone. They have some lovely jewellry but very price for just cotume stuff really. I'm not very good with make up and buying it. I do't do the war paint often, mostly when I'm going out and not every time either. That's still the part of me that needs to learn how to be a grown up lady.

The construction of the conservatory has FINALLY flipping started. Whoopee ding! Hopefully it'll be finished in a couple of weeks.

Next Sat & Sun I have 2 meals to go to both at chinese restaurants. I ain't know how the belly go deal with that one.


Seasons greetings to all