I'm back from an EPIC week in Trinidad. If you've never been, you should go. Add it to your bucket list. Just be sure to go with good friends to make the good even better.
Chandy Lewis of Solid Mas Troupe made me my very first wire bra... and I was nervous as hell to wear it on Carnival Tuesday- but it turned out great. Loved it and can't say thank you enough to him. I think it's gonna be Solid for Carnival 2012 in Antigua. You can see the wire bra in the pic above.
Having said that, I was a bad blogger who took absolutely no pictures, but, I've managed to score a good hook-up for those of you who want to see what it was like. The blogger Steven Lofters, runs the site www.lehwego.posterous.com and was one of our mottley crew this past week. He is posting reviews on fetes, mas, hot girls, etc. So click on the link and check his site out.
... is to jump in this section for TRIBE in Trinidad carnival next year. I was in love with my costume from YUMA.... but now I want to play in this design- done by Anya Ayoung Chee... ah cyar tek it. SIGH
In the summer of 2001 I decided to ride on a bus in Jamaica.
I didn't need to- but I wanted to experience everything while I was there that month, and I'm usually such a princess and I had heard stories about how awful it was - so naturally I figured I had to experience it first hand.
Dizz parked his car in a plaza parking lot, and we walked across the street to the Halfway Tree bus terminal. In this re-enactment, I have lovingly referred to myself as "Lunatic".
Dizz:" Babylove. Yuh not gon like riding pon no bus. You sure bout dis?"
Lunatic:" yes, I'm sure. I don't see what the big deal is. I ride buses in Antigua all the time, we can catch this bus, go up the road a bit and then stop it and get off
Dizz: "okay!"
Lunatic: " it's gonna be alright man"
So we get to the terminal and the buses are huge (think the size of the local Party Bus in Antigua). People are packed into them like sardines, and there is no room- seated or standing- or hanging off the entrance rail.... no where!!!
I look up at the bus in front of me, and try to peek around the people queueing up to get inside. It seems like an impossible task- nobody else can fit- "the bus canna cross it!"
Lunatic: " This bus is packed, we have to go on the next one"
Dizz: " oh yeah?" . He looks amused, and I am not sure why.
Just then the conductor (I assume) yells at me
"daughta, yuh comin pon de bus? we soon move arf. Halffff-wayyyy tree!!!!!"
Lunatic: "is there room?"
Conductor: "yeah sis... just small up yuhself." He turns to yell inside the bus "small up yuhself man... we can tek een more still". Then he motions for me to go in.... there is NO ROOM... if I get into the bus, I may as well get a test for an STD. I would be thatclose to everyone!
I look at the bus- the sardines- the conductor- Dizz.
The conductor looks pissed... he's yelling "halfway tree! HALF WAY TREE!" to other approaching passengers who, unbelievably, are still getting into the sardine tin.
I found myself backing away, ashamed to admit I was wrong.
Lunatic: " Dizz,... you know ..... I don't think I'm dressed for this. This dress is silk! It would.. um.. wrinkle badly in such close quarters. Maybe tomorrow." I couldn't even meet his gaze.
He laughed at me for the rest of the day.
*shame*
This is dedicated to anyone who travels on public transportation! Just try small up yourself.
*wink*
xx
"b-sharingasmile"
(Video by the Trini comedian Myron Bruce- get familiar!)
I have some uber-talented friends, and so I have decided to start roping them into my "writer's block" on Island Style. This is the first post from my friend Jeremy. His rants/ observations always make me laugh. Stay tuned for more of these.
Once again, another trini has done us proud- the list is getting really long. Special shoutout to Therma Williams as well, the first trini to represent the country at a World Championship in gymnatics. We have real talent here, but we know that. From athletics, fashion, literature, theatre art etc. we have and abundance of locals who have excelled on the World stage, and credited T&T for doing so.
So why do we find ourselves here? With a crime rate out of control, a SoE that makes no logical sense to the average trinidadian, and a political system as broken as the transport system? How is it that people like Anya and Therma can excel RIGHT here, in the midst of all this chaos?
I think it starts with overcoming one of our other national traits- our ability to mamaguy. Trinis will watch you in your face and tell you you are great, but harbour ill will for you once you turn the corner (sometimes before). How do you know is mamaguy? At the first sign of trouble, those same folks who bore you on their shoulders are stepping over you when you fail.
Anya knows a lot about that. After being celebtated on the World stage at a beauty pagent, her name was dragged through the mud, mainly by trinis- when her 'performance' hit the net. What did Anya do? I'll tell you what she could have done. She could have moved to New York, since whe was born there and has dual citizenship. She could have said 'to hell was wit Trinidad' and go and pose for Playboy and make plenty money, since Amerians love that kind of scandal. She could even have done what Lawnce Fishburne's daughter did, and become a pornstar.
As you all know I have been shamelessly promoting Anya as my fave to win it all on Season 9.
Despite a major falter last week- which made me sweat bullets, our girl Anya made it to Fashion Week (which I already knew, since all top 6 show their collection).
Vote for Anya for fan favourite. Today is the last day... "win or lose, we are fighters"
For those of you who missed it, here is a video montage of all the best moments from Top Model on Wednesday, courtesy NYMAG.
Models falling never gets old.... and it was kinda good to see them making an attempt to put a new spin on the same old formula.
Oh, and Andre Leon Talley from Vogue magazine... has any of those girls made it into Vogue, besides Tocarra?.... is as wise and witty... and bitchy as I had hoped ^_^
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