Archive for the ‘Carnival’ Category
Friday, February 8th, 2008 |
Watching the Dimanche Gras calypso competition cemented something I realized last year: I still have no idea what judges are looking for. Every year I look at the competition and try to pick the winner and every year I’m left scratching my head at the results. I know it’s more than just lyrics. Melody and presentation are important, but the lyrics are the meat of the calypso. Let me give you my reaction to the performances beginning in last place.
15th Sekon Alves - When We Meet - Sekon’s song was about the way we as Trinbagonians speak about each other when we are among people of our own race.
I think this particularly resonated with me because it touched on a subject I had spoken on just after the November 5th elections, which was they way people in T&T act among people of their own race. I gave the example of what my aunt had said to me and how I had felt about it. Apparently many of you had similar experiences so maybe the song hit a chord with you too. Part of his lyrics went:
“Cuz the way you talk about me when I’m not around,
Could lift this country up or bring it right down.”
Honestly, at the beginning of the song I thought it was going to be yet another corny “Ganges meets the Nile” type song (particularly because he said “Ganges meets the Nile”), but it turned out to be much more than that and attacked the subject of race relations from a new angle. For a first appearance, I actually liked this song which is why I was incredibly disappointed with his last place finish. Obviously someone needs to come out last, but it shouldn’t have been Sekon.
14th Francine - The Irony -Goodness gracious, what a dull song and the thing just seemed to drag on forever. The premise is that she’s looking for a man to play iron for her band. So she puts an ad in the paper saying “Iron Wanted. She then uses the calypso to say what kind of iron she was looking for, nothing too long or too short. Said she: “Doh wah no dead iron in meh band”.
Obviously double entrende was at work (I know, like the word iron has never been used in that way before). What a yawnfest. She was accompanied on stage by a group of men playing their irons none of whom unfortunately hit her over the head with it…or me for that matter.
12th (tie) Crazy - A Positive Message - Let me start of by saying that 10 years from now nobody’s going to say, “Remember 10 years ago when Crazy sang ‘A Positive Message?’”. I’m pretty certain that this is going to be one of those songs that history forgets. Basically his calypso was a compilation of “positive messages” which turned out to be randomly spoken clichés - all lame, all hackneyed. Things like:
“Away with this negative way of life”
and
“The World can be a better place to live”
Believe it or not, I was bored out of my mind. The only time I started paying attention was when he said, ” It’s better to be courteous than outrageous”. I was like, “Crazy is that you?”. Besides the fact that the statement is completely out of character for Crazy, it doesn’t even make sense. “Courteous” and “outrageous” aren’t even opposites! I can’t believe Sekon Alves kept him out of last place.
12th (tie) Verstile - Shadow Reloaded - He dressed acted and sang like The Mighty Shadow. He was accompanied on stage by another man dressed as shadow who sat and wrote a song with a bassman (I assume) with a guitar standing over him. At some points Versatile seemed to sacrifice clarity for impersonation as I could barely make out what he was saying at times. Eventually Shadow himself joined him on stage and sang a little. The song was about….
11th Skatie - Reasons - Another forgettable calypso. At this point in the show I was glad that they were only doing one song this year. Because the crap I was listening to was the best they had. Skatie’s “reasons” were the reasons why T&T was in such a poor state which were, Ramesh was back, Gillian was on the “other side”, drugs coming into the country, Criminals with better guns than the police (wow, we’ve never heard that before). Goodness gracious, give us something new nah man, give us some insight. A bunch of warmed-over, exhausted statements isn’t artistic or entertaining. You’re the artist, for goodness’ sake. Yet another candidate for last place.
10th Singing Sandra - I Stand for Trinbago - In my eyes Sandra redeemed herself from last year’s offering “Sudan”. Actually she did more than redeem herself, I think she should have won. This was the song that I was looking forward to the most since first hearing it. In her song Sandra bemoans the state of calypso in T&T saying that it has been reduced to “picong on Panday’s and Oma’s bank account“. She said that the art was being prostituted and that calypsonians were rendering them blind and dumb despite the preponderance of ills overtaking the country like high food prices and crime. “There was a time when calypsonians were the true opposition,” adding, “T&T in crisis. Deal with the issues.” She also used a few props. There was a CSI crew walking about the stage picking up bodies and there were a group of people (calypsonians I assumed ) standing with their mouths covered with duct tape. At one point a barebacked youth walked out on stage with a young girl dressed in a red top. I couldn’t figure out what they were supposed to represent till she straddled him and they began dancing suggestively. Then it hit me! Danah and Akon. In my opinion, Sandra’s song was the best offering of the night because it was calling calypso back to what it used to and needs to be. It was fresh, meaningful and necessary. A lot of people have said calypso is losing its soul and it was good to see one of the big bards putting her neck out there to say what needed to be said. Tenth place was an insult.
8th (tie) Brian London - A Song for We - Brian’s song was basically a song about inclusion. The premise was that during a walk through Port of Spain he met people of various ethnic groups, who upon realizing that he was that calypsonian Brian London, poured out their frustration to him. An Indian man was frustrated at how he was treated in calypsoes every year. An African youth was frustrated at the label that places that Lavantille got from other Trinis. A Chinese man was mad that when the PNM was in power, Africans would say “We in power” and when the UNC was in Opposition, Indians would say “We in Opposition” leaving him feeling as though he didn’t belong. A Syrian man was frustrated that although he worked hard for what he had, Trinis always thought of him as a big time drug importer. You get the point… So each of these people asked Brian to “sing a song for we”. It was quite inspired in my opinion. One problem I had with him was that he didn’t really seem to sing all that much. His delivery was a little choppy. It was a good song, but not great so he placed just about where I expected him to….but not above Sandra.
8th (tie) Kurt Allen - Last Bad John of Kaiso - Perhaps Kurt Allen had the best presentation of anyone else that night. My boy was dressed to the T in (what I assume to be) his 1940’s getup. Kurt’s premise was than there were no Bad Johns again in Kaiso since they got caught up in political campaign, since they endure so much abuse and exploitation in the business - basically Allen is saying that calypsonians have grown soft. He said if there were true Bad John’s left there would be music pirates walking around with “legs made out of ply“. I liked his song. But like Brian London’s song, it was good, not great and he placed about where I expected him to….but not above Sandra.
7th Lesley Ann Ellis - Our Nation’s Heroes - A lot of fanfare went into this song about Trinbago’s heroes (Brian Lara, Dwight Yorke, A.N.R. Robinson etc.). Accompanying her on stage were a few of those heroes as well as a few subs with enlarged head shots for those who couldn’t be present. Her mother was also present - brought on by a car that drove on stage. It wasn’t a horrible song, but at the end I was wondering, “So what?” There wasn’t really much to it. I mean, it was a song about our nation’s heroes, so it wasn’t really groundbreaking. Aditionally, there wasn’t anything fresh about it. She didn’t really offer anything new. It bored me half to death.
6th Taylor - Sorry - Taylor’s song was in the form of a eulogy to his dead song. Part of the chorus went:
“Sorry I didn’t teach you the most precious gift is life,
I should have told you everything comes with a price,
He who lives by the gun, by the gun he will die,
How yuh make yuh bed yuh sure to lie.”
A good song, but I wasn’t very entertained. I was a little surprised to see him in 6th place though.
5th The Might Chalkdust - Joan of Arts - Although I heard every word of this calypso, I’m still a little confused by it. The Joan of Arts title was a play on the name and title of former Minsiter of Culture Joan Yuille-Williams. Evidently we weren’t supposed to draw any parallels between her and Joan of Ark since Joan of Arc’s “martyrdom” resembled nothing in Joan Yuille Williams deeds. Chalkie was sining about the “freeness” that went on during Williams’ reign saying “I know all the fun and lahooray woulda done someday“. Adding that many artists received a cacada from her whether they “wuk or eh wuk”. Either he was criticising her for the handouts, or the artists for relying on them. I’m not sure which was true. Accompanying him on stage were “representatives” from TUCO, Pastor Cuffie, Pan Trinbago and the NCBA among others. If I had to guess, I’d say he was taking aim at all of JYW’s pets…but I’m still not positive.
4th Stinger - Voices from the Van - Although I enjoyed this one, it placed a lot higher than I would have guessed. It was amusing and engrossing, but to me it lacked depth. Stinger sings about walking past a prison van one day hearing the imprisioned speaking to their mothers through the gratings. He heard them asking for boxer shorts, jockey shorts, Bibles, writing paper. Unfortunately that was the entire calypso. The 4th best song this year? I don’t think so.
3rd Karene Asche - The Recipe - Karene sings a song about how to make a politician. I admit that I tuned this one out after the first verse because I was unimpressed. These recipe things are so hackneyed I didn’t really feel like sitting through it. Add a pinch of dishonesty etc, wow, original. Maybe I should have listened to it in its entirety, but judging from what the judges seemed to like, I don’t know if that would have helped.
2nd Cro Cro - Respect the Fourth King King - Maybe I would have given him an award for sporting the first muffhawk in competition history, but I wouldn’t have awarded him second. The fact that I don’t care for him probably had some bearing, but the song was a little crappy if you ask me. Basically he was asking for respect since he was the fourth king king. It’s not so difficult to detect his double enrtrende if you say if fast enough. He also managed to take some shots at Sugar Aloes.
“Tell them doh worry with me,
I alone does go home and she my tears”
Yeah.
Ahead of Sandra? Seriously?
1st Sugar Aloes – Reflections – I don’t really care for Aloes either but this was a decent song. I figured the judges would have placed him first. His song punctuated with the refrain, “Here’s looking at you” was an attempt to highlight the hypocrisy in the sayings of notable people in society. After each chiding, one of Aloes’ helpers turned a mirror around each with a photo of the person attached to it. Five people were mentioned in all. Panday, Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, Mervyn Assam and Carlos John and Cro Cro. Cro Cro’s mirror however supported a picture of a fish with the words “Stewed Cro Cro” written above it. It was ok I guess. He returned fire back at Cro Cro. Pretty entertaining and what not.
Overall? Meh. A few bright spots, but very dim. For all the trouble we are going through, it’s amazing how absent criticism of the government was - save Sandra.
I think my problem is that I tend to look for songs that resonate with me or that have some deep meaning behind it. Whether the tone of the song is serious or jovial, I feel they that it should have a message behind it - something for the listeners to take away with them when the show is over. That idea probably isn’t popular among judges. Because how songs as flat as “Respect the Fourth King King” and “Voices from the Van could place so high, is a mystery to me.
Posted in Calypso, Carnival | 7 Comments »
Thursday, February 7th, 2008 |
Carnival was free of major acts of violence - Police Commissioner Trevor Paul.
Oh Trevor, Trevor, Trevor. What can I say for you man? Do your job, but don’t try to fool the people nah. It seems as if you are more concerned with shifting the goalposts and engaging in word games than with doing actual police work.
Mr. Paul would have us believe that the murder of Nicholas Sturge (brother of attorney Wayne Sturge) outside the Queens Park Oval following the Soca Monarch competition was either (a) not a major incident (b) not Carnival related (c) not violent or (d) all of the above.
So a murder and countless stabbings take place and and while Nicholas Sturge’s body is not yet cold, Commissioner Paul jumps up and proclaims, “See? I told you! What did I tell you?”
Granted it’s a tribute to the police that there weren’t more murders and stabbings, but the fact remains that there was at least one murder which the police seem intent on downplaying. I have to wonder then, who exactly are they trying to fool? Surely murder is a major violent act. Additionally how many stabbings does it take before the whole lot of them are considered major?
But the truth is that Way Sturge’s murder was all of the above. And if it weren’t enough that we have to bear with the violence, we are still made to listen to the utterances of a defeated Police Commissioner still going out of his way to convince us that he is relevant.
—————-
Now playing: America - Tin Man
via FoxyTunes
Posted in Carnival, Crime, The Police | 10 Comments »
Thursday, February 22nd, 2007 |
The mas is all over now. I can’t say that I took notice of a lot of it. Every year I make sure to watch the Dimanche Gras show, but that’s about it for Carnival festivities for me really. Dimanche Gras is always the best part of the season and particularly the Calypso Monarch final. I used to watch the Kings and Queens show also, but with this year’s one-song rule leaving the King and Queens of the band unsandwiched by calypsos, I’ve realized I don’t like watching it as much as I thought I did. Instead, after the calypsos were done, I came and sat here next to my computer till the results were ready.
The show overall was OK I guess. The stage design was kind of poor in my opinion. It looked like an 80’s Scouting for Talent stage. In fact the show on a whole had that feeling - more of a talent competition than the grand finale of calypso. You would think that after all these years we could produce something a little prettier than that. Needless to say, I was very disappointed.
You can see the results here, but here’s a rundown of how I felt about each finalist begining in last place:
15th - Black Sage - “Send for Somebody” - Ho hum. Subject matter wasn’t terrible, but the song itself was plenty bland. The subject of his calypso was the fact that T&T sends abroad for all its experts….or something like that.
13th (tied) Brother Valentino - “Pioneer” - I apologise, but this was just another tired calypso about pan that really didn’t have anything new to say. I think the judges let it into the final because they couldn’t bear to have a calypso about the national instrument left out of the show. It’s kind of like leaving Miss USA out of the Miss Universe final being held in New York - you just don’t do it.
13th (tied) Crazy “Paradise” - I don’t think 13th place did this justice. I thought it deserved much better. I guess it may have lacked a little originality. It was however, lyrics-wise, one of my favourites for the night.
12th Mr Caesar - “Carry Me” - Up to now I don’t know what this boy was singing about. A very forgettable performance. It may be my fault too since during stanza’s 3-4, I was raiding the kitchen for snacks. I won’t accept all the blame though since stanzas 1-2 and included chorus didn’t hold much promise. The snack was good however - ’twas a Nature Valley granola bar - the Oats ‘N Honey variety.
11th Singing Sandra - “Sudan” — Singing Sandra starts off this song talking about how we have to end racism in this country and then for the next 5 or so verses goes on a tirade of unfounded accusation after unfounded accusation about how doctors (read: non-Afro-Trini doctors) at the nation’s hospitals are killing African babies and tying African mother’s tubes - hence the title of the song “Sudan”. Right. The premise of the song was that it was a “friend” who was telling her about all the atrocities that were being committed and she (Singing Sandra) was having a hard time believing it. What a way to end racial discrimination. I used to like Singing Sandra, but *flush*.
10th Shadow - “If I Coulda” — How could Shadow make it to the final with this song but not with “Poverty is Hell”? “If I Coulda” is not a bad song, it’s a nice little ditty about not giving excuses, but it was never going to win the Calypso Monarch. Could I have missed its underlying meaning? By the way, “Poverty is Hell” is one of my all-time favourite calypsos.
9th Heather McIntosh - “Check One” — I really thought the name of this was “Check the I”. Anyway, it was a good song, the only bad part about it was that Heather McIntosh chose to punctuate her calypso with shouts of “Haile Selassie I” and “Jah Rastafari” which really had nothing to do with the song on a whole. The song was about the arrogance of the Government who does thing without checking with the “I” i.e. the electorate. Maybe I’m missing a parallel meaning, and maybe she meant to allude that the “I” was also God. If she did, that was completely lost on me. It was a little confusing. Her father Shortpants filled the roll of prop man and brought on a couple signs or something like that. I can’t remember what the signs said.
8th Skatie - “Eat Yuh Cake and Still Have it” — Ho hum. I think Skatie’s aim was to ensure that the Government would still hire him to sing PSAs like “Picture, Picture of our Health Ministry…”. I’m sure his paycheck is not in danger after taking shots at things like anti-smelter protesters. Mind you he did criticize the Government, but I think his role was more of a Shakespearean Fool than a strong critic. He also managed to take a jab at Chalkie saying (and I’m paraphrasing) that “Chalkie has won the crown so many times and wouldn’t give the youngsters a chance”. Well if the youngsters are singing crap like “Eat Yuh Cake and Still Have it”, what do you expect, Skatie? By all means Chalkie, please sing till you’re 90. In any case Skatie must be getting too caught up in the whole “Monarch” aspect of this thing. The crown has to be earned, not handed down.
7th Sean Daniel - “Ring” - This anti-premarital sex song was good and the performance was entertaining and energetic. I liked it a lot. It deserved a top 10 finish. I especially liked the prop man in the back with the oversized wedding band, performing all kinds of shenanigans. Daniel also had the best line of “No Ring, No Ting”.
6th Duane O’Connor - “Satorial Elegance” — This song heaped praises on a very praiseworthy Might Duke. It bored me out of my mind. I think this song had the “Miss USA in the Miss Universe Pageant in the USA” effect also. “A song about a legendary calypsonian? How could we leave it out?”
5th Chalkdust — “Soca Warriors” — One of my all-time favourite Calypsonians. His song this year was quite good. He used his song to demonstrate how he was a Soca Warrior too - a soca warrior before the term was coined. I think he even fired a shot off at Skatie, although I can’t now remember what it was.
4th Maria Bhola - “I Love You” - perhaps the most entertaining performance of the evening. She chose to ridicule Larry Achong behavior at the TV6 Chatham Town Meeting saying “I love you” instead of, well, the obvious. Equipped with gray hair and Achong’s Farmer Brown get-up, she worked her fake pot belly like I have never seen a pot belly being worked before (or hopefully, ever will). Performance-wise, she was the best hands down. I was transfixed to her and her pot belly from the moment she stepped on stage. Her song was pretty good too, and I had hoped for a higher place for her. In fact, I thought 4th was surprisingly low.
3rd Devon Seales - “One Song” - His was another good performance. Complete with Western wear and a orange toy pistol, looking like he was prepared for a gunfight, Devon Seales was excellent. His song was a list of all the things he wanted to sing, but couldn’t because he only had one song. I guess the Old West wear was a symbol of the one-shot showdown that the Calypso Monarch was reduced to. Obviously this didn’t go unnoticed by the judges either who gave him third place.
2nd De Fosto Himself - “Police Money” — I realize that a lot of people liked this one a lot more than I did. It’s actually a good song, but I wouldn’t have picked him to get second place. Probably it’s a little hard for me to take him seriously anymore after last years Soca Warriors calypso which looked like nothing more than a singing request to be sent to Germany with the other talent. I could be wrong though.
1st Cro Cro - “Nobody Ain’t Go Know” — Well Cro Cro has never been my favourite calypsonian. While a lot of people will say “Cro Cro is my boy”, I remember the things he has sung in the past and the amount of hurt it has caused to Indo-Trinidadians. I remember those things even when terms like “stereotyping” were not fully understood by calypso lovers and many would say, “Dat is good Kaiso”. I’m not against criticism of course, just against unfairness. I could never understand the view that one group of people could be always wrong and the other group never wrong. But that’s just me.
That being said, this calypso was OK. It was a little tired though, and a little trite, and not very creative. On top of all that, parts of his delivery were rushed and garbled. I think that if another Calypsonian had sung this song, even with clearer diction, they would not have won. Sometimes I think the judges have this nostalgic/romantic prejudiced opinion of a calypsonian that causes them to be star-struck on Dimanche Gras night.
I’ve always been confused by the Monarch results, and this helped to cement my belief that I could never be a judge in the finals. I just can’t tell what the judges are looking for.
Posted in Calypso, Carnival, Culture, Entertainment, Media | 8 Comments »
Wednesday, February 14th, 2007 |
I have a big gripe with Caribbean Bottlers Limited. Huge gripe. Caribbean Bottlers Limited is the company that bottles Coca Cola. My particular gripe isn’t with Coca-Cola or any Coca-Cola product. I have a problem with the current radio ad for an energy drink called Ciclon (Also spelled Ciclón) that Caribbean Bottlers Limited is pushing for Carnival. Here is a transcript of the ad:
(soca music playing in background)
Man 1: I really enjoy myself boy, but yuh see me? I had enough. I going home!
Man 2: Wha? But yuh leaving? Hmm. Yuh know we have to take one for the road? Yes! Drunk or sober, we taking one for the road!
Man 1: I could agree with that, but I taking a Ciclon for the road. I looking for relief from all those spirits I just had.
Man 2: Watch, brodda, I eh having it no other way. A beastly cold Ciclon and yuh on the road!
Both: T&T, this carnival, drink Ciclon, energize yourself and get home safe!
When I first heard this ad I wondered, “are these people really saying what I think they’re saying? Are they saying that drinking Ciclon makes you less drunk or even worse yet, fit to drive?” The message in it was so striking, it brought me online here to see if it’s ever been determined if sports drinks like Red Bull have ever been proven to alleviate the effects of alcohol. Of course it hasn’t. And just for the record, Red Bull and Ciclon have the same active ingredients including caffine, taurine, and I guess about a metric tonne of sugar.
Let me say right of the bat that nowhere in the ad is Caribbean Bottlers Limited saying that Ciclon energy drink is some kind of antidote to alcohol or a drink that helps the user feel less drunk. At least the don’t say that in plain English, but anyone who listens to the ad will understand that that is the intent of their message.
Among college age drinkers in the United States, there is an urban legend that mixing energy drinks and in particular Red Bull, with alcohol “combats the effects of alcohol”. And so may collage-age drinkers tend to mix their alcoholic drinks with Red Bull thinking that they won’t get as drunk. This of course is nowhere near the truth.
They certainly feel less drunk, but their coordination, visual reaction times and breath-alcohol levels do not improve upon drinking alcoholic beverages mixed with energy drinks. Again, Caribbean Bottlers Limited isn’t advocating mixing their drinks with alcohol, but instead consuming them afterwards. I hardly think the effects of drinking a Ciclon and alcohol mix compared to consuming each one after the other could have a great difference in effect.
Not only is there no truth in the belief that mixing energy drinks with Ciclon can make you more sober, but it’s just dangerous. For one, mixing powerful stimulants contained in some energy drinks with depressants in alcohol could cause cardiopulmonary or cardiovascular failures. I don’t know what that means, but it doesn’t sound good.
Secondly it gives drivers a false sense of sobriety that encourages them to get behind the wheel. A drinker may feel more alert but the alcohol is actually having the same effect on them. They are still just as impaired. Dr. David L. Katz, an associate professor of public health and director of the Prevention Research Center at the Yale University School of Medicine, said:
“This is just the combination that might lead to very bad judgments. Feeling less intoxicated and more alert, one might get behind the wheel of a car, but with impaired coordination and reaction time, that decision might spell disaster.”
The combination of energy drinks and alcohol doesn’t reduce the effects of alcohol — it only makes you think it does.
Rersearcher Maria Lucia Souza-Formigoni, PhD, who works in the psychobiology department of Brazil’s Federal University of Sao Paolo did a study to test the alcohol/energy drink Urban Legend. She found that people who consume the mixed drinks are just as impaired as if they drank alcohol alone, but are in denial about it. The 26 men who took part in the study rated themselves much more sober than they actually were. They may have felt that they were more alert and a little more awake, but in reality, their reflexes were not changed whatsoever
And this is the Urban Legend, the lie, that Caribbean Bottlers Limited seems to be selling to us and to drivers. The lie that Ciclon can sober you up. Of course in a court of law, it will be said that never explicitly said this, only surreptitiously. But just look at the words and statements being used and the sentiments being expressed:
“…but I taking a Ciclon for the road. I looking for relief from all those spirits I just had.”
“…A beastly cold Ciclon and yuh on the road!”
“T&T, this carnival, drink Ciclon, energize yourself and get home safe!”
You don’t have to work at Scotland Yard to catch their meaning.
Against the backdrop of all our social problems, all our fatal accidents due to alcohol, in a season that’s prone to overindulgence; against the fact that it’s very difficult for police officers to take impaired drivers off the roads, it really boggles the mind how Caribbean Bottlers Limited could put out such a deceptive and slyly-worded ad such as this that is so incredibly dangerous - a virtual loaded weapon to an unsuspecting and sometimes gullible public. Where’s our Consumer Affairs Division anyway?
How do the people at Caribbean Bottlers Limited sleep at night? You think it’s only the bandits, rapists and drug dealers that have lost their souls? Think again.
Posted in Carnival, Corporate, Media, Social Issues | 13 Comments »
Monday, February 5th, 2007 |
|
| Trevor Paul |
Trevor Paul has put his foot down once and for all. Taking a break from all those bold face protesters, and the dangerous men with the printerless fliers, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service has turned its focus to protecting the Carnival revellers and attendees.
“No one will spoil our mas,” said he. “Let me warn those with agendas which would counter the good order…You will not be allowed to disrupt those who are about their lawful business either playing mas, or looking at mas.”
He added that citizens can be sure that, “(the police) will be watching their backs.”
“Our operations will be guided by intelligence and we know where we should be and when,” said Paul.
Intelligence - now there’s a word that gets abused.
And don’t get me wrong, it’s great that the carnival attendees are going to be protected from bandits and rapists, but since I’m not going to take part in any of the festivities, and since I’m not going as a spectator, where does that leave me? Somehow it looks like crimewise, I have the same crappy chances during the Carnival season as I did going into it.
But hold on. Since there is going to be a large concentration of officers on the streets during Carnival Monday and Tuesday, does that mean that officers are going to be pulled away from other seemingly “low risk” areas only to be crammed in Port of Spain and environs.
What about the vehicle situation? Are vehicles going to be pulled away from the same low risk areas to be utilised in high risk ones?
So how safe am I, a regular citizen and non-Carnival event attendee? Are the police going to be able to break away from their two busy days of gaping guarding to attend to my needs as they might arise?
Surely, the Trinidad and Tobago police service hasn’t yet learned how to pat its head and rub its tummy at the same time?
It looks like my chances are worse than I previously thought. I may have to play mas just to stay safe.
Posted in Carnival, Crime, Culture | 7 Comments »
Wednesday, September 27th, 2006 |
Since Saucy and Hottie gave their lists of Carnival Dos and Don’ts, I decided not to be upstaged and submit my own unscientific list. Here is my list of 6.
- Know who is vagrant. Come carnival and worse yet Jouvert morning, everybody does look the same. Vagrant does begin to look like ordinary people. Sometimes, they walking along with the band and pick up two/three piece ah costume and they look like normal masquerader. This warning especially for tourists who does wine and jam with everybody. Don’t wine on the vagrant. One good way of telling who is who, is the footwear test. If the footwear not matching, run. If on the left is a Nike, and on the right is Adidas, run. If one slippers red, and the other side green, run, run , run. However, the footwear test is not the end all of it. Some vagrant does have family who does give them clothes and shoes although they still living on the streets. So if in doubt, check out their hair. If it matted (not dreaded mind you), and nasty-looking, run. Overall if the winer looks a little off, run.
- Do however wine on the hard-working police officers on our streets. Police officers are people too and appreciate a good wine. Do not however wine one the female officers or the horses. That may get you aressted. While I’m on it, don’t pet the horses or talk to them. Women, if your winer-man is talking to the horse, run.
- Learn that cute children can steal and pickpocket with the best of them and they can run faster than your drunk self.
- Know that a doubles on any given day, does not cost $5. If you pay $5 for a doubles is because you are a tourist or looking like one.
- Over the course of that weekend, don’t take your drunk self and go and say you taking a sea bath. You will die.
- Don’t drink any “juices” that aren’t labelled and sealed. You will get the runs first, then you will die.
Posted in Carnival, Culture, Humour | 24 Comments »
