Gentle Peoples -

CK7 or Broke? So we at the end of November, and for those that checking... is less than 3 months till Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago (Feb 19th & 20th).

So any planning after now is taking it down to the wire I guess? Or is it already too late? If you're living in Trinidad then you have de edge on everybody else, not only you get paradise full time, but you have opportunities to hear all de new songs 1st hand and pick yuh fast wine (soca) and slow wine (groovy soca) favorites for each of your wine'r partners. Yuh could attend band launch fetes and select and organize yuh costumes first hand. Being in de Circulatory System of de party scene you should have a good feel of de pulse of what party hot and what buss. Of course, yuh have place to stay and probably transport too. As always, TJJ will continue to provide yuh with all of de new and exclusive stuff, so you can always hear de latest 2007 Soca and catch all de fete action as it unfolds if you not in de country!

So what about de carnival tourist? De foreign nationals and expats that like to come down fuh de annual Trini booster injection? Well, if you don't have a good connection in T&T to tell ya that yuh set, well yuh have yuh work cut out for you. We might be living in de "Information Age", however most of the parties, bands and accommodations either 1. don't have a website 2. have a website, but it not giving you more information or functionality than a tourist telling yuh how to get to de La Joya.

Now if these mere logistics were the only considerations, then small thing. Trini and other who seeking lime could handle dat. But here is de real kicker, over the past 2 year the cost of parties and costumes have at a minimum, doubled. We talking bout costumes averaging $3,000TT and parties ranging from $300 (Bacchanal Wednesday) to $1,500 (Brian Lara). So if you thinking that $300 is crazy, then consider 2 things: 1. for that particular party you have to buy drinks and well 2. that is if you lucky enough to even get tickets! That's right, super inflated prices and you can't pay de price even if you wanted to (Beach House Carnival or Original Vale Breakfast Party).

Now since we so objective, we must say, Trini ent what it used to be. Three (3) things have influenced the recent high prices:

1. The current crime situation. It is a way better option to pay upfront for all the conveniences and security and leave home with a prepaid ticket or all inclusive band section. Walking around with wallet and cash ent cool no more.

2. The standard for what a fete is has gone thru an extreme makeover. In an effort to give Trini Carnival an international appeal and standard amenities and features such as V.I.P and V.V.I.P areas, outrageous stage shows, decor, themes and premium eats and drinks have all contributed to the healthy price tag. Carnival is no longer about paying for what you get as much as it is about paying for the pre-packaged experience.

3. Putting on full scale, high quality events require arrays of talents. Everything from designers, artist to financial analyst. It's no longer a seasonal job. To get the job done right and professionally someone has to pay these "skilled carnival consultants" to provide our pleasures.

In the meantime, foreigners and locals are finding it close to impossible to keep up with the cost of these new standards, and the current direct impact is a social and economic segregation of the Carnival populous. There are ways of dealing with over priced products, boycotting is one, however in the nearby future the demand should drive up the number of these new mas people and the cost may go down.

Until then, think before you take out that second mortgage and be sure to check out and download the TJJ Carnival Corner Toolkit: we know where the Carnival G-Spots are!

Affordable Carnival'in From the desk of Dr. Ram Dass,
Trini Jungle Juice Team

TJJ tells it as it is, no opinions, no justifications, always jus reporting free from 'fear' or 'favoritism'.

Make Room For Shelly (D'Soca Corner)