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Unconscious...
wait, now conscious... eyes still closed.
Either yampee or a fear that daylight might
scorch my retina are keeping them that way.
Gentle (yet annoying) tapping on my elbow. "Ok,
where am I again? ... oh loss!"
Realization...
suddenly bodily functions are as sharp as Ato
just passing the 60m mark, check watch, breath...
bodily functions quickly goes back down to speed
and comfort of a grazing cow. Check elbow, (not
too bad looking) smallie apologizes for waking
me and inquires about my travel plans in same
sentence.
Ash
Wednesday must be de mother of all Mondays....
Crawling home after wringing out every last
drop of a good time out of Carnival Tuesday,
not sleeping to catch a 6am flight and my personal
favorite... sour American Airlines staff.
The
Story... Her name is Kim and she say she
see me sleeping everywhere... Piarco, on de
plane to Miami and here after they done announce
dat we flight boarding. So she was just making
sure that I ent come this far not to reach home,
especially on Ash Wednesday. She tell me that
she's some kinda mix of Irish-Scottish-Spanish
(might be related to Bunji I feel?) born in
Indianapolis. Is her 2nd Carnival, an boy oh
boyee, kill she dead she's ah ole veteran. Last
year her college roommate, who from Petite Valley
bring her down, and this year she bring herself
back with 2 friends that was able to get a direct
flight back. Oh yeah she living somewhere in
NY now.
What
to do with a sour lime? (pun intended)...
Ah had to conclude that since this alarm clock
have no snooze or off button and apparently
itchin to get her experience off her mind, I
ga have to let de TJJ family know what Carnival
means to a Irish-Scottish-Spanish (?) girl from
Indianapolis... oh sorry ah mean NY... or do
I?
Ram
Dass: "So how was your Carnival?"
Kim: "Boyee... "I had a real
good time!"
Ram Dass (thinking): Was that a fresh
water accent?
Ram Dass: "What events ya went to?"
Kim: "haa, that's a real list, but
I will try. Bacchanal Wednesday, Tribe Ignite,
VIP Friday, one of the breakfast parties...
humm I think the better one... you know.
Ram Dass: Right... ah know.
Ram Dass (thinking): Do I?
Kim: "Then plenty sleep, Red Ants
Jouvert and Tribe Monday and Tuesday..."
Ram Dass: "Sounds like ya went everywhere..."
Kim: "Well at least everywhere I
went last year... it was nice so I did it twice
... (juggles)"
Ram Dass (thinking): Some kinda accent..
was she on Allo Allo? Maybe one of Renee's outside
women?
Ram Dass (as formal and foreign as I can
be): "So, how you find everything was?
Safe? Organized? Fun?
Kim: "Oh yeah, alot of people were
complaining about the money, but I've saving
since last year! I planned my costume, and fete
tickets very early... so once I was there. I
could just let go. I just love the fact that
I can leave home EVERYDAY with no purse or id,
and eat and drink all day all night. I saw all
my favorite Soca artist Machel, Shurwayne and
Destra. All the stages and atmosphere was great.
Ohh and the fire works... loved it."
Ram Dass: "Sounds like you will
be back next year?"
Kim (smiling): "(some kinda cheups
like sound) you've got to ask?"
Ram Dass: "Oh I apologize."(eye
brows raised in an shocked and apologetic manner)
"So what was your favorite part?"
Kim: "Well I love the parade, but
that's a given" Last year we went to...
I think it's call Pan-o-something"
Ram Dass: "Panorama?"
Kim: "Yes, yes, well I just remember
it was a party on stadium seats"
Ram Dass: "So you enjoy the steel
pan?"
Kim: "Not really, but at the sametime
I don't really remember hearing much of it.
We were way up in the back... and between the
drinks and our little riddim section... it was
our own party." I heard something about
the location change this year so I didn't bother"
Ram Dass: "Did you get to see any
of the competitions?"
Kim: "Oh yes I did. I didn't go,
but I watched most of the Soca Monarch on TV
with friends... I like alot of it."
Ram Dass: "How'd you feel about
Cro Cro winning?"
Kim: "Don't know who or what is
Cro Cro??!!"
Ram Dass: "I guess it isn't that
important"
(announcement)
Ram Dass: "Ohh that's my group,
see you in the air"
The
Verdict... disappointing, but I can't include
all. Seems like Trinidad forgetting that until
you covered in black black black oil and thick
cups of dutty mud in South Quay... yuh ent really
see a J'Ouvert Morning. What is Carnival
without a good extempo? Calypso Monarch? King
and Queen show? Junior Monarch? Mid Night Robber?
Red and Blue Jab Jab Devils with big maco size
horns and life threatening pitch forks dat does
make children cry? How you ga have a Carnival
without a ole sailor or Indian? Dat is not what
Mas is all about? Where all de pan round de
neck? Kim was telling me about de sailors and
mid night robbers that she saw, and how she
can't figure out what those people were, what
they were doing and how they could do that.
She was happy with her fetes (plenty Soca) and
a nice bikini and beads for de road. Like nobody
ent tell Kim bout Carnival?
Mr.
Liverpool, yuh ent lie... Hopefully Trinidad
will remember the true Soca Warriors. In the
meantime I will salute Brian MacFarlane and
continue to keep a ripe Julie mango in gazette
paper fuh a recipient that know what the gift
means, because Trinidad have tradition still.
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'.
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