Scorch DDI Review

Yesterday I went down the islands to Scorch DDI. It was only after a good few drinks I realized that DDI was down the islands. Anyway that was one of my signature blond moments, its a good thing my friends and family love me. I am in a hot mess, because I can memorize the licence plate numbers of all the cars on my street but can figure out what DDI means.

Anyway the last couple of times I went out I didn't really have much fun. It was just a sad affair, boring as ever. From Zen, to 51, to Nikki Manaj I just felt like i am too old to be out this late taking night dew for no good reason. Now to truly paint a picture of how great Scorch was I have to describe my usual party behaviour. Usually I go to a party to pose and look cute. Yes I admit it I am poser. I like to look cute. At the end of the party I look the same way I did when I walked in and lord knows I don't dance. Very stooch, my idea of dancing is putting my hand in the air and waving it slightly.

Scorch was just right up my ally. It was day time so I didn't have to take night dew. I could have worn what I wanted, as there was no stupid bouncer telling me that I must be in heels to gain entry, a la 51. The only issue was hottt sun, but I viewed it as preparation for Tribe 2011. Anyway so minding my own business I started to dance and I even buss a wine. Then it started to rain and I did not even run for cover, I stayed in the rain dancing. When I tell you the vibes was real nice. I wine low, high, round and round, I wine to techno and all. It was pure niceness. Now once of the reasons that I don't dance much is because somewhere along the way I loose the beat and go off a bit. But the thing is since everybody was having a good time I felt confident that nobody would notice my outta timin wine. Now one day later I feel like I was in some aerobic class my body is aching. I never knew that wining was a full body workout.

Oh and how can I forget the guys. When I tell you the fellas came out in their full glory and of course it was raining so shirts had to come off. I have a feeling that active gym membership was the condition for entry into this event. I got whip lash from gaping, the guys were just divine. When I tell you, white, brown, chi nee, tall, short, even the chubby guys were looking good.

Do tell. Did you go to Scorch DDI? How was it for you?

My Favourites for Tribe 2011

It is that time of year again, Tribe has launched and the arguments have started. I am not too sure how Tribe registration is going to be this year but this is what I think about Tribe. I did not really give much consideration to Bliss because I got the impression that is the sawatie band so hopefully Max plays there or doesnt play at all. Let me say right off the bat that I got the pictures from Tribe’s Facebook page. I am not sure what the protocol is for reusing these pictures but I don’t want to get in trouble for plagiarism or copyright infringement. I also got one picture from Island People Mas. That being said I narrowed my picks to three options as follows:

I like the concept of the frontline of Mayan Eagle but the colour combination is a bit off. Mind you I could have been brain washed by Monique Nobrega because she designed Xi Ling Chi, which I played in and loved for 2010. While we are on this costume I wonder if the person modeling the costume has any effect on whether we like the costume or not?


After careful consideration I think I like Persian Gold the most, both the backline and the frontline. I like the relatively small headpiece and collar of the backline and the bra and belt are also quite nice.



As for the frontline I love the fact that the headpiece is like a tiara and I love the bra, belt, leg, arm and neck pieces. This is the same designer of Mystery of Loulan which I didn’t really like however, I must say I am really loving her contribution this year.
Xi'an, I must say it is different and it could only have been designed by Sandra Hordatt. The backline is nice however I do not like the headpiece and leg pieces. The frontline is way too skimpy for my liking even if I lose thirty pounds. Plus the frontline is a caged bra and I am not sure how that is going to work with big boobs. Finally my concept of a frontline costume is that it should be big and pretty. It must look outstanding and when comparing the backline to the frontline of this section you might as well save your money and go backline cause there is very slight difference and on the road non masqueraders will not notice. I have a serious problem paying more money for less costume.

This reminds me of Rays of Light of Island People 2009, where a sequined panty and a slightly fuller headpiece was considered frontline. After lunch when people ditch the headpiece they would just looked like a backline betty who lost her belt and is parading in a panty.

So there you have it. Like it. Love it. Leave it. What are your picks for Tribe 2011?

Blackberry Instant Messenger is the Death of Traditional Romance

Forgive me if I am old, but I grew up in the age prior to cellphones. Cellphones became popular after I left secondary school. Recently thanks to Bmobile and Digicel the Blackberry has become the cellphone of choice for the masses. BBIM is an application that facilitates blackberry to blackberry messaging at no additional cost as long as both devices have a data plan. So for the last three years while I had five people in my BBIM contact list I now have about thirty. It has now become a trend when you meet a new guy to exchange pins instead of phone numbers. While this may be the modern thing to do, I think it takes away from the romance of a new encounter. Dating has actually been reduced to random disjointed messages. This is annoying on several levels. First Bmobile has proven itself to be probably the most unreliable mobile network in the universe hence there is no guarantee that the messages would be delivered in a timely manner, if even delivered at all. Secondly it allows womanizing men to carry on multiple conversations with various members of their harem. Therefore you no longer have the undivided attention of this man while chatting with him or in person because he is constantly tied to his phone. Third, men no longer feel the need to even pay for a phone call to make contact. And do not be fooled ladies the savings from these calls would not be seen in an improvement in the quality of dates. Finally, BBIM makes people think it is ok to message you all hours of the day or night. As opposed to a call where you would have to think about what the person may or may not be doing prior to placing the call. There is a reason that Machel did not sing “BBIM me anytime you want” and Jah Cure certainly did not sing “If you need a lover BBIM me”. That being said the next man to pick up the phone and call me I feel I will instantly fall in love simply because it has been so long. How has BBIM affected your dating life? Do you prefer dating life with or without BBIM?

Bishops Carnival Fete 2010

I had the opportunity to yet again attend a fete for 2010, which was Bishops 2010 production. This was my second consecutive year in attendance. First off I would say that the fete had noticeably less patrons than the previous year. Again I would attribute this to the hosting of another event on the same day, which was WITCO One. Last year One was held on the same day with QRC and I chose to attend One. My issue with one is that it is like a regular fete with food on the outskirts and there is no designated area to eat. So Trinis just walk all through the fete eating as they feel like. Additionally One fete this year was $800.00 (confirmed by a call made to Witco) and with no HD himself but just his wayward disorganized followers, not me, I good.

Anyway back to the matter at hand. Bishops was nice I was pleased with decision to attend. The entrance was nicely decorated with a white back drop and some splashes of colour here and there. The customer service from the Hilarians who were easily identifiable in their red t-shirts was excellent. The vibes was nice in that even though there was a wide cross-section of age groups, everybody looked like they were having a good time in their own way.

My only issue was that there were only two bands, a reduction from the previous year, Asylum and Roy Cape. Bunji and Fayanne were ok I guess I really was not paying close attention because I was liming. I saw their performance at Amnesia and it was good and it sounded like the same exact thing minus Fayanne talking about old ass people. Rita Jones caught my attention because she was wearing some ridiculous nonsense, but at least thank God she was wearing stockings. Jason and Blaze I love them. That is all I have to say and I hope to be palancing on the road.

What I essentially realized at Bishops was that a fete is about the lime, meeting new people and old friends. At Bishops there was a great combination of all the right factors and I had a ball of a time. Once there is a Bishops 2011 and I am alive and well, I will be there.

Where did you go on Saturday 16th January 2010? How was it?

Outta De Blue XI - QRC Fete

This year was my first time attending QRC’s fete. The set up was nice. I was a bit annoyed when I realized David Rudder was performing when I arrived. But I took the opportunity to eat. I did not even notice a band change as Roy Cape swiftly followed. I was starting to like Roy Cape last year, however I want to believe that it was really Trini Jacobs l liked, because I really not feeling the band this year. Rita Jones needs to realize that if the world famous Beyoncé could perform in stockings, it would not be a bad idea if she did the same thing. Dil E Nadan was great, what I like most about the band is that everybody has their little piece to sing. Contrary to what I thought they are not a Chutney band , they performed a nice mix of songs. There was one tiny band member with some interesting waist movements, very nice. Ladies you should check that out. They were followed by Kes the Band featuring Nadia Batson. Apparently Nadia lost some weight, she is looking very good. Left up to me, with a voice like Nadia’s she could look however she wants. Kes was wearing tights, I swear, but he could really move that tiny waist of his. I feel I want Kes to wine on me, I just have a feeling I would like it.

The food was the usual stuff, curry crab and dumpling (a favourite of mine), bake and shark, BBQ Chicken, main meal curry and fish broth. I am not too sure about the fish broth but it smelled really good when I passed. In addition to the regular bar there was a cocktail bar. I was the designated driver so I did not really explore the options at the bar. There was a sober zone though. I don’t really believe in that getting sober before you drive home. I really think the best option is to designate a driver.

Generally the vibes in the fete was a bit lacking. Although the DJ John Wayne tried his best to hype up the party it was just dead. Additionally I found that the fete was scanty and I wondered where were all the QRC old boys who are so proud to be a Royalian. I hope that the school was able to make a profit. This is not really a fete that I would go to next year. So I don’t know where I would be going on this fete night. I feel next year I will go to Blazing Fire Fete.

What did you think about QRC 2010?

Soca in Moka 2010

Carnival officially started for me at Soca in Moka, which has been the case for the last few years since I have been doing the all inclusive scene. The fete was pretty nice. The price of the ticket increased to $500.00 from $475.00 the previous year. My instant observation about the event was that it was noticeably more crowded than the previous year. I would attribute this to the fact that last year Amnesia was held on the same day. Honestly I preferred the scanty version of the fete, but in the name of making money for the school it was better to be jam packed.

The styles and fashions were wide ranging. This is why I like to go to Moka, to get a sense of the styles being worn for the season. Essentially what I realized is that hoochy is always in style, so anything short tight and revealing will always look good. I did notice a lot of long dresses, skinny jeans, tights with shirt dresses and cute short dresses. People were looking good generally. What I realize is that there are many chubby women who look really good, and the reason they look is because they are confident. Confidence is a key factor to looking good. It helps you to stand proud and feel good about yourself. So for me this year thick chicks are in because they were looking great on Sunday. Then there was general eye candy. I do not know what it is about carnival but this is the time of the year to gape. The men were looking hot. If kidnapping was not an offence I would have taken home a few. I even saw some very hot women giving me competition but it’s all good. What I want to know is where are these people during the year, obviously they don’t live in Trinidad.

The entertainment for the fete was interesting. Jason the ‘palance’ man was host of the show. He and Blaze performed their hit for the season with Kes the Band. Their performance was great and needless to say the same for Kes and his team. Roy Cape however was annoying. Apparently Blacks has taken over the complaining about fight down from Destra. He had to tell everyone that he is off the market. Let me take the opportunity now to thank that lovely lady for that bit of community service and taking one for the team. Blacks needs to realize that the only persons fighting him down is his fat, out of breath self. Blacks’ hit song last year was performed by Kes in Girl Power and if that was Kes’ song it could have been road march. So if Blacks fight down the gym gets his breathing under control and performs the hell out of those wonderful songs he would see his way. This was his year to just relax and step out because Machel and Destra off the scene. Dil E Nadan also performed but I was not really paying attention because I walked in when they were on stage and I was observing the scene at the fete.

The food was nice as usual with curry crab and dumpling, creole, Chinese, and bake and shark. I personally think that fetes need to give the bake and shark a rest but that is me. The bars however were out of stock of a few things at one time. I would not really complain too much about this because as I said earlier the fete had a lot less people last year so I don’t know if they adjusted their catering.

All in all the fete was great and I will be going to the fete again next year. It was a great start to my season and I am looking forward to my next event. What are your thoughts on Soca in Moka 2010?

Can you afford to fete for Carnival 2010?

I love carnival. If it wasn’t for carnival there would be no need for me to have a regular job. I am very serious about that. So every year I go through my ritual of fetes. Starting with Soca in Moka and ending with Lara. Anything else could jump up in between. With the average cost of fetes last year being six hundred hard earned Trinidad and Tobago dollars, I am wondering if for 2010 I would just be going to the first and last with nothing in between because that is all I could afford.

Like every true carnival lover, I have a budget to work with and every year it seems as though the prices are increasing faster than I can increase my budget. I estimate that the cheapest all inclusive would be five hundred with the most expensive being God only knows. Realistically I would average seven hundred and fifty dollars per fete. That is just my estimate for budgeting. That being said, I am obviously going to the fetes naked, because that budget does not include clothes. In light of this I have come up with some interesting ways to make carnival all I want it to be and more.

The first is that there are a number of events going on for carnival. Even if all the money in the world was available we would still not be able to go to all the events. So as soon as the list is published on Boxing Day decide which events you would be attending. Also have an alternate list just in case the promoter of the event of your choice is a St. Ann’s outpatient and prices the fete so ridiculous, it leaves you wondering if it is quoted in Guyanese currency. Then most important get the tickets early. The earlier tickets are usually cheaper. Remember also that there are several types of events from tents, to children shows. Many of the children shows are considerably cheaper and the artiste put on a very good show. Just try to at least to take along a child so you would not look like a paedophile.

Secondly, choose your clothes wisely. As much as possible use clothes that you already have. This can be done by making slight alterations to clothing. Removing sleeves from a dress, or cutting a long dress short. Dye a white dress red or drastically change the accessories so that the dress looks different. This year for carnival I wore the same dress to three different events. I mixed and matched that dress to death. It is important to visualize how clothes could be mixed, matched or adjusted after the first wear, before purchasing to ensure maximum use. Don’t even think about people who may notice that you are mixing things up because people with talk regardless. At least at the end of the season you would have money in your pocket.

Finally, try to go to as many places for free. I am serious. Ask a friend if you can get tickets for their company event. The trick is to ask early to ensure that you really get it. You may not get free tickets to every single event but with my estimated average of seven hundred and fifty dollars per fete, free or discounted is the best way to go. 3Canal has a cheaper version of their show the week before it actually starts for about half the price. I think it is like a full dress rehearsal. I don’t know, I don’t question I just go. There are several others that are similar in nature.

Essentially I think the key to surviving carnival financially is planning. It is also important to network to get stuff for free or discounted and also to get first edition tickets. In all of this I have made no mention of costume, boots, or carnival Monday wear. That is a budget by itself. We have been doing this every year, do we will get through this one and many more to come.

What is your estimate for the cost of fetes for Carnival 2010? What tips do you have to help make that money stretch a little further for Carnival?

The Machine Readable Passport

For some time now Trinbagonians have been making a mad dash to get the new machine readable passport. This was obviously based on an overzealous statement made in the Parliament by the Minister of National Security Senator Martin Joseph which announced that all citizens would be afforded the opportunity to obtain the new passport by December 2010. Now I think that a long standing man in the arena of politics should know his people better by now. We like new thing. So people hear that there is a new passport available and by 2010 everybody will have one. We Trinibagonians change that to you must have the passport by 2010. The information was not communicated to the public clearly by the officials. Once a passport has not reached its expiration date it is a valid travel document. It is that simple.

Currently there are more than Twenty six thousand (26,000) uncollected passports. Why we so? Obviously there are 26,000 people walking around comfortable with the fact that they clogged the system and applied for a national document that they had no use for. Mind you I am sure that there were other people who needed to travel urgently and could not be accommodated because the system could only process a certain amount of applications at a time. My passport has expired since November 2007 and exactly two years later I have made no serious attempt to obtain a new one. The main reason being, I have no money to go a damn place. Trinbagonians get on as though when they get a passport they automatically get a ticket to go somewhere. What many of us fail to realize here, is that there is a cost attached to storing those uncollected passports. Not to mention the obvious security risks involved. The next thing that is going to happen is that some innovative Trini working in the Immigration Division would realize that money could be made through some racket involving those passports. So please make an attempt to collect your passport as soon as possible.


What has been your experience with this change to the use of machine readable passports?

Nepotism in Trinidad

As a Trini we all have at some point been on the sour or the favourable end of some type of nepotism. Nepotism is so engrained in our culture that we look for a link or hook up before going through the proper channels. Now is this good or bad? And how can it be avoided in a society as small this one?

Now I think nepotism is good to a certain extent. For example I may have a friend who is qualified for a particular job and I may be in a position to ensure that my friend gets hired. But there are instances where favouritism is pushed too far and people are placed in positions that they either have no clue about or are simply not qualified for. I know for a fact that I have benefitted on several occasions and will, without a doubt give someone I know a chance over a complete stranger. But where does it stop?

There are times when nepotism is so bad that it is almost impossible to get something done unless you know someone in the department or agency. Sadly this is usually the case in many government agencies. There are numerous horror stories of persons trying to get their passport or birth paper to no avail. Now I draw the line at nepotism when it comes to the delivery of government services, especially because these services cannot be provided by an external party. Additionally some of these services that are provided by the Government are essential to conduct business in our everyday lives as law abiding, tax paying citizens in this country.

Now nepotism in private entities is a whole different issue. I will use the example of the pre-registration issue in the Carnival Mas Band Tribe. As far as I know Tribe is a private entity and is free to do whatever with their registration process. As a paying client or customer you have a choice not to partake in the provision of their service especially since there are several other options to play mas.

Nepotism in our little place called T&T is like many other things, we have to take the bitter with the sweet. When it is favourable to you take it and smile, when it is not cuss as much as you can and hopefully you will get what you want. It is part of we culture and it helps to make us lovers sometimes or haters other times of sweet T&T.