This is a continuation of my last blog. I have more tips and didn’t want to overwhelm you in one blog. If you didn’t read part one, go back and read it before starting this… I’ll wait 🙃

7. BE PREPARED: We hope our experience is smooth and what we asked for is what got, but that’s simply not always the case. Immediately after I purchase a costume, I look for a bathing suit or body suit similar to my costume. I take this, along with jewels and a glue gun just in case the person who made my costume thought my measurements were more of a suggestion than reality. I absolutely had a costume where my friend had to sew it (yes she had a whole entire sewing machine) to make it in resemble the monokini I ordered instead of the two piece I got. Take backup tights. Many mishaps happen with long nails and leg pieces. Have makeup and watch some YouTube videos on carnival looks. I have seen MUAs overbook or not be as skilled as their photos would have you believe. I once had a MUA who simply didn’t do makeup well on dark skin. He didn’t even have a foundation to match my skintone. In this age of Fenty with all 40 of its glorious shades, you’d think he could have found or mixed a color to match me. 🤷🏿‍♀️ Take something to wrap a sore ankle or knee especially if you’ve had pass issues. Bottom line is I have never ever NEVER regretted being over prepared, even if I didn’t use the items.

8. DO NOT PLAY JOUVER’T IF YOU DON’T LIKE GETTING DIRTY: “Cyah play mas if yuh fraid powder.” It’s not called dutty mas for nothing. You’ll be covered in paint, mud, powder, oil, water and possibly chocolate. If you are too clean, it’s not uncommon for someone to throw something at you or even hug you to get you dutty. Wear clothing and shoes that you’re ok with throwing away. Cover your hair with scarves, shower caps or a swim cap. I don’t care how dignified you are, you’re not leaving Jouver’t clean. Don’t even be a spectator if you want to stay clean.

9. DON’T EXPECT TO SLEEP: You’ll sleep well two times during carnival; the plane ride coming and the plane ride leaving. There are multiple fetes daily. Breakfast fetes, day fetes, night time fetes and fetes that literally go from night until the sun comes up. Take vitamins, B12 supplements and energy drinks or even pre workout. You absolutely don’t have to and can’t do every fete. However you’re probably going to try.🤪 My bonus tip here is to ask about the fetes and look at videos of them in the past. An all inclusive fete can run $150 and opulent fetes can be $350 (yes USD). So you don’t need to be in the corner nodding out or not have fun.

10. FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH SOCA: Don’t expect to hear much of anything else. As I mentioned previously, I knew no soca music before my first carnival. I didn’t dislike soca, I just didn’t know the genre. Also whatever the hot song is that year, know you’ll hear it in your sleep…literally… I stopped counting after Like Ah Boss played the 13th time at a fete. In 2015 I went to sleep with Like Ah Boss being the last thing I heard and woke up to it being the first thing I heard. This year it was Savannah Grass and many bands, including my own, crossed the stage to it. I saw someone say liking soca wasn’t mandatory, but I disagree. The chune sets the tone and vibes. I mean if you’d never heard Run Wid It, you’d think people were mad picking up anything (including other people) to run with.

11. 🗣 LADIES WATCH YOUR CALENDAR: Being on the road in an all white costume is NOT the time to realize Aunt Flo is visiting. I’ve witnessed this very scenario in real life. You need to plan accordingly with whatever you use. I use cups which allow more freedom. But plan accordingly. Bathrooms aren’t going to be plentiful.

12. SELECT A WINNING TEAM. Just like any other trip, the company you keep can play a huge role. I absolutely did not vibe with or care for the people I went with to my first carnival and it played a role in not being a good time for me. Make sure the persons you’re going with have a love for carnival and that you get along in general. You’re not going to spend every waking moment together, but enough time that bad energy can spread. Also know that mas virgins are a lot. LIKE A LOT. I know because I was one and I went to Caribana with four. Because my first experience wasn’t great and the Scorpio in me needs everything planned well, I became exhausted trying to be sure they had a good experience. I looked up the rooms, fetes, bands, contacted the section leaders on their behalf, set up payment arrangements, etc. That became taxing after a while. Find your core carnival crew and try to stick together. Also don’t be afraid to go alone. You’ll meet friends on the road.

14. LEAVE YOUR INHIBITIONS AT HOME: Seriously. Had I known this before my first carnival, I could have saved myself a lot of worrying. We just want good vibes, good music, good drinks and great waistlines. No one truly in the spirit of carnival cares about your color, size, background, socioeconomic status any of the other things that we use to judge people on a daily basis. Just let go and have a time!

BONUS: THINGS THAT BELONG IN YOUR FANNY PACK OR BACKPACK: Sunscreen (argue with yourself🤷🏿‍♀️), sunglasses (really belong on your face but I know some of you must show those lashes you had applied🙄), wetwipes, hand sanitizer, tissue, a cloth for sweat, your cup/water bottle, cash, pain relievers, identification, insurance card, make up for touch ups, portable chargers, and your friends numbers written down in case your battery dies.

I hope these tips help you as you prepare for your first mas. Feel free to comment and share.😂

I decided to make this a two part series because it was just entirely too long for one post. I REALLY want you to be aware and prepared for your first time playing ah mas.

If you read my intro to this blog or any number of my posts on Instagram (@fluffycarnivalgyal) then you know I have made it no secret that my first carnival experience was borderline disastrous. It wasn’t complete disaster because: 1) I lived to type this 2) I was exposed to carnival 3) I learned so much and can share with you.

1. DO YOUR RESEARCH. I cannot emphasize just how crucial this is to your success. I was completely ignorant of carnival and all it entails. Literally all I knew was that I was going to Trinidad and needed a costume. That👏🏿 Is👏🏿All. I didn’t know the history of carnival, the purpose of carnival, what’s done at carnival… Like the only soca song I knew was Palance (I know, I know death to Palance😏) I remembered a Trinidadian coworker from a few years prior mentioning that he was going home for carnival and that it was a “carefree” time. In my mind new Caribbean island + beautiful costume + freedom = I need to be there. Do yourself a favor; talk to people who have been to carnivals, follow carnival related pages, read up on carnival and do all you can to learn about playing mas. Get recommendations on bands. Ignorance is definitely not bliss here.

2. KNOW THE COST.  This carnival lifestyle is not by any means cheap. The last thing you want is to buy a plane ticket or put down a non refundable deposit on a costume or room only to find out midway through your budget can’t handle it. I am no longer with the same bank, so I don’t have exact figures. However I can tell you with certainty I easily spent about $3,500 and possibly in excess of $4,000 during my first carnival. The cost depends on many factors, but the main determinant is where you’re playing. Example: my backline costume in Trinidad cost more than my ultra frontline costumes in Toronto. The accountant in me advises you have an account specifically for carnival.

3. DO EVERYTHING EARLY.  When I hear people say “Oh yeah I’m thinking about carnival” (specifically Trinidad) in August or later; I think you poor misguided soul. You needed to have made that decision months ago. Where are you staying? There aren’t a plethora of hotels. Also travel agencies, as well as experienced carnivalists, book a year or more in advance. Private residences such as Airbnbs also go fast because they are more economical. Which kidney are you selling for your plane ticket? I look at airfare to Trinidad and Grenada on a regular; just to compare the carnival season prices with the other months. I have seen airfare to Port of Spain from DCA for as low as $280 in months other than February and March. I have told many people “There is no shame in starting to plan for 2021 if 2020 is looking to complicated.” Don’t go play mas and come back to past due bills.

4. KNOW THE ROUTE AND THE DISTANCE. There is a huge difference between the route in Canada versus Miami versus Notting Hill versus Barbados versus Trinidad. I have actual 2019 routes and miles on my page. It goes from 3.5 miles to about a half marathon. I am very serious. Thirteen miles of dancing, sweating and alcohol. You need to be physically and mentally prepared. Again you’re an adult so no one is going to tell you to stop drinking. Pace yourself and for every alcoholic beverage have a water or powerade. Please know there is no shame in stepping out of the parade for a break.

5. WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES. Why would I say something so obvious? Well last week someone, who’s clearly never played mas, told me she was going to design “dancer’s heels” for carnival and asked me if there was a market for them. 😑 Also I know a girl who played mas in heels… in Trinidad…yes that Trinidad… the entire parade. Let that sink in. What do you think happened after she jumped for 13 miles in heels? All ten of her toenails fell off. Her toenails said aight imma head out. I cannot make this up because I’m not that creative. The rest of her time was miserable as you can imagine. With two days of the road and non stop fetes, you need good sneakers/tennis shoes or boots with inserts. Look at Rihanna who actually plays mas, not any real housewife or Instagram model, what’s on her feet?

6. COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR SECTION LEADER. It is important that you clearly and honestly communicate with your section leader. Do all of this in writing and save all correspondence. This person can make or break your experience particularly when it comes to your costume. See my “5 Tips From a Section Leader” blog for more on this.

This is part one. Feel free to ask any questions or comment. Part two will be posted a week from today. Thank you for reading. Remember stop playing yourself and play ah mas. 💗

Ok you’ve heard so much about carnival and playing mas that you’ve decided to do it. WELCOME! It’s about time you stopped playing yourself and playing ah mas. 😝 But where do you begin? Because I mean you really liked Rihanna’s costume from 2016 Cropover and your aunt made your prom dress, so she can just make this right? NO sis… no she can’t. Auntie might be able to help with Monday wear though. 🤔 In this post, I’ll walk you through the registration process.

First you CAREFULLY select your band based on good reviews and reputation. Next your section based on what you like and responsive leaders. Finally your place in the section based on your coin. Your eyes just glossed over, didn’t they? Just keep reading. 😅

In that beautiful array of colors, jewels and feathers; what you are seeing are individual bands. It may look cohesive, but they are separate.

▪︎Each year there’s a new theme which means new costumes. And this ladies and gentlemen is why, say it with me, you can’t “just use the costume from last year.”🤷🏿‍♀️

▪︎Each carnival may have 10 or so bands.

▪︎Within each band are sections. A band could have about 8-10 sections.

▪︎Each section has a name and distinctive costume.

▪︎Each section has subsections. There is always at least a frontline and backline. Sometimes there’s a backline, midline, frontline, ultra frontline and possibly a section leader costume which is one of a kind. Think of backline as the base model of your car. Each subsequent section is an upgrade. Therefore the closer to the front, the more elaborate and expensive the costume. It’s arranged this way for judging purposes. Yes we are judged and are competing for band of the year. So when they say “get in yuh section” they mean it!

So let’s take Caribana 2019. I jumped with (played with) Fantazia Carnival, whose theme was “Rebirth”. I was in the Nebula section and had a frontline costume.

When you register for your costume you are registering with that band. You get a wristband which you should keep on at all times. This let’s security know you belong and gains you access to services, drinks and food.

Most importantly. I don’t care if you can duplicate every part of the costume, 🗣register with a band. Otherwise you’re a stormer and allyuh know how I feel about stormers. 🤬

I hope this clarifys the registration process. Feel free to comment or ask any questions. Thanks for reading.

If you’re anything like me; the period of time between your costume selection and the actual parade is when your section leader makes their way into your top 5 contacts. Also if you’re like me they stay in your contact list.😆

Recent events have put a light on band leaders, section leaders and the inner workings of bands. Much of it hasn’t been positive. I can say that 90% of my experiences with bands have been great and that the section leaders have been an integral part of this.

I decided to speak with Clint (@beastcarnival on Instagram) who was the section leader of the Nebula section for Fantazia. This is the band I jumped with at Caribana. I wanted to get his insight on how to make the experience as smooth as possible. He was gracious enough to give me 5 tips for masqueraders.

1. Register early!!! This is his first and most important tip. Early registration puts you at an advantage mainly because you get a wider costume selection. I registered exactly 3 weeks before Caribana, which I do not advise. By that time frontline was sold out, many of the accessories were sold out, and getting any customizations would have been next to impossible. Through a miracle I was able to get a frontline backpack🙏🏿, but only would have had myself to blame if I didn’t. These items are hand made and take time. Bands who want to deliver quality products will tell you no if the time is short. We thank those bands.💜

2. Communicate with your section leader. I can say I excel at this and probably am in the bug-a-boo range. There are many add on options and variations so clear communication is a must. Be very specific to ensure what you’re asking for is what you get. I’ve even sent pictures circling the items I want. Send the information you’re asked to send when you’re asked to send it (measurements, food preferences, date of arrival, etc). Save ALL correspondence just in case a discrepancy arises.

3. Try not to make too many changes to your costume. Once you select your costume and pay, production begins. So though in your mind going from a regular bra to a wire bra makes more money for the band and should be no big deal, IT IS A BIG DEAL. Material has been used and work has been done. You’re now asking they stop and start again. This wastes time and materials. Select your costume and stop looking because you’ll always see one more thing.

4. Pick up your costume on time. This allows you and the section leader to go through your box/bag together and be sure everything is there. Timely pickup also leaves time if corrections need to be made. In 2016 my monokini looked more like a 2 piece. Because we picked up early my friend was able to sew it into a monokini with extra material we got from the mas camp. Yes, she brought an actual sewing machine. THANK GOD for @cagreinvented!😆

5. BE PATIENT. I know that your parents have told you all your life that you’re special, but you’re outside of your house now.🙃 These bands are dealing with hundreds of people at the mas camp. They all want a personal touch. They all want and should check their bags. They all have questions. Some may have issues that need to be resolved. Some may have hit a fete or 3 and arrived with their friend Mr. Rum. Just bring comfortable shoes, a good attitude and wait your turn.

These are the tips given by a section leader who has been doing this for years and masquerading since he was a small child. Hopefully these steps will help.

Bonus tip from me.😈 Stop giving these section leaders your “I’m going to work out everyday and eat air” measurements then get mad when your costume doesn’t fit. Don’t send the size you wish you were. Send your actual size.