Miami Carnival: Part 1
I am baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack. Miami was…FANTASTIC. I had a time! It is definitely the best carnival outside of T&T. Well, I have only been to Trinidad Carnival, Caribana in Toronto and NYC over Labour day. The morning did not start off very well. I got to the airport and my flight was delayed. That meant I was would miss my connection in Montreal to Miami. I hate when that happens. Drives me crazy. There were no other flights by Air Canada to Miami. I was getting heated when she looking for a new flight and telling me I may not be able to fly out that day. Finally she was able to find me a new flight out of Philly with US Airways. UGH. I hate American airports. I avoid them when I can. They are too big. I am forever getting lost and forget asking someone who works there to help you. They just want to give you attitude. I have had a few bad experiences in the Philly airport.
*beginning of rant*
Did you all know that US Airways allows dogs to fly in the cabin? What de rass? My feelings about pets are well known and I think it is ridiculous to allow pets to fly in the cabin. I was sitting across the aisle from a woman who, before she put her dog in the container under her seat, held her dog in her lap and was basically French kissing it. Let me explain. You know when people let their dogs lick their lips, or even worse stick their tongue out while the dog licks their lips? That is basically French kissing your dog. That shit is so nasty in my opinion. Why, why, why would you ever let a dog do that? Sorry, but that is just so fucken gross to me. Just ew. Also, the guy two rows in front of me complained to the flight attendant that he was sitting next to a dude who chewing tobacco. Dude even had a little cup. When I first saw him I thought he had a busted lip, but nope he was just chewing tobacco. The flight attendants told him that he was free to leave the plane, but there was nothing against the rules about chewing tobacco and spitting it into a cup. Really? Seriously?? Well, there should be. That is fucken nasty. Imagine sitting next to someone for three hours who was chewing and spitting tobacco. Ew. US Airways is way too permissive in my opinion.
*end of rant*
I landed and The Oldest was there with my God Sister (her mother is my Godmother) to pick me up. We went straight to the roti shop to get tickets for the parties. Tickets were so hard to come by it was crazy. We ended up hitting all the fêtes we wanted to go too, but it was so hard trying to track tickets and people were acting so stink when we would call them and ask about ticket availability. One lady hung up on me. I had to call her back and cuss her ass out. Don’t let them put your name on the blasted flyer if you don’t want anyone to call you to look for some tickets.
Thursday night we went to Girl Power. I was not expecting to see a lot of people because it was a Thursday night, but it had a good crowd. Alison Hines was excellent, but I was really looking forward to Destra. I love her song ‘I Dare You.’ It was one of my favourite songs of the 2007 Carnival season. My friends were just laughing. I hadn’t seen Destra perform live in a minute, but I could not understand why TO and GS were just snickering whenever I brought up Destra. They told me to just wait and see. All I can is…daaaaaaaaamn. She put on one shitty show. Honestly, she is wack. There is no other way to put it. She remixed all her songs so they were almost unrecognizable. People started ignoring her, especially when she started to sing songs that were not soca like ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’ by Fergie and ’No One’ by Alicia Keyes. Ehhhhhhhhnnnnn (imagine a buzzer noise). No…just no. You can not be singing R&B. First, her voice is not strong enough for it and second nobody wants to hear that. We are at a soca Fête. Sing your own soca music not some R&B. If she had tried that nonsense in Trinidad she would have definitely got pelted with a bottle or two. The funniest thing was when Destra was on stage and she was screaming “Fiyah, Fiyah, Fiyah” and this guy beside me said “Nah, woman, more like watah, watah, watah.” LOL. Too damn funny. We busted outta of that fête early after Wackstra or Shitstra (her new nicknames) was finished performing.
Friday night we went to the International Flag Night & Breakfast Block Party at the Bayside Hut. This location is one of the reasons that Miami Carnival reminds me of T&T. It’s a nice big outdoor location. This was the best night, hands down. There were so many cute West Indian boys. I love my people, but Caribbean people I gotta say something.
*beginning of rant*
On the radio we kept hearing people calling in from VI (Virgin Islands) and TC (Turks & Caicos) calling to big up their countries. Apparently TC is setting up to have their first carnival in November. Good for them. However, not only were they trying to big up their countries, but they were subtly and sometimes not so subtly trying to diss Trinidad. My roots are Trini. I love Trinidad & Tobago. My parents were born there and they have always made me feel like that culture is also my culture. I grew up eating Trini food, listening to soca and playing mas. I may be biased, but the fact of the matter is that Trinidad has the best carnival in the world, with the best soca music to go with it. All the other small islands need to just stop hating. End of story. You wanna big up your island…cool. Use your own damn music to do it then. Oh wait…that’s right…you don’t have any good soca music to do that…do you? No, your carnival is not as good as ours, your music is not as good as ours and no you can not wine better than Trini girls. Sorry, that is just not happening. So when you try to big up your country do not wear a t-shirt that says “VI to De bone” or some other such none sense. You are going to big up your country using a song that was written to big up Trinidad? Really?!? That seems like a good idea to you?? Whatever to you and to that. I swear all the other islands (with the exception of Jamaica) have a small island complex. Yah, I said it. You need to just stop hating. You just wish you were from Trinidad too. Admit it 
*end of rant*
Pic of Machel with Xtatik. I took this pic for Cranky Putz. That’s Patrice Roberts singing Sugah, Sugah. You shoulda been there.
This was a Socavivor event. By the end of it I felt like the ultimate survivor. Machel Montano and Xtatik did not get on to the stage until 7:00 a.m. The sun was coming up, but it was such a good performace. He, of course, bigged up the ultimate West Indian island…Brooklyn. LOL. The only island that gets called out more at the Soca Fêtes I went too than Trinidad is Brooklyn. I swear every Brooklyn Trini was in Miami for Miami Carnival. I met some cute boys at this event in particular a cute Trini boy who lives in…you guessed it Brooklyn. He was too sweet. He told me that I was proof that Trinidad produces beautiful women. He wasn’t lying. LOL. I love Caribbean men. They were representing and looking very, very fine.
Loving Miami Carnival,
Miz JJ
Filed under: Being a Trini, Friends, Music, Vacations |
I am soooo hatin right now! I’m glad you had a wonderful time.
Girl I love your adventures. I am glad you are back safe and sound.
Sounds like more fun than I could handle…7AM…seriously?
So…brooklyn boy means trips to NY….niiiice. See you soon.
Love your new spot JJ and glad you had fun!
Glad to hear you had fun. Did you hear about or were you near the fight on the B2B truck?
About the small-island hating… I think many a small islander might have a bone to pick with you on that talk. Many of them do not believe Trinidad soca music is the best soca music. The problem with soca is that, unlike reggae, no one country has a true monopoly on the genre. As a result every island is proud of their own music. However, there is a definite perception that Trinis act as if they have a monopoly on the music and often neglect to play music from the so called small islands. Thats just part of the reason for some of the resentment it seems…
TRINI 2 DE BONE.
So glad you had a good time. I am all for the smaller islands having Carnival and enjoying themselves. Everyone has the right to enjoy and celebrate their culture.
HOWEVER….TNT has the best carnival hands down. There is no contest. End of discussion.
(I got ya back MizJJ)
And yes, I am a Trini (born there) and a Brooklyn Trini (raised there)…double whammy!
@erica c: I had a fantastic time.
@ms. complexity: I am back…unfortunately.
@blahblahblah: they got on the stage at 7:00 a.m. We did not get home until after 10:00 a.m. We were up two hours later to go to a breakfast party. LOL.
@princessd: thanks!
@fiyah: So which small island are you from
@1969: Exactly, but you don’t need to diss Trinidad to big up your own island. There is good soca from a lot of the small islands, but they just hate on T&T. Completely wack.
Loving it!!! TRINI 2 DE BONE - born and raised.
I feel you on the small island thing and have often gotten in many heated discussions about it.
Yes Trinidad may not be the only island with soca but you know what we PERFECTED IT!!!!
First solo soca artist to sell out Madison Square Garden TWICE - TRINI.
Look don’t get me started. Small islands need to just fall in de damn lane and try not to get run over!!!
First carnival aign’t even happen yet and they talking smack!! *shaking head and laughing*
Glad you had fun
girl, i was laughing out loud with your comments. you should never stop writing.
i feel salt too when your fav artist has a wack live act. that is fraud, and they should be charged. my brothers bottled shaggy when he wouldnt get off stage to let bounti killa perform… and that was in toronto. hahaha
i feel you on the small island complex. if you want to big up yuhself, good for you. but dont try to drag next islands down too. trinidad is the mother of all carnivals. that would be like me saying caribana was better than any carinival. and everyone knows that when you say mas or carnival, you are talking about trinidad.
seriously though, i need a ticket to miami, because dudes up here are stale like tuff bread. gimmie a link on the tickets, please and thanks…
Sounds like so much FUN!!!!!!!!! I wish I could have been there but I am glad you enjoyed yourself.
sounds like you had a fantastic time!
Good for you on having a great time. I figured you would. That was a sure no-way-not-to-have-fun trip extravaganza if there ever was one. Great job on supplying pictures. I’m a very visual kind of cat and love photo-magraphs! Your post was nicely done mizjj! Have a great weekend!
Small-island?! What? Who? Me? Nah… I am from Jamaica where ALL the other islands (including Trinidad) is a small island. lol
So hol’ on now… Trinidad Carnival is the best? Better than Brazil’s? Yuh sure…
@Triniprincess: LOL! Exactly. Everyone else is just hating on T&T.
@Lene: You need to go to Miami. It was hotness.
@ingriddanielle: I really did enjoy myself.
@aquababie: You know it.
@Luke Cage: More pics to come.
@Fiyah: Whatever man. My rant was written about a specific incident, which was small islanders dissing T&T to big up themselves. I am not arguing with you on my blog. Feel free to write on your blog about how Brazilian carnival is better than T&T carnival. You will not be reading anything like that here. NEXT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
better get rich and start flying business/first class
better yet, private jet
tell you why
more airlines are going the way of USairways–charge you more, give you less and any old body can just climb up in there.
yay!!!!!!!! that sounds so fun!!!!! lmao @ I hate American airports. so funny. they are large, but i get annoyed when i’m at a small one… kind of. atlanta’s airport tho? just makes no sense. trust, you never want to go there. hope you went to versailles for a mojito. *crossing fingers.*
okay i’m officially feeling a bit of cultural jealously because our Mardi Gras ain’t what it used to be any more I tell you. I might have to come to the Jump Up with you seriously. My two best friends in Hawaii were Trini and hearing all the stories about all the nights they partied ’till morning always made me feel like we were some kinda kindred spirits…
Ummm is there anyway you can get me some of that Chritmas Rum drink? The one that’s like Egg Nog but thicker with lots of Rum. I can’t remember the name but my boys mother used to bring me some all the time!
Congrats on your new place here. I’m with you on kissing dogs….I love them but they lick their butts and everywhere else. Gross…..
sounds like you had fun. I’m going to have to stow away in your bag next time.
Aunt Jackie….ponche de creme.
Ok I missed all of that I didn’t get down until about noon, the weather further north (west Palm Beach) was horrible. We were in Hollywood the night before (with a cute trini myself) and he told me it started at 6am I just couldn’t wrap my mind around that one!! It was my first carnival but damn!! Anyway I had an awesome time, glad you did too!!
Thanks for the pics…those guys are so freakin talented, they can sing anything under the sun…Next year for sure!!!!
@GC: Apparently, but I would have been beyond disgusted if some dude was chewing and spitting tobacco beside me.
@jameil: I have been to the ATL airport. That place was crazy. I did not get to versailles for a mojito. Next time…promise.
@aunt jackie: What 1969 said. My mom hasn’t made punch of creme in a few years. However, I may be able to smuggle back at bottle from Trinidad as I am going for Christmas.
@Rose: Damn, I forgot about the but licking. EW!
@courtney: I did have fun…too much fun!
@Leogoddess: There’s more to come….
@Cranky Putz: I have a few more pics for ya.
DAYUM!! You aint snap did you…
My father’s peoples are from St. Croix and I think the thing with the V.I. people is they feel like they are always getting dissed. Cats dont really show them love when it cmes to West Indian’s they are like the 4th cousin, twice removed or something. I love St. Croix cause that is heritage for me and I love the culture and the people (West Indian’s period) but i think cats from the V.I. are that way cause they can never get any real love so they extra now…poor things LOL!!
woooooow.
lmao@your rants. you’ve got a point regarding the airlines though. ain’t no way a dog should be allowed on the airplane. what if someone on there is allergic to dogs?!? what then, that person gotta get off the plain? that’s some boosheet.
and chewing tobacco? EWWW.