February 26, 2023
I want to start this entry by saying my Carnival Tuesday experience was magical because of John. There’s simply no way around it. I would’ve dropped out of carnival after lunch if it wasn’t for John. But with his gentleness and companionship, we went right down to last lap!
John, my first and only carnival love; if you’re reading this, thank you!
My carnival Tuesday started early with a 5:30 am wake-up time. The day was set to begin at 7 am, so I was up early enough to meet up with the band. But this day started less smoothly and much later than I’d hoped.
I showered, put on my costume, and had a lot of trouble from there.
Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
Nothing about my costume fitted properly. The construction of the bra made no sense, and when it was time to wear it the way it was suggested, it didn’t work. The strap across my back was extremely short, and I was told it was because my bra was meant to be tied. But when it was tied, the straps on my shoulders didn’t sit properly, and I felt very uncomfortable with my bra only being tied. So I had to SQUEEZE.
(Thank you, Nick, for snapping my bra closed; I don’t think I would’ve worn it if you couldn’t).
And let me tell you this, Murthy’s Law was very present on carnival Tuesday. Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Because my costume wasn’t giving what I wanted it to.
At first, my stockings weren’t fitting correctly (the stockings were too high-waisted, or so I thought). The high-waist panty piece was lower-waisted than I would’ve liked, even in the bigger size. And overall, I was very uncomfortable in my two-piece. I also had no idea how to tie my “Rule the Road” backpack, so I felt like a mess before the day started.
I almost cried twice to wear my costume. (It was from a mix of the costume fit and being extremely self-conscious and uncomfortable in my costume.)
But after some positive and loving words from Jen, I pulled my stockings up under my bra, took a deep breath, and was ready to meet the band.
But walking with such a big backpack was a task and a half. I had what can be considered a 6-foot sail on my back, which significantly slowed my walking speed when walking from St. James to Port of Spain. But after many blocks and running into a few people from my section, I caught up to the band, got my backpack tied properly, and was fully secured and ready to take on the road.
However, after all the “speed walking” I did to make it to the band, my feet hurt because I didn’t put socks on with my stockings and sneakers. The day had just begun for me, and I was already ready for it to end. The sun was hot, I didn’t eat anything yet, my feet hurt, and I was over the whole day.
I told myself that after lunch, which was coming up, I’d drop out of the band. I had already crossed the main judging stage, and I can say that I completed my bucket list activity. But John had other plans for me.
We had to stay in our sections when crossing the stage. But after, we were allowed to mix and mingle amongst the other masqueraders in our band, and that’s when John located me on the way to lunch, and we stayed together all the way through Last Lap.
“Right Down Till We Lie Down” was the motto for the day, and so it was. Being around family and rolling with my first carnival love – John, turned my day around completely, and before I knew it, I was already back in Saint James, and the sun was starting to set.
Overall, my first carnival experience was a mess. But it was a good mess because I gained new body confidence, made many new friends, and would play mas again. This time, with more experience of what to expect, and with John by my side, of course!
Ashley Travels The Globe 