Bacchanal Carnival 2012- Thunder storm and I'm soaking wet!

It all started when I collected my Supernova costume on the Thursday before Carnival. I got to mas camp one hour ahead of the scheduled time for collection, which was a really good idea since I was fifth in the line. However, it did not turn out to be such an advantage since it took me over 45 minutes to collect. It was not even noon yet and the service was at snail's pace. This probably would not have been a problem if Bacchanal had abandoned the "family and friends" first policy. As I stood there waiting, numerous persons bypassed the line with several receipts in hand and were given costumes before me. After finally getting my costume, I noted that the bra was bigger than I had ordered and did not even match any of the stated equivalent sizes. But I had already made up my mind to take whatever was in the box and make it work...

On the road, the costumes looked almost like the prototypes. It was clear that several ladies were having bra problems, which were either too big or too small, with mine fitting too big. I really hope that next year Bacchanal can provide sample sizes during registration, which would help us to choose the right one. The waistbands were also a problem with them shredding many tights to bits...

It was a relief to see more people opting for Frontline upgrades by Lehwego or Darrel Bulze. I even had my own customized corset and collar (from Carnival Divaz) which looked Fab btw...I also observed an increase in the number of persons wearing their own costumes- some from Trinidad Carnival and some designed by Explosion mas band. I heard that some people had their own designed by Solange Shaw-Gopaul from Tribe, which looked okay, not great. But the bigger point here is that people want more than Bacchanal's recycled offerings...

As usual, I joined the band late, and people were having a blast. Even when the rains came, it didn't kill the vibes. I was happy that I opted for airbrush makeup from Paul March; ultimately, it was worth the long wait that morning because it held up fine...I stayed with the Pure Country truck with Private Ryan and Alicia the Duchess, which played the best tunes and it got even better as we approached Waterloo Rd and went down West Kings House rd. I have to mention that we had to literally run after the trucks as they apparently forgot that there were masqueraders who came to dance and enjoy themselves and not take part in a sprint...

The food can best be described as the same as every year, but I was happy for the jerk chicken and pasta option since the chinese was very bland. The drinks on the other hand, were flowing and easy to access. I will stress here the importance of walking with your own cup especially when the sponsor of your section did not provide any...

In addition to the poor security and a looonngggg route, the biggest fail for Bacchanal had to be that mess to get back into the stadium at the end of the day. As I stood in the thick crown waiting to get in, two men tried to pick the pockets of a masquerader that stood in front of me. At this point there was little or no security and order to help us get safely into the venue; it was all push and shove. Once I was in the clear, I was on my way home so I'm not sure what the after party was like...

Overall, this was a fun year. Like every year, there's bitching and moaning about the costumes and their prices, but everyone ends up putting these complaints away and enjoying themselves, which is really what carnival is about. But as I will say every year, Bacchanal needs to step up. They have been in this business too long to not get it right. More and more people are taking part in this carnival and I was even more surprised to hear that so many people flew in to take part so there's even more reason to make the event more contemporary...

Bacchanal Jamaica 2012- No Shock

Well yes, Bacchanal Jamaica is using the theme "Future Shock" for 2012. I'm guessing this refers to the shock I did not feel when I saw the costume pics; make note that there are no prototypes available at the mas camp.

The No Shock factor lies in the fact that there's no wow factor with the costumes which are recycled designs and colors; no shock at the website was not launched on the promised date; no shock that the registration process is slow; no shock that it's a cash deposit since there are no point of sale machines; no shock that there is only ONE booklet at the mas camp with poor quality pics for potential masqueraders to view, and no shock that Frenchmen does not have the best costume, But wait, there is one shock- the prices which have significantly increased....

The prices range from US$189- US$246. The bright side is that you can pay less if you take the crown option and not the headpiece. Wow, is that supposed to be a shock? we are so lucky (my attempt at sarcasm).

No shock, but I'm registered in Frenchmen's Supernova (in the pic) without the headpiece, which is US$226. Supernova is not my fave costume but it's either you want to be in Frenchmen or you want a pretty costume. No shock, but Frenchmen is almost sold out. 2 out of the three sections are sold out at the mascamp, but you may be able to get them online if the website ever launches. The remaining section is an awful red which even Digicel had to reject...I guess the ugly factor on that costume could be a Shock.

But not all the costumes lack the shock factor. I really like Smirnoff's Avatar (not the headpiece) and Observer's Encleadus. They are very contemporary and lack that "samaroo's look" (no offfense to Samaroo's). I also hear that Smirnoff"s Avatar is going fast. You can view the costumes on their Fb page.

• So if you are going down to register, don't wait to decide- please know your section before hand.



• Know your sizes- bra, bottom piece and hip (where you wear the belt).



• The downpayment is JA$7000 in cash only.



• If you are registering your friends, have their address, telephone, and email as well.



• The registration is at the new mas camp at Stadium north from 10am-3pm.



• Registration for the tshirt sections is not open.

Thunderstorms,Trinis, Gems, Boots, Bunji & Faye Ann, a Chick with a Huge bottom, and no Kamla...

After recovering from an embarrassing hangover, I was able to get my makeup done at Face Forward which came out really well....big up to Sharon and Krystal! I still didn't feel 100% so I took a nap and met the band on their way to the lunch spot. Talk about rain....one piece of thundershower...big up to all the girls that waterproofed their feathers! The Frenchmen lunch included Chinese and grilled items...I still wasn't feeling so hot so I didn't eat. Back on the road, I stayed close to the Renaissance truck with DJ Smoke and Alicia the Duchess. Bunji and Faye Ann was also on this truck so there was a lot of vibe. The music was current and I didn't have to hear the same 10 songs. The highlight was the performances from the power couple who delivered song after song....bess. And talk about trinis; nuff trinis on the road, on the truck, performing, Mcing; DJing...I mean the only Trini that wasn't there was Kamla.

Later in the afternoon we got a couple wings with bread or crackers which was a life saver since I didn't eat the lunch. I chased the wings with lucozade which was my drink for the day so I was sober and energized. After the wildness in Half Way Tree, we had the best chip down Knutsford Blvd, again with Bunji and Faye Ann on the mike. At mas camp, I collected my dinner, jumped in a taxi and went home. After all the fuss about the costumes, closing down the wall on the Bacchanal Fb page, refunds, reselling of costumes etc.. people did have a ball. Everyone looked like they were enjoying themselves even after the rain had completely washed away make up and eyelashes. I didn't see much of the other sections since I didn't really leave the Frenchmen section but Frenchmen's 2 sections looked the best. The green in Avalon and the purple in Shangri la stood out over the other costumes. The most diappointing were Capetian and Digicel's Ming Dynasty....no surprise there right.

Can you say gems and boots. It was like a bedazzler exploded that morning! Gems, gems and more gems...small, medium, large, on the face, on the body and even on lips...my word, Samaroos would be proud. And then there were the boots in varying colours, styles and height. So it's safe to say that the Jamaican masqueraders are moving with the times and it's now left up to Bacchanal to update the costumes designs. We need back packs, tails, collars, bigger headpieces, less plume feathers, more creative color schemes and bras that fit. Now the bra issue was a big problem that I hope that somebody plans to fix next year. All Bacchanal has to do is provide sample bras from the supplier during registration so that women could select the correct size because these bras were obviously not standard sizes.

Personally, I had a great time. My corset was FAB. I bought it at Sincerely Yours in Trinidad for TT$400 and it is most comfortable corset I've ever worn. It's pretty easy to cover the corset with fabric using a glue gun and use applique and gems that match the bra. To top it off, I had a GORG collar made by Carnival Diva that complimented the costume really well. It was very light and easy to carry. My pouch from Bacchanal Divas held all of my necessities and was coincidentally made from the same fabric used on the corset. I'm glad that I ordered a size 8 boots from Carnival Kicks because they fit like a 7.5 but had enough room for the toe protectors and the insoles. My Micles stockings did not rip!!!! This miracle could be attributed to the plastic gems or the short time I spent on the road; It's so in tact that these could be worn again.

Despite all the costume problems and my hangover, this was one of my best carnivals in Jamaica. The music was bess, my costume was comfy and the crew had vibes....

Check out some photo albums here, here and here.

And the Prep Begins...

My Jamaica Carnival week was supposed to start on Wednesday with the I Love Soca fete at Devon house but after an almost 3hr wait for my costume at mas camp, I did not feel up to it. I had a headache and was extremely upset. I did not get the belt that I ordered; Bacchanal claimed to have ran out of Frenchmen armbands and I would get my band on the day of the road march...which did not make any sense to me because we know that on Sunday no one will be doing so. To top it off, miss thing CSR needed a serious attitude check. Bacchanal, please hire CSRs who are informed, efficient and can work well under pressure and don't tell me crap like"I'm just helping out" because guess what? the costume is not free...well you know that I had to tell her that I don't care about her working for her free costume...

By Thursday I got my belt adjusted by a seamstress for JA$1000 (wth!) and got the items to decorate my corset. By this time, I'm feeling better and thinking about going to Frenchmen Blocko but I also want to wake up to watch the Royal Wedding (yes, I'm a sucker for weddings). But my fete friend also had to wake up early so we decided to just settle for William and Catherine (my girl drop the "Kate" yes).

I took a nap after the wedding and decided to try mas camp for the armband because the guidelines clearly stated that persons without bands will not be allowed in the band even in the costume. So I got my band and even collected my boots from Carnival Kicks. The size 8 boots fit my size 7 feet really well with enough room for my insoles and toe protectors. They gained mucho points by bringing the boots to Jamaica to reduce the ridiculously high shipping fees....

At this point, I had my boots, my belt, armband and my corset was being decorated. I also had my VIP tics for the Machel show later that night so I was really pumped cuz nothing could be better than getting a good dose of Machel....

Carnival Tights....

As I get prepare to go on the road, my one never-go-without for mas is my tights. I'm sorry but my legs are jiggly and flawed and I don't feel as naked with tights so I rather stay home that go without. But tights have also been one of my biggest frustration particularly trying to keep them in pristine condition during the day. There are two major contributors to runs in tights: snags while putting it on and snags caused by the costume. Here are some tips for wearing and maintaining:

• Stretch tights before wearing.


• Spray a light mist of hairspray to strengthen the fibres.


• Place your two thumbs inside one of the while sitting or standing.


• Place your index, middle and ring fingers along the outside of the tights.


• Roll the tights leg up to the toe of the hose, using the thumb, index, middle and ring fingers of both hands, while allowing the tights to bunch loosely in the palms of your hands.


• Widen the opening of the tights for your foot by stretching the tights outward by securing the tights with the tips of your thumbs and pulling outward.


• Place your big toe inside the rolled tights by bending your knee and pointing your big toe.


• Slowly glide the tights over your foot, heel, up your leg and over your knee and up to your crotch using your hands, while unrolling the tights as needed.


• Repeat the same process for your other leg.


• Pull the panty of the tights over your buttocks and rest the waistband of the tights on your waist.


• Remember this is a slow process so don't rush it.


• Trim nails prior to putting on the tights.


• Remove jewelry as well.


• If in doubt, wear surgical gloves especially if you are wearing acrylic nails.


• If you really particular like me, walk with an extra pair.


• If not, walk with clear nail polish to stop any runs.

Luckily my Avalon costume has plastic gems so they won't damage the tights. If your costume has metal gems, you can coat them with clear nail polish. If there are any sharp hanging decorations and you want to keep your tights run-free, remove them...trust me I've learnt this the hard way...

No Costume for Me

It's just my luck that when I got to mas camp to collect my costume, I had to leave empty handed. Although everyone else got their costume, my costume "was not ready". In true Bacchanal Jamaica style, no e-mail was sent and no phone call was made to give any warning that I should not waste my time and gas in order to get through the Holy Thursday traffic to get to mas camp. So "they will call me" when the costume is ready. Well we know how that usually goes; nobody will call me. However, I must say that I am impressed with the costume (not the headpiece); it looks very much like the prototype although persons are complaining about the size being much smaller than standard sizes. Bacchanal, this is why you need sample sizes during the registration process. Also, the bottom piece is a darker shade of green than the bra.

I am also happy that Frenchmen is trying to revamp the exclusive nature of their section. It seemed that over the years Frenchmen got lost among the other sections with no special services except at the lunch stop. Today Frenchmen masqueraders were warned that they should pay special attention to the section rules and stay in their section.

Btw, these pics are of my friend's costume; not mine :(

More Cusomized Carnival Gear

Another Carnival service is offering customized boots, mugs, bags...I endorse any young person with talent who offers a legit and impressive service for reasonable prices. I really like Bacchanal Divas' blinged out accessories which are not very common for carnival in Jamaica so yay for you for jumping on an opportunity to carry the look to another level. If you really want to stand out as a masquerader you need to go BIG and that means paying attention to ALL details which is what separates a Mas Diva from a masquerader. Check out her FB page and pics and good luck to you Ms. Diva.

Back to JA Carnival

So the focus shifts to JA Carnival for the next month...I'm gonna try and do as much posts to keep my fave 23 ppl updated and some cool people who've sent me positive messages about the blog...If you have any questions or suggestions about JA Carnival just send me a msg either on FB or an email...

I get the feeling that this year is going to be a BIG year for Bacchanal Jamaica...There are many first time masqueraders...There are more sections than ever...And it's also going to be a GLAM Carnival. There have been a lot of ads for boots, make up sevices, accessories, customized bags, body painting etc. It seems that people are expecting the Carnival to move with the times. And of course there must be some bacchanal brewing among all of this excitement...

There's been an additional Frenchmen section which I have addressed in a previous post, Catalona which is different from the pic that was posted on their fb page. It's a cute gold costume; with the old school- Samaroos mardi gras beads which is going for JA$19500 so I guess you have to be extremely desperate or rich to play in that section.

The most disturbing section is the all female section is Capetian, what the hell is that- a pink mess with strips of fugly fabric. I understand this was not the original design that was advertised and persons who registered with the first design are very upset.

SOS seems to be catering for a mature crowd with a sailor inspired costume. The male costume is okay but the female costume is a mess. I mean who still wears a cycle shorts???? However at their fete last Sunday, I saw they had another sexy sailor option on display which is way better than the original female option. I suggest that they scrap the first female option and offer a longer top for the more conservative ladies. This section is JA$12000.

2 plus 1 is a private section whose costume Sona I like. The detailing on the bra and belt is really nice but I find the colours to be a bit bland but sometimes these colours look different on the road. Check out their fb page for pics of the costume and registration information.

On the bacchanal side of things, some frontline masqueraders have been complaining about problems with the "complimentary" services that were offered at the time of registration. Apparently, if you can't fit into the "complimentary" boots which come in mostly hobbit sizes then you have to find your own...if you know more about this, hit me up....

I took these pics with my phone so the quality is not the best...Blackberry curve needs a camera with flash eh...

Bacchanal Jamaica 2011 Update

I guess it's no surprise to Bacchanal that the Frenchmen costumes were sold out in a matter days so they had to introduce a "third" section to appease the disappointed masses. This pic is from their FB group and not even the group administrator has seen the costume but we know that it will be JA$19500! wth! From past years, this 3rd section always look like an "add on"; it never seems as if much thought was put into it. But by now Bacchanal should know that they will always need this section; why are they surprised by the overwhelming response? Because I could have told them that....

They have also released information about the tshirt sections which will cost $11,500 for Frenchmen and Digicel tshirts will be priced at $9,500. Wth x 2! I went back to a post on their discussion board from last year which stated that tshirts were JA$8000 and JA$6000...now that is a ridiculous price increase! just for a tshirt? Now I don't know too much about the tshirt business but I know that Sun Island, Island T or Magic T are not superior tshirt brands so tshirt masqueraders will bring in the profits that Bacchanal couldn't get from the costume masqueraders.

But the bottom line is that, just like alcohol, marijuana and crack cocaine, no matter the price...people will pay for what they are addicted to....

Harts or Bacchanal?????

There was this one masquerader last Sunday whose individual costume caught my attention. It did not match any of the other costumes and it just seemed really familiar. I decided to send a pic of the costume to Saucy, the carnival costume guru and the creator of http://www.trinidadcarnivaldiary.com/ and I asked her if she knew this costume. Lo and behold, she confirmed my suspicion that this costume Life in the Waters/Earth Crisis came from the Trinidadian Carnival band,Harts 2010 presentation "50". I have no problem with people using their Trinidad Carnival costume in Bacchanal carnival because you paid a lot of money for it and it looks better than the Bacchanal costume. And in this masquerader's case, she stood out and got lots of attention from photographers. I saw her in both newspapers and tagged in a lot of FB pics. She also seemed to a part of the "Bacchanal VIP" so I guess it was no big deal for her to wear her Harts costume. But again I wonder if all is equal in Bacchanal because there's a clear policy which states that, "Only costumes purchased from Bacchanal are permitted- you will be asked to leave the band and your armbands removed if found in any other costume". Now I wonder if I came in my Thailand costume from Spice if they would have thrown me out?

Pic of the Harts Costume: http://www.trinidadcarnivaldiary.com/

Pic of the Masquerader: Jamaica Star Newspaper

Bacchanal Jamaica 2010: A Success???

I don't know much about PR but Bacchanal Jamaica really think I really stupid and that I have short term memory because I got a message from them in my FB account this week singing their praises. Now, I am not saying that I didn't enjoy myself cause I real palance and some people probably have that on camera, but don't expect me, a paying customer to forget the sh$t that people went through since the band launched earlier this year.

Furthermore, they have the audacity to quote one of their people praising the band, "Bacchanal Jamaica PR manager Renee Hartley said, 'It was an amazing and fulfilling bacchanal journey and the rain just added to the merriment. Seeing the love and unity between everyone this season makes me only look forward to another successful and unforgettable year." Steups, I know for sure that there was no love and unity when dozens of people didn't get their entire costume on the Friday before, or when people realized that the costume didn't fit the way it should or when people waited for up to thirty minutes to get their lunch. So Ms. Hartley stop feeding people this PR bullsh$t. In fact you should address some of the following:

• Registration began without any prototypes of the costumes on display.


• Female masqueraders should have been able to try on the bra at registration.


• Come on, we all know that Frenchmen was not sold out when you said it was.


• The tshirts should have been ready the same time as the costumes.


• What's with these Bacchanal babes??? Why would you help to promote body discrimination by allowing these people to "select" their masqueraders based on a full length photograph. These people are paying their money; it's not like the costume free!


• All of the costumes should have been ready for the stipulated distribution time.


• Some of the bras should have fit better; check your suppliers for quality.


• You need to recognize that all of your masqueraders are not the same size so consider the diversity of body types.


• The distribution process is too slow and disorganized.


• Please explain the mishaps at the lunch stop: why were some people unable to get their lunch in an effecient manner? Because someone was not in babes or Frenchmen does not mean that they should be completely disregarded.


• Where were the security guards in Half Way Tree?


• On a personal note, I did not get my complimentary Pure Country orange juice!

So stop acting like everything was fine and dandy because there are people like me who know that when I give you my money, you are not doing me a favour so treat me like a paying customer. Guess what? Mas is a business so act like you know how to run it.....

Bacchanal Jamaica Palance 2010

I was very happy that I did not to meet the band on time at 10am on Sunday because by 11:30, the band was no where to seen on Wellington Drive. I then decided to meet the band at that point and waited for almost 30 minutes until they got there. Once we got with the band, the vibes were nice and the music was good. Again, big up to Private Ryan, a real soca DJ as well as DJ Smoke from Renaissance. The band looked great even though I didn't really get to see the costumes in their sections. There's really a difference when you see the prototype costume and when you see it on the road in the daylight with masqueraders in their glam makeup and accessories. There were a couple of individual costumes, not sure how legit these were since they didn't really go with the theme...some did look good though. On another note, why are some men still wearing cycle shorts with their costume? Hello...not even Colin Lucas wearing cycle shorts anymore! The male costume comes with the board shorts so that means you have to make a special request for the cycle shorts....which is more disturbing.

So everything went well, we palanced down the road.. in the hot hot sun...people, drought sun is the worst sun. And you know if the sun hot, you get thirsty...these people only distributing tiny bags of water and the bar did not give a bottle of water but poured it into a 6 oz cup so I real vex I left my cup at home (I'm one of those people who want to "save" their complimentary cup to carry to work). I suspect the water situation had something to do with the sponsors.

About 1:30, we got to the lunch stop on Lady Musgrave Rd. and this is where the mess happened. Because I was in Frenchmen, I went to our designated 2 tents...if you see push for lunch and you know your girl not in that wildness so I waited a little for the hungry people to get their food first...I don't now why these people couldn't just form a line. So I opted for Chinese roast chicken and then made my way for a drink. There were mimosas, wine spritzers and fruit juice. I had a couple of mimosas and asked for an orange juice. Now I don't know if I blight with Pure Country orange juice but I was told that I couldn't get the juice in a bottle, only in a small cup....I real like my juice and I was really thirsty too so a little cup of juice would have done nothing...so I take the lil cup and humble myself...I should have brought my own damn cup! Frenchmen masqueraders could also choose from fruit plates, hot dogs, jerk chicken and rolls. There were a lot of chairs, sinks and portable toilets in their lunch section.

I went back to meet the hubby and lo and behold, he had not moved in the line for the Kashmir, Kahlahari and Diamonds masquerders. I realised that the food was now being boxed by only three persons whereas everyone else's food was already in boxes. People got very agitated and a fight broke out; it got even worse when they sent the sanitation workers to collect their food at the same tent. (Imagine the sanitation workers had their own section: Binny..). The masqueraders were in that line so long that I saw a girl pass out right there...they couldn't even get water to her because there were no drinks inside the lunch stop. Eventually he got his lunch and we ate...the food was horrible...I regretted not having the hot dog and fruits instead of the uncooked rice and cabbage but the chicken was edible. I went to the Frenchmen bathrooms which were extremely clean with toilet paper and went back on the road. The lunch stop was poorly organized; it seems as if you are not in Frenchmen or Bacchanal babes (BB had an two tents for themselves while 6 sections battled it out under two tents), you had to put up with poor organization amd horrible service; at the end of the day, everyone was a paying customer. I am really tired of this segregation in the mas, with some people getting preferred treatment over others, and we know that a whole heap of people in the stoosh sections, get their costume free.

The palance from Lady Musgrave was fun...the sun was gone, I had plenty protein in my system and I had 2 bags of water. I was still with the Private Ryan truck and even saw some of my good friends along the way. We got to the beach village and didn't see much people there (somebody please tell me how that went). The whole Waterloo Rd stretch was the best! The rain came and we well palance in that rain. I put my phone and camera in a zip lock bag and I real enjoy myself. By the time, we got to Half Way Tree, it was clear that the rain wasn't easing up and you know Half Way Tree real nasty and I was walking through some black water up to my knee which grossed me out. Also, most of the security guards had disappeared by that point. Now I not in the business of getting ring worm and rash and those kind of things so I jumped in mummy in law's car and went home about 5:15pm.

Although, I didn't go the entire route, I enjoyed myself to the max. The costume held up well and the toe protectors were okay in the boots. I had a previous cut on one of my toes so I'm not sure how effective the toe protector was on that toe. Also the boots were drenched in water, so that also hindered their use but I will try them again next time. Surprisingly, the music was better than expected (Private Ryan to the world!), and the rain came at a good time.

There's a complacency when a band does not have competition; they know that there are no alternative bands so they take on a "take it or leave it" attitude. The customer service at mas camp is horrible and their organization skills are ineffective...we are no longer in the 1990s so step it up and get with the times with your music, costume purchase and distribution and quality and design of costumes. Give us back packs, collars and tails. PLEASE explore new colour combinations and give the men something better to wear....

Bacchanal Jamaica Costume Collection

Bacchanal Jamaica Media Launch Pics

The pics from Bacchanal's media launch have been posted on facebook. The captions for the pics indicate the sponsors: Emeralds of Chivor (green)- Heineken; Burmese Sunset (orange and black)- Jamaica Observer; Star of Asia (aquamarine)- Fame FM; Khalahir Sunset (orange and green)- Acropolis and Treasure of Kashmir (red)-Digicel. The pink costume which was not named on the group is clearly for the Bacchanal babes (surprise, surprise!)Is it safe to assume that the Diamonds of Kilimanjaro which was not featured is one the Frenchmen sections along with Gems of Rio Doce (blue) which is sponsored by Pure Country?

More Bacchanal Costumes!!!!!

Another Bacchanal Jamaica costume, Star of Asia was posted on Facebook today. Kudos to them for trying different colour schemes. They have been recyling the same colours in the last 7 years and I'm glad that there has been some improvement in this area. There's also more beading on the bra (even the strap) and lots more on the waist band but again we are seeing this "recession headpiece". I do wish that they will identify the Frenchmen costumes to ease the suspense but I guess we can wait until tomorrow when the website will be up....

First Look at Bacchanal Jamaica's Costumes

Today Bacchanal Jamaica released that their website will be up on Thursday with registration commencing on Tuesday (I'm assuming this is next Tuesday). Please do not take this information lightly as I remember Frenchmen costumes being sold out long before their opening night. If you have not played in the exclusive Frenchmen section before, you should also note that preference is given to those masqueraders.

The teaser costumes for Treasures were released on facebook today: Emeralds of Chivor, Diamonds of Kilimanjaro, Khalahir Sunstone. The Diamonds of Kilimanjaro (white)has my attention especially the design of the bra and the headpiece. I love the beads and the applique on Emeralds (green) but I'm not feeling the two feathers on the headpiece...I know there's a recession and the costumes prices have not increased but two feathers?? Finally, I refuse to comment on Khalahir Sunstone (orange)...what the...?