Tuesday in Bliss

Big apologies to my 23 followers about the late posting of my review of Tuesday in Bliss. I have been playing catch up at work, cleaning the apartment, and unpacking the large cargo that was brought back from Trinidad (if those customs officers only knew!).

So we ended Monday happy, the feet lil tired but after a long soak in epsom salts and hot water and a painkiller, I was ready for Tuesday. I got ready fairly early (by my standards) and ate a good breakfast because I knew that I wasn't going to catch Bliss' breakfast. Now the Titan's belt did not have any hanging gems but a fabric fringe so I did not expect to be cut again by the costume belt (if you read my review of Spice last year, you know that same thing happened so I thought I learnt my lesson). Apparently it is now a norm for costumes to lose gems before they are worn so most of the gems came out of the metal clasp and the prongs successfully ripped my stockings and my skin...why am I cursed to have ripped stockings every year??? I probably used quarter of a bottle of clear nail polish the entire day to keep the holes from turning into runs.

Ultimately, I had to wait to get my make up done because I was late as usual and my spot was rightfully given to other customers. But it was worth it. Again, I loved Makeda's makeup- not too much but just my style. I was extremely pleased with the results which held up the entire day with only a little blotting powder applied in the afternoon. So you know I missed the stage! I met the band the same place as Monday but no scene because I had crossed many stages in my mas playing life but my disappointed was that I had never done so as a Frontline masquerader.

By lunch time we are at the same lunch spot in St James but I did not get there as early as I did the previous day and could not secure a blanket nor a space under a tent. This reall sour me because I had on a white costume and I needed to take of the backpack. However, a couple of the rope ladies were so kind to lend me their table for the backpack and I used the bandana from the goodie bag to sit on. I opted for the barbeque lunch that day which again was warm and very adequate. I then had an LLB and a water. Now to use the bathroom...reall pressure... It wasn't so much the wholepiece but the belt had to removed in order to use the toilet and to make matters worse, it was impossible to remove it on my own because it was laced up in the back so this had to be my only pee stop for the day.

After lunch we headed back up St. James following the same route as Monday. At first I was skeptical about this route that avoided the spectators but I saw the benefits; there was no one trying to get into the band, we had the streets to ourselves and it just felt safer. What I wasn't too clear about was the need to turn down the music when we passed the mosque on Mucurapo Rd and the call for masqueraders to stay on the left side of the truck out of the view of the mosque..is this some kind of law I'm not aware of? If it was some kind of morality thing...then explain why some men from the mosque were straining their necks to watch the band? As my mother always say, if something bothering yuh, doh watch or close yuh ears!

Like Monday, I loved the music...although I felt one of the DJs played a tad too much older songs which was unnecessary because there are so many many new tunes. I also wanted to hear Benjai's Trini played more often. I read that Yuma had 17 trucks so I'm glad for the 3 dj trucks and 2 drinks trucks in Bliss; it's supposed to be an intimate experience anyway so why would we want so many trucks hogging space for masqueraders? However there were 2 smaller trucks at the back of the band before the toilet truck; after trying to get a drink from those attendants I was told that both trucks were for a "private truck"...no eh how much more "intimate" can you get?lol

Because of the not peeing stance, I held back on the alcohol on Tuesday because I don't really like to drink too much when it's really hot and Tuesday was waayyy hotter than Monday! And the drinks were flowing; kudos to the bar and the bar staff. But with my fass self I drank 2 flutes of champagne....bad idea! I just liked how cute the flutes look but note to self- "self, champagne and sun doh mix!". I then started feeling warm all over and nauseous so I decided to sit in the rest bus. I walked up and down looking for this bus...no rest bus! If any Bliss masqueraders read this post, please let me know if there was a rest bus. Thank you to a lady with a bar on Tragarete road who let me sit on one of her chairs and gave me some ice cold water...bless

Not too long after, I was back in the band heading down French Street to Arapita Ave, deviating a little from the Monday route. We then crossed the Victoria Square judging point so I say well we going downtown for sure today...but then they made a left on Richmond Street to head back to Jenny's for the after party. I am not keen on this after party business; I just like being on the road but I later learnt about the jam up downtown which would have been horrible so I guess going to Jenny's was the better decision. So my day ended there which is was fine with me.

Now I saved the best for last...so all this time I was enjoying myself I didn't tell you that one side of the bra became detached from the rest of the wholepiece. As the afternoon passed, more and more of the stitching became undone leaving me with a fear that one of my boobs will pop out for sure...I would like Bliss to tell me what a masquerader is supposed to do at that point; this problem could not be fixed with glue or pins so am I supposed to walk with a sewing kit as well???? Now you maybe thinking "well that's made in China for you!" but no, the swimsuit was made right at the Carlton Savannah, Port of Spain Trinidad. After paying TT$5600 for the costume, don't tell me no crap about you also have to pay for the all inclusive experience yada yada...as far as I am concerned I paid TT$5600 of my Government of Jamaica frozen wages for a costume cuz playing mas means wearing a costume so if anything is supposed to be of the best quality is the costume. I am so fed up of masqueraders complaining about their costume or parts of their costume falling apart...this should not happen! And the bandleaders pay no attention and continue to sell low quality products for exhorbitant prices. I have no problem paying the exhorbitant cost if the quality and design of the costume match the price...

Overall being on the road with Bliss was loads of fun but my primary concern with playing mas is my costume, not if I got to drink JWB or pee in a scented toilet so I feel like I was robbed of my money. Imagine that you purchased an outfit and when you wore it for the the first time, it ripped apart; what would you do? You would return the outfit and probably never shop there again. If you've followed my blog or know me, you know that I don't have band loyalty and would jump ship very quickly if I am dissatisfied especially with the cost of the band so I am not grateful that Bliss accepted me to play in their band; I don't owe them any favors so I don't have to play with them again. And honestly I don't know if I will. I had a great time because I didn't want to let the costume issue spoil my carnival experience and the customer service to address problems was extremely impressive but I can't move move past the fact that the main part of my costume did fall apart.

The cost of playing mas has been increasing but the quality of the costumes has been decreasing and yet people still continue to support these bands (me included) so it's really up to the individual masquerader to decide to take a stance. I admit without apology that I love the stooshness of these bands and the extra perks they offer but at some point I want to feel as if I'm not taken for a fool because I'm willing to throw money after them. So I'm glad that Tribe/Bliss has indicated that we can submit suggestions...I'll be sending that e-mail very soon.

I've not thought it through yet but I feel as if I need to take a break from playing mas next year (and no, I'm not heavily medicated or intoxicated) or even play with a low key small band in a really gorgeous FL or Individual costume. The bf even suggested that we try Sando mas but the point is that I will be doing something different next year.....

Carnival Monday with Bliss

After the set ah lemons ah get from Bliss ah decided to make some margaritas on Carnival Monday.

I was able to remove the decorations from the complimentary bra and glue it to a white vest which I wore with white shorts and my customized headband. After getting my make up done at Makeda from Shades of Sugar, I was feeling bess and ready to enjoy the day.

We met the band after the stage at the savannah around lunch time and headed to the lunch stop in St James. I loved the idea of the blankets and setting under a tent. While I secured our spot under the tent, the bf opted for the Popeye's lunch for both us...it was warm and not oily so it wasn't too bad. I also had a nice cold green sands (I love green sands!) and chilled with some friends. I made sure to use the toilet which was clean and I was able to wash my hands with soap; they also had mouthwash, deodorant spray and panadol.

After about an hour and a half, we were on our way to St James to come down Mucurapo Rd and then onto Tragarete Rd. I had the best time on this part of the route. The music was sweet with a wide selection of songs being played by Private Ryan (my fave soca DJ by the way). And of course the Johnny and coconut water was flowing. Monday ultimately ended at around 5:30pm which I had no problem with since I like to get home early to rest for Tuesday...

I heard lots of people complain that there was no vibe and the band was boring. I guess some people missed the Tribe hype and crowd which was I was hoping not to encounter. After leaving Bliss, I met up Yuma on Arapita Avenue and noticed the unformity that their Monday wear brought to the band. I know that Bliss said from the beginning that they will not offer Monday wear because they probably wanted masqueraders to wear part of their costume as is customary. All this would be great if the costume could hold up for 2 days! I am sorry but I cannot pay to have another Monday costume made nor am I artistic enough to make my own so my only complaint would be that some form of Monday wear should have been offered.

Basically once the music was good, I got what I wanted to drink and the security was on point...Monday with Bliss was bess...

First Fail for Bliss...

As I've mentioned in previous posts, my government salary has been frozen until further notice so I'm not amused when people play de ass with things I pay big big money for...

It all started when I went to collect my Titans costume at Carlton Savannah. I had paid off for my costume a while back and therefore qualified for "fast track" collection. On this particular day, the term "fast" was open to many interpretations. I had to join a line to collect a receipt and a number; then join a next line to wait for the number to be called; and when that number was called then I would join a further line to get the costume. All of this would be fine if the entire process didn't take 2 hours 45 minutes!

Great, I got my costume and to my disappointment there was no cold shoulder whole swimsuit but just a plain white wholepiece with a gold braid for one of the straps...this was not what was advertised. I couldn't do anything about that so I decided to try on the costume...bradap! straps burst off! wth!

So I went to Customer Service where I asked the rep to replace the gold braid with a regular bra strap...she said no problem and made me complete a form and told me that Bliss would contact me when the adjustments were made...no scene...

Despite not getting the call, I decided to just go the Carlton Savannah to find out if the adjustments were made. To my short delight, the rep gave me the bag with the adjusted swimsuit...you could believe these people put back the same gold braid that I told them was not strong enough to act as a bra strap? Of course I was pissed so I asked to talk to the designer who suggested that the swimsuit be redesigned with a halter bra so I wouldn't need the braid; and it would be ready at 3:00 the following day. Great!

You know I'm coming from far so I got there at 4:30pm. Guess what? They hadn't even started working on the swimsuit but it would be ready by 6:00pm. Like an idiot, I just smiled and said okay and I used the opportunity to get an eyebrow wax and got back to Carlton around 7:00pm. If you are following this account closely, you know what happened when I got back...It was not ready and these people looking at me with a straight face and telling me to come back at midnight because apprently when I went to the do the eyebrow wax the aesthetician wrote "jackass" on my forehead without me knowing.

By this time, I was the only masquerader in customer service still waiting for my costume that was supposed to be "fast tracked". Any who, thanks to Val and Sonji (wrong spelling) who walked it through production, I was able to leave at 9:45pm with a complimentary decorated bra for Monday and extra cuffs. I also got numerous apologies from the reps but I was mad especially since I had to be so inconvenienced based on an error on their part.

I acknowledge that other masqueraders may have experienced something totally different and positive but it's not their money and time...as a customer I don't want to be the exception to what may have been a norm of great customer service so Bliss yuh get ah big FAIL for dat!

Blissfulness...

After I received the Bliss costume distribution schedule today...I got so much more excited for Carnival Monday and Tuesday. Titans will be distributed on Tuesday 1st but I won't be there yet so I'll just have to wait. I am praying to the costume gods that there won't be any problems with my costume. And since I opted for the fast track payment I hope I can collect quickly and try on the swimsuit since that's the part that always needs adjustment. But I also started thinking about how ready I am for Carnival.

Necessities

The 3 most important things are confirmed: my plane ticket, my costume and my man...I am not in the business of wining on other people man so I walk with my own (I'll do a separate post on that).

Fete tickets

So far I'm confirmed for the beach house fete which I've never attended because I always felt it was an overpriced fete where people just went to look good...well look who paid for a seat on the bandwagon...Sunny side says that their couple tickets are sold out which is weird because we got tickets the day before the fete last year. And I'm still waiting on the crew to decide if we are going gold or platinum at Soca Monarch.

Monday Wear

Well after paying out of my eyeballs for my costume, there's not much left over for one of those gorgeous blinged out Monday wear options by Akin Ross I've seen on trinidadcarnivaldiary. So I'll just wear something from my closet- most likely simple white shorts, white top and my boots with my Chou Chou belle headband.

Footwear

One of my girls got my boots at Shoekeepers last week- I don't think that I will ever divert from the picadilly brand which has been the most comfortable boots I've purchased. My ami club boots from last were very uncomfortable even though they were gorgeous. I also got my insoles online and will be reusing my toe protectors from last year.

Diet and Exercise

This time it was existent (more the exercise than the diet) but no results...I found myself backsliding on the weekend but on the plus side I've cut out or down on a lot of crap but don't judge if you see me lining up by kfc in New Kingston. So besides the kfc and the chocolate muffins from megamart (hence the muffin top), I think I'm on my way to healthier eating (might be a looonnng road).

Leave

Could you believe that the leave was appproved in a week????I guess they just decided not to fight me and just give in...

Accessories

Earrings will be recycled as well as my gold avon swingpack from last year. You could see the post I did last year about my bag contents.

Make up Appointment

In true diva style, I made my appintment with Makeda from Shades of Sugar for both days but this was before she informed me that she had increased her fee to TT$250 and a downpayment is required so I'm not confirmed. I know that she's running a business and she wants to decrease the chance of someone not showing up but this will be my 3rd year and I think I have some credibility. In addition she knows I'm in Jamaica and it's inconvenient for me to do this. So we'll see how that goes...

Misc

I ordered my fletch dry powder a while back to waterproof the feathers since I need to ensure that the lovely feathers on the costume remain in all its glory...I still haven't found the weave for my hair so I'm off to the weave shops this week to find something long and straight....can we say a Beyonce ponytail...

Bliss Carnival 2011!

So I'm finally registered in BLISS....I can't believe that I've abandoned my "spicequeraders"...but sometimes you have to go where your wallet leads. It's cheaper for me to play with Bliss and I really love the Titans costume more than any costume in Spice. I also don't mind giving a new band a chance to see what they have to offer....

Bliss has a very non traditional process for costume registration that worked well for me especially since I'm not in Trinidad. They asked that you send them an e-mail indicating your top 3 costume choices and your measurements. A week later a response is sent with online payment guidelines. Two days, after payment online, a receipt with your downpayment, sizes etc. is sent.

The second option in true Tribe style, is to register through a committee member. Once this person provides Bliss with your registration information and e-mail, they will send you the information about online payment. I also heard that they did have unadvertised registration at the Carlton Savannah hotel in September. I know I've said many times that I will not play in Tribe again because I'm not into the rush and fight down and line up to get into the band and if you do, it's you and thousands of people, hundreds of trucks pack up tight tight on Carnival Monday and Tuesday...I not in dat! But Bliss' registration was pretty easy and their website even shows that Caprica is still available (another one of my fave costumes). The band is also quite small and promises an intimate experience....I'm all for this! So Same Vibe different Tribe!

A couple of weeks ago, Bliss sent me an e-mail with specific requests for measurements so it seems that it's more that a small/medium/large/xlarge standard fit but they want to ensure that the costume fits well. I was unable to respond then because I need to purchase a measuring tape....You know things are bad when the only measuring tape you have in your house can't make it around your hips......

Ah Feeling ah Bliss!

So Bliss is the "new" band on the scene....it's a part of Tribe and purports "Same Vibe...different Tribe". Apparently it falls under Tribe's management but will operate as a different band catering to a small number of masqueraders..."an intimate experience".

So is it really Tribe? A Tribe within a larger Tribe? How will I know if I am really in Tribe? or am I in a different band all together? (okay, I really did enjoy the movie Inception!).

I am really feeling the Titans costume and seriously considering playing in this band. I love a white costume and I also like that you can opt for the monokini or the wholepiece with the large belt. The wholesuit suits me and my muffin top very well and the belt should hide some of the love handles...The one shoulder feathers are gorgeous in both the Frontline and Backline and I have no problem with the small headpiece. According to their website, the FL is TT$5495 and the Backline TT$3950, which doesn't seem bad compared to what I paid in Spice last year. Although they have not provided registration information, the downpayment is TT$3000 (frontline) and TT$1500 (backline). However, since this will be an "intimate experience", you need to know someone on the committee to register and there's no online registration and I ain't know nobody being a nobody myself so let's see...Bliss 1...Spice 1

Come on Spice, you need to release your prices!

***pics of costumes are from their FB page