5-day 'Labor Day' Weekend

Yesterday, I can finally say that I've recovered from my Labor Day Weekend. As usual family came into town from Ohio. They are always so glad to get out of Cleveland. They complain how boring it is out there, so they make sure to live it up when they come to NY. We all party every nite until Tuesday. I have not been so interested in attending Carnival these last couple of years. I would go to J' Ouvert (Jewvey) to jump up in steel pan band, but thats it. For some particular reason this year was a lot of fun. The costumes and music was so beautiful and some people came up with some crazy concepts. LOL...their was this man with a fishing pole and he was pretending to reel something. So on his butt and hips you see booties. - So he was saying that he was "Catching his ass". Which I thought was so hilarious. I should of took a picture of that one.

So Carnival is also on a 2 yr run with the wonderful weather we've been having. It wouldn't matter, I would still jump up in the rain, as many do. The problem is that their is a lot of people in attendance that don't really understand what carnival is about and have ruined it for the people that do. So the ruling this yr was that you could not jump up with a band if you didn't have a costume. Now I agree, that if your wearing a costume that you should be next to and behind the band by themselves. So that people can watch, enjoy and take pictures, but I think ppl w/o costumes should still be able to jump up behind them and enjoy their self. After I found that new rule out I didn't want to go, I refused to be a spectator. Anyway, I was able to jump up, but people was pushing and acting the fool. Now I'm not talking about a little nudge here and there. I talking about arms and elbows bounding me in my back. Usually if you feel a lite push I'm will to dance over and let someone pass, but these ppl had no damn manner and was acting wild and crazy.

I'm bias so I'll add this to, I don't like the fact that they have Jamaican and Hessian bands. I don't want to hear that, just Calypso(but its not jus our parade, so what can you say). And, I can't tell you how many Trinidadian flags their were. Everyone is a Trini now. Every where I turned I saw a red, black and white flag. There was more Trini's on the parkway then in Trinidad. "Ay Ay". So next yr, my family and I have decided to play "mas" next yr, because the bands and costumes were so lovey. Even my mom, said she would take off to play mas, and she has not played in over 15 -20yrs if not more. Maybe not next year, but I want to play mud mas to. A few of those guys had me laughing, trying to touch ppl and making them run away like crazy. Oh yes, before I forget. The women really over did it with being literally naked on the parkwy. Come the hell on, are you kidding me! The most disturbing thing about that is that it was young girls dressing like that. It was so bad, that even cops were talking pictures on their phones.

I can go on and on, but I wanted to leave with this. It was hard not to noticed the overwhelming amount of police that was out there. I think Carnival is the biggest parade NY has, bigger then the Irish or Puerto Rican and whatever. I would like to say that the cops are out there to protect the people and keep things following peacefully, if it was true. Their presence and the amount of barriers they put up also adds to why the parade is going to the dogs. If I didn't love it so much I would of stop throwing up my hands in dance a long time ago. I love the music and jumping up to bad.

The blue reminds me of island water, so clear you can look down and see your toes - simply beautiful~

Check it out: WIADCA - The Official Website of The West Indian American Day Carnival Association