The Caribbean Carnival at Waterfront Park was quite a disappointment. Perhaps because I was expecting more Caribbean music (versus Indian music) and more people in micro-braids. As a matter of fact, I was really looking forward to getting a head full of micro-braids with colourful beads on the ends. I was really wanting to freak Eli out with some serious skull exposure and annoying him with the slinging of beads! Alas, the Caribbean Festival had none of that!
The only vanity thing they had was a henna stall; upwards of $25 per henna design.
Along with the henna stall were fashion retailers who brought in, in my opinion, very Indonesian-inspired pieces, from shirts to dresses. Coming from South East Asia, I’ve seen plenty of such pieces and for a much reduced price. I can finally really understand why Westerners love heading to Thailand/Indonesia/SEA. The same pieces here retail for the lowest of $35 CAD, but if you make it out to Thailand, you can get it for between $3 to $5 CAD, or lower.
The dance stage featured Indian dance, which I did not appreciate. I mean, COME ON! Trinidad and Tobago are known for calypso, soca, limbo, and all the other fun dance and music! This stage was a snore.
Nothing against the Indian art form, especially since I’ve been told that a majority of people in Trinidad and Tobago are descendents of Indian slaves. Eli has a friend from Trinidad and Tobago, and she is pure Indian while her husband is Chindian (Chinese-Indian). I’m just disappointed they didn’t feature something more reflective of what the Caribbean is known for.
What they did feature heavily though, was Jerk Chicken. Every stall seemed to sell it and every stall had a long line of people. We contemplated waiting in line, but decided not to because on top of the fact that we didn’t like queuing, it was probably going to be too spicy for us anyway.
As an aside, the lines were so long because the service was moving along very slowly. I stood at the front of a stall and watched how unhurried those food handlers were. Seriously, all the food was already prepared in large trays and all they have to do was assemble it. In fact, they could pre-pack without knowing an order because it was all they served. But anyhow, they were S-L-O-W. Guess that’s island life!
Eli actually has a “Real Trini VS Fake Trini” t-shirt, a gift from his Trinidad and Tobago friend, that reads:
REAL TRINI: Reaches fete after 10pm and don’t leave till sun come up.
FAKE TRINI: Asking where we going 10pm in the night?
REAL TRINI: Eat roti, pelau, spouse, pudding, crab & dumpling, manicou and crying “better belly buss than good food waste.”
FAKE TRINI: Eat roti with knife & fork and says “chicken foot, all yuh does eat dat?! Manicou!”, “Me eh eating nothing looking like rat.”
REAL TRINI: Walks with a trailer load ah coolers with beers, babash, pelau to Panorama (enough food and drinks to feed the United Nations).
FAKE TRINI: Walks with both hands swinging at the bar, request a Bud and asks where is the nearest KFC, McDonald’s or Burger King.
REAL TRINI: Fetes Carnival Sunday into Jouvert morning, bathes somewhere and jump up till Carnival Monday.
FAKE TRINI: Goes to Dimanche Gras goes home to get ready for Jouvert and falls asleep.
REAL TRINI: Jumps up Carnival Tuesday to las lap from Port of Spain to St. James.
FAKE TRINI: Sits in the Grand Stand Carnival Monday and Tuesday watching mas.
REAL TRINI: Relax on Maracas Beach on Ash Wednesday eating bake & shark.
FAKE TRINI: Have also mastered this art.
In conclusion, the Caribbean Festival in North Vancouver, BC was a big disappointment for me. Isn’t the Caribbean known for its Carnival?