Attend Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago

“Once J’Ouvert winds down at mid-morning, everyone who’s playing in a band heads towards their mas-camp to get ready for parading on Carnival Monday. It’s sort of like a dress rehearsal for the big party on Tuesday but just as much fun. We all got ready in our costumes and were lead out onto the road by our bands music truck and began wining and dancing in the street. I must admit it was a bit awkward at first considering there weren’t large crowds of onlookers, but soon enough the music and drinks fill your blood and you become part of something larger. [...] After Carnival Monday there is only one thing left to do: RINSE and REPEAT! Carnival Tuesday is when all the masqueraders and revelers come out in full force and the streets are packed with crowds watching the parades. As someone playing Mas, the difference between Monday and Tuesday is the difference between playing a preseason football game and the Superbowl!”

“If you’re now playing mas, I suggest you don’t take a frontline costume. Sure, they’re bigger, prettier (more expensive btw) and just drop dead gorgeous to look at. But, when you’re on the road for the entire day, the back piece (even the head piece) can become pretty daunting. Like I tried many times to get a good grind on my guy, but the feathers just kept getting in the way and I kept knocking him with it. It would have been way more fun if my costume was maybe backline without that huge back piece. Unless you have someone to give pieces of your costume to hold/keep, in this case, for a first timer, less is definitely more.”