It's that time of the year again! Carnival!!! So last year I didn't participate in any of the Carnival activities (sorry, large crowds of drunk people really don't appeal too much to me), but Molly's family was visiting so I decided that I would tag along with them if they did anything related to Carnival. I actually did want to see what it was all about. The opening festivities actually started about two weeks ago, but I only wanted to see the main thing. So on Monday, there was all sorts of activities in Portsmouth. It started at 3am with J'ouvert (pronounced Jew-Vay) which means "dawn or daybreak" (hence the 3am start time!). Of course, I decided to stay in my comfy bed for this and let everyone else get up at the crack of dawn (or more likely the case, still be up from partying the night before!). Molly and her mom did decide to go (they went at a more reasonable time of 6am) but only stayed 45 min.
I did however go and watch the parade in Portsmouth on Monday afternoon (as is any caribbean fashion, what was supposed to start at 3pm, didn't actually begin until closer to 5pm). My friend Susie (see earlier blog) is back in town, and she dressed up and participated in the parade (second picture of her in her costume on the beach). This is more of the traditional get-up that you will see in Trinidad or Rio (Brazil). The first picture is what a lot of the people here actually wear (complete with the ghoulish mask). The parade in Portsmouth was very short (I was under-whelmed, so maybe next year I'll have to go to Roseau and see it proper). There was a whole bunch of little girls in white and red cowgirl costumes (they had to be cheerleaders or a dance team or something of the sort), very cute; the ghoulish guys running around, and the Ross t-shirt "band" (no they weren't playing music, but they were walking behind a two story speaker truck!). That was pretty much it...see, now you're disappointed too!
So historically Carnival (or Mardi Gras in the states) is the very beginning of Lent (for those of you not religious inclined). So basically Tuesday was Mardi Gras, which literally translates as "Fat Tuesday." That was the last day to engorge yourself before Lent actually begins, which is on Wednesday or "Ash Wednesday." During Lent, you are supposed to give up something. This year, I've decided to give up desserts (chocolate, cookies, cake, and ice cream...please God, give me strength!!). A few years ago, I gave up Starbucks, which didn't turn out so good (I blame my professor, who is Catholic and told me about the "loop hole." So Sundays apparently don't count for Lent, which is 40 days and 40 nights and signifies the time Jesus spent in the desert being tempted by Satan. If you count the days, it's closer to 50, so Sundays are free days and you can have what you gave up. Once I found that out, I only lasted half the time.) Hopefully this year I'll do better and ignore the "loop hole" days.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to next year, and maybe I'll get to see all the cool costumes! Can't wait for Lent to be over, luckily I'll be at my Grandma's for Easter so great food awaits!!
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