“Are ya playin mas?” a tiny voice behind me inquired.
I turned around and a little woman in her 60s was glowing with excitement, waiting for my response like she had known me since I was little. Her energy was contagious because I excitedly replied “Yes, its my first time!” and proceeded to tell her all about my plans for the week. I did not know this woman but she felt like an Auntie as she asked question after question about my trip and told me how much fun I was going to have. Her husband gave me a few pointers about being on the road and wished me a great time as we boarded our flight to Trinidad.
Our conversation was short but it really put this trip in perspective. As a young American who has never been to Carnival, my perception of it has been this massive week of debauchery set to a soca beat. A maelstrom of booty-poppin shenanigans where anything goes, with anyone, at anytime. However, its sooo much more than that (though the booty-poppin shenanigans I saw last night were impressive!)
When I arrived at the Port of Spain airport, I was met by my friend’s Aunt (Aunty Coral). She reminded me of my mother – a short woman with a close cut natural and bright smile. She hugged me like a daughter and walked me over to the bar where she proceeded to tell me her carnival stories from decades past. She said that back in the day you would sew your own costume and just jump into the parade wherever you wanted. When you stopped for lunch, the masqueraders would wait in line to use the bathroom at local houses nearby, and would have food for you to eat if you wanted some. She laughed as she remembered her first carnival experience when she lasted about an hour before asking to go home, and beamed at the memories of subsequent years when she had gotten the hang of it and was able to finish the entire road.
“You will have a wonderful time,” she giggled, and as she walked off to find for my friend whose flight had finally arrived I felt more excited about my trip than I had been in the four months I had been planning it. I’m a part of something much bigger than I realized coming into it, and though I’ve been told repeatedly about how much fun Carnival is, the conversations I had with these two older women helped me understand that this “Caribbean festival” that I thought I was coming to is rooted in culture and history, resting on the shoulders of decades of people who set the stage for what it has become.
I was already having that “wonderful time” she spoke of and hadn’t even left the airport yet. The best is yet to come but its pretty awesome so far. Thanks, Aunty Coral.
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