By admin Masqueraders today need to learn the art of “going with the flow”. I don’t know since when we have become so inflexibly demanding with sometimes unreasonably high expectations of the tangible aspects of our Carnival experience. What you get from playing Mas, that feeling in your soul , does not come from having everything follow a perfect patten but rather your approach to the ritual that is Carnival on the road.
I’ll be honest with you ,nothing in respect to Carnival ever goes as smoothly as you hope, from costume to collection to on the road you will have unexpected annoyances arising . The key to having a spectacular time in spite of these issues is to learn to always make having fun a priority and roll with it. Go with the flow.
Here are some simple tips to help you go with the flow
* Lunch is not a gourmet fine dining experience , food is fuel for your two days on the road and as such you want edible, tasty meals with some sort of sustenance . If you read the lunch menu before and had your heart set on scalloped potatoes but arrived to the lunch tent and it was finished do not burst a blood vessel, once there are other tents serving food find a meal that is palatable , eat it, and get some energy to head back wining on the streets.
*Yes, we all hate our drink of choice to run out on the road , but here is a simple solution. If one drinks truck does not have, try another. If the entire band has no more *insert name of alcohol brand* maybe you can try an alternate. It’s just for a few hours, all you need is to keep your buzz going.
*Don’t complain about the music. There are more than one DJ trucks in the band. As a masquerader you are entitled to roam the entire band. Truck number one is playing a song you don’t like? Move on to number two! Don’t assume the “best” DJs will play only the music you like all day long.
*You lost your friends/boyfriend or girlfriend in the band? Find new ones. It’s helpful to have a meeting point set up on the day of. But if for some reason that doesn’t work out, don’t despair, there are thousands of other people in the band. It is carnival after all. Make new friends for the moment, hour, day or two days. Guess what, the reason your friends weren’t at the designated meeting spot is because they are busy having a blast. Yes, that includes your bf/gf too. So rather than be sour and then get even more vex when you meet them doing the 630 on some man, or winin on the nearest rolly polly, go have yourself a blast. Don’t leave the band. It’s the safest place to be if you find yourself alone. You’re bound to meet up with your crew again at some point
*If your band does not make it to the savannah, it is NOT the end of the world. Let me say that again; IT IS NOT the end of the world. Are the music trucks still playing? Are the drinks still flowing? If you can answer yes to either of those questions, then you should still be able to have a good time. Yes, you might have been looking forward to the stage, but why let that sour your entire mood? Two drinks later, you’ll care less.
*Photographer didn’t take your picture? Whip out your camera and take one yourself, or have a friend do it for you. Photos taken by you or your friends make better memories and are easier to control. You don’t have to worry about a photo that you don’t like ending up on a website for the world to see. You can share whichever ones you like with whomever you like.
We understand that Carnival for some might be a once in a lifetime experience and you may never get another chance to repeat if s*it happens. For us veterans we’ve seen the best of times and worst of times but still love it and continue to do it . If this is your ONE shot at Carnival do not let a negative attitude ruin what could be a phenomenal time if only you alter your point of view a little and just go with the flow .
