Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Spice Review

I have come to the conclusion that I have over hyped and over anticipated carnival so much that it became anti climatic for me.

Now my review can be considered a half review since I didn't go downtown at all on both days.

Spice has grown to be about 3 times its previous size. Kudos to them on achieving this on their 2nd year.

Monday:
My monday wear looked fine and everything. I got down to the savannah round 12 and caught them just after they crossed. So chipping now to lunch where we had to show them your ID band to get into qrc grounds. Which was all fine and well but thus created a huge bottleneck for some hungry masqueraders.

For lunch there was the option of Arabic, Creole or Specialty. I ended up in arabic where you had a choice of lamb, chicken and I can't say what the veggie box had in it. The chicken was on point! Everything else was dry in my opinion. Compared to last years food I would give them a 3 out of 5.

Back on the road again! Managed to meet a good few bloggers! Big up to everyone I saw. My big toe now start to cramp my style I hadda be limping then end up on the rest truck cause my big toe hurting like a bitch! Thus when we reached ariapita had to call it quits.

The drinks trucks were lower by far than last year but when handing me a hot drink...where's the ice? You mean I must ask for ice or drink it hot? Steups I do not remember doing that last year. That problem was rectified on tuesday though.

I did not even go on the wee wee truck every time I looked it was packed. I did hear there was no tissue in the wee wee truck.

The guy on the rest bus was veryyy nice and accommodating kudos to him

Where was the cool down truck with the water I didn't recall seeing it. Did anyone see it?


Tuesday
So I arrived about 9 just before we were crossing the stage. We waited an entire hour and a half probably in the hot sun and yuh girl forget her vex money. Thus by the time I'm crossing the stage I feel faintish I cannot even palance cause I want to dead. Lol I hurry off the stage and walk like a woman on a mission while trying to keep this head piece on my head

I take 1 bottle of water and a pepsi. That isn't enough going back for a second bottle the barman not paying me any mind. This nice men next to me gets the water for me thank you so much if you ever happen to come across this. I inhale that water I'm up to speed again lol but first I need a lil nourishment since 2 rest buses are full. So I head onto the snack truck for a lays.

I have to say now I remember why I never cross the savannah "stage" to dehydrate myself to cross not even on a proper stage but the road? Steups

We make our way to the lunch stop at this point the security stopped checking bands I ended up in specialty food. Where we got spaghetti and meat balls with a slice of garlic bread. Food was still bland but a good change up on the usual food offered by most bands. Oh I would just like to note my spice booklet had a whole other menu.

Head back on d road I go home for slipper instead of boots shed my backpack and head piece and wait for the band to reach ariapita. Rocky, buffy and tc performed but by the time they reached my truck rocky had to go handle band business. I stayed with band where they stood on ariapita for a long time waiting on what I don't know. I left the band there too.

Issue : spice's head pieces except rubies were leaning forward and flying off. Totally unexpected and irritating.

Issue : lack of damn space I actually think trucks got wider because every band is struggling for space to palance n when u start to palance there is a truck horn blaring.

Issue : lack of pr on the band leader's part. I personally had no problem with anya in collection she asked me where the rest of my receipt I explained that I got a copy from the showroom when I lost mine. But I noticed she was not as polite as rocky if she did talk to you.
As a band leader you need to be able to talk to people and many people complained about her and the way she responded to them. They were not impressed. My mother actually pointed this out to me since last year at the time I thought she was over reacting.
I also heard that on a tv interview when crossing the stage she appeared to know little to nothing about the theme. I cannot confirm or deny this since I did not watch it on tv but IF this did happen I would have hoped she knew info on her theme since she is a band leader.

Overall I think I need a break from mas. To me mas is not as much fun a before with so many masqueraders , larger trucks, little to no space to move or palance also the huge lack of respect for others and their costumes on the road mas may not see me for 2011.

EDIT TO ADD 18/2/2010

Another thing is I forget to big up the security they were doing their thing, scissors crew really cut plenty stragglers out of the band.

Also where did the little refresh station by the toilets at the rest stop go...clearly it was a mirage. I thought when you go larger, there are economies of scale to benefit from....well clearly I lied to myself

Also big up to D and her entire friends and family who adopted me!!!!

7 comments:

cute dougla said...

i agree with this one mimi..the band was so big that i didn't even see you. Don't start me on the dry food on both days! I don't think that anya and her team were ready for these numbers

Anonymous said...

Mimi I watched the band cross the Savannah & listen to Anya trying to explain the theme and to me I I knew more about it than her, she responded to some questions by the host very vague & sounded unsure about what she was saying at times!

CK said...

Nice to know that u are will mimi!

LOL @ not knowing your own theme, that's just sad!

re. headpieces - I expected that b/c the moogles were holding them at the launch, in air-condition, lol, check the pics.

like every band played the waiting game this year. to cross the "savannah stage" we were behind ip, tribe and legacy, we ended up behind legacy again for our last judging point on d avenue. i was so busy enjoying myself it did not phase me, the only reason why i know these things is b/c my section was first, the way i saw it was more time enjoying myself in my costume b/c i could never drink out that money in bottled water!

BTW being in front is the bomb! OMG, ah love it! lol

everyone love my BBBM, it was perfect! lol, even hubby loved it mainly b/c he had less things to hold on tuesday!

cute dougla said...

btw, that cool down bus was real hot and the bus was always full

Cafe said...

Hi,
This was my first time playing with Spice- even sold my costume in Tribe to try them out. I must admit that it would be my first and last experience.

Carnival Monday - After waiting almost 2hrs we finally left Charlotte street with no explanation from any Spice Official for the delay. This came after given strict instruction on costume collection to be on time on both days.
On d road you had to constantly either run down the bar or your were ignored by the bar tenders or they didn't have the drink you requested. Imagine at the lunch stop people had to scramble for space under the limited tents. Creole food ran out so we had to wait almost 30mins for more to arrive. By this time I jumped to Arabic food lime...d food tast good but was dry!!

Carnival Tuesday - Basically same issues as Monday but was left very very very parched waiting to go in the Savannah while the drink trucks heads elsewhere!!
Another issue I had was that my costume kept falling apart. Luckily there was a girl in Greece with fabric glue(thanks Annetta.No one could tell me where the utility truck was to fix my costume. The damn headpiece kept blowing off and wouldn't stay put.In the end I gave up went home dumped the headpiece, bottom piece and arm bands and used my Monday wear.
No one should have to put up with these incompetences when you have spent all that money.

Spice ......not the Spice of my life.

Anonymous said...

Why do people who complain about the large size of bands being a turnoff stop being a name brand addict and go to *gasp* SMALLER bands? I can't believe the amount of people i see talking about how big tribe etc are. And many are repeat offenders, so that says to me they either like hearing themselves talk or are too much of a status-whore to go get in a band that is guaranteed to be a normal size! Most of you paying for brand name because those brand name bands can get away with it.

iDIGRESS said...

I really cannot be asked to rant about the in's and out's of collection. But I will say this; Spice redeemed themselves on the road.

* BUT overseas masqueraders should be allocated more than 1.5 days to collect their costume.

* AND the designers and band leader should be sporting the same distressed feathers as the rest of the band. Anya, was wrong for that.

* Bras should be decorated all-the-way-around. We looked cheap from behind.

* Do not fcuk off once we touch down in downtown.

* Food, snacks, premium drinks, music,and masqueraders kept me sweet.

* Oh and shout outs to Jason 'Rock' Thomson, from the Spice team (along with Anya;s father) he pulled it together on Sunday in the Hilton hotel and on the road. Nice guy.

But after reading the reviews for Island People I may give them ah whine next year. I have always been a fan of their designs but the customer service in recent years and offering for this threw me.

With all that said, I don't think it actually matters about the PR, distribution, the and quality of your costume, as long as the bar is flowing and you are with like-minded people you will have the time of your life. I had a fcuking amazing carnival experience. . .fcuking amazing.

And it was nice meeting you on the road Mimi, your Monday wear was FIERCE.

Kind Regards
Victoria London

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