carnival done...

Well... It has been for a while...!!!

It finished last Tuesday night with last lap...

Low and behold, I found myself following the Burning Flames soundsystem (Lions Den residents...) AGaIN!!

but before that... there was Judging of the Troops on Monday night....

.... which we turned up late for.... due to the excessive action witnessed on J'Ouvert morning ....

But it was a parade kids in bright colours, feathers and face paint.... followed by hoards of girls dressed in fishnets, bikinis, feathers.... and erm? y'know!!

I'm not really sure i was physically ready for it...!!!

Tuesday was the hottest day i've ever experienced anywhere in the world at any time...!!!

It was also Parading of the Troops.... where everyone and everything involved in the carnival went through the streets... the calypso King & Queen, the Steel Bands, the Rastas, Caribbean Queen, the sponsors, cheerleaders... EVERYONE!!! It took about 8 hours.....!! Was very colourul and HoT!!!





The connotations are darker than you could ever imagine...!!!*

But if your wondering why all these people are packing the streets, going WiLD, loosing there minds and expressing themselves in ways alien to anything in the "Western World"....

Well, in the West Indies... Carnival is celebration of Freedom and marks Emancipation (the end of slavery).

*The above photo, has nothing to do with this.... they were giving away condoms and warning about the dangers of Sexually Transmitted Diseases...!!! (she was possibly the only white girl on the parade.....?!)

Not really 100% sure what he was doing? Walking his Goat?!

Yeah...!! This killed the vibe for a little while.

He wasn't part of carnival... Respect for the outfit tho'

Don't be bad mind!!!

I dunno? Does glitter make the arse itch?!


and then... after watching other people dance for 8 hours.... the soundsytems returned for Last Lap!! Which was on a similar vibe to J'Ouvert morning!!! But even more footloose!!!


more Carnival unrelated notes soon come... and a video!!

fuckin' bitch....!!

These Antiguan dogs are WiLD!!

First my sisters sandals, then my router.... then my little cousins doll!!!

..... AND NOW!!! My favourite hoodie!!!


I ate well last night tho'...

MaN vs. BeAST....!!!


the battle continues.....

Monday Morning in Antigua...

So.... this is how it went down on Monday morning.....!!

0500 --> 1000

KFC was rammed!!! .....for 3 days!!!

Just in case you forgot where I am....!!

Those aren't trees.... They're people!!

I managed to loose the fuckin' HUGE speaker stack.....!!!

"was here a minute ago....."

Where's Calyso Alley? Hip Hop Lane? Jump up Central?

Strangely appealing.... well? not really!! It was nuff hot....!!

that's my Dad..... (in the background.)

FYI, The paint doesn't wash off....!!!

Next up... pics from, Parading of the Troops where scantilly clad women and a few men jumped around in feathers....

when one of these things ran over my foot....!!!

WiLD!!!

.... can't believe i made it here to submit this post ....



Everything hurts... my stomach is bubbling with Rum....

Carnival hasn't even started yet!!

Obama!! Big in Antigua...

SUPRISE SUPRISE!!

Didn't check this CD, Obama was so last year.... it's all about Burning Flames & and this midget dude!!

Biggest tune on the island right now is "Come Jam with the Midget".....

for such a small man, it's a pretty large tune... with absolutely no consideration for lyrics, just pure ridddddim....



Vybez FM (click to listen) seems to be the one thumpin' out all the pre Carnival info & riddims.

Anywayz, Carnival hasn't started yet, so I've been with the fam on a pure island exploration vibe for the past 2 days.... and for such a small island. There's bare shit, well? Not that much. Goats, sheep, beaches, nuff beaches, heat, mash up roads..... and a few other random bits.

My Cousins Restaurant...

yeah!! Got nuff cousins and uncles out here... but there's actually a direct lineage to this one....

My brother went to get his hair trimmed the other day, and then after he was done, my Dad figured out that the barber was some kind of Cousin.... it's definitely quite creepy!

One of these mo foes munched the wireless router I brought out with me... however, the fantasy of wi fi by the pool was still realized thanks to the powers of Super Dad...

The Richards Clan on a Paparazzo flex....

I thought I'd found a moment to myself.... Sister Paparazzo takes no prisoners!!!

Along with the English Harbour Rum, Wadadli Beer has been causing all kinds lothargic situations for me.... a really useless piece of general knowledge, is that Wadadli is the original name of the island.... before the Spanish and English came and... erm...? Pilaged it!!

If you knew my Uncle Carty, you'd find it no surprise that he decided to name a street after himself...!! and got away with it!!

There's a reason why I'm looking behind me....

yeah!! forget the photo opportunity!!

random beauty....

and again....

i've got a hard drive full of picturesque photos, in storage for when I setup that postcard printing company.


Billboard theft is a major issue on the island.... probably because there's nothing else to do..!!


Bus Stop.... not really the best mode of transport, if you've got any kind of plan!!

I'm not 100% sure how basketball, or in fact? Moving anything other than your little finger is possible in this heat...!!!

CARNIVAL.... soon come... I'm gonna go and put my life in danger at Lions Den tonight!!

Yeah!! it's as raw as it sounds, and probably even further....

In fact!! The imagination doesn't stretch far enough!!

I'm taking a cricket helmet and a super soaker!!

Nuff Said!!