Trini Carnival blogger Abbenash Rajnarinesingh.
Culture shock is the sensation of disorientation faced by someone who is abruptly exposed to an unacquainted culture, way of life, or set of attitudes.
Basically what this mean is that a person feels strange when placed in a context where he or she is unfamiliar with.
Carnival is part of Trinidad and Tobago’s culture, and is emphasized and highlighted deeply during the season; the competitions, the celebratory events, the party mentality, the marching in the sun the relaxing at the beaches, you who know it’s carnival.
Anyone who is not familiar with it, such as a foreigner or a local, who does not participate in it, will experience culture shock. Now culture shock is not necessarily a bad thing. In this instance it is just exposure over a short period of time. However, this short exposure may entrance you to participate in the season every year.
Kes the Band. Photo courtesy tropicalbass.com
So, what can you experience when you arrive at the shores of Trinidad during the carnival season? Well your vocabulary will expand. You will learn what is: “lime”, ‘fete” and “whine”. Now these words are not just words, they are action words… things you do. The action is the word. You have to “Lime” and FEEL IT, you have to go to a‘Fete” and ENJOY IT, you have to “whine on a bumpa” (bottom) and LIKE IT.
I never really liked carnival, until 2011 I heard a song by “Kes the ban” called “wotless” and all of a sudden, I started to feel what others felt, the passionate volcano of feelings that made me to go to “fetes” and enjoy “Soca” music. This year, in the words of Machel Montano I “floated” and I enjoyed the season of pleasure of the mind and body.
The infectious music, the world’s most beautiful women, the wonderful sites, the experience START to FINISH, the moods, the feelings, the intensity, the ecstasy, the love, the Trinidadian people. I wish I could encapsulate what Trinidad carnival is about in a sentence, but I cannot. It is too big for one string of prose, and words simply do it no justice. It is something you have to experience. You have to experience CULTURE SHOCK.
