Each project arrives with its purpose, milestones and first tasks written out. Here is how the first three read.
Carnival season map from band launch to Ash Wednesday
Trinidad Carnival is not two days but a season: bands launch their costumes from around the middle of the year, fetes (big parties, many of them all-inclusive) run from Boxing Day, and everything ends on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Because the date moves each year with Easter, newcomers often book flights or pay deposits against the wrong weekend.
First tasks
- Look up this season's Carnival Monday and Tuesday dates from an official source
- List the main events from band launches to Ash Wednesday with their dates
- Mark your available leave or travel weeks on the timeline
- Confirm next season's Carnival dates as soon as they are announced @recurring(yearly)
Mas words and road etiquette for newcomers
First-time masqueraders lose time and patience simply because they do not know what people around them mean by section, frontline, last lap or chipping. Knowing the words and the unwritten rules of the road, such as staying inside your band's ropes and not stopping dead in front of a music truck, makes you a good bandmate from the first hour. A short glossary also helps friends you are bringing along.
First tasks
- Write down every Carnival word you have heard but could not define
- Ask a seasoned masquerader to explain the ones you are unsure of
- Read your band's published rules for masqueraders on the road
- Send the finished glossary to the friends playing with you
Full Carnival budget for the season
The costume is often less than half of what Carnival costs once fetes, J'ouvert, Monday wear, makeup, food, transport and, for visitors, flights and accommodation are added. A full budget written before the band launches stops the familiar January panic when tickets go on sale and the costume balance falls due in the same month. It also tells you honestly whether this is a frontline year or a backline year.
First tasks
- List every cost you paid or saw others pay last Carnival
- Find current prices for costumes, fetes and J'ouvert in your target bands
- Add a ten per cent buffer and total the season
- Compare actual Carnival spending against the budget lines @recurring(monthly:28)
