Confession time ... I so wanted to be a Bishop Anstey High School girl, even though I was a Holy Name Convent sista myself (but I had to follow my two older sisters in there). I still hung tight with a smooth posse of Bishop’s St. Hilarians, who wore their diagonally striped tie proudly, no matter how many times they got into trouble with Ms. Shurland, the principal then, who could’ve parted the red sea with just a look & put Moses out of a wok. 13yrs & counting, the Gem & Jacqueline team of the Old Hilarians, continue to please the masses that wait 24/7/364days of the year for that All-Inclusive weekend. Soh.... Saturday January 24th 2009 de fete started from 4pm-till midnight and the TJJ TV crew arrived at 8pm ... right on time - Trini time!

Now this particular Bishop’s gathering is noted to be one of the fetes of the who’s who to attend, in any year. That is ... if you want to see, meet & greet the movers & the shakers of this fair city. As we swing left we spot one of our Twin Republic’s ‘controller’, our PM, Manning’s offspring, pretty boy Brian gleaming by de bar. As we swing right we spot “revered” Robert Corbie, VP of our national airlines, Caribbean Airlines, beaming about his CAL wings as of late. With the soca music blaring through “we” system, “we” party start one time.

Photos By Andre C.Q. & Yohann G.
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Following a hungry soca side heading for de djorts, we pass de Souse Station in full throttle mode. Pig foot souse, Chicken foot souse, Cow skin souse, Green fig souse, Souse & more souse. Then we saw some oxtail soup, cow heel soup, every soup but de corn soup. But you could get corn soup anywhere, anytime, anyhow. Creole & Indian cuisine (oh that roti - photo), tandori chicken, barbeque pigtails, ribs, shrimp kabob, & de one ting a little more important than oil, and in line with doubles (photo), de Bake & Shark (photo). Lined up @ another spot, de geera Pork, de curry Goat, de Manicou, de stew Horse (photo), that’s right de HORSE! “And is dat same horse dem fellas & dem was lining up for, is what really stop meh in meh own track” .... like Arima Racetrack sponsor this event too? But we know horse is a delicacy worldwide, but I think it’s under a different bracket here. I had to question the Minister of Agriculture Hon Arnold Piggott (former High Commissioner to Canada) on whether or not our shelves will be full for the Carnival season and the All Inclusive's. He confirmed absolutely no food shortages whatsoever! (Amnesia may have missed that memo). Bishop’s committee team still continue to make sure their guests are okay & that things are running smooth which led me to the Labor Minster and Tobago East MP Hon Rennie Dumas to pose this question of, “Whether Trini’s have the ability to fete & work equally during the Carnival season?” He claims yes .... but that, in itself, might need a separate inquiry.

Iwer George was off stage working through the crowd, all svelte in his suit of the moment. Kes & his cutiepie self was sharing props with Miami’s Giselle the Wassi One. Then, twas as if a power surge hit the stage. Songstress, Destra Garcia, started to deliver ... and deliver she did indeed. Performance ah de year .... crowd went wild ... pure "Bacchannal". She’s back on the block, beautifully braided & ready for the new Carnival season of “de rear bumpa & wine theme”. Has Destra been working out? Has T&T been working out? Because most of these serious partygoers, young & mature professionals, all seemed Carnival ready, already for the road. Especially those twins and their tattooed crew. I haven’t seen this much shorts & tattoos since my last Wasa fete .... from former Beauty Queens to a former World renowned batsman (CALLING ON LARA, BRIAN LARA, BACK TO THE CRICKET & CREASE PLEASE. WE NEED YOU) to V.P of FIFA Jack Warner’s boys, “Dsquared”, who continued scoping out the scene like book ends to every hot ting that pass. To be honest, ya fete ain’t a best fete if dem Warners not in it. Blaxx brought up the end of the night, making everybody "Tusty" for more. After a very popular "Breathless" C2k8, Blaxx, Olatunji, Trini Jacobs, Roy Cape Sr. & band are on their way again. This was fully confirmed by a very proud Roy Cape Jr., as we observed the band from the “greenroom” backstage together. Did somebody say dey Tusty for a ‘TUSTY’ music video too? Well everybody say YAY! YAY!

From the tuck shop to the office areas of food, to the full bars under the tree by the pond, to the hall, no sign of economic downturn shown here. But it’s the hand massages in front the 1st form area, formerly the Upper 3rd, that so added to this star like status ambiance amidst the flora & fauna of one of, if not, the greenest schools in Port-of-Spain (photo). Carnival season is definitely here and chipping off the school property to the All-stars steel band music was poetic. Because everybody at this Bishop’s St. Hilarians signature event, were really all stars among the “stars”.

Still thinking about that stew horse,
Nadine