The annual Notting Hill Carnival took place from Sunday 24 to Monday 25 August this year. I just heard of it a couple of days before it took place. I didn't know that there was such a carnival even though it's my fourth year here. Well, this is the first time that I'm staying in the UK during the summer, so I forgive myself. Heh.
Wan Aimran was the one who told me about the event and I planned to meet him there on Monday. I also called a couple of friends from high school, Arin (@ Aghain) and Kat, who I haven't seen for a while to meet up there. Adzmel, who was also staying at Ammir's for a while, went with me to the carnival.
Since I'm not bothered to write about the history of the carnival, here's an excerpt from Wikipedia (click the link to read more):
Notting Hill Carnival is an annual event which takes place on the streets of Notting Hill, London, UK each August, over two days (Sunday and the following bank holiday), since 1965. It is led by members of the Caribbean population, many of whom have lived in the area since the 1950s. The carnival has attracted up to 2 million people in the past, making it the second largest street festival in the world, after Rio. It is also often compared to Karneval der Kulturen in Berlin.
The event was heavily policed. There were a lot of people and so we didn't get to meet Wan Aimran there. Sorry ye! But we did find Arin and Kat, who were there with Afif, also a friend of mine. The carnival was quite good and the parades were very colourful. They really enjoyed themselves parading down the streets wearing their costumes. It was fun.
I do pity the residents there though. They have to put up with all the noise the whole day outside their homes. And most of the shops were boarded up. There must have been some riots of some sorts during the previous years to make the shopkeepers be extra careful. Or maybe the council was providing them with the boards for safety reasons. I don't know.
Anyway, it was a good day to go out and see the colourful parades. Maybe I'll go again next year.
The golden rule is that you almost never meet the person you planned to meet, but that you bump into several other people you know instead.
ReplyDeleteAs far as boarding up shops goes, that's more because of the sheer weight of bodies squeezing into the streets than any malicious behaviour, although sadly from time to time there is a little trouble.
Don't let that put you off, come again next year and enjoy some of the sound systems.
so that's why they're boarded up. thanks for the info. and for the golden rule too. hehe.
ReplyDeleteyes, i'll sure try to come again next year.