Dictionary

Trias Carnivalitas (aka My Old Latin Teacher Would Kill Me If He Saw My Newly Invented Word)

Samantha

[expression; ~ Pronunciation: /trahy-as/ /kahr-nuh-vuhly-tas/]

  • Definition: I am not sure (I invented this last night when thinking of what to write about – the loud carnaval music playing in the recently built youth centre/party house across the street might have something to do with it). I think I mean it as a way of saying all bad things come in threefold, especially regarding Carnaval. Yes, that’s it. Now onto some more music:

“Everything being a constant carnival, there isn’t a carnival left” – Victor Hugo

When trying to figure out who you are in life and where to go from here, it’s also important to stop and think about who you are NOT, as well as where you DON’T wish to go. It’s like a multiple choice question you don’t know the answer to: instead of just picking an answer (and if you do, always choose the longest one – it’s usually correct), think about which answers are definitely NOT right.

I have decided to dedicate this Tuesday Dictionary-post to Carnaval, something which I very strongly feel is never going to be a part of my life. Me and Carnaval are not a good match, we will never get along, and the thought of not having to push myself to like it gives me an enormous sense of relief.

Apparently “carnivale” (or something like it) was already celebrated during Roman times, and of course there is the famous “trias politicas”-word construction, so I thought: why not make a funny carnaval-one as well?

Also, I’d like to point out that even if I myself find this annual four-day booze fest anything but appealing, I don’t condemn those who greatly enjoy it. In fact, I want to say how sorry I truly feel for all those who saw their local parade cancelled due to strong winds and heavy rain, and I feel even worse for the children partaking in the children’s parades today during this rainstorm (althooouuugh… it does make me wonder why they’ll let the kids run around in the rain but cancel their own grown-up parades… Hmm).

Anyway, back to the Trias Carnavalitas, the three reasons why carnaval is a bad thing, the three reasons why I can happily cross this off my list of What Makes Me Me.

  1. The music. Not only is it awful, they also like to play it at maximum volume. The melodies are dreadful, the lyrics even more. It’s all very painful to the ears, really. If you wonder what I mean, take a look at the Earworm Of The Week of last Sunday’s Summary. That’s right, scared you didn’t it!?
  2. The people. Not a big fan of crowds myself, carnaval people make me even more uncomfortable, for all they want is beer and attention. Imagine a drunk person chatting you up all evening. Not a great image, is it? Now imagine a whole group of weirdly dressed up drunk people chatting you up all evening. How do you feel now?
    Thank you but no thank you, I think I’ll just stay hidden under my rock again this year:

  3. The unfairness. It’s always the same people who win the prize for best costume or best wagon in the parade (I am only speaking about my own home-town at this point. I don’t venture out to see how it goes in other places – although I suspect it’s the same everywhere).
    Last Sunday I went to see our local parade with my parents, and my eldest sister and her family. We thought her kids might like it.
    There were a few wagons and a lot of people dressed up partaking in the parade, and I noticed (more than once!) how the children standing to our left (one was about the same age as my nephew) kept receiving handfuls of candy and toys from the parade-folks. If me and my sister hadn’t ASKED for some for D and J, the people handing it out would have walked right by us without so much as glancing into our direction. Also, even with asking, we received far less than they gave the others. So unfair! At least my niece and nephew are too young to realise what happened.

It’s a clique. They’re basically making a statement, saying: Carnaval is not for everyone.
All I can reply to that is: thank goodness it isn’t!

That’s my Trias Carnivalitas, right there. The three evil points why I loathe this annual festival. And the fact I dislike it so much gives me clearer insight as to who I am as a person.

What do you like and/or dislike that makes you you?

Fun fact: Carnaval is a catholic festival, originally celebrated to act crazy one more time before the fasting period started. Nowadays, however, many people celebrate it without knowing why – it’s just a booze-fest for them.

Published by Samantha

I’ve been blogging since 2014 about everything and nothing, but personal views on life intrigue me most. I believe that every negative experience has the potential to make you a wiser person, to grow stronger and more positive – and happier.

30 thoughts on “Trias Carnivalitas (aka My Old Latin Teacher Would Kill Me If He Saw My Newly Invented Word)”

    1. It’s over!!! 😀 No more terrible music coming from across the street (at least not for a while, I imagine), no more badly dressed up drunk people, no more teenagers bashing up trash bins, molesting garden plants (or each other), no more sad pictures of near-drowned rained out young children. It’s all done and over with for another year! Hurray!

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                1. I googled it, it started as a coming-together but has resulted in an eventful day for red heads from all over the world. Imagine that 🙂

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                    1. Nah, I’m not that bitter about red heads. Up until a few days ago I didn’t even know they had their own festival. Maybe just as well, you know. Us blondes have the most hair, dark heads have the second most hair on their head, and red people have the least hair density. They also have even less skin colour than me. So who am I to judge them? (As long as they don’t play bad music it’s all good).

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                    5. Yea, but still. If it was a blonde festival, I still wouldn’t want to be a part of it.

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                    6. Oh, I know. I wouldn’t want to either. The only kind of thing I would want to go to is an introvert conference where everyone just sits around not talking to others, reading books, playing video games and just generally only talking when they feel like it (which wouldn’t be much).

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  3. Companies that promote how caring and exceptional and so darn wonderful they are where it approaches cult-like status. Big turn-off. They claim to promote a balance of work and life, caring for your wellness, we’re all the same here etc…and yet there are exclusive cliques, some workers more privileged than the rest, and even an acceptance of poor performance if you conform to their relentless attempts to be their “buddy” otherwise and swear allegance. I’m an independent thinker who works very well with a team as long as everyone is held to the same standard. When I see favoritism and preference shown for certain employees over others simply because some of us don’t drink the corporate kool-aid and just want to work hard, get compensated and go home without being held to a higher standard…while watching others held to a lesser one…that just doesn’t work at work for me. The ultimate irony is I have found these workplaces to be the most intrusive…clocking every second of work, monitoring all movements at work, etc. I’m an adult who doesn’t waste a minute at work on non-work…but others do…yet as long as they get on the “good side” of the boss and/or upper management by acting productive and also feigning happiness with the culture supposedly in place they not only get by…but are held in higher esteem than those of us who are actually producing more results. These kind of environments help me understand who I am…and am not.

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    1. I know that feeling all too well. I myself am not afraid to work. In fact, I don’t care what it is I have to do (selling curtains, cleaning toilets), I always give a full 100%. At one of the stores I worked previously, there was a younger guy who did nothing. Literally nothing. He only hung out with his other lazy friend if possible, and if the boss came around he pretended to be busy. Me, I felt if I didn’t do something productive for a minute, I’d be watched and commented upon by a supervisor, while this coworker could spend days not lifting a finger. And in the end they gave him a steady contract (in the Netherlands you get temporary contracts only, but after they’ve extended yours for three times, they are obliged to hire you permanently. Of course they never do, except for this guy. He was so far up the boss’ behind he got everything done).
      Even though this annoyed me a lot, I decided to not give a crap about it. In the end I was chosen for Employee Of The Month and not him, hahaha! (I still remember his face – so so not pleased, haha).
      But I always thought to myself: if only I were the boss… I’m allergic to people like that. But just like you, they reflect who I am as a person, and there’s always something to learn from them 🙂

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  4. I do not like how the prize distributions and handing out sweets always turns out to be a bad experience instead of a happy one, its a bloody carnival after all! :/ It isn’t to my liking either… So I decided whenever I go there I am not going to pay attention to that bullshit anymore…
    I am glad your niece and nephew have you guys who got some candies for them, they must have smiled so brightly, it’s wonderful how to little kids things like that do not matter much.

    PS> You can read and write Latin?

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    1. I know, it’s so mean! Making a difference among kids, it’s pathetic. And yes, they were thrilled! We scored some chocolate too, which is my nephew’s favourite, so he was beyond happy 🙂

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    2. Oh, my app cut your comment short, sorry! But no, I can’t read and write Latin. I had Latin in high school, but I was busier trying to be invisible than paying attention in class (still regret that).

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            1. Yes, I learned something. Enough to have a set basis for learning other languages, such as Icelandic 😉 I do fine, but I wished I’d do better, haha (story of my life!)

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