Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - Hier 04:04

Japan-based Trini writes children’s book on Carnival

For TT nationals living in other countries, trying to convey the essence of Trinidad and Tobago Carnival can prove challenging, especially when trying to separate it from the more commercialised and internationally recognised Tuesday pretty mas. As this aspect of Carnival has been exported and adopted by other countries like Canada, the US and, most recently, Japan, traditional characters are almost unrecognisable to most foreigners. This was the dilemma TT national Yoshoda Seelochan, currently living and working in Japan, attempted to address in her first children’s book, 1, 2, 3! Watch Mas With Me! The Indian Walk, Moruga native wrote the book as a stepping stone for anyone, local or foreign, to delve into the world of Carnival through the lens of TT's traditional mas characters and the people who portray them. Seelochan has been living in Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture as part of the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme for three years and has been teaching for 13 years. In a video call with WMN, Seelochan said when it comes to the spirit of Carnival, as curious as people are about the culture, there are some stereotypical images of the festival to navigate and many people are unaware of traditional characters. “According to my African friends (here, in Japan), Carnival is only nyash,” she said with a laugh. Nyash is a common West African slang for a woman’s behind. She said since she has been in Japan she has noticed a steadily increasing number of Caribbean Carnival events, including Soca in Japan, an annual weekend of Caribbean events in Tokyo held in September, which Seelochan has participated in since her arrival. She said she has also observed this year, at Kochi’s Yosokai Festival – another Carnival event in Kochi Prefecture – a Japanese masquerader dressed as the Dame Lorraine. “I know when Japanese people see the Dame Lorraine they would be confused, so I thought it would be good to have some relatable material for them to get to know the characters and what they mean to us…I want (foreigners) to know that these characters mean the world to us and to remind people back home to be proud of our culture.” Seelochan’s book, aimed at young readers, introduces nine traditional mas characters including the Moko Jumbie, Midnight Robber, Baby Dolls and Blue Devils, as well as pannists for a total of ten characters. She said although pannists are not traditional characters, as an instrumental aspect of the culture, she felt the need to include it. The self-published author said she worked closely with Miami-based illustrator BB Park, whose parents are from TT, in order to ensure the characters accurately conveyed what would typically be seen in TT. The book is now available internationally on Amazon and was launched in December. “The book reads like a poem,” she said. “It’s ten verses, with each verse dedicated to each character. I also have a glossary at the back of the book with information about TT culture.” Beginning with the Midnight Robber in the cover of darkness, each page vividly reveals a character parading through the streets with vivid, detailed illustrations that gradually changes from dark to light as the sun rises above the city. Seelochan also conveys her love for the festival in the poem itself. A line from the book reads, “The Midnight Robber, pannists, and all the rest, make this Carnival land the very best.” She said, although she has been teaching for 13 years, she would love to work in tourism and culture later in her career and is even considering pursuing a master’s degree in Carnival Arts. “I think I love Carnival more than I love myself,” she laughed. “I love the togetherness of the people, the planning, the execution. It’s just something I can’t explain.” Seelochan recalls her first memory of Carnival, heading into Princes Town with her family to view traditional mas. [caption id="attachment_1134997" align="alignnone" width="1024"] The front cover of Watch Mas With Me. -[/caption] “I had this one uncle who would take me. The (character) that always stood out to me the most was the Fancy Indian. I don’t know if it was the grandeur of their costumes, the feathers or the colours, but it lives vividly in my mind to this day at 30-years-old.” Seelochan also recalled the frightful event that lead to the birth of her story. Returning to her apartment after the Soca in Japan weekend of events in Tokyo in 2022, Seelochan said she had come down with a terrible case of covid19. “I slept for two days straight, keys still in the front door, flat out on the bed,” she said. “I realised I could never do that in TT and feel safe, but I also felt so lonely. I didn’t tell my family because they would worry about me and I could not talk to my friends because of the time difference and they would be asleep.” Japan’s time zone is 13 hours ahead of TT. “The best thing I could do was write. I started writing about things I missed about home and the things that made me happy, and I wrote a full story about a Japanese girl names Ami who visits Trinidad in her dreams and experiences TT culture.” Seelochan said between September 2022 and January 2023 she wrote four stories about Ami’s island adventures, covering topics like playing steelpan for the first time and saving the sea turtles. “I sent them to my family and friends for feedback and they encouraged me to publish.” She said, shortly after, Carnival came around in TT which led to another dream. “I have become my mother,” she said, joking about the significance of dream interpretation in Caribbean culture. “I had (another) dream about flipping through a book with mas characters. I woke up and wrote a poem and, once again, sent it to my family and friends for feedback. I told them I was thinking about turning the poem into a children’s book.” Seelochan said, despite the overwhelming support of her family, she was still a bit apprehensive about publishing her work, but she did it anyway. The book, she said, was intentionally written in simple English so that new learners of the language can easily follow. “I had some of my JTEs (Japanese Teachers of English) read my draft and they could follow along and understand and the pictures tied everything together. It was the never-ending praise of, ‘sugoi!’” she joked. Sugoi is a Japanese phrase used to convey shock or excitement. Seelochan, who teaches both elementary and junior high school, said she looks forward to her elementary school days when she can read aloud to her students. [caption id="attachment_1134998" align="alignnone" width="576"] Yoshoda Seelochan has been living in Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture as part of the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme for three years and has been teaching for 13 years. -[/caption] She said she will be home for Carnival this year and is excited to promote her book in TT. “This book, I dreamt it and being home for Carnival feels right. I don’t know what doors will open, but I just felt like I had to do it." About her life in Japan, Seelochan said being there, away from home, has made her a more understanding and empathetic person. “Japan has made me more patient, I have become more open minded. I would stop now to speak to someone and try my best to understand them. I have been interacting with people from so many cultures. You have to be mindful of what you’re saying because what may be ok in your culture may not be ok in others.” She said she loves her prefecture, Shizuoka. “It’s very laid back with gorgeous views. I live close to the port so there are lots of tourists and lots of matcha,” she joked. Shizuoka, she explained, means quiet hills, “And they really mean that.” The prefecture is located on Japan's Pacific Ocean coast and features Lake Hamana, one of Japan's largest lakes and Japan’s iconic Mt Fuji, the tallest volcano in the country, partially bordered with Yamanashi Prefecture. Shizuoka Prefecture is also the founding location of Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha.   The post Japan-based Trini writes children’s book on Carnival appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.