2003-07-22 - 4:26 p.m.
There are several words to describe throwing pottery, but 'serene' and 'zen' are not ones I would use.
The two choice words are 'soporific' and 'aggravating'.
My dear mother had decided to put me in a ceramics class, which explains sufficiently the two day or more absence from the internet.
So far I haven't made anything except a huge puddle on the floor and a few misshapen lumps of clay we call 'rainbows' -the ones we've messed up and in attempt to dry quicker, roll into curved arches on the table.
My irritation hasn't enabled me in any way to make anything quicker or more efficiently. Instead, I slice yet another slab of clay from the large block we were given and attempt again.
The other people have gone further. Granted, they have done this before, but that fact isn't enough to make me feel better. They've made jugs, mugs, bowls and several plates. Me? Rainbows. And more rainbows.
The instructor, Jay, is nice enough. He's a graduate of ACAD (wouldn't want to study there myself, the place is really drab and depressing) and makes the whole throwing thing look so damn easy. Me? Fifth rainbow.
I suspect Jay's gay. Ha, rhymes. He reminds me of a faun from Chronicles of Narnia, short with goatee.
Being in the studio wasn't exactly calming either, since a few people in the class insisted on listening to Vibe, the hip hop station. A few hip hop songs at a time = fine, especially if it's Beyonce's "Crazy for Love" because I've got an addiction for that song, but after several songs and Ashanti's endless 'baby, baby, baby, baby... oh my baby this, baby that', I feel like throwing up. She uses even more 'baby's than Britney. Stop overpopulating the planet!
My arms and hands are particularly tired. The side of my left hand has been rubbing against the wheel going at 100 km/h, so you can imagine the sort of fiery pain going through my hand at the moment.
I hope the class gets better. Right now it isn't fun at all, seeing other people make things. Me? Sixth rainbow. And it goes on.
Soporific? If you haven't made anything except misshapen arches and you're combing through Ashanti's songs looking for some variety, yes. Aggravating? Oh, definitely.
