today, and lampworking part 2
Oct. 8th, 2001 11:52 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jinianI hope I'm not getting sick again. I'm tired and depressed, and I was really cold before I put on two pairs of pants and three tops.
The second day of lampworking was also bad. It didn't make me cry, at least, but I felt like it once or twice. I think the worst parts were when... okay, I can't decide.
First thing in the morning, before we got started, the teacher came up behind me and grabbed my waist with both hands. I guess "grab" is misleading; it wasn't ungentle, just appallingly over-intimate. I asked him not to do that; he whined that he needed to get me out of the way, and I said a tap on the shoulder would be more polite. He said some fool thing and obviously didn't think I should have a problem, so I got up and told him quietly that my request was not unreasonable and he should get used to it. As if I were the only person who ever didn't want to be mauled about by someone she barely knows! Fuck him!
I found out at lunch that Wim had thought I was overreacting, but when I demonstrated what had happened (nobody had been looking at me when it happened) he understood. Well, okay then. I had conflicting goals in handling that situation, but I think I did well in trying to make sure I didn't have to slap the jerk or anything. I am likely to keep fantasizing about ways I could have ripped into him for the next week or so, and while I kind of wish I had given him verbal hell, I'm glad that I can cling to my virtuous yet boundary-asserting response. *sigh* It is not the best comfort, but I know things could have been much worse.
I have a class evaluation sheet, and I can cling to that for a while too. I am going to write exactly what I thought about this whole fiasco, dammit.
We had worked with Pyrex the first day, and one of the reasons I went back the second is that we were going to be working with softer art glass. I got along with it so much better, even though I had to be really careful to heat it v e r y s l o w l y. (I cracked a few things by heating them too quickly, and couldn't always melt them back together.) We learned to make beads, so I did that pretty much all day. It was discouraging at times, but I did finally get to make some things I wanted.
The demonstrations were still interminable, but he showed how to make a ribbon cane, which was interesting. I made one myself, though I wasn't really sure how to use it for anything. I really wish he would have talked! He was clearly happy to answer questions and such, but I couldn't bring myself to ask. And I still think I should not have to ask questions after a piece cracks and he hasn't told us that might happen or how to stop it, or when I finish something and maybe want to anneal it and have no clue how, or or or. Grr.
There was something else, but I'm just going to try to let it go, I suppose.
And when we were cleaning up, I was trying to cut the hands I'd made yesterday off their Pyrex rods. I got through the first one, but the teacher turned off the oxygen tank while I was trying to get the second one. Without saying a word.
Totally, totally, totally sucked.
But it wasn't lampworking that sucked. I should have disclaimered that last post. (I did on the first version, when I got cut off.) I do want to take another lampworking class when I've recovered from the crappiness of this one; I will not work with that instructor again, and I will ask for more information about what the class is like before I sign up. But I still want to do this. It is a good thing to do. I made some things that I like and am even a little proud of, and the fact that I only learned about a quarter of what I'd expected doesn't mean that the other three quarters aren't still waiting for me to learn them. Preferably by being taught rather than by experimentation. :)
Thanks to everyone who gave me suggestions; I was already at the second half of the class by the time most of them came in, but I appreciate your thoughts. The two-day intensive format has some inherent drawbacks, and one of them is definitely the lack of time off to nurture ideas, whether they're artistic ones or just how to survive the atmosphere.
The second day of lampworking was also bad. It didn't make me cry, at least, but I felt like it once or twice. I think the worst parts were when... okay, I can't decide.
First thing in the morning, before we got started, the teacher came up behind me and grabbed my waist with both hands. I guess "grab" is misleading; it wasn't ungentle, just appallingly over-intimate. I asked him not to do that; he whined that he needed to get me out of the way, and I said a tap on the shoulder would be more polite. He said some fool thing and obviously didn't think I should have a problem, so I got up and told him quietly that my request was not unreasonable and he should get used to it. As if I were the only person who ever didn't want to be mauled about by someone she barely knows! Fuck him!
I found out at lunch that Wim had thought I was overreacting, but when I demonstrated what had happened (nobody had been looking at me when it happened) he understood. Well, okay then. I had conflicting goals in handling that situation, but I think I did well in trying to make sure I didn't have to slap the jerk or anything. I am likely to keep fantasizing about ways I could have ripped into him for the next week or so, and while I kind of wish I had given him verbal hell, I'm glad that I can cling to my virtuous yet boundary-asserting response. *sigh* It is not the best comfort, but I know things could have been much worse.
I have a class evaluation sheet, and I can cling to that for a while too. I am going to write exactly what I thought about this whole fiasco, dammit.
We had worked with Pyrex the first day, and one of the reasons I went back the second is that we were going to be working with softer art glass. I got along with it so much better, even though I had to be really careful to heat it v e r y s l o w l y. (I cracked a few things by heating them too quickly, and couldn't always melt them back together.) We learned to make beads, so I did that pretty much all day. It was discouraging at times, but I did finally get to make some things I wanted.
The demonstrations were still interminable, but he showed how to make a ribbon cane, which was interesting. I made one myself, though I wasn't really sure how to use it for anything. I really wish he would have talked! He was clearly happy to answer questions and such, but I couldn't bring myself to ask. And I still think I should not have to ask questions after a piece cracks and he hasn't told us that might happen or how to stop it, or when I finish something and maybe want to anneal it and have no clue how, or or or. Grr.
There was something else, but I'm just going to try to let it go, I suppose.
And when we were cleaning up, I was trying to cut the hands I'd made yesterday off their Pyrex rods. I got through the first one, but the teacher turned off the oxygen tank while I was trying to get the second one. Without saying a word.
Totally, totally, totally sucked.
But it wasn't lampworking that sucked. I should have disclaimered that last post. (I did on the first version, when I got cut off.) I do want to take another lampworking class when I've recovered from the crappiness of this one; I will not work with that instructor again, and I will ask for more information about what the class is like before I sign up. But I still want to do this. It is a good thing to do. I made some things that I like and am even a little proud of, and the fact that I only learned about a quarter of what I'd expected doesn't mean that the other three quarters aren't still waiting for me to learn them. Preferably by being taught rather than by experimentation. :)
Thanks to everyone who gave me suggestions; I was already at the second half of the class by the time most of them came in, but I appreciate your thoughts. The two-day intensive format has some inherent drawbacks, and one of them is definitely the lack of time off to nurture ideas, whether they're artistic ones or just how to survive the atmosphere.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2001-10-08 12:33 pm (UTC)it sounds like mostly he was a really poor communicator, esp for beginnaing students. I'm glad it didn't turn you off of doing this kind of thing for good, and hopefully the next class will go SO much better!
I still think you're brave for staying the first time and coming back the second time, stuff like this sucks, and even talkative girls like me get into that kind of 'wanting to ask more but not feeling right doing so' situations, ick.
no subject
Date: 2001-10-08 12:54 pm (UTC)