Tony mindling on sun 22 sep 02
Oaxacan Clay Workshop: Tuesday, Day 3
Someone was snoring last night. It may have been me. We spent the night in a
small hostel on the edge of a quiet village. Quiet except for the brass band
and fireworks racing the roosters to wake the sun. It was someone's birthday
says the hostel keeper.
We travel back across the red fields and up the foot of the sierra to San
Marcos. The courtyard is awake. There is a team of oxen parked there, five
turkeys, several chickens running around, squealing pigs and an old dog
warming in the morning sun.
Our teachers greet us and crack the whip. It is back to the sweatshop. There
may be some groaning and ibuprofen popping as you find your way back to your
seat on the floor. But no whining, otherwise there'll be no lemonade at
lunch.
Our task is to bring the rim up a quarter inch and make it level and even.
It soon becomes evident that this is absolutely impossible without the aid
of special tools. Is this a cruel trick? We look imploringly at our
teachers, there is some pouting. They pull out the special tools and save
the day. They each have two, enough to go around. The tools are their eyes,
tuned to judging and correcting uneven rims to within a millimeter. They
lean their heads to the left, they lean their head to the right, they apply
the tool to all our bowls and they look superb.
So do our teachers. They still wear colored ribbons, flowered dresses and
plastic shoes. This clay work is nearly dry, so little water is needed. They
stay perfectly clean as they work, chat and laugh. Somehow, we are all
filthy. It is clear who the masters are.
Then lunch and time to sit. Around us are the sounds of this village.
Bellowing donkeys, a radio somewhere, the soft Zapotec voices of the
household, a truck drives by honking its horn, it is the pig buyer we are
told. Someone peeks into the kitchen and comes back to where we sit sunning,
wide-eyed, and says, "They are two women sitting on their knees making
tortillas in there, cooking them on a white clay platter over a fire." Very
soon the unsuspecting tortilla chefs are flipping tortillas to an audience.
And we are all treated to fresh, hot corn tortillas. There is nothing like a
tortillas steaming off the fire. A thousand dollars won't get you one in
America. And they've added a bit of salsa and a couple of shy smiles.
We are a long ways from home.
For more info drop Eric a line rayeric@RNET.com.mx or take a peek at
www.manos-de-oaxaca.com.
Session 1: Feb 2-10, 2003
Session 2: March 16-24, 2003
9-day workshop fee is $1,150 with 7-8 participants, $1,380 with 5-6.
Fee includes hotel Sun-Mon nights, most meals, all materials, museum
entrances, local transport in private van, 2 guides and 2 instructors. It's
up to your charm to win the hot tortillas.
Short Course: December 15-21, 2002 (this is for you school teachers who have
been requesting a workshop that lines up with vacation)
6-day workshop fee is $890 with 7-8 participants, $1,085 with 5-6.
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