Goodbye to Ostaad Elahi

I went to the glass blowing workshop for the last time today. I made sure to get there early and observe the assignment of tasks, but by the time I got there at 7 AM, they were already at work. I observed a good master/student exchange while I was videotaping. By 8 AM, I was sweating again. There is a big tub of water where the men go to and rinse off their face. There is also a huge "Coleman" with cold water in it and two lovely handmade glasses on top of it for them to drink from. They regularly visit these two centers. I had my own bottle of water and when I would take a drink, it was like drinking hot water..... Ebrahim took me again today, but I must say, he is not a good driver.

The schedule at the workshop is thus: Work from 7-9 AM, breakfast from 9-9:30, work from 9:30-1, lunch from 1-1:30, work from 1:30-3. Work day ends at 3. These men work non-stop. It was so refreshing to see this. They sweat like crazy, smoke like madmen, drink gallons of water, yet never stop working except during the designated times. Everyone knows what they need to do, and they fill the spots easily. The whole process of glassblowing is like a chain: one person gets the molten glass out of the hot oven and blows it a bit, takes it over to another who rolls it and swings it, another takes it back to a second, less hot oven, and blows it, gives it to another who shapes it, etc. It is then put in a cooling oven. I think on average, each glass changes 7 hands. These guys were so active, it was like watching a group of ADD kids in organized activity!

I purchased some glassware before I left and was presented with a parting gift: a handblown glass swan. I was so touched. Ostaad Elahi allowed me full range of his workshop. The trust he had in me was so nice to experience. I could stay in the offices without anyone being there, enter their warehouse where all the glass were kept, walk around the glass just out of the cooling ovens and organized by kind on the floor, walk around the men as the twirled the metal pipes and blew in them, get close to the ovens and kilns, or just sit in my corner with all the equipment writing notes while everyone left for a snack. Not once did anyone say: "watch out" or "be careful". I would like to take Ramin there and I feel I need to give them a present, although I have promised much to them: books, tapes, a dvd of the tapes I took, and stuff on Dale Chihuly. I have already given them all the photos I took and did purchase much stuff from them. I think they were very impressed that I did not bargain with them regarding the price. I never bargain with artists. They deserve every cent they ask for.