First Clay in Karlova: A Pottery Evening in Tartu

Sügisel läksid Tartus õhtud ruttu pimedaks ja mul hakkas kodus igav.

In autumn in Tartu the evenings got dark quickly and I got bored at home.

Sõber soovitas Karlova rahvamaja keraamikaringi, sest seal pidavat olema mõnus seltskond ja hea õpetaja.

A friend recommended the pottery club at the Karlova community house, because they said there was a nice group and a good teacher.

Registreerisin end kursusele, kuigi savi polnud ma varem näppinudki.

I signed up for the course, although I hadn't even touched clay before.

Esimesel õhtul tervitas meid Maarja, kes naeratas nii, et närv läks kohe maha.

On the first evening, Maarja greeted us, who smiled so that my nerves settled right away.

Ta näitas, kuidas savi tuleb veega äratada ja kuidas saviratas ei andesta järske liigutusi.

She showed how you have to wake the clay with water and how the potter's wheel doesn't forgive sudden moves.

Käed värisesid, ratas undas ja minu esimene tass vajus külje peale nagu väsinud kass.

My hands trembled, the wheel hummed, and my first cup sagged to the side like a tired cat.

Maarja ütles: "Ära muretse, savi armastab kannatlikkust," ja aitas panna sõrmed õigesse rütmi.

Maarja said, "Don't worry, clay loves patience," and helped set my fingers into the right rhythm.

Kui sain liigutuse kätte, tuli vaikselt mingi rahu ja unustasin isegi, et väljas sajab lörtsi.

When I got the movement down, a certain calm quietly arrived, and I even forgot that sleet was falling outside.

Tunni lõpus seisis laual küll viltune, aga täiesti minu oma tass, millele kraapisin põhja väikese päikese.

At the end of the class, there stood on the table a crooked but entirely my own cup, and I scratched a little sun into its bottom.

Teised kiitsid, naersime ja panime savised põlled kuivama, sest järgmine kord pidime juba oma tassidest kohvi jooma.

Others praised, we laughed and put the clay-stained aprons to dry, because next time we were supposed to drink coffee from our own cups already.

Koduteel tundsin, et pea on tühi ja käed on mõnusalt väsinud, aga sees oli soe tahtmine tagasi tulla.

On the way home I felt my head was empty and my hands pleasantly tired, but inside there was a warm wish to come back.

Nii ta algas: uus hobi, mis paneb telefoniekraani unustama ja toob tolmusesse kööki värske savilõhna.

So it began: a new hobby that makes you forget the phone screen and brings the fresh smell of clay into a dusty kitchen.