Some people....

At school, I have this course where we try to learn how to better express ourselves, so we are better prepared for keeping presentations etc.
Today we had to make short introduction on another person at the course. The idea was to make 2-5 minute positive presentation about the other person, highlighting their best traits and telling what the person was like... maybe touch little of their faults, but leaving an impression of person you want to work with.
As I didnt really know anyone, I got this girl who looked rather pretty from the other side of the classroom. So, I talk to her for a while, telling something about myself (so she could make her presentation about me). I was rather easygoing, tried to tell her in humourous tones what I am like. Then I start asking her... she gives three or four sentences (Im really enthuastic about subjects I like (but really lazy when I dont like it at all), I'm really critical on other peoples options, I try to tolerate other peoples options, hope to be in five years at personel managment). OK, good start! Lets expand this a little. I tried to ask her what things she didnt like (YOU CANT ASK THAT?!), could I say you were strong personality (THATS NEGATIVE).. you know, I tried to ask her stuff, but all I asked was met with utter contempt. She didnt like me asking questions. We had about twenty minutes to prepare, but that was not enough. Hell, not even half a year would be enough! I tried to be light, tried to explain what I wanted to do, and asked her to trust me, that I would write something that would give positive impression...Cant do.
In the end I wrote few sentences, asked her to proofread it (she changed nearly everything). This didnt really suprise me, by the time I was pretty sure she was disgusting fellow to know. I was even amazed I could write that many lines about her (enough for good half a minute, after editing.. not that much). Might sound like I need a backbone, but by that time I was sure I couldnt make anything that would make anyone want to work with her.

So, we did our piece last. All the rest had friends and people they knew, or at least people they got well together with. She did her piece first (had offered her piece for me to proofread, I had declined saying I trusted her). It was pretty good, I liked it.

Then I started talking. I usually do my talks by rememebering few keywords, and then start going from there. Wasn't good here, though, because everytime I didnt go by her script (and I couldnt read from the paper, I had to keep contact with the audience), she corrected me (thrice, in all). Apparently, so teacher said afterwards, she was also doing faces, which got some people laughing (and naturally, I thought they were laughing at me, as I was stumbling with my text). In the end, I got some critique that was really good. There were people in audience who had seen my previous presentations, and could really tell what my problems were (will be great help for the future!). Teacher also identified me and my partners bad chemistry (the whole class did, and everyone save few girls seemed to agree it was not my fault), so all good there too. "It's very hard if you dont trust the person you work with", teacher remarked to the girl at the end.

Thanks to the presentation, I had something to talk to with several people, and I think I got some friends. So all good.

But Im suprised that such people exist as her. She didnt even want to hear my ideas, when I explained that 30 seconds isint long enough for five minutes presentation, she only said that "no one is clocking us" (as people wouldnt notice the difference between 30 and 300 seconds). I didnt know her, so I had no right to write about her. I tried to explain that I did get impressions, and by talking with her, I got to know her, and could do the presentation. But we only fought about those three sentences... She thought I was insulting her always when I asked about some of her weak spots, or tried to expand the text.. you know, of those things that make us human. I had given her several of my own weak points, but she gave me only "I try to tolerate other people's opinions". When I said that in the presentation, everyone started laughing. Bet they heard our fights earlier on, so they knew how true that was!

She came off like some really snob person. Several people remarked how she wouldnt get far with that attitute, and how personel managment would be really bad place if she continued like that.

I have disliked several people, but usually, at least, they have been sane enough to try work with me - we both had our cows in the gutter (as we say here). Anyway, I could have asked her questions, wrote my piece and THEN started editing it to be more PC. Now she just shouted "stick with what I gave you!". Equal partnership, that was. Tho I doubt that anything I might have added would still have gotten the red pen.