Today was my first day on the job. Only four classes... and I am bushed. I think circus training a ring full of feral cats would be marginally less challenging, although many of them were simply adorable and a couple went out of their way to be helpful. The youngest class, the first graders, were the most challenging. Partly because they have even less English than any of the others, and partly because they have that innate ability to smell inexperience and, since they can play the "I don't understand a syllable you're saying" card, they just flow like water over and around everything I tried to demonstrate.
One little girl was really tiny, and had perfectly sculpted features that reminded me of fairies in some of the artwork I've seen. Not the cute little ones that come and grant you wishes or make dreams come true, but the ones that beguile you into trusting them and then lead you through the rose garden to feed you to the hungry wolves waiting on the other side. She was all sweetness and light until my back was turned - not even fully, mind you - and then she was rifling thru my bag snagging pencils I had brought for treats, and even the few baht I had brought with me for the day! I caught her red handed, and she grinned serenely as she regifted my own belongings to me.
All sarcasm aside, it was awesome. My first class was fabulous, and it's really cool to be greeted with huge smiles and hugs, and saying goodbye with the same. I'm looking forward to tomorrow, with the slightly older crowd. In the mean time, I have a few days before going back to today's classes, and think I'll do some light reading on the art of lion taming.