I started out with a group of kids on skis. They were a pretty mixed bunch to begin with: I had criers, quitters and star athletes all at once. Over the next couple of days we shifted around and I ended up with just me 8 Danish girls and one Icelander between 8-11 years old. Sweetest little girls you could imagine; can be a little trying at times- some of them are much better than others and some have no patience for waiting around just want to fly down the mountain like maniacs... that and the fact that I can barely understand what they're saying half the time. Good times. We've come along mina sma tjejer and me: tomorrow is our last day. Gonna miss the little maniacs. We try to teach each other Danish/Swedish while we sit on the chair but the conversation seems to inevitably work its way back to toilet talk. The perils of 8 year old Danes I guess... or maybe 25 year old Australians?
In the afternoon I had a snowboard class; quite a big one compared to the usual size... 5 English and 4 Danes; saying everything twice was interesting... kinda fun though. Had some pretty gifted students and secured myself some private lessons later in the week. Teaching certainly has its high points. The smile you put on people's faces when they really get something, the feeling you can share with other people and the connection you can make with others. But then it has it's hard moments; when you simply cannot communicate to someone what they need to be doing; no matter how many different ways you explain it, how many images you create or metaphors you concoct, when you simple cannot help them calm their fear or slow their growing frustrations. Snowboarding is a hard sport in the first few stages, there is a lot of falling over and not a lot of going. As much as you can tell people this in a group situation, they will never stop comparing themselves to the other students.Things will get easier. At least a little?
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