Going back to work after that incredible "holiday" was a bit brutal, as it was hard to imagine what exactly I was working for now. But I did so of course and it was, as always, hard but rewarding.

The upside was that I now was given a lot more responsibility. Almost promoted, in a way. Instead of just assisting the classes, catching kids, picking them up, wiping snot (oh yes, I wipe snot, ever day), I was teaching whole classes by myself. Albeit, a crippled sort of teaching in a half-comprehensible language. Very few of these kids even speak German, most of them speak only Netherlands, so I am totally out of my depth and rely on a combination of sign language (50%), english (10%), German (10%), and my three words of Netherlands (surprisingly, yes, those three words account for 30%). But I am a decent teacher, and the kids like me, and the experience of succeeding in teaching them to ski is unparalleled. Zooming down the hill (the real hill now, not just the kiddie area) and looking back to see them all immitating me and making a pizza and turning correctly is exhilarating. I have come a long was from where I was when I was first called in to assist a panicked Franzi. Mind you I don't have 17 kids to contend with. But today I went alone, with 8 kids, who had never skied before yesterday, onto the hill, and had them turning flawlessly. They also, (for the most part) have a good time, supplemented with the occaisional snowball fight where I let them all hit me and make a big show of wiping out, gets them every time. Followed by (the clincher) tickle-time. Yes, I am, I think, good with kids.

I had two girls a few days ago who liked me so much that when they saw me later, (their family is staying in Austria Haus) they came running up and gave me a huge hug (to their parents surprise) and continued to do so every time they saw me for the next few days. Adorable doesn't even begin to describe it.

I work a lot with Jose, who is very fun, and despite the additional complication and confusion of another language, I love a chance to speak Spanish (he speaks no English and neither of us are too hot on the German so, there you go). I am teaching him how to ski. In Spanish. Recall that I just learned how to ski. The levels of irony are confusing.