God bless the lovely little first years. Oh God, how lovely they are. Even though it`s starting to get hot, and the entire staff is supposedly indisposed with mid-may depression (don`t know how they can specify months to be depressed in Japan-if i were an actual teacher in japan I`d have the blues every month of the year) anyway…my little first years are lovely. Truely.
They`re so full of energy and bless their cottom-mix socks they get so excited when Aine pops in for her weekly class with them. You gotta love a bit of hero worship, it wears off far too soon. The giddier they get, the giddier I get and before you know it, it`s a competition to see who can act the bigger goat. My team teachers hate me for it, but feck them! A girl has to get her energy from somewhere.
We were learning “nice to meet you” today.
Teacher was drilling (a hole in their hearts to be soon filled with an undeniable hatred of the english language) “nice”. Repeat after me, “nice”.
Next thing you know there`s a yelp.
“AHHHH sensei, nice body!”.
Funny.
a 4 foot high, 6 year old cleverly disguised in the body of a 12 year old, proclaiming to a teacher who`d surely win the ultimate prize in the coveted biggest head-to- small body ratio and for a bonus trophy, greenest teeth competition.
He looked around bewildered.
What on earth was the foreinger laughing at?
“What does it mean miss?”

Teacher wasn`t amused. Some issues there perhaps.
She told him.
He cowered.
His classmates got a good 2-minutes pointing and gaffawing before the teacher`s screams to “shut-up” became too great to ignore.
Poor lad.

I met him in the coridoor at lunch time and said to him, “nice body”.
He pleaded.
“Ah Teacher, PLEAAAAASSSSEEEEE forget that i ever said it, PLEASEEEEE!”

(I just realised that i`m not sure I can get away with retelling the story without looking like a fabuluosly dirty paedophile. )

I`ll risk it.