Going back memory lane, here’s a snippet of how was it like during my first day with the kids.

Last Saturday was my second stint as a mentor for Hands On Schools’ Galing Mo Kid!

Our sherpa texted me two weeks ago, if I would be interested to be part of GMK’s last module for this school year.

Yes! I’m interested! Where? When? What should I bring?

Where?
Nueve de Pebrero Elementary School

When?
For five straight Saturdays. 9am to 11am.

What should I bring?
Just bring yourself. Err, Ok. I just made this last one up.

Oh, yes. This is my way of changing the world, one kid at a time.

So you want to know more about Galing Mo Kid! eh?!

Hands On Schools — Galing Mo Kid! is a program of Hands On Manila that mentors high-achieving public school students.

Project Goals

• To enhance the learning potential of the high-achiever students in four subject areas: Science, Math, English and Civics
• To enhance their leadership skills, creativity, and cognitive skills
• To develop values such as love for the country, honesty and integrity

HOS-GMK Program
30 high-achiever students were selected from the three pilot schools:

• Nueve de Febrero Elementary School
• Plainview Elementary School
• PEMBO Elementary School

Volunteers will mentor a 2-hour mentoring session every Saturday using teaching materials.

Volunteers are to commit a minimum of 5 sessions.

Grade 4 GMK students will have 20 sessions in total, while the Grade 5 GMK students will have 10 sessions.

The teaching materials have an over-arching theme of Heroism for the Grade 4 students and Entrepreneurship for the Grade 5 students.

How can I become a mentor?
You do not need to be a teacher or have a background on education. All you need is commitment, passion for kids, and dedication in making a difference.

Here are the 4 easy steps:

1. Attend the orientation and workshop
2. Choose a school and select a grade level
3. Sign up to be a mentor and commit to a minimum of 5 sessions
4. Show up

Orientation of new mentors will be on July 11, 2009 at the PEMBO Elementary School.

Be the Change. Volunteer.
Hands On Manila

The training came and with luck, I passed.
Err, I actually don’t believe in luck. Anyway…

The latest release, BodyPump 69, was the one that we should master during our training. Imagine for three days, we were like doing BodyPump classes 2 to 3 times a day and with the same set of music. The BodyPump Challenge was also a killer! I think, I haven’t pushed myself that hard. I sweat like a pig. Also, I got to meet new set of people and a lot of body pains. I think, I’ll be needing Alaxan FR. The whole experience was indeed fun and exciting.

Laborers sweat, gentlemen perspire, and ladies glow.

One of the things I like about BodyPump are the ladies actually doing and finishing the exercise. I just admire their amazing bodies in action. Indeed, I can see them glow.

Btw, here are the tracks for BodyPump 69:
69. Yeah! What a number!

01. Warmup: Jamie Knight — Better in Time
02. Squats: Dan Winter — Get This Party Started
03. Chest: Fall Out Boy — I Don’t Care
04. Back: Liz Kay — Castles in the Sky
05. Tricpes: Rihanna — Shut Up and Drive
06. Biceps: P!nk — So What
07. Lunges: Dyce — Stand Alone
08. Shoulders: Basshunter — All I Ever Wanted
09. Core: Kid Rock — All Summer Long
10. Cool down: 3 Doors Down — Let Me Be Myself

My favorites for this release are tracks 04 and 08.
Special mention to Track 06, this was the track assigned to me during the training.

My mentor said that the latest release is relatively boring so it is up to the instructor’s so-called fitness magic to keep the BodyPump experience alive and kicking all throughout.

So what’s next?
I still have to finish the mentoring program. I have to do shadows with my mentor and do team teach for a number of times.

For a start, I would like to introduce myself.

• My name is Niño James Ramos. Oh! I don’t mind putting my name in the Wild Wide Web. I am a 25 year old Filipino who is fond of watching downloaded TV series and movies.
• I am currently working as an IT Specialist for ISD.
• I am also a graduate student in UPD, where I am learning more about the science of computing so I can teach it with confidence someday.
• During my free time, you might catch me doing RPM or Cycling or BodyPump or BodyCombat in FF Manila.
• You might even see me running at a pace of 5:00 min/km (which I am trying to improve) in some road race in the metro.
• Oh! Yes! I am also hooked into running. I actually started running because my crush loves the sport. I run so I can also catch up with her.

Ahh… What else…

• You can consider this blog as the next version of the much-loved Memoirs of a NEOphyte
• zettai happy is a line from an anime series entitled Itazura na Kiss.
  

  絶対happy になるからね。
  zettai happy ni naru kara ne.
  I will definitely gonna be happy!

• My 10k PR is 50:46. I did it last March 1, 2009 at Botak Paabilisan.
• Sarah Geronimo is my idol. I just saw her billboard along C5. I knew it, she’s the new model for Unica Hija. Some months ago, their teaser was She’s Coming. SG is indeed Sarah Geronimo!
• I would love to have a GF, Garmin Forerunner that is! My budget is still short for a GF.

So, you really want to know more about me ha?

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I’m googleable, really.