In the heart of Manila Chinatown is the Downtown YMCA. This Y is more like our town’s Recreation Center with summer programs for kids in karate, art, music, swim, basketball, dance etc.

Since Mary’s cousins had been attending their Learn to Swim Summer program series, we signed up Mary for the swim classes so she can join them.

At the YMCA with Channa

Mary had already taken swim lessons at the Lakeshore Athletic Club in Broomfield, Colorado in Spring and Summer 2007. The YMCA’s program seems to be the same 10-level program as the one in Colorado where Mary had made it to Level 4 before she quit.

The Y had her start at Level 0 and moved her up to Level 2 after 3 days (she started mid-week and since they do evaluations on Saturdays, they evaluated her on her 4th day which happened to be a Saturday).

The classes cost PHP1,800 per week - 1 1 /2 hour/day M-S.  That’s about $45 for 9 hours of instruction.

The kids are required to wear cap and goggles.  Here is Mary getting help from the yayas getting her cap on.

Mary gets her cap on

Unlike her swim class in Colorado, the Y starts off theirs with a warm-up stretch poolside to the rousing tune of… you guessed it… the Village People’s “YMCA.”

Warming up at the Y

Then, they get a group dousing, instead of a shower before getting into the pool.

Swimmers get a dousing

The class is divided into the different levels. An instructor will not have more than 5 swimmers under their instruction with the Head coach/instructor constantly looking on, poolside.

YMCA pool

Mommies, daddies and yayas (nannies) are not allowed inside the enclosed area once instruction starts but get to stay in this well-ventilated area where you can lounge and watch to your heart’s content.

poolside with the yayas