Is it possible for some guys to have all the Luck ???
NELA CARRILLO. Fil-Am Naples Auditor. BornNela-Mae Flores in a small town of Alfonso, Cavite ... the eldest of four kids, she was raised on the outskirts of Manila, Phils. Her father, now retired was a farmer-landowner in Cavite and her mother, a former businesswoman, both living in Edmonton, Canada nowadays. She received an undergraduate degree in Business Admin, major in Banking & Finance at Philippine Women's University. The whole family sans the youngest girl, migrated to Canada in the early 90's. Nela worked for a computer company for 4 years prior to meeting Jim Carrillo, a handsome, confident fun-loving sailor (aren't we all?), originally from Olongapo City, stationed at that time in SanDiego, CA. Do you believe in love at first sight? Will a quick engagement succeed in the long run?? Well, that's exactly what's been answered by both Jim and Nela here and what transpired belong in the romantic pocketbooks of Barnes and Noble. In January 1998, Nela went to San Diego to see her brother off, LTJG Rommel Flores, who is bound for Guam. Jim was helping Rommel pack out that portentous day, just being a friend and ... but as fate would have it, keeping an eagle eye (more like hawkish!) for his prey, er...I mean Rommel's sis, Nela. A long-distance love affair ensued, she being in Canada (east) and Jim in California (west). Hundreds of phone calls and emails later, Jim decided to see Nela for the second time, in this cold far flung place in Alberta, away from his temperate comfort zone, sunny San Diego, November of '98. Didn't get enough of her then, Jim returned by plane to see her for the third time in freezing brrrr cold of January '99. To endure this challenge, with his gouty arthritis acting up like crazy---Jim was really bitten by the love bug baaaaaad! On their fourth meeting (REPEAT: only 4times!) in May 1999, they decided to exchange vows, to live together forever and ever, for better or worse...Now, if anyone out there, got married only on their third meeting, let me know please... Jim and Nela's got to be the quickest engagement for Filipinos I know of! Their union begot a preciously cute li'l sweetheart, Catherine Jane (2 1/2 yearsold now!). Being an open-minded person, I felt that love at first sight and/or a successful short engagement was certainly possible. I don'tknow if it was Voltaire orConfucius who said, "all things are possible in this best of all possible worlds..." Gotta be one of those wise men, could have been Mike Tyson.....not! But I really had no idea how many people believed in it or had experienced it and eventually had a successful one at that, like Jim and Nela.
Q: What is it like for you living here in Naples?
Nela: Mind-boggling! I thought I won't survive the first two weeks, with all the culture shock and the ever-changing weather. We arrived here in June (still cold, blustery winds and rain) but we adapted quickly and now we love it, with a little help from our good friends around SS and of course, the inexpensive markets are stress-busters too!*
Q: Who in the Philippines would you like to have a chat with?
Nela: I think it's interesting to have a no holds-barred chat with Imelda Marcos. I'll even ask her point blank if she knew who killed Ninoy Aquino and how much money she has frozen in her Swiss bank account. I've got more and I'm not pulling any punches given that chance to speak with her. You know me, I would go for it and wouldn't sugar-coat anything.
Q: What do you do in your spare time?
Nela: I don't have time to spare anymore, hahahaha... I have a two-year old cutie here, my pride and joy...she demands a lot of time and energy 24/7, ugh! I love every minute of it though
Q: What's your favorite phrase and/or words of wisdom?
Nela: My parents, remind me all the time, "If you don't have anything good to say, don't even attempt to say anything at all!". Jim has a better one..."It's okay to be quiet and presumed a fool, rather open your mouth and prove them right!"
Q: What are your pet peeves?
Nela: Eeeeeeoow to bad body odor and bad breath, as per traits, I avoid lazy, inconsiderate, tactless people and the worst....unreasonably CRANKY ONES!
Q: Who's your role model?
Nela: My parents, they are the most patient and hardworking people in the world for me! They taught us how to love God above all, to love our neighbors, and to believe in ourselves despite all the criticisms we might encounter. I still receive lessons of LIFE from them every now and then.
Q: Who do you want to meet among the "rich and famous" people?
Nela: Bill Gates, the multi-billionaire...I'll exhort him not to get tired of giving back to charity, to prioritize schools over other endeavours like arts, museums etc...especially, he can be the perfect model/example to encourage youth not to abandon school and to stay away from drugs.
Q: What's your favorite __expression/phrase inTagalog or English?
Nela: You don't wanna know, censored @#$%&*......! (no translation)
Q: Why did you run for officer of FIL-AM Naples?
Nela: People's person ako talaga. I enjoy networking with people, talking and doing productive things as a member of this association. Jim is basically the same, that's why we clicked...
Q: What's the best movie you have seen in your life? Best book you've read?
Nela: Too many to mention, but I like action movies, suspense thrillers and believe it or not court scenes (the Practice, Judge Judy), intrigue me. I love Sidney Sheldon's books, as a matter of fact, if Catherine is asleep, I'll sit and finish one novel in one night. His heroines, sometimes I can relate to.
Q: What's your favorite : Filipino food? American food? Italian?
Nela: Menudo and puto or pandesal, steak with mashed potatoes and green salad, no fave as per Italian food yet, still working on it though...kulang 'ata sila sa timpla, eh!
Q: Jim said that you guys have not had a fight since getting married in 1999, true?
Nela: I guess you could say that, konting tampuhan, nothing major. Even though we had a short time knowing each other, we're mature adults, understanding is the key. "Give and take" eka nga
JAP: Just like my relationship with my wife---I give, she takes....hehehehe, kidding ok?
To Nela, life is best viewed as a journey, each mundane decision hat both of them make, influences their path somehow. But she really believes that people can stay constant (in love?) in a relationship if there's trust. Marriages will have its share of ups and downs, thru the years, people change and adapt to survive. Jim and Nela are practically still on their honeymoon, they will face challenges or make choices that consciously or unconsciously might take them in a different or same direction, who knows? The best relationships are surely those where people fit smoothly and seamlessly together (parang Lexus cars bah!). However, at this point, she admits that it is pretty hard to determine the impact of "short engagement" on her life. She assured me that she will be able to better answer the question in five years or so from now. Jim is an honest, thoughtful and caring man, I know the guy---he plays rhythm guitar for the WALA band ferchrissake, and he willingly lends a hand for anyone in need albeit very quietly. He doesn't want any publicity, shuns the limelight (so to speak), but he is there when you need him. Nela's parents and Jim obviously had a bigger impact on her life but none far more significant, without a doubt to having Catherine Jane, the crown jewel of the Carrillos. Some guys do have all the luck...
