Maira Macam is one of those people. Looking over my GTKY notes I see
all sorts of things I could write about, but two things keep coming
back as I am re-writing this interview.  One, she is a no-nonsense,
overachiever,but a genuinely quiet lady. And that she is a hopelessly romantic! 
Single guys, hint...hint...she's taking resumes as I write this, hehehehe! 
Born Maria Aurora Buena deVera Macam, at Capitol Medical Center, Quezon City on October 29, 1972.. hmmmm, I leave it  up to you romantic guys to figure out how young she is.. Both parents are from Pangasinan. She is the eldest daughter and she took her mother's maiden name.  Would you believe she didn't have a name for 5 days!? The hold up was due to the fact that her parents were trying to decide between Celerina and Herminia (both
grandmothers). Typical Filipino-Hispanic culture clash in children
nomenclature, dontyathink???  Her Dad nicknamed her "Maira", apparently
because he was a big fan of the winner of Miss Philippines in1973. 
Friends call her "Mayatong", (you can't be Pinoy without a nickname like that
right?).  Her younger sister calls her "Mala", (she couldn't pronounce
her name) and other relations call her "Jinx", mainly because she claims to
always getting hurt as a kid/teenager. Maira Macam is a proud Navy
sailor's (EM1 Fernando T. Macam) daughter for 20 years and started working for the civil service during the summers when she was 17 yrs old!  Her
motivation? "My mother made me! She "encouraged" me to apply for my first job w/ the civil service,   I enjoyed negotiating...so I stayed!" she explained
with a smiling face.  Her  very first date was also at age 17 and get this...
she had to bring her brother, her sister and two cousins!  This was AFTER
the poor boy had sat on her parents' couch for 6 months trying to court
Maira, tsk..tsk... some Filipino traditions never change! 
Chaperone...anyone???
She's happy to say that she came specifically to this job in Naples
because she always dreamt of living in Italy.  It would be a waste for Maira to
marry an Italian, c'mon you Pinoys... itaguyod and Bandilang
Pilipino!!! What follows hereafter is Maira verbatim.
 

 Q:  How many years of education have you completed? 
 MM:  Too many! Completed my MBA in 2000. 
 Q:  What was your field of study?
 MM:  Undergrad- Poli Sci Major and History Minor.  Masters in
Business Administration
 Q:  Were there any fads during your youth or college days that you
remember vividly?
 MM:  Everything 80s- yes I wore fingerless gloves, blue eye shadow,
big hair and neon shoes (yikes!!).  Not to worry, I've burned all the
pictures (I think).
 Q:  Your most important/proudest accomplishments. 
 MM:  I was the Filipino Culture Coordinator for AB Samahan San
Diego, we put together some really great programs.  And my proudest
moment/s
would be watching my brother and sister graduate from college.
 Q:  In the NAVY ROICC, what are some aspects of your present
position that you like?  dislike?  
 MM:  I enjoy interacting with my Italian colleagues and contractors,
the multi-cultural dynamic aspect of this job is very interesting. 
Dislike? Office politics!
 Q:  What do you see yourself doing five or ten years from now? OR
Where do you see yourself going from here? 
 MM:  Married (God willing) with children...(also God willing)  oh,
and can I rule the world too?
 [jap:  It's possible...try listening to the song, "Rule the World"
by Eric Clapton and Babyface, you'd be inspired!]
 Q:  You had MBA education, what would you say you learned from your graduate school experiences that you see being carried over to your life today?
 MM:  I've learned that you never stop learning.  I love expanding my
horizons, the challenge and competition of a classroom.  I've also
learned that intelligence... even brilliance is not measured by tests, papers,
or essays but by a person's hunger for knowledge. 
 Q:  What does success mean to you? How do you judge it? 
 MM:  Success means living a life of honor, to be true to yourself
and what you believe in.  It means to love and be loved with no
condition and with no end and to leave the world a better place for everyone's
children.
 Q:  Who or what in your life would you say influenced you most with
regard to your career objectives, role model/s?
 MM:  My role model?  Definitely, my LOLA, the matriarch of our
family, she was widowed at 24 with four young children.  She put her
children through college and never remarried.  My superwoman role model
once said, "there were moments when I didn't know how we would eat the next day. It was then that I left it to God and He always provided."  She also
said, "we can be poor but we don't have to be ignorant".  God, family and
education those are the tenets that we as a culture and we specifically
as a family live by.  She also instilled in me this sense of obligation to
be a role model in every sense and aspect of the word... as a daughter, as a
sister, as an Ate, a woman, a professional, as a Pinay.  She is a woman
remarkable beyond words. 
 Can I have more than one role model?  [jap:  that's what the slash {
/s} is for]
 MM:  I would be remiss without mentioning my parents.  Theirs was a
true love match.  Met at 13 married at 26 and 32 years of love and
laughter.
They survived Westpacs, Med Cruises, raising an impossible hardheaded
daughter. (moaaah!) Our family is so close knit because of them.  My
brother
and sister are my best friends. 
 Q:  What things give you the greatest satisfaction?
MM:  Being around people, especially children.  To be surrounded by my
family and friends. 
 Q:  Are you a person who likes to "try new things," or "stay with
regular routines"?
 MM:  Definitely "try new things"!!  This is no dress rehearsal I
like to experience life... REALLY experience life, in every aspect-- to
live life with passion, conviction and honor. 
 Q:  What have you read lately, and what are you reading now?
 MM:  Biographies of Michael Angelo and Leonardo DaVinci by Nasardi.
The Greatest Generation- Tom Brokaw
 Q:  What are your 3 (or more) favorite books?
 MM:  Unbearable Lightness of Being, Under the Tuscan Sun, Joy Luck
Club, Love in the Time of Cholera, The Count of Monte Cristo
 Q:  If you can interview one "rich and famous" people, who would you want to it to be?
 MM:  Winston Churchill..  [jap: recalling my history, I believe he
was branded as "stupid stutterer" by his grade school teacher, eons
ago, in
England, what a transformation!...parang si Ngongo... naging si Cicero,
hahaha!]
 Q:  What's your favorite expression, in either Tagalog or English or
Latin? 
 MM:  Latin: "Amo vincit omnia"  [jap: translated:  Love conquers
all!  Talagang romansa ang hilig, sugod mga kapatid! biro lang ha?]
 Q:  Special talents you possess, singing? musical instruments
playing? oratory, etc
 MM:  Hmmm... talent?  I think it would be too generous to call it
"talent" but I play piano, sing, and dance.  I've picked up horseback
riding recently.  Oh and I was a tomboy growing up so I enjoy playing
football, baseball, and basketball too.  [jap:  si Susan, misis ko..tomboy din
noong una, pero ginawa kong babae, hihihihi, joke only!]
 Q:  What was the most fun thing you did this year, Fil-Am or not?
 MM:  Teaching the children Itik-Itik and going back home and doing a
3 week 5 city whirlwind trip. 
 Q:  What professional groups (or Fil-Ams) were/are you a member of,
and how active have you been in those groups?
 MM:  AB Samahan, SDSU.  Pangasinan Association, San Diego, Pilipino
Parent Support Group, Montgomery HS, AASA, Pan-Asian Club SOH.  very active.
 Q:  You have joined Fil-Am Association Naples, and had a short
exposure/tour of our organization. Did any aspect or anything you saw or heard about this association surprise you? Would you change anything about it?
 MM:  Change nothing!  They're doing a terrific job! [jap:  Si Philip
Tubera ba ay may pag-asa???  Naks naman, iba yata ang ngiti mo ah,
nyuk!nyuk! nyuk!  moving right along....hmmmm, umi-init ata dito sa Naples
ah?]
 Q:  As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? 
 MM:  A lawyer! A dolphin trainer! A secret agent! Wonder Woman! (not
necessarily in that order and well, I couldn't fit into the WW
costume)...
[jap:  you're not only bright, you're funny too..just like
Philip...hey!]
 Q:  What was your first job?  What kinds of jobs have you had?
 MM:  Started with the Federal Service right away as a Data
Transcriber.
 Q:  What were the hardest choices that you ever had to make? Do you
feel like you made the right choices?
 MM:   To come here to Italy. Between my heart and my head... I've
always chosen to lead w/ my heart.  I'm not sure about "right" choices
but I have very few regrets about decisions I've made. 
 Q:  What U.S. or Philippine President have you admired the most and
why?
 MM:  Corazon Aquino, I think that her administration was rendered
ineffective because of the circumstances of our political system in the
P.I. However, at a time of crisis and an hour of need-she stepped unafraid
onto the world stage to accept a difficult role.  I admired that kind of
bravery and conviction.  (I did my thesis on her transitional administration).
[jap:  Di ba si Joseph Estrada ay full of "conviction" din? Tawa ulit...
I'm not giving up my daytime job that's for sure...hay naku!]
 Q:  If you could change something about yourself, what would it be?
 MM:  I like the way I am.  Hmmm.. wish I could be a little bit more
patient though.
 Q:  What was the most stressful experience that you ever lived
through? What helped you get through it?
 MM:  Senior year of college; running a 200+ person show, finishing
up at school, working fulltime, and breaking up with my first love.
Stressful AND traumatic!  [jap: I'm not going there, period..chuckles!]
 Q:  What is the scariest thing that has ever happened to you
personally? 
 MM:  My dad had a heart attack about 8 yrs ago.  You always think of
your dad as invincible and it really shook me to see him so vulnerable. 
 Q:  What are your hobbies? What do you like to do when you were not
working?
 MM:  Traveling, reading, horseback riding.  Over the years I've
tried a little bit of everything!
 Q:  What is the most amazing thing that has ever happened to you?
 MM:  We were on a boat in the outside of Glacier Bay, Alaska and
having a pod of killer whales swim right underneath us, later on the
same trip a pod of dolphins rode the bow of the boat into the port with us. 
It was really beautiful!
 Q:  What is the most beautiful place you have ever visited and what
was it like?
 MM:   I've traveled around the world but I think my favorite place
is my grandmother's house.  Magtaquing, Bugallon, Pangasinan.
 Q:  Is there anything you have always wanted to do, but haven't? 
 MM:  Tomato Throwing Festival in Bunol, Spain and visit the Great
Barrier Reef, Australia
 Q:  What is your favorite style of music?
 MM:  All kinds!!!  I have a very eclectic taste in music. [jap:  yan
ba ang music sa "eclectic slide"?  I told you I should give it up...no
future at the Improv?!]
 Q:  What is your favorite meal?    What is your favorite drink?
 MM:  Mom's adobo and my Auntie Liling's kare kare.  Favorite Drink?
Sprite! 
Maira, Maira, Maira... Movies are considered an acceptable analogy for
real life these days, so please let me indulge you. When I asked Maira what
her all-time favorite movie was,  I wasn't surprised to hear this...The
Mask of Zorro (starred Catherine Zeta-Jones and Antonio Flags, ...I think, oy
humihirit pa?!) she is as hopelessly romantic as anyone I
know...waiting to be whisked away by her prince from the maddening crowd or whatnot.  I guess it's a woman's thing.  Apo, Fil-Am Naples VP is correct in his assessment at the Asian-Pacific American Heritage celebration when he said, "Thank you Maira, you complete us!"  She orchestrated, with a little help from our friends, the parade of nations which delighted the crowd that night to
no end! Maira sincerely enjoys being around children.  She proved to be a
team player too, playing and cheering for our volleyball team which pocketed
a decent trophy for third place recently.  Can anything in nature be imagined
more profane and impious, more absurd and undeed romantic, than such a
persuasion?  If this grammatical jargon loses you, just know that the
above named person could be the centerpiece for this year's Fil-Am Naples
annual "Most Eligible Bachelorette" contest! (drumroll please....)!