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At the end of March, I read a post on the Facebook page of Expats in La Serrania de Ronda: “Hi there! I’m a journalist at Ronda’s TV, Charry TV, and next week I’d like to interview several foreign people who have been living in Ronda or any town in the Serrania for several years. As we don’t have the chance to welcome tourists lately, my intention is to create a TV broadcast about people who chose to settle down in here and who are willing to tell their story. If you’re interested (or know of someone who might be) please let me know.”
Not one to hide my light under a bushel (!) I immediately replied to Cheché:
“We retired to the village of Montejaque in 2011, after having lived in England, Canada, Indonesia, Botswana and South Africa. We have totally immersed ourselves in village life, taking part in all local activities, and even publishing a cookbook of local recipes in 2012. Would be happy to participate in your project.”
One of my friends even commented on my reply: I would highly recommend Carolyn and Kevin to be interviewed (thanks, Paul Sachs).
The following day I received a text from Cheché: Thank you for your answer! Could we meet next Wednesday morning for the interview? Is there any place in Ronda you especially like?
My first choice was La Casa del Jamón on Calle Jerez, known for its great selection of fine quality hams, local wines, excellent coffee and great service, all in a uniquely designed shop and café.
Cheché thought the time and place were great, then asked if I was fluent in Spanish.
“Fluent?! I can speak and understand at about 70 per cent ability I think; maybe a bit less if we’re wearing masks. And my past tense is rather pathetic.”
Cheché told me not to worry – it would be OK for the programme, “better than my English for sure,” she said.
When we met on that Wednesday morning, I found out that we would, indeed, both be wearing masks for the interview. We stood in the wine section of the shop (I immediately wished for a strong drink) and started the interview. Fortunately, I did manage to understand most of Cheché’s questions, and she rephrased anything that seemed too long or too complicated – or muffled by her mask.
It was quite a long interview – probably 30 minutes of me talking Spanish at a nervous speed about how I had involved myself in village life almost from the time I arrived in Montejaque.
The part of the interview that appeared on Charry TV on Friday evening, April 9, was my recounting of the circumstances that led to Kevin and me finding Montejaque, and how we ended up buying a house here. I also explained how I had compiled the cookbook and village guide with the help of my Spanish friend and ‘soulmate’ Victoria, and how I rode a donkey to Ronda to pick up the first copies off the press. I was delighted to see this photo also used in a Canal Charry Facebook advertising post: La Serrania de Ronda: un rincon con encanto para quedarse
“Conversamos con extranjeros que en su día vieron en la comarca el lugar ideal para vivir y desarrollar sus proyectos personales.”
The caption to the photo is “La británica Carolyn Emmett es montejaqueña de adopción.”
I am flattered, pleased and proud to be considered as such.
What a great piece! Well done Carolyn! Let’s hope you’ll write more regularly for Secret Serranía. Several of us local guiris were interviewed for the programme., including me. It was great fun and I think the end result is very interesting. The whole programme, although long at nearly two hours, is really worth a watch. You can find it on YouTube by clicking on the link at the end of the article by María José García, the journalist from Charry TV Ronda who made the programme, entitled Foreign Residents on the Box, published on 18 April 2021 on Secret Serranía.