Last week I drove to Fuengirola to meet Karen McMahon, an interviewer with the Mijas International section of Mijas 340 TV. This excellent local television channel serves both Spanish and foreign residents on the Costa del Sol. Karen’s weekly programme is varied and entertaining so I was flattered to have been invited to take part.
As usual I overestimated the time it would take me to get to the studio and arrived an hour early. I always calculate how long it will take to make the journey, add on half an hour for finding the place and another half an hour for traffic hold-ups, punctures, breakdowns, emergency stops, police traps etc. None of which have ever happened, so far, but one can’t be too careful. Consequently I usually always find myself arriving far too early and have to look for a local bar to hide in until it is time to present myself, exactly on time and not looking too eager. However there was no obvious bar or cafe in the area, except the one in the studio itself. It was far too hot to sit in the car for an hour and anyway, it would have looked a bit suspicious. I didn’t want anyone to think I was on a stake-out. So I sauntered up to the bar and ordered a coffee. This was obviously the staff canteen and, as it was lunchtime, people were coming in for their lunch, which by the way looked excellent. I could hide here, in plain sight, I told myself. However it didn’t take long for the waitress to recognise me as a foreigner and not an employee of 3.40.
‘Have you come to see Karen?’ she asked.
‘Yes, but my appointment is not until 4pm,’ I answered.
‘I’ll go and tell her that you’re here,’ the woman said with a smile.
My cover was blown. A couple of minutes later, my charming host arrived and sat down beside me. We went through the questions and the procedure for the interview and then straight into the studio to do the filming.
I have done a few TV appearances before, once as a guest on This is Your Life and another time as a guest on the Carol Vorderman show, (Steve Redgrave, a friend of many years, was the subject on both occasions) but they had both been a few years ago, so I was slightly nervous. I needn’t have been. After the technician accidentally dropped the body mike down the front of my dress, I giggled, relaxed and was ready for anything.
It was an enjoyable experience and I was very grateful that Karen had invited me to talk about how and why I had decided to become a writer.
As usual I overestimated the time it would take me to get to the studio and arrived an hour early. I always calculate how long it will take to make the journey, add on half an hour for finding the place and another half an hour for traffic hold-ups, punctures, breakdowns, emergency stops, police traps etc. None of which have ever happened, so far, but one can’t be too careful. Consequently I usually always find myself arriving far too early and have to look for a local bar to hide in until it is time to present myself, exactly on time and not looking too eager. However there was no obvious bar or cafe in the area, except the one in the studio itself. It was far too hot to sit in the car for an hour and anyway, it would have looked a bit suspicious. I didn’t want anyone to think I was on a stake-out. So I sauntered up to the bar and ordered a coffee. This was obviously the staff canteen and, as it was lunchtime, people were coming in for their lunch, which by the way looked excellent. I could hide here, in plain sight, I told myself. However it didn’t take long for the waitress to recognise me as a foreigner and not an employee of 3.40.
‘Have you come to see Karen?’ she asked.
‘Yes, but my appointment is not until 4pm,’ I answered.
‘I’ll go and tell her that you’re here,’ the woman said with a smile.
My cover was blown. A couple of minutes later, my charming host arrived and sat down beside me. We went through the questions and the procedure for the interview and then straight into the studio to do the filming.
I have done a few TV appearances before, once as a guest on This is Your Life and another time as a guest on the Carol Vorderman show, (Steve Redgrave, a friend of many years, was the subject on both occasions) but they had both been a few years ago, so I was slightly nervous. I needn’t have been. After the technician accidentally dropped the body mike down the front of my dress, I giggled, relaxed and was ready for anything.
It was an enjoyable experience and I was very grateful that Karen had invited me to talk about how and why I had decided to become a writer.
To see the interview click on http://www.mijascomunicacion.org/index.php/340-television or watch it on Facebook
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