Susan Carew Interview
This Susan Carew interview will tell you more about a special lady who we already met via our Spain web design business. Susan moved out to Málaga province from the south of England. If you would like to be featured too – click HERE and fill out the form.
Your full name
Susan Carew
When did you move to Spain, and where from?
I moved from the South Coast of England in 2016, the same year I got married.
Who came with you?
My husband, Dirk came with me. We had met on a swimming holiday in Sardinia and got married two years after. Dirk is from California and was used to warm sunny days. The British weather didn’t appeal to him and as I had previously lived in Spain, it seems an obvious place in which to start our married life.
Where in Spain do you live now?
I live in the Málaga province, by the sea.
What things (apart from loved ones) do you miss from your country of birth?
Silly things really, like the corner shop that is always open and stocks everything you could ever need. Marks and Spencer for underwear. Being able to buy Yorkshire tea without needing to pay a fortune for it. I miss the vibe and build up to Christmas that comes from Strictly Come Dancing, but whenever I go to to UK and try and watch TV, there’s never anything decent on so I don’t that as such.
Do you work? As what?
I was an English teacher and did that in Bilbao in the Basque Country and Madrid, and absolutely loved it. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find the right kind of schools to teach in Andalusia so I gave up teaching and became an author! I self-published my first book Take the Plunge in March 2023 and am currently working on my second, which I hope to get out there before the end of the year.
How are you with speaking Spanish?
My Spanish is pretty good. When I lived in Madrid (as a single gal) I flat-shared with two Spanish women who didn’t speak any English, so my level improved a lot during that time. I’ve also put in some serious studying and took a formal Spanish exam and got my B2 level, which would be an “upper-intermediate” not far short from “advanced” but way behind “proficiency”!
If you could change anything about Spain… what would that be? And why?
Despite all the years I’ve lived in Spain, I still can’t get used to all the shops not opening until 10am, then closing for three hours in the middle of the day. I find it really inconvenient if I want to get things done, although it is nice to have an (almost) guaranteed quiet time for a few hours every day.
What are the best things about living in Spain?
The sun! I do not miss the gloomy skies of England. I love being able to swim in the sea for months on end and having breakfast on my patio in the mornings. The cheap booze is also a plus!
What are your favourite Spanish dishes?
Sounds odd, but I really like the range of salads that are on offer in restaurants. The asador restaurants do great steak and kebabs, we have a good one near us. Mil hojas, the pastry, is also a favourite of mine.
What is the predominant nationality of your friends in Spain?
It’ quite an international mix of expats with a couple of Spain friends whom I meet at a language exchange I go to or when walking the dog.
If you won the Euromilliones – would you still live where you currently are? Why / why not?
I wouldn’t stay where we are, it’s too noisy and I miss having my own garden rather than sharing a communal one. If money were no object I think I’d really like a posh house in London to be honest, but my husband definitely wouldn’t go for that so maybe somewhere in Marbella with a big private garden.
If a movie was made about your life – who would play you? Why?
I love Emma Thompson as she’s so down to earth and funny. She’s around my age and physically she could be made up to look similar to me. She’s a lot posher though so she’d have to work on her London accent!
If you had to describe yourself as a cocktail… what would you be, and why?
A margarita, exotic but not sickly! Not that a British/Irish person is that exotic, well maybe to a Spaniard I am!
Right – now is the chance to tell us all about your business/website/blog if you have one (or more of course).
As I said earlier, I am a self-published author so that means as well as being a writer I am a publisher, which means I do all my own publicity and marketing as well as getting my book physically put together. You can find out more about me on my website:
www.susancarew.com
You can keep up to date with my writing by signing up to the email list.
Editor: We hope that you enjoyed this Susan Carew interview! Remember – if you’d like to be featured, you can read the criteria and fill out the form HERE.
Elle, along with Alan, is the owner of Spain Buddy and the busy web design business – Spain Web Design by Gandy-Draper.
Born a “Norverner”, she then spent most of her life “Dann Saff” before moving to Spain in 2006. Elle’s loves are Alan, the internet, dogs, good food, and dry white wine – although not necessarily in that order.
