ten minutes with... alfonso sánchez, audiologist
02.07.09 - 17:43 -
Alfonso speaks four languages fluently.
Alfonso Sánchez was born in South Africa to Spanish parents (from Malaga) who emigrated in the 1960s. He has been married for 19 years and has two sons aged 12 and 14. He and his family returned to Spain in 1993 and in 2001, Alfonso opened Sontec Hearing Centres in Fuengirola.
What brought you to Spain?
My father had passed away and my wife and I needed to come back to Spain to help sort out all the paperwork, but also we felt insecure living in South Africa and wanted to look for a better life for our future children.
What would you say is the most attractive local spot?
I believe we haven’t yet fully discovered all the beauty this great land has to offer. I love the charm of Mijas Pueblo and the white villages, the coastline and sparkling waters of Nerja and the Costa Tropical, and the cosmopolitan way of life in Fuengirola.
What kind of music do you like?
Jazz.
Tell us something not a lot of people know about you…
I speak four languages fluently.
Do you have any unusual hobbies?
I am an Explorer Scout Leader in Fuengirola, and I frequently take the group on outings, camps and expeditions.
What’s your favourite ‘tapa’?
This one is difficult, as I think most of them are scrumptious... let’s settle for “Rabo de Toro” (bull’s tail).
How do you usually spend your weekends?
Saturdays are usually our family days that we try and spend together, pottering around the house doing odd-jobs. On Sundays we attend the Ark Christian Fellowship in Fuengirola.
What’s the best thing that has happened in both your personal and professional life?
In my personal life the best thing was accepting Jesus Christ as my Saviour. In my professional life the best thing was changing careers from a civil engineer to an audiologist.
Do you have any unfulfilled desires?
I would like to learn how to play a musical instrument (possibly saxophone), learn another language and then finally visit Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.
Define your character in five words…
Outgoing, friendly, good organizer, honest, adventurous.
