My House Hunters International Experience - Casco Viejo Episode

I don´t remember exactly how it happened, who contacted who that contacted me. It was for sure one of Panama`s classic two degrees of separation, which in Casco makes for a cozy half degree.  All I know is that I said “sure, sounds like fun”, emails were sent, and all of a sudden we were on camera! And I`m glad we did.

 

The experience was truly fun, and it also shifted a lot of my ideas about TV and the people behind it. The crew couldn´t be more down to earth. I loved that nobody asked me to wear makeup, because I really try to avoid it if I can. I mean, after dancing ballet for many years and plastering my face with heavy makeup that just would not come off completely until three days later no matter what I did, I just avoid it as much as I do high heels (I mean, what`s the point of quitting point shoes if you are changing them for high heels?).  That said, it was a great relief to know they couldn´t care less about it, they wanted the “real stuff”. .. and they got it! They got both rain and sunshine, and I`m glad they showed us walking around with umbrellas and having fun either way, because that is truly how it is.

 

Now, here is what I got a bit disappointed: they filmed so much and there were so many cool things happening that didn´t make it into the show. For instance, they were in Casco at the same time as one of the big music festivals, which is one of the cool things about living here. That didn´t make it into the show. Blast!  I was looking forward to it, but I guess it is really stressful to decide what to put in and what to cut when you have such a tight schedule.  There were tons of jokes between Eric, Vladimir and myself, but also on the interview parts there were some great remarks and thoughts on the lifestyle they were looking for and why Casco Viejo. 

 

In general, I think we had fun partially because we didn´t know what we were doing.  And for sure we were not prepared for how popular this was going to be! That was amazing, and still five years after the show continues to be amazing. The number of people who bump into us in the street and recognize us is still puzzling to me. But I do have to say that the first email I got caught me by surprise: this person was concerned about the cat in the show.  If you pay attention, there is a cat that appears for maybe half a second. It was a very old cat, and was really on its last stage of life. Because the show is filmed with several months in advance, by the time it was aired and I got the email, the cat was already dead.  So, unfortunately, my first email ever on my first reality show ever had to start on a low note: dear sir, the cat is dead. The only palliative is that knowing the owners of the cat, I was 100% sure it lived a king`s life (as all cats should).  So much for fame and glory, but seriously, it did give me a perspective on how people relate to what they see on the media. Even on the emails that came after, I was always surprised at how it was all about relating.

 

Speaking of relating, I think one of the most fun parts was how my friends living abroad reacted. Wao! One heard my voice over the kitchen (the husband was watching TV) and ran screaming “I know that voiiiceeeee”!!!. But the unmatched best was ( I know you won´t believe it) that I even got to meet cousins I didn´t even know I had.  I got this email that was like “you don´t know me, but you know my mother,  this aunt, that uncle and that other uncle.. we are related!”. Unbelievable! Thanks to House Hunters! 

 

So, there you go! Media does bring people together.

And that was my House Hunters Casco Viejo experience!