Ding Without Borders: Meet Álvaro!

'Ding Without Borders' is a series where our team share their experiences of life abroad, and how they stay connected with loved ones back home.

Like many of you, a number of our team at Ding also know what it's like to move overseas for work, and the challenges and rewards that come with it!

Meet Álvaro 👋 Customer Care Agent in Dublin! 

Álvaro joined Ding four years ago in the HQ Dublin office, but he comes from Madrid, Spain!

Álvaro in Ireland, St Patrick's Day.

Where did you grow up and where do you currently live?

I grew up in the best city in Spain. Do I need to tell you the name or do you already know the answer?😅

It's Madrid, the capital, in a small neighborhood near the city center but surrounded by nature.

Ireland always caught my attention, because of the similarities between life in the city and countryside, so I live here now! Of course, I am based now in one of the most beautiful areas to live In Dublin: Malahide, situated 14 km north of Dublin city. It is full of the greenest parks I've ever seen!

Why did you move to Ireland?

I had so many reasons to move to Ireland. One of the main ones was to learn English. In Spain, we translate everything into Spanish, but I love movies and I wanted to listen to the voices of the original actors.

Once, I met some of my friends who spoke English and I saw them speaking and laughing with another English speaker while I was unable to understand anything, I never wanted to be in that situation again. So I opted for the most drastic option and got on a plane headed for Ireland. I wanted to start from scratch in a country where I didn't know anyone, and I didn't understand the language. It was a big challenge! I picked Ireland because it is one of the most beautiful countries in Europe and a lot of people spoke about the friendliness of the people.

Álvaro in Malahide.

What kind of challenges did you experience when you arrived to Ireland? Any fun story?

I experienced many challenges when I moved abroad, and now that I am comfortable here I laugh at all of them. I will tell you a very short anecdote 😊

When I first arrived, I was working in a hotel as a housekeeper, I wanted to let my boss know that one of the rooms needed some paint, but instead, I said 'pint'. It was a big misunderstanding because I did not know what the difference was! 😂 Slainte!

During the pandemic you spend a few months in Spain working from home, how was the experience of working from there remotely?

It was an incredible experience. I wouldn't have imagined that my company would let me go to my home country to work from there before Covid. I will always be grateful for that.

At first, it was weird to work from my living room while my mom was around. But the experience was amazing. I was able to spend a lot of time with my family and friends. Since I left Madrid a few years ago, I had lost a little bit of connection with some of my friends and I made up for it 😊

What is your experience working with Ding?

I learnt so much working in Ding. I never thought that I could meet many amazing people that I admire and I can call my friends.

When I think back, I know that coming to Ireland made me so happy. And being in this company has definitely helped with that.

Some members of the Customer Care team at the Dublin Customer Care awards in 2019.

What do you miss the most living abroad?

In my case, the most important things I miss are the tapas and the sun. It sounds very obvious but it is the truth. The lack of sun is something that I had already assumed before I came. But you would have laughed if you had seen my face when I ordered a beer here for the first time, and I was expecting a tapa to come with and it never appeared, it was very hard! 😂

Jokes aside, I miss my family and friends a lot, especially my grandparents. When I see them getting older, I realise that life goes by very fast. I miss spending time with them and eating my grandmother's amazing stews.

Do you see yourself moving back to Spain or would you like to live somewhere else?

Right now I am very happy in Ireland. If things change or I have to move out of this house, I would think about it. Who knows?

How do you stay connected with family and friends back home?

I think I have chosen the best time to go abroad. It's super easy to stay in touch with friends and family from so far away. I am in contact with all of them every day, especially through calls and video calls.