Ding Without Borders: Meet Arpan!

'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 our users, 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 Arpan 👋 Our CRM Executive in the marketing team here at Ding!

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Calcutta (or Kolkata), India. 

Calcutta is a massive city of 14 million people and it’s best known for being a thriving centre of arts and culture, that is steeped in centuries of rich history. I should also probably mention that we take our sweets very seriously in Calcutta.

Where are you now based?

I’m living in Dublin, Ireland! I’ve been here for 4 years now and I’m absolutely in love with this amazing city, there’s always something to do or somewhere to go.

Why did you choose Ding?

I wanted to work at Ding because I understood firsthand the need that Ding was trying to meet. I still remember living back in Calcutta and having to run to the shop to buy a recharge card whenever my phone ran out of credit! Once I moved to Ireland, I could understand the problem even better because I found myself halfway across the world from my folks. So running to the shop and getting a recharge card for them was not an option any more.

What challenges did you face moving abroad?

Looking after myself!

Before moving to Ireland, I lived at home with my parents and it took me a few months to adjust living away from them. 

Living away from your family has it's challenges, especially when you have a mum that looks after you as well as mine does!

What do you love most about living in Ireland?

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. The people of Ireland are absolutely amazing. The folks here are extremely kind, compassionate and warm.

What I also like about the people of Ireland is that they’re always up for a chat! And if you’ve met me in person, then you’ll know that I’m the same as well. So we fit hand in glove! 

What do you miss most about home?

My family and friends for sure.

Do you see yourself moving back home?

At this stage, I’m not sure. 

Life can move very quickly sometimes and a lot can happen in the blink of an eye. I’ll see where life takes me in the future but as of now, I don’t have any hard and fast plans either way.

The best day of my life (so far)? When I met Steven Gerrard!

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

WhatsApp. My folks were not very tech savvy four years ago but they’re all about emojis and GIFs now! WhatsApp has really made the world much more connected and I’m so grateful that such a service exists.

What do you love most about working at Ding?

The people and the purpose.

The people in Ding are top class and I really enjoy their company. The marketing team here in Ding are especially class, but of course, I’m a bit biased in saying that! I really enjoy working at Ding because I feel that there is a strong purpose behind what we do. I feel that by working here, I’m making life a little easier for millions of people like myself who are living far away from their family and friends.