How long have you lived in the residence?
I arrived here last year at the beginning at February, so just over one year.
What are you doing in Dublin?
I want to improve my English for my career. I am a Lawyer specialising in intellectual property and all the biographies are written in English so I need to improve my English.
How do you find living with us?
I like the environment. In the beginning I was a little afraid because of the name: Young Women’s Christian Association. In my country we have residences but we have two types. One is traditionally related to religion and that sort of thing and the people who work there are either Nuns or Monks, so no one wants to go there. So, when I read the name YWCA, I called them because I don’t believe in anything and I didn’t want anyone to impose to me what I should or shouldn’t believe and I wasn’t sure about the residence for this reason but they reassured me that my beliefs didn’t matter and it’s nice so I am happy here.
What has been your favourite aspect of living in the residence?
The best thing is that you get to speak with different types of people and different nationalities so I think it’s very good because you can improve not only your language skills but also get to know other cultures. If I didn’t live here it would be difficult to meet a Korean for example. It’s great. Also if you get lonely you can come here and speak with other students, there’s always somebody to talk to.
What do you like about living in Dublin?
In comparison to my City, Madrid, Dublin is like a little village. I like this aspect because the way of life in Madrid is sometimes impersonal, people are always rushing and nobody cares about you. I like living here for that reason. Irish people are very friendly and easy going so you can chat to anyone.
What are experiences that have made your time in Ireland special?
In my experience it relates to the residence. Here you have a lot of opportunities, for example I am able to do volunteer work in the residence. In my country these kinds of opportunities don’t exist. I also never expected to have a good relationship with my roommate because it’s our culture and beliefs might be very different. When I got the letter saying that I was getting a new roommate and she was from Turkey I was scared initially about this, but it’s only prejudice. I discovered that it’s not necessary to be scared of other people and other cultures. It’s a very valuable experience for me.