Barcelona International Community Day 2024

8 years in Barcelona

Miroslav Stibůrek, also known as Miroslavo, was born in the former Czechoslovakia. After living in the Czech Republic and studying in England, he moved to Barcelona with his family in 2016. 

Professionally, he got his start in marketing and design, but he has always been passionate about art. He studied photography and digital illustration at university and later took up painting. 

His move to Barcelona also heavily influenced his creative development, allowing him to exploit his artistic skills, win several international awards and participate in design and art exhibitions. 

Miroslavo defines himself as a ‘Renaissance man,’ believing Barcelona is the perfect city to continue growing and finding inspiration.

2 years in Barcelona

Alexa was born in Costa Rica, and she has extensive experience in project management in the field of finances after more than nine years working in this field. 

Since 2019, she has been working at Bayer, a leading multinational in medicine, pharmacy and agriculture, where she has played a key role in the successful implementation of different strategic projects. She came to Barcelona in 2022 because she admired the city's welcoming atmosphere, as well as its status as an innovation hub that attracts talent from all over the world. Alexa believes that the city strikes the perfect balance between professional growth and quality of life. 

Outside work, Alexa loves boxing and finds this sport to be a way to test her limits and stay fit.

15 years in Barcelona

Nats Sisma was born in the city of Bacolod on one of the 7,000 islands in the Philippine archipelago before he moved to Manila to take advantage of professional opportunities in the capital city.

A language lover (he speaks five languages), in 2004, Nats received an AECID grant to pursue a master’s degree in Galicia. 

After living in Madrid as well, he moved to Barcelona in 2009 and began to contribute as a journalist to The Expat Filipino Magazine, which shares the professional experiences and successes of Philippine expats in Europe. 

Nats is also closely involved with the Philippine diaspora in Barcelona by volunteering as a Spanish teacher for Filipinos who have just arrived here and conducting the Kudyapi Choir in El Raval.

4 years in Barcelona

Amal Rahmeh was born in southern Lebanon, and her childhood was profoundly marked by the war. 

After earning her university degree and a Master's in Biochemistry from the American University of Beirut, she pursued a PhD in the United States and was appointed deputy director of the Center of Excellence for Translational Research in Virology at Harvard Medical School. 

Her longing to live by the Mediterranean led her to Barcelona with her husband and daughter in 2020 to continue her research at Pompeu Fabra University, within the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park facilities.

Amal is an avid cook and devout follower of Ferran Adrià’s modernist cuisine. She enjoys both opera at the Gran Teatre del Liceu and indie-rock clubs, especially Salvador Dalí, whose work she has adored since she was a teenager.

27 years in Barcelona

United Kingdom-born Joe has been passionate about food and cooking since he was young. He came to Barcelona in 1997 and began teaching English classes at private language academies. After a few months, he joined a multinational, where he held different positions of responsibility. 

After several years, he felt it was time to bring his passion into his professional life, and based on the combination of his work as a trainer and in business and his passion for food and cooking, he started his own business, which offered food-based workshops and classes for people with hungry minds and stomachs. 

Joe is married to a Catalan woman from Terres de l’Ebre, and they have one daughter.

18 years in Barcelona

Deepika was born and raised in South Africa. With her Indian roots, she lived immersed in both cultures until 2006. She came to Barcelona and fell in love with the city, the unique combination of sea and mountains, the people, the language and the lifestyle. 

Three months after she arrived, she also fell in love with Xavi, whom she married. They now live in the Gràcia neighbourhood with their two children. 

In 2013, they opened the Tea or Coffee School of English in the heart of Gràcia. In 2020, she began her coaching work based on a mix of mindset and mindfulness, and she started working in the field of interculturalism and diversity. That same year, she joined SIETAR and has been the president of SIETAR Spain since January. In 2023, she opened SOAR, a school with different consulting professionals for personal or workplace development, with a focus on empowering people through self-discovery and self-awareness.