Photos of Budapest
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Where is Jason Bourne?
Budapest is very "Bourne Identity". The city is enveloped in a cloak of mystery and intrigue. At every corner, every square, you're expecting some top-secret government action. As the cars zoom by, you wonder if Jason Bourne is on the run. It's all very government-conspiracy like. You have to understand, my vision of this region until now was National Lampoon meets James Bond. Dramatic, I know, yet comical.
Weather
Mixed. Beautiful, 80 degrees on Monday. Rain and gloomy on Tuesday, but cleared in late afternoon with a nice breeze. At 2:30am Wednesday morning, more rain.
Food
One word Amazing! I had hoped to lose weight on this trip walking as much as we are, but that's not going to happen. The food is rich in flavor and melts in your mouth. I had a traditional goulash soup a few nights ago, and it ain't no Dinty Moore beef stew! Breakfast at the hotel is a real treat omelets, fresh fruit, cereal, sausages ... you name it. I have to admit that I finally broke down on Tuesday and had a BK Whopper and fries. I felt so ashamed, but aahh, a taste of home.
Funny Stories
- Will is a celebrity.
- Rob, Chris, Josh, and Leslie broke the bank. They missed a decimal point and cleared the entire Hungarian banking system of all Forint. Now there's no money to be found in all of Budapest, and Rob is taking a severe beating from Bern (all in fun).
- We lost Joe, but he has been found. We were sure he was off with Jason Bourne somewhere.
- Chris came to the realization that pizzerias do in fact serve pizza.
- Only half of us can get our electrical outlets to work.
- The bathhouses ... a discussion for some other time.
- All in all, a fun time to be had in Budapest!
Business Visits
- Zarf Design: Zarf is a visual art design start-up company that has been in existence for two years. The founders were students of a Hungarian art school. Their focus is on corporate identity, web design, photography, and illustration. With only 4 employees and such a small operation, their main challenges are their hundreds of competitors, keeping up with changes in technology, and pricing in their niche market (galleries, artists, and fashion retailers). With such artistic talent and creativity, they are sure to succeed.
- Zwack Unicum: What a visit! This place was absolutely phenomenal (and not just because we got a free taste testing!). Founded in 1790, Zwack is the leader in Hungary's spirit market. They are the only player with a share in each market segment (premium, value for money, and commodity), and are the exclusive distributor of Diageo (Johnnie Walker, Baileys, Smirnoff, etc.) and LVMH (Hennessy, Dom Perignon, etc.) spirits in Hungary. They produce a wide portfolio of spirits and liquors, with their most popular being Unicum. A mix of 40 herbs and spices, this bitter liquor is the fave of Hungary. Currently, they are focusing on the next generation of Unicum, Unicum Next. Created to compete with Germany's Jagermeister, UN is less bitter than the original and geared more towards the younger crowd. UN is undergoing market testing in Ohio, and they hope to begin selling in the US by this fall. Zwack now imports and distributes several different spirits and liquors in over 30 countries.
The history of Zwack is astounding. It took 50 years to really establish the business (1840) and they registered their first product in 1881. During the 1900s, they produced over 200 cures and spirits, exporting to France, Italy and the US. US prohibition dealt a severe blow, and they were forced to market their brand through various other channels, such as household goods and novelty items. During WWII, their headquarters was bombed on three separate occasions, and in 1948, the company was seized and nationalized. In 1947, with the help of Raoul Wallenberg (a man who saved thousands of Jews by offering them Swedish passports and safe transport), the family immigrated to Austria and the US. In exile, the Zwack family tried to rebuild their business a piece at a time, obtaining a license to create small amounts of Unicum. However, it was difficult for them to compete against the Hungarian government who was at this time producing fake Unicum and had partnered with the Zwack's largest US trading partner, Kraus Bros. In 1960, Peter Zwack, the founder's son and current owner, signed a deal with Jim Beam to distribute vodka and gin, and in 1970, moved from the US to Italy. After the fall of the Socialist government, Peter Zwack returned to Hungary and reclaimed the family business in 1989. Unicum was again the original secret family recipe.
- Videoton: Videoton is Hungary's largest industrial group. It is a contract manufacturer of multiple commodities like auto, electrical, and plastic components. With 10 locations in Hungary and 1 in Bulgaria, they employ 9600 workers. Their largest market is the auto parts industry, followed by household appliances. Their focus is on integrated solutions (engineering, transport, painting, and printing) and design (automation and customization). With hundreds of diversified customers (Siemens, Sony, IBM, Nokia), they produce everything from auto dashboards, oil pumps, and traffic lights to cable, electronic controls, and power supplies. While taking a hard hit from the rising oil and raw material prices, their broad portfolio offers stability in this ever-changing market. After meeting with the Sales and Marketing Manager, we were led on a tour of their steel plant, where they punch- and laser-design configurations, paint, and package steel items.
Local Attractions
- Old Royal Palace and Castle Area: Phenomenal architecture and great example of pre-war building now riddled with bullet holes. Demolished on many occasions, the Royal Palace was moved further down the Danube, but Matthias Church still remains, whose interior is awe-inspiring.
- Memento Park: After the political changes that took place in the late 1980s/early 1990s, the new government collected all of the Communist and Socialist statues. Instead of destroying them, they placed them in an outdoor park as a reminder of their past and their state of progress. These magnificently large statues will take your breath away. Today, it is against the law to display any symbols of dictatorship, so these are the only relics of this time gone by. It is hard to imagine oppression such as this. It really makes one appreciate freedom.
- Dohany Street Synagogue: This Synagogue is the largest in Europe and the second largest in the world. Upon entering, we had to pass through a security checkpoint which was a stern reminder of the hostility Jews continue to face in many parts of the world. The interior is marvelous with its grand architecture, Oriental style, and Moorish ornamentation. It houses 28 original Torah scrolls. The history here is overwhelming and emotional as it relates to the plight of the Hungarian Jews during WWII. Because Hungary allied itself with Germany, Hungarian Jews were some of the last to be detained and deported to concentration camps. Until then, they were housed in an area referred to as the Jewish Ghetto, running alongside the Synagogue. The Synagogue became a detention camp and headquarters for the Gestapo. Over 600,000 Hungarian Jews were killed or died of malnutrition or disease (95% of Hungary's Jewish population).
There are two museums located within the Synagogue. One showcases traditional Jewish religious items, and the other is 65-year Holocaust remembrance exhibition. I was not expecting my emotions to overcome me like they did. Upon entering, I saw a large fabric map of the Jewish Ghetto, but something peeping through the thin fabric caught my eye. I almost wish I hadn't seen it. It was an original Nazi flag that had flown over Frankfurt, Germany during Hitler's reign of terror. I felt this terrible knot in my stomach, but could not tear myself away from it. I felt this rush of fear, and tried not to imagine the pain and atrocities so many people experienced. It was a life-altering experience, and despite its vulgarity, it was an amazing piece of history that all should see to ensure that acts like this are never committed again.
Outside, we were led to a garden that was covered with tombstones. In 1944, there was a one-time mass burial in the Synagogue's garden area of over 3000 Jews. Located in the courtyard are several memorials to the Holocaust, including the Holocaust Memorial Tree. Shaped like a Weeping Willow tree and a reversed Menorah, and made out of thin metal strips and leaves, the tree represents the 600,00 Hungarian Jews who died. The tree's leaves adorn names of those lost. There is also a memorial grave dedicated to Raoul Wallenberg, mentioned earlier.
Summary
So this wasn't so brief. Believe it or not, this is just a summary of all that we have seen and done over the past two days. I haven't the words to describe the full experience. It's 2:30am our time as I am writing this - can't sleep - and now it's time to prepare for our last Hungarian business visit. Check back tonight or tomorrow for more updates.
How Many MBAs Does it Take to Turn on Hungarian Power?
Departure Day - Saturday, May 17
We flew out of Charlotte at 5:00pm, excited to be on this great adventure. Our excitement quickly turned to agony as we were packed in like sardines on the plane, some of us placed beside burpers and snorers, for the eight hour flight to Munich. Now eight hours doesn't seem like much, but when you can't sleep on the plane and you're flying overnight and there's a six hour difference, it feels like eternity.
Arrival Day - Sunday, May 18, 2008
Another hour flight and we arrived safely in Budapest. First impression - iffy. Like most airports, theirs is on the outskirt of the city, so it's very industrial and neglected from all the years of Socialist influence. Once we arrived in the heart of the city, it was beautiful. We stayed on the Pest side for our travel to the hotel, but could view Buda across the Danube. We'll travel to Buda on Monday. The hotel was not much to look at from the outside, but way too cool on the inside. It's extremely nice and the bed is amazingly comfortable - thank goodness! Many of us dared to venture out in our sleeplessness, which may not have been such a good idea. Several of my classmates, in their jetlag haze, converted too many US dollars into Hungarian Forint, so we'll be using them as our own personal bank for a while. Shopping near the hotel is great. There's a wide selection of touristy items but also unique Hungarian goods. Prices are pretty high, but I found out that you can barter with them slightly.
So on to the long-awaited answer to our question, "How many MBAs does it take to turn on Hungarian power?" The answer - at least 10 that I'm aware of, and that was if you could even make it into your hotel room! Now keep in mind that many of us have not slept in 30+ hours. The hotel key does not slide nicely into a slot on the door handle. That took me at least five minutes to figure out. As for figuring out how to turn on the electricity - that was another solid 30 minutes. I kept pressing the switch, but no power came on. I searched the bathroom up and down, time and time again, to no avail. I was determined I was not going to call down to the front desk and ask them how to do this - I was not going to be laughed at! I saw a card slot by the front door early on, but if you know me, you know I don't have the best luck in the world, and I just knew that if I placed my door key in that slot an alarm was going to go off, the police would come, and I'd be locked up for being a stupid American tourist. But I finally ran out of options and tried the card slot. It worked - power on.
There are more adventures to be had, so stay tuned. Monday will be out first full day here in Budapest, and hopefully I will have more exciting times to report (although it may be a day or two for me to post since Internet usage is pricy).
