June 19th (Day 5) Budapest

            Day 5 of Budapest was awesome and event filled. Much walking was involved today as well. The day started with a great breakfast filled with ones choice of bacon, eggs, hash browns, sausage, yogurt, fruit, and etc. The EuroCats left the hotel at 9 am this morning to our first event of the day, which was to the SAP company. If you do not know what SAP means, it is okay because I didn't until today. SAP is an IT term that means System Application Processing. On the way to our SAP meeting we passed by a Microsoft location and rubiks' cube monument. Once we reached SAP, we were given a presentation by the Managing Direction Markus Hilken. This was a surprise because normally directors of companies do not give presentations to college students, and Mr. Hilken has given quite a few to students! Mr. Hilken greeted us all with hand shakes, which was different then all of the presentations we have been to thus far. Normally, the presenter has given their name to us and their profession, and jump right into the presentation. After he shook all of our hands, he introduce himself, and his profession and started talking about SAP.

           SAP was started 42 years ago by five gentlemen that were all employed by IBM, that had a passion for innovation and business intelligence. They wanted to create a software program that could input real time data much faster and simpler for the world. They were so eager to do so, they convinced the company to use a computing machine to input the new software they were going to create. Turns out that the software program was a success, and SAP was been titled in the Guinness World record book, for IT company to store real time data at 34.4 terabytes per hours. Also SAP touches 72% of the worlds GDP with their technology software, so no one can compete with SAP. Also 90 plus percent of fortune 500 companies uses SAP's software. SAP's software consist of a HANA platform that is able to input real time data faster, simpler, and smarter than any other software platform out, and SAP itself runs off this platform, and is able to produce quarter records that usually takes days or weeks to produce now into hours. SAP is always innovating, and continuing to make things simple, smart, and fast.
            After our SAP visit, we had a couple hours a free time that most of us spent getting lunch at some sort of cafe or Gyro shops. Me and a couple of guys relaxed at the hotel for a bit, and walked to Burger King, then to the meeting spot at Astoria street to go to our next event. The next event, was a visit to the Budapest Castle and King Mathis Palace (also known as Pratts' Palace) lol. At the Budapest Castle, the group took many photos of the city and the castle itself. Every few minutes, someone was snapping a photo, but the best photo is the one of the entire group holding the Northwest Flag over the entry way of the castle. At King Mathis Palace we learned much about the structure of the Palace and how Sigmund Emperor of Germany held the Palace and title as emperor for 50 years. The Palace consisted of many statues, dishes, and many portraits. Both the Budapest Castle and King Mathis Palace are moments I will never forget, and I am sure that the group won't either.

     The day was ended with a nice gesture by our tour guide Silva to a nice cafe where we were able to order coffee, drink, or pastry of our choice. I had a strawberry milk shake and an elegant piece of chocolate candy. Others had pieces of cake or other pastries, and scoops of ice cream. I am glad to be a part of this study abroad program, and I have learned so much about Budapest, Hungary. I wish I could stay longer, but I am also curious to see how the other cities will be that we are going to visit.

Brandon Pratt