Never having traveled through Central Europe, I arrived in Budapest, Hungary to live and work for five months with many uncertainties. Not speaking the language seemed like the biggest obstacle. However, it has been a great experience so far living and working here in Hungary, a new member of the European Union (EU) since May 2004.
Hungary joined EU with great celebrations not only in the capital city Budapest, but all over the country with outdoor concerts, laser shows, fireworks, and food/drinks from all over the world. From young kids to older people, everyone joined the festivities, even those who viewed EU with skepticism. To a few, the future still seems unclear for Hungary and it is uncertain what membership in the EU will do for the country. Nonetheless it was a major event in the history of the country, and surrounded by Hungarians during the final countdown at midnight before May 1, I certainly felt the excitement and the anticipation for a bright future. After the celebrations, people went about their normal day-to-day activities the next day and have not seen any major changes that affect their daily lives. I am certain that things will be very different ten years down the road especially once the country joins the European Monitory Union and adopts the Euro as the currency. For now, Hungary continues to prosper and move ahead.
I am currently working for
General Motors Europe (better known as Opel here) in Budaors, Hungary.
This is their Central and Eastern Europe Regional Office.
There are over 200 employees here with various nationalities including
Hungarian, British, Greek, Polish, and Turkish to name a few.
Along with GM, there are countless multinational companies (MNC) here,
especially in Budapest. One of the
requirements of being hired by a MNC is the ability to read, write and speak
English. At work, English is the
official language; however, at lunch and during after-work activities, people
seem to prefer talking in their own languages among each other.
There has been an incredible
amount of effort and energy expended in the past months to prepare for the EU
entry. One of the major concerns was the harmonizing of prices.
Because EU citizens can purchase goods and services easily from companies
of any member country, it is important that prices be relatively standard to
avoid dramatic shifts in supply and demand.
For GM, this involved a temporary halt to car delivery for two weeks
after May 1st to avoid any problems with border crossing as legal
issues were being resolved. Dealers
were given incentives to order before May 1 and to ensure proper
inventory.
Hungary is an attractive country
for foreign investment. Labor is relatively inexpensive and skilled laborers are
easy to contract. Membership into the EU means that goods will be easier to ship
to neighboring countries. As income levels rise, there is a great demand for
imported products from Europe and overseas. Investments in infrastructure are
being made to modernize transportation and communication methods to meet
increased demand. Efforts are already underway to strengthen the currency for
ease into the Euro conversion. However, major changes will take time.
In general, Hungarians I have
encountered so far have been extremely welcoming, generous and full of
enthusiasm. I don�t speak the
language; however, I don�t feel like an outsider when I am around them.
Rather then frowning upon me for being in their country and not being
able to speak the language, they make the best effort to ensure they speak
English to the best of their abilities. History
is important to them and they ensure that you have complete understanding of
what happened in the past and are not misled.
Along with history, their culture, traditions, and food, are also very
important to them and are excited to share it with others.
I have had the opportunity to
travel outside of Budapest to several small towns and villages where many people
find their escapes from the noise and population of the city.
Approximately 20% of Hungary�s population resides in Budapest, and the
rest in villages where there are no malls, no movie theaters, nor international
restaurants.
Budapest is a city with no major skyscrapers; however, is filled with a mixture of modern and historic architecture. One can find almost anything they want to do in this city. I have seen many places of interest in the city so far and the list is still long. I am sure I will return to the United States with a different perspective on Hungary and will want to visit again as soon as I can to wonder at the changes.