Although it took us a minute to figure out how to utilize the public transportation system (the Luas tram is quite convenient), our Plus3 Ireland group made it on time to the first stop of the day—a site visit at Microsoft’s Western European headquarters. Transparently, I was expecting the site visit to be just like other ones I’ve been on, where the company has a premade presentation and some free merchandise to give out. However, during the site visit, I was pleasantly surprised that Microsoft took a different approach to an otherwise boring event. Please, allow me to elaborate! 

Notably, the site visit started off with an exclusive demonstration of the augmented reality technology that Microsoft is currently developing, even allowing several of us to try on their augmented reality headset (in case you were wondering, we did indeed have permission to take pictures…and the person in the photo is my friend, Shreya). Thereafter, we moved into an interactive session followed by a tour of their facilities, which have been incorporated into the community and the country very well (I.e., by collaborating with local and international clients on multiple fronts). It’s important to note that a key detail I picked up was how, in his role as the CEO of Microsoft, Satya Nadella put so much effort into solving the problematic culture of the company that many former employees returned (who originally left due to dissatisfaction of the company culture) because of these recent changes. Knowing this, if I were given the opportunity, I’d absolutely love to work for Microsoft. Now that I’ve had the chance to visit Microsoft and hear about all their initiatives and commitments, I am curious to know how this company and other technology companies plan to work together to create a better tomorrow. 

After the site visit, our group toured Croke Park, the stadium where sports such as hurling and Gaelic football are played. Because we weren’t allowed onto the playing field, there were some simulators available—where I once again confirmed that sports are not my forte (oh well, better luck next time). Even so, I thoroughly enjoyed our second full day in the magnificent country of Ireland. 

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And now, here is the day’s (May 10th, 2022) interesting tidbit (2/?). I learned that Microsoft’s headquarters in Dublin is the workplace of people who come from a wide range of countries across the globe.