buna ziua!!!! the language is tough, but i am picking it up fairly quickly. my group in slanic is trying to help the locals set up a tourism association. since it was my idea and i’ve been sending letters to other agrotourism agencies for advice and assistance, i have to open the meeting. i’ve written the opening in romanian and then switch to english. one of the locals will translate. i have a lawyer from a nearby town coming (i hope he shows up) to talk about the legal requirements under romanian law and costs; newspaper clippings stating that the minister of tourism is interested in exploiting rural tourism; articles listing the increases in the numbers of foreign tourists coming to romania; and copies of the letters i sent to various rural tourism agencies and grant providers. i hope that’s enough to get these people motivated. it’s very sad here. the people have no energy and are extremely depressed. actually forget tourism, i should start a campaign to have prozac pumped into the water system. that is when it works. i spent last week and today glad-handing and passing out reclame pentru intalneri (ads for the meeting). i’m a regular norma rae. i know more people here than i did in dc. my fifty romanian words go very far. i even got invited to a wedding this weekend. it’s a two-day affair. i have to go to a monastery 5 miles away for the wedding and reception that will last all night, sleep over and then come back to slanic on sunday for another party at the bride’s parent’s home, which will also last into the weeeeeeeee hours. crazy!!!!! wish me luck!!!! the meeting is in 2 1/2 hours so i gotta go get ready. Nu da lasati! (never give up) that’s the tag line for the meeting. in the film version, all the locals start chanting “nu da lasati!” as they pick me up onto their shoulders and carry me out into the streets while still chanting, “nu da lasati!”FADE TO BLACK. vicki