"Not even in New York!!" These were the words of one of Tuesday night's dinner guests, amazed by the diversity of the people that were gathered to meet and chatter happily over fine wine and food. This distinguished journalist, along with her husband and two Polish colleagues, was a guest at Villa Deciani, and along with some representatives of the Friuli Venezia Giulia tourism board, witness to the merry band of ESD members who meet each Tuesday to share ideas, small talk, and just enjoy each other's company. Maybe she'll set up her own branch of ESDs back home in Greenwich Village??

We certainly were pretty cosmopolitan on Tuesday, with people from Sweden, Poland, the United States and United Kingdom, Austria, Italy, and Australia. All united by a common language--English. And united by a common desire to learn something new, whether it be the philosophical theory passed on by Luigi Deciani on the five levels of pleasure in life, or why Irish singers sing the way they do, or just the name of a new software guaranteed to make communicating between computers easier. Something for everyone, and as Eleanor Callanan put it, everyone brings something, everyone in some small way can contribute to the joys of the evening.

Of course Dario Coos and Roberto Toniatti were particularly generous with their contributions, giving us all chances to sample and compare their sauvignons and refoscos. Thank you, and may your harvest go well again this year so that we can enjoy your fine wines another time!

So come along and bring something--bring a friend, bring an idea, bring an open mind and a smile--any and all of these would be great gifts and always welcome at our weekly ESD Tuesdays. See you there!

Penny Heysen
ESD Committee