A lot of emotions permeated the Orlando ATA Conference. Meeting people once again and sometimes missing them, lots of hugs and good-byes. As administrator, watching the fellowship among our members made me happy. There is always a lot of enthusiasm and friendship among us. A lot of good things happened there. Let's look at it piece by piece:

- Eight presentations were dedicated to the Portuguese language, covering very varied and interesting topics, and with a keenly-interested audience. Most of them took place on Saturday, the last day of the conference, bringing us a host of valuable information and providing a floor for exchanging knowledge. Thanks to the presenters:  Alexandra Russell-Bitting, Tim Yuan, Cliff Landers, Arlene Kelly, Regina Alfarano, Catarina Edinger, John Rock, George Ottoni and Paulo Lopez. We hope to have such a high-power team next year in Los Angeles.

- Our dinner was delicious in all respects. We looked like a group of university students on a field trip, laughing and talking loudly on the bus. The restaurant was cozy, with tasty Italian food. Fifty-two members enjoyed themselves. Our sincere thanks to Tony Zahra for having given us the idea for the event and for helping us coordinate the dinner. Kudos to those who participated!

-  Our meeting had news and good-byes. You can read the minutes in the Association Matters section of this newsletter. One piece of news is an internal change in the PLData. I partially bid good-bye as the newsletter's Editor, a position I held for two years. I think it's time to kick the ball to someone else. After all, only Garrincha was able to dribble it all by himself until the end of the game and still manage to score goals. Time has come to pass the newsletter to other feet—I mean, hands—in reality, four of them. Heather Murchison and Tereza Braga are co-editing the October PLData. It'll be a very rich experience for us readers because both of them bring a lot of love, enthusiasm and organization skills to it - all of which are fundamental aspects to create a good vehicle of communication. I am happy to have them on board in our Administration. I'll help in operational aspects such as printing and distribution. 

- Another piece of news is João Roque Dias' volunteer offer to maintain our website, especially the pages of links, which will be periodically updated. If you know of any sites of interest to the Portuguese and/or Brazilian translation and interpretation community, get in touch with João at jrdias@mail.telepac.pt. 

- We have barely taken office, but time to step down is getting closer by the day! In 2001, there will be an election for positions within the Division Administration. Well, the first step was to create an Election Committee. We are pleased to have our colleagues Edna Ditaranto, Donna Sandin and Teresa Figueira on this committee. You can see the election ad in this and in future issues of PLData.

- Organized by our Division, together with the Spanish Division and FLATA, the Latin party was beautiful and vibrant. Alzi Platts organized the event well, and gave us a sophisticated evening. The tango dancers were wonderful, those who danced to Brazilian music had a beat of their own that enchanted all, the lighting was super pop and it was great seeing DJ Jeff dancing with everyone. It seemed that Bahia itself was there, wearing high heels and silk stockings. The songs varied among merengue, salsa and axé, but the axé fans—not solely a Brazilian crowd—wanted to dance to the Brazilian Northeastern rhythm at all costs! The party ended at 2 am, leaving a little taste of the final night of Carnaval in our mouths.

A lot has gone on! 

Now looking ahead....

Our next attraction is the 2001 Spring Meeting. Everyone will be notified of the place and date as soon as a decision is made. Now comes a request for you to look at yourself in the mirror and imagine yourself in front of an audience giving a presentation. How about sharing knowledge with colleagues in a friendly and cozy atmosphere? Just think: it can be a perfect marketing instrument; after all, becoming known among colleagues means having quick access to desired clients. We work in a field in which referrals are important, right? Take advantage of this chance. Get in touch with us. Any topic related to translation/interpretation/Portuguese language would be great.

A last message: always keep in mind that the Portuguese Division is ours. It encompasses everyone, this is its function. Some members pass through it fleetingly; others don't, they stay, they participate and they become historical characters in the Division. This is the purpose of such an organization: to be open to participation by the members. I learned in Orlando that our role as Administrators is to always try to promote justice and opportunity for all. We are not biased in our preferences: those who want to and are able to voluntarily carry out tasks are always welcome. One of the problems with which we were faced this time was lack of "invitation". It's very difficult always to personally "invite" individual members to help. There isn't enough time or manpower for that. We do need a proactive attitude from the members: we need you to invite yourselves. Do you want to put something together? Do you want to spread the word about something new? Do you want to be part of an event? You didn't like what was done and you have a better idea? Invite yourselves, let us know, and come with us. We need help from volunteers, good and exciting people, ready to pull up their sleeves and get to work. Participate! There is room for everyone.

Best regards,
Vera