Monday, January 23, 2006
SENT JAN. 23, 2005 or on Yushchenko's Inauguration Day
DIRECT FROM KYIV, A HOPEFUL MESSAGE
(Note: this was one heck of an optimistic note generated on that exciting day. . .)
Greetings Everyone,
I am writing to you from an internet club on Independence Square in central Kyiv. Yushchenko was just inaugurated inside the parlaiment buildings, and there is a huge crowd of 100,000 or more gathered on the square, and who knows how many more thousands are milling about the streets of the capital. The atmosphere is positively jubiliant, and for the moment, people are standing in the crowd, shaking hands, hugging, some I saw crying, and chanting, going through each of the chants one could hear during the course of the Orange Revolution:
"Yu-shchen-ko Pre-si-dent"
"Together We are Many, We Won't be Overcome!"
"East and West Together!"
etc. Where I was standing at least, people around me dwelled on this last chant, as within our midst were a few Yanukovych demonstrators.
That's it for now--I now have the dubious task of finding my family and friends from Pidhajtsi once again, through this jubiliant crowd. However, milling through this crowd or multitude is positively energizing. I have seen here that a government can be made by the people; and I have great hope that here, it will remain for some time for and of the people, too--so much potential has been unleashed in this country. It took so much to turn the lights on again in this country, and so many of the people who labored here in the dark seem very ready to work in the light. People can change as much as governments. There are sincere people doing good work here, who at one point played the oligarchy game--they played it, they changed themselves, and they worked with the people to change this country. Change is quite possible, on personal and social scales, or so I hope time and the Orange Revolution well tell. . .
Stefan
PS--as I was about to hit send, someone came walking in the door of this club, and through the open door blew in not only a blast of frigid winter air, but a decibel breaking cheer of "Hooray!"
People are sticking around on the square. Its time to celebrate!
SEE PHOTOS OF THE DAY IN THE POST BELOW. . .
(Note: this was one heck of an optimistic note generated on that exciting day. . .)
Greetings Everyone,
I am writing to you from an internet club on Independence Square in central Kyiv. Yushchenko was just inaugurated inside the parlaiment buildings, and there is a huge crowd of 100,000 or more gathered on the square, and who knows how many more thousands are milling about the streets of the capital. The atmosphere is positively jubiliant, and for the moment, people are standing in the crowd, shaking hands, hugging, some I saw crying, and chanting, going through each of the chants one could hear during the course of the Orange Revolution:
"Yu-shchen-ko Pre-si-dent"
"Together We are Many, We Won't be Overcome!"
"East and West Together!"
etc. Where I was standing at least, people around me dwelled on this last chant, as within our midst were a few Yanukovych demonstrators.
That's it for now--I now have the dubious task of finding my family and friends from Pidhajtsi once again, through this jubiliant crowd. However, milling through this crowd or multitude is positively energizing. I have seen here that a government can be made by the people; and I have great hope that here, it will remain for some time for and of the people, too--so much potential has been unleashed in this country. It took so much to turn the lights on again in this country, and so many of the people who labored here in the dark seem very ready to work in the light. People can change as much as governments. There are sincere people doing good work here, who at one point played the oligarchy game--they played it, they changed themselves, and they worked with the people to change this country. Change is quite possible, on personal and social scales, or so I hope time and the Orange Revolution well tell. . .
Stefan
PS--as I was about to hit send, someone came walking in the door of this club, and through the open door blew in not only a blast of frigid winter air, but a decibel breaking cheer of "Hooray!"
People are sticking around on the square. Its time to celebrate!
SEE PHOTOS OF THE DAY IN THE POST BELOW. . .
