From Ukraine

This is a recent email from a friend writing about her thoughts on the Ukraine elections. She lives 100 miles south of Kiev.
I'll try to find out more from the personal perspective as I am able.

Please, do not worry. I am answering
your message from my personal point of view now and I will send you another message after I watch the news program tonight. What is happening now in Ukraine is very uncommon. I would call it an awakening of national consciousness and political activism. I am not
involved in the process deeply, because I don't support both
candidates. But I didn't want to stay away from voting and I gave my voice to Yanukovych, because deep inside I feel like we have to make a pro-Russian choice now to restore our economy. But this current process makes our situation worthwhile in both cases whether we make a Russian or European choice. It is hard to predict the way the
situation will evolve. What is happening now: in every region's
authority has to announce based on people's volition which president is recognized in that region. That is why people are gathering on the meetings trying to express their volition and to force the authorities to make a decision. In Cherkasy it happens in a very peaceful way. People are gathering on the main square of Cherkasy near the Lenin memorial. They are there all day long and the traveling kitchen is there to feed people. There haven't been any fights yet. Many people feel really agitated; they take the situation very personally. Many people go to Kiev to be on Khreschatyk and Maydan Nezalezhnosty. Our region supports Yushchenko. It is very cold now. Winter came two days ago with real
frost and lots of snow. I feel sorry for people who are cold. I wish them to be well. If I were one of the candidates I would encourage people supporting me to leave the streets. I am safe. I have no worries for my family. My son is studying at the university in Dnipropetrovsk. He is supposed to come to Cherkasy today for weekend. He will tell about the situation in Dnipropetrovsk. But any way the main activity happens in Kiev. I am grateful to you for your support