Life has managed to go on fairly normally here in Kiev these past few days. Personally, I’ve been incredibly busy with meetings during the day and writing up my notes in the evening. I have, of course, kept either CNN or the BBC on in the background as I worked.

At one point, I got totally disgusted with CNN. One of the commentators, a woman whose name I forget, actually APOLOGIZED for presenting a new fact. She didn’t word it that way, but so much of their coverage has been psychological fluff and high rotation space-filler that this actual news item stuck out like a sore thumb. She actually apologized. I have no more respect for that organization but unfortunately I have little else to choose from.

One of my meetings took me to the American Embassy yesterday. There were many, many flowers placed along the gates and sidewalk and a condolance book that an amazing number of people had signed. Of course security at the perimeter of the building was hightened, but it was not American forces. Apparently the Ukrainian Government, on their own, rerouted traffice and closed the street to all but diplomatic vehicles. Inside any Embassy security is tight at all times.

With the disruption of flights to the U.S., I’m not able to leave Kiev until Tuesday (instead of today), but if I have to be stuck somewhere, this is a good place to be stuck. Now that I think of it, Tuesday may be early since U.S. airspace didn’t open to foreign carriers yesterday after all.

Apparently the Frankfurt airport is packed to the gills with people. Frankfurt Main airport is the Atlanta or Chicago O’Hare of Europe. It is the Rome of airports over here. All roads (flights) lead there. For the last few days, all flights stopped there, too. Not a fun place to be, I’m sure.