Syrians standing in front of the Russian Consulate in Montreal.

Yesterday morning, the ten of us who didn't go to Ottawa for the March, stood in front of the Russian Consulate for an hour.

There was a large march in Ottawa, with people bused in from Montreal and Toronto.  The march finished at the parliament buildings in Ottawa.

There wasn't many of us in Montreal but for what we lacked in numbers we did not lack in spirit. 

Since it was just a small group, I ended up talking to people more then I usually do. It's normal for people to talk in Arabic among themselves at these events as it is their mother tongue, so given my almost non-existant Arabic I cannot  normally follow conversations, except for the odd word I can pick up, that sometimes gives me a sense of the conversation.

I was thanked for showing up at many events since July. While I'm touched, I'm not standing with the Syrians to get recognition, I'm standing with them because I strongly believe that the Assad regime has done enough harm to Syria and should leave.  My short travel there in September 2010, along with my husbands fears, and the fact it's my mother-in-law's birth country got me attached to this country in a way I cannot explain. I suffer with them.  I could not live with myself if I did not at least support the Syrian People in one way or another.  Standing with them most week-ends seem like very little.

I also feel the same way for the Lebanese. Each time any violence erupts in Lebanon, I  suffer with them as well, and this has been since I met my husband back in 1996 though we were just friends for the following 10 years.

I was told that some of the Syrian group wants to somehow thank me for my support. My thanks will be when I can travel to Syria and not worry about Assad's crazy regime - where I will not be afraid that because my husband is Lebanese that he can be arrested and tossed in jail for no reason or for being a mouthy Lebanese. :) Where I can talk freely to Syrians and not worry about what comes out of my mouth. Not worry about my own safety or the safety of the people I'm talking to.

I want through travel across Syria and I want to see every region. From the coastal areas of Latakia and Banyas, to the province of Idlib that borders Turkey, to Homs, the heart of the revolution. I especially want to see every district of Homs. I know where our friends live, and I know what I've seen in Homs. Now I want to see every little part including Palmyria and spending time with the Bedouins there. I want to walk up to random Homsis and hug them just because they are Homsis. [Yes I'll have to stick to women for that, but you get my point!].

I want to see Abu Kamal, near the Jordan border. I even want to go close to the Jolan Heights and see the people there. Of course I'll want to go to Daraa, the birth of the current revolution and Hama, where they massacred so many in 1982 and now as well.  Of course no visit to Syria is complete without seeing Allepo and Damascus. Though I've seen  a bit of Damascus, I would still spend 2 hours easily in the Umayed mosque and days walking around old Damascus.   As for Allepo, even before the revolution I had told hubby we had to go back Syria, because I wanted to go to Allepo and Palmyria.  Now I want to see every nook and cranny. I want to visit every ruin, every large mosque and every museum. 

My dreams include a FREE SYRIA for the Syrian People. I dream that they have the same rights as I have as a Canadian.  

EDIT: I forgot to mention the Deir Ezzor region of Syria. I want to go there too!