Nuit numero Uno

Folks!

Hey all, just writing here at the end of day number 1. It is hard to believe that we began this journey this morning because it has been a long day, full of travel, and meeting cool and interesting people and getting the down low on what our friends have been up to so far.

From the Vancouver airport we hopped on the sky train and from their caught a bus to the Tsawwassen Ferry terminal where we met up with Ro, David, Elly, and Chris... they have been here for a little while already and have a sense of what's going on... It was very enlightening to see their photos of the Military like hold that the police have on the downtown core of Vancouver. In seeing the pictures it brought back memories of my (Jesse) trip to the Middle East, and not even in the most contested capital in the world had as many guns and police as were present downtown, neither of us can wait to see it for real.

We are staying in Victoria for the next 2 nights, and will return to Vancouver on Tuesday. On the ferry we met Matt From Guelph, he went to Palestine for a month and a half, and worked with a Palestinian Solidarity group, and he is staying with people at the University here in Victoria and also been in on some of the action downtown Vancouver.

On the bus from the ferry terminal to our hostel in Victoria we met this couple Lance, and Kelsey, both of whom are originally from Calgary, and Kelsey is living here in Victoria. We had some deep conversation on the bus about what solidarity meant, and how we could most effectively do the work we are here to do in a way that is respectful, and not overstepping boundaries of speaking FOR the oppressed people. We decided to continue with an attitude of speaking out WITH, and not FOR others is the best way to be in solidarity, and that we are actually able to be more effective in showing support, instead of leadership, in terms of backing each other up, but remembering that it sometimes best to be culturally sensitive, and realize "our" way may not be the best/only way. It is with this new outlook that we will continue throughout the rest of our trip.

Finally, we are here at the hostel, and fancy enough our roomates are from Ottawa lol :P and are here just to get away, and see some more of this beautiful country we call our own.

And as for our "laugh at Jesse" segment. While writing some of this, I handed him a magazine I had been flipping through, and asked him to skim an article I looked out, about 5 minutes later he leaned over and said "am I supposed to be reading this from back to front, or front to back? How were you even reading this, and what do you want me to do?!" ... And as I glanced over, saw him flipping through the magazine mumbling, he cant even read anything right now.

Apologies if you do not find this funny, maybe our friends will? probably our mom's... or maybe we're just really really REALLY over tired.

That's all for tonight, and we are going to hit the hay, talk to you tomorrow

In Solidarity,

Team Awesome (Jesse and Rachel) Signing off!