No question, you should celebrate St. Patricks Day! But before you immerse yourself into this experience, let me give you a little bit of background knowledge.
Saint Patrick lived during the fifth century and is the patron saint of Ireland. His death is believed to have been on March 17, 461 which is the day of the celebrations. The probably best-known legend of St. Patrick his explanation of the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) by using the three leaves of a native Irish clover, the shamrock.
Fun Fact: The first St. Patrick’s Day parade didn’t take place in Ireland but in America in 1601.
1772 homesick Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched in New York City to honour the Irish patron saint. From then on the enthusiasm for St. Patrick’s Day parades grew. Today, people of all backgrounds celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, especially throughout the United States, Canada and Australia. Popular dishes include Irish soda bread, corned beef and cabbage and champ. In some places you find green beer, green rivers and of course people dressed in green black and gold.
If you’re really interested in the history, meaning and background there’s more stuff on the internet like articles, videos etc. 🙂
INTERNeX is obviously going to an Irish Pub here in Vancouver to get the full experience. 😉 Are you coming? Or do you have other plans to celebrate?
A good idea is to buy tickets on pre-sale or come early since it’s going to be super busy and it might be more expensive to get tickets at the door. But nevertheless there’s lots of things going on around the pubs as well. I recommend checking out the place in front of the art gallery or just wander across Granville street to take a peak of what St. Patricks Day might be like, but be aware there might be some intoxicated people along the way.
You don’t like partying? I’ve got another idea for you this weekend that involves cultural program. I heard a lot of you like dancing, so how about checking out the Vancouver International Dance Festival? There are performances this weekend in different locations and the tickets range from $20-35. If you want to find out more check out their website: https://www.vidf.ca/
Another good thing to do if you like to be more active outside and are into winter sports is spending the day at a local mountain like Seymour or Grouse for example. Enjoy the last days of the season before spring arrives and the slopes won’t be as good to ski or snowboard anymore! Right now mountains are easy accessible through a shuttle or public transit. A lot of gear can be rented on the mountain as well, so really there’s no excuse for you not to go. If you are lucky you even get an amazing view over Vancouver when you’re up there!
As always, I can’t wait to hear about your weekend at our next Pub Night!
To no surprise, we have some pretty interesting candidates joining our INTERNeX crew this week! 😉
Let me introduce you to the dream team Lucas (left) and Simon (right), both from France on the finish lines of their dual BBA studies. Simon spent a chunk of time studying in Finland while Lucas was in Dortmund, Germany. Now they are looking to gain some hands-on experience in Canada to refine their knowledge in Business, Finance and Marketing. At first the two wanted to go to the USA because of the country’s strong influence in the world and they just like the States a lot, but there ain’t no INTERNeX in the US which is why ultimately they decided to come to Vancouver, with no regrets. 😉 Their first impression was that the city is beautiful and people are amazingly nice. Plus, Vancouver has North American charm and is still close to the US so they can easily travel around in their free time. Also, the weather in Vancouver is pretty similar to the weather in France, not too cold like the rest of Canada which is another reason why they like it here. I’m sure we can convince them of how cool and underrated Canada actually is compared to the States and make their time here a great one!
While Lucas wants to explore Stanley Park with its large trees and the impressive Lions Gate Bridge, Simon can’t wait to find a place to play basketball which is one of his biggest hobbies, next to music and movies. He enjoys Comedies the most with Deadpool being his favourite movie. Lucas also enjoys watching movies, mostly Marvel and other superhero themed motion pictures. He started playing soccer when he was just 5-6 years old which makes it his main sport to play, but he also likes volleyball, badminton and more. Great that Vancouver offers lots of possibilities, especially in summer. Once back in France they’d like to finish their studies, Simon wants to spend some time with his family and Lucas is eager to find a job and place to live as soon as possible. One thing’s for sure, these guys seem to know what they want and they go for it! 😉
Let’s get to know Mila from Berlin, Germany! While in Vancouver she’ll be volunteering at an animal rescue centre and enjoying her time exploring the city with its mountains all around. Her first thought was that she loves the landscape with city and nature combined. Makes sense since she’s a nature, as well as a city girl. 😉 On her bucket list are seeing the city and ocean, hiking, meeting people, and watching an ice Hockey Game, I think we can arrange that! After finishing High School about half a year ago, she worked at a restaurant which she loved and a home decor store to save some money for her travels and enjoy life without school. She’s been in the US a lot already and now wanted to see Canada after hearing from a lot of people that Vancouver is really beautiful. I can sign that! Plus, the program at the rescue centre sounded very exciting to her. 🙂 After her stay here she’s meeting her best friend in San Francisco for 9 days before it goes back home. In her free time Mila likes to dance, read, hike, watch movies, go horseback riding and most of all to socialize, so make sure to say hi next time you see her. 🙂
I’m excited for you to meet the three at Pub Night.
It was rainy and still kind of cold on the weekend which called for cozy nights and things to do inside. Let me tell you about my weekend Highlight.
After a change of plans INTERNeX met Friday night to watch a movie at VIFF and I gotta say, I haven’t been disappointed yet. The movies they show are not really comparable to all those Hollywood Blockbusters that you find in a classic cinema. “VIFF strives to engage and empower communities, encourage dialogue, educate, and champion local artists.” So it’s not just sheer entertainment, but whenever I attend a movie at VIFF I leave a little bit wiser. I learn about different cultures and the movie stays with me for a while after I leave the theatre, thinking about what I just saw and reflecting on it. I find it very special and love to support the artists of the film.
This time we watched a movie about a group of Arab and Jewish women attending a video workshop at a small town community centre run by a young filmmaker from Tel Aviv, who teaches them to document their lives. As each student shares footage from her home life with the others, their beliefs and preconceptions are challenged and barriers are broken down. It gets very emotional and gave us lots to talk about after we’ve seen it. It’s like looking into another world without leaving yours and in my opinion that’s what cinema is about. That and the fresh popcorn of course. 😉 Overall I really enjoyed the night and from what I’ve heard, so did the others. 🙂
Are you a movie lover? Would you be interested in watching a film like that, or do you prefer the classic Hollywood movies?
Let me know in the comments or at our next Pub Night! 🙂
Exciting news, we have lots of New ‘Kids’ joining our crew! Let me tell you a little bit about them.
Here we have Sasha from Belgium, near Brussels. He’s already been to Toronto for a couple of months and loving his experience so far. I’d say we can make it even better! Back home he finished High School, not sure what he wanted to do after, he decided to take some time to explore Canada. Now he already knows, he wants to do something science related in the future. In Vancouver he’ll be volunteering in Stanley Park. One of his brother’s friends told him about his experience at Stanley Park and in Vancouver so Sasha thought he now has to see for himself. Another reason why he picked Canada is the vibe and mindset of the people which seems like a lot of fun. In general he wants to go with the flow, meet new individuals, learn about them, have fun and live life day to day. What a great attitude. 🙂 In his free time he likes to play music on the piano, or bass guitar, learn things about science and history, and of course go out! He turns 19 on the 22nd of April, let’s make sure we throw him a great party. 😉
Maria from Frankfurt in Germany will also celebrate her Birthday here in July. 😉 After finishing High School she worked at her parents optician shop and discovered that she really likes it, so when she gets back home she wants to start working towards becoming one herself. For now she just wants to enjoy her time here, volunteering at a Cat Sanctuary, even though she’s more of a dog person. In fact she has her own family dog, Oscar. That doesn’t stop her from being excited to meet all the cats, taking care of them and enjoying their company, and who knows, maybe she’ll turn into a cat person afterwards? 😉 She picked Canada because she’s never been here, and once she saw a documentary of Vancouver she thought to herself ‘wow, I have to go!’. Understandable. 😉 While here Maria wants to take as much with her as she can. At home she’s a plant mom to many babies which she hopes survive in her absence. Other than gardening she likes to colour and meet friends.
Hannah is form Germany as well, near Cologne and is volunteering at a pre-school here. Back home she studies to become an elementary schoolteacher while she also works at a day care and as a babysitter, quite busy! The subjects she’ll be teaching are German, English and Math (which is her favourite out of the three). She picked Canada because the landscape fascinated her and she always wanted to come. Unfortunately she’s only here for one month because it’s her vacation time. That means she wants to do as much as possible and she’s flexible about all the activities that Vancouver has to offer! A few things she loves are horseback riding, going to the gym and hiking, I’d say she’s in the perfect place for that! Vancouver has so many beautiful trails for hiking, biking or riding! I’m sure she’ll have an amazing four weeks exploring the area. 🙂
Paolo from Brussels in Belgium will be gaining some work experience in Digital Marketing while he’s here. In his home country he studies for his Bachelor in Business Management with focus on Marketing which he will finish once he’s back after four months in Vancouver. He’s a nature lover which is one of the reasons he picked Canada. He told me that he’s traveled a lot in the US already where his favourite spot was Yellowstone National Park with its big variety of landscapes and wildlife. He’s already seen a black bear, but while he’s in Canada he’d love to see a Grizzly bear and he says the ones on Grouse Mountain don’t count. 😉 Pretty adventurous if you ask me! On top of that Paul would also like to visit the Rockies with Banff and Jasper National Park, I’m sure he can spot a bear up there! Other than discovering nature he also loves to run, ski, play basketball and chess, anyone up for a match? 😉
Helena is a Work and Traveler from Germany who is not up for boring office jobs, or customer service. She’d rather like to get her hands dirty, be active on her job, a good idea for her would be a job at a farm she says. Back home she just finished High School and once she’s back she’ll probably study to become a pharmacist. Now though, she takes the chance to travel for a whole year before focusing on a career. When will she ever be able to do that again, she’s asking herself. That’s a fair question. 🙂 Canada was her top pick because of the vast nature, wildlife and many opportunities. When she first arrived she felt a little overwhelmed, but I mean who can’t relate? Taking the step to go to a foreign country by yourself not knowing what’s going to happen can be scary, but also exciting! It usually takes a few days or even weeks to adjust, that’s totally normal, but then it’ll be all worth it. 🙂 In her free time Helena likes to read phantasy books and to crochet, the coolest thing she made was a mushroom for her friend, she showed me a picture and I really wish I was this handy, it looks amazing!
Next we have Lea from Godoagne in Belgium. She’ll be volunteering at a rescue centre for domestic animals. Before coming to Vancouver she lived in Miami for 6 months, going to school to improve her English. My curiosity was wondering how she liked it and not to my surprise she enjoyed her stay in Miami a lot. The people were friendly, the weather always nice with lots of beautiful beach days and nights well spent with her friends. She thought it was funny that she experienced more people speaking Spanish than English but she likes the Latin music and ambience. To be honest this is going to be hard to top since Vancouver weather is only really nice during the summer months, but I’d say we’ll do our best to make sure she has a great time. We definitely have more nature to offer with the old growth forests, mountains and the rough Pacific Ocean which technically you can still swim in if you dare. 😀 When Lea is back in Belgium she’d like to study Social Work. There’s nothing specific on her bucket list which gives her the chance to be open towards everything Vancouver has to offer and see as much as possible. 🙂 Her Hobbies include going out, reading and watching Anime, her favourite at the time is Demon Slayer.
Last but not least there’s Manon from Liege in Belgium. She already went to school in Vancouver and now it’s time for her to volunteer at a cat sanctuary until she goes back home to study law. What better way to spend time until university starts than hanging out with cats everyday? I guess there’s not much that can top it. She came to Canada because the organization she’s with offered a program in Vancouver and she really liked it. 🙂 She’s already been to Quebec on the East Coast of Canada and mentioned how different the West Coast is. I agree, I think Quebec seems way more European whereas Vancouver has North American charm. Her favourite place to party here is the Cambie on Tuesdays for Latin Night and the Library Square on Thursdays. Looks like she’s been here long enough to know how the Vancouver party scene works. 😉 Since she’s been here for a while she’s already crossed off many things on her bucket list but she still wants to visit quite a few places like Whistler, Grouse Mountain, or Vancouver Island. In her free time as you can tell she likes to party, but she’s also interested in reading, sports, cooking and of course eating the food after. 😀
I’m so excited for you to meet them all at our Pub Night!
Make sure you introduce yourself and see you there. 🙂
As you might have noticed, there were a lot of people in costumes around Downtown this weekend and you wonder, why? Simple, the Canada Sevens (Rugby) took place in Vancouver this weekend. A game lasts two halves of 7 minutes and each team has 7 players on the field (hence the name). It’s very fast, intense and a lot of fun to watch with many entertainment sections in-between the games. INTERNeX went to check it out and although we weren’t experts in the sport we had a lot of fun. One reason might’ve been the drinks we had beforehand. 😀 Some of the girls also enjoyed watching the sidelines where the players warmed up more than the actual game, if you know what I’m talking about. 😉 I really liked dressing up, having the stadium experience and feel connected with the rest of the audience when we were cheering for the Canadians in the last game of the night. Have you ever been to a Rugby game? Would you go?
Saturday some of the girls met up for a movie night! Can you guess what movie? 😉 We went to see Magic Mike – The Last Dance and from what I could see we all enjoyed it. ;D Before the movie started we equipped ourselves with some fresh, warm, buttered popcorn and drinks from Starbucks. I was surprised to see one in the movie theatre but I gotta say I love it! Call me weird, but I think it’s a genius combination – having a hot coffee at the movies with your popcorn, especially because popcorn here is salty, so the sweet drink balances the flavours out perfectly. What do you think? Team sweet or salty popcorn? Coffee at the movies, hell yeah, or hell no? Let me know in the comments.
Another exciting event I attended this weekend was the BC Bike Show that – to my surprise – also had lots of booths about travel and adventure activities all over the globe, but mainly in BC, or the West of North America. It gave me some cool inspirations for some INTERNeX events in the future so stay tuned. 😉 Not only professionally, but also personally it was an awesome event with lots of discounts, for example for a diving course, and chances to win great prizes, big and small. My favourite was a bear bell that I won by spinning a wheel. It makes it safer to go on hikes in the summer warning bears that humans are around, so they keep their distance. 🙂 I also tried out sitting in a paraglider. They almost got me to attend a class even though I’m afraid of heights and you can only operate it by yourself, so you need a lot of trust. 😀 The thought of gliding in the air is very tempting though, plus it would be a great challenge to overcome a fear! How about you, would you do it?
I hope your weekend was eventful and fun! I want to hear all about it at Pub Night on Wednesday!
INTERNeX Canada 