PuBNiGHT in Banff!

To all the great people working in Banff. Be prepared! A group if INTERNeX interns from Vancouver, joined by me “The Proud Dutch” and my sidekick “The Insane Dane” from the INTERNeX office, is coming to your hometown this Saturday! It would be awesome to meet up and have the first ever  INTERNeX PuBNIGHT in Banff!

We will be having dinner at 7.30 pm at The Paddock Bar & Grill and after that, who knows?? We are depending on you guys working in the area to show us what kind of fun your hometown has to offer, and where we can go to get our groove on!

Let us know if your up for a night filled with laughter, beers, and maybe new friendships! Send an email to pr@internexcanada.com or marien@internexcanada.com to get some more details, and some phone numbers so we can arrange where to meet up etc.

Look forward to meeting you all and to have a blast of a night in Banff!

– Manouk

Adventures on Vancouver Island

This past weekend I met up with my friend Teresa for a visit.  She’s been in the area for about a week on vacation, visiting her family in Comox – a nice little town on Vancouver Island. I got up early Saturday morning to catch the 8:30 a.m. ferry, and was super excited to see a friend from home!

When I arrived, Teresa was waiting with her cousin Claire, who is also visiting but lives in Ireland. We said our hello’s and from there we began our day! First, we drove about 40 minutes and stopped at a nice park. Everything was so fresh and so green! There were tall trees everywhere and the sun was shining. What a beautiful day! As we walked along the paths, we came to the largest tree in the park – a giant Douglas-fir. It is over 800 years old, 76 metres tall and nine metres around. It was over 300 years old when Christopher Columbus came to North America in 1492. The Douglas-fir is one of Canada’s oldest living tree species and can live to be over 1,000 years old! Here is a picture of me with the tree, so you can see for yourself how large it is!

We continued out walk through the park, seeing hollow trees, large roots and insects along the way. It was a nice walk. Once we decided to leave, we hopped in the car and were off to the next destination! We made a pit stop at a nice area by the beach, to take a few pictures. The mountains were tall and the water was clear, it was a truly beautiful sight! In the distance, railroad tracks could be seen in the mountains.

After walking around and taking many pictures, Teresa, Claire and I had worked up our appetites! We decided to head to the local shopping mall to get something to eat, and of course, shop. Within a few hours, our bellies were full and we each had a few shopping bags… so we headed to Comox where Teresa’s family lives. Later that evening, we walked to a nice restaurant where we enjoyed a nice dessert with a glass of wine. From our table, the harbour and mountains could be seen – it was the perfect end to the night!

Have you been to the Island yet? There is so much to do there, including surfing in Tofino, visiting one of their many parks, and even kayaking. The island itself is is 460 kilometres (290 miles) in length and 80 kilometres (50 miles) in width at its widest point. It is the largest island on the western side of North America at 32,134 km squared and the world’s 43rd largest island, Canada’s 11th largest island and Canada’s second most populous island.  Major cities on Vancouver Island include Victoria, Nanaimo, Port Alberni, Parksville, Courtenay and Campbell Rivier.

I hope you get to visit the Island this summer!

– Laura

Vancouver Ranked Top Canadian City

Do you love traveling? Are you looking to get experience abroad that will be a great lifetime investment? Well, INTERNeX can help you find work and internship opportunities in Canada. There are many locations to choose from such as Alberta, Ontario and British Columbia, however, now that Vancouver has been ranked the top Canadian city, you just might want to come here!

Four Canadian cities are among the top 25 in the world in terms of quality of living, according to a global survey published Wednesday. Overall top spot on the list Mercer Quality of Living Survey is the Austrian city of Vienna. Vancouver is the top Canadian city among 221 ranked this year, sharing the No. 4 spot with Auckland, New Zealand. The other Canadian cities in the top 25 are Ottawa at 14, Toronto at 16 and Montreal at 21. Calgary was ranked No. 28 on the overall quality of living ranking but got the top spot on a new ecology ranking.

For more information on how YOU can work, live and learn in Vancouver, contact us!

INTERNeX International Exchange
Suite 200 – 211 Columbia Street
Vancouver BC -V6A 2R5-
Web: http://www.internexcanada.com
Phone: +1 (604) 662 8149

East is East

I am totally about trying new things and with the summer coming up Vancouver has endless opportunities, more than i think could possibly fit it anyone’s schedule. I love the fact that Laura pushed herself to try something new, and sushi too! I know plenty of people who have never eaten sushi before because they are terrified of eating RAW fish, and most of the time they stand firm in their beliefs that they’ll just hate it! But you never know….if there is anywhere to try sushi, Vancouver is the place to do it!

As most of you are aware of i am all about FOOD (*hint since a lot of my blogs have been about new restaurants i’ve frequented) and i want to let you guys know about all of Vancouver’s hidden gems that unless you’re a local you might miss out on. Since i am a student and am currently unemployed lol i need to find cheap options that wont break the bank but are also delicious and healthy. So i want to introduce to you all…EAST IS EAST!

This small restaurant has two locations; 1) East Is East on Main Street @ 4413 Main Street (Main and 28th), 2) Chai Gallery-East Is East & Silk n’ Spice @ 3239 W. Broadway. Known around the city for its amazing roti wraps, unique drink options (fruit smoothies, eastern shakes and boasting the best Chai in the city!) and just a calming aura, this hot spot will offer you with a unique experience that is rarely found around the city.

After being introduced to East Is East 7 years ago, i have become a dedicated weekly customer. When i first walked through the dimly lit doorway i was hesitant, what was this Indian/Afghan food?! Never heard of it before, never tried it before, wasn’t even sure what would be presented to me on the plate! But trust me i was not disappointed…everything i saw on the menu seemed to catch my fancy, so i made it my vow to try just about everything on the menu.

Whether its the summer of the winter, i’m there to enjoy their hand crafted benches and tables out front when the sun is shining, otherwise ill head in through the doorway and take cover in their carpet draped dining area for those wet days we see so often out here. Still not convinced?! Take a look at their website and see exactly what they have to offer in terms of their menu, events, galleries, etc.

“Nothing is what you expect as you walk into the chai gallery so welcome to a new world where you can have the dining experience of your dreams”

Summer 2010 List

So now that I am done all my final exams and papers I have started to put together a list of all the places, activities, foods, etc I am determined to do/try. Once I have completed these items I will let you know about them and give you a little bit of an introduction to these list items and perhaps you could try them yourself!

1) Number one on my list, surprise surprise it involves food. As some of you know today is my 22nd birthday so I have taken the entire day off to celebrate and I am filling it with all the things that I love. Starting off the day with a nice session at the Steve Nash Gym cause I am going to be indulging in some serious treats and I want to feel guilt free when I do. After my gym session I will be heading over with some of my friends to the Medina Cafe located downtown at556 Beatty Street, between Pender & Dunsmuir.

This quaint little cafe is known around the city for its unique bistro-inspired food served simply and conveniently in a comfortable, chic environment reflecting the lifestyle and desires of the neighbourhood and Vancouver at large. Medina provides a fresh and eclectic alternative with a pioneering attitude towards café culture.
Sister to neighbouring night time hot spot Chambar, Medina is a quaint café serving connoisseur-savvy coffee, Belgian waffles for sweet sustenance and a full breakfast, lunch, and brunch menu comprised of eclectic dishes created by co-owner and chef, Nico Schuermans.

When I go later I will for sure be trying their infamous Lavender Latte, will let you know how it goes!

2) The other week after my last final I headed out with one of my good friends to just have a great meal at one of Vancouver’s best kept secrets. Locate on the vibrant Davie Street at 1326.

This small Mexican Restaurant boasts some of the best food in the area and offers some reasonably priced menu items. I recommend starting off with the guacamole dip which comes with several layers of flavorful dips and a side of oven baked tortilla chips. Oh and of course you need some drinks to start the whole thing off!

Lolita’s is famous for its pint sized sangria cocktails filled with lots of tropical fruit to sink your teeth in. I might have had a few of those so I highly recommend those, they make you feel like your sipping them somewhere tropical. Its nice way to temporarily escape from your realities. After the appetizers, we moved onto the main course and we decided to share the halibut tacos…yum! After that meal were stuffed but the atmosphere was just so relaxed that we ended up staying there for a few hours. This restaurant is a little hidden so keep your eyes out for it! Great place for a date night too *winkwink*

Ciao for now