families

Vancouver International Jazz Festival – June 25 – July 4

If you enjoy the smooth, rhythmic beats of jazz, then Vancouver’s International Jazz Festival is an event you don’t want to miss! Over 1,800 musicians, 400 concerts and 40 venues will be animating the city for 10 days, celebrating  North America’s oldest, most celebrated genres.

From noon to the wee small hours, a rich tapestry of jazz, blues, funk, latin, fusion, electronica and world music will fill the air at venues big and small, indoor and outdoor across the city. Vancouver is home to one of the most unique and extraordinary jazz scenes on the continent.

By taking the music to concert halls, parks, community spaces, clubs, public plazas and neighbourhood streets, the Jazz Festival will electrifies Vancouver with over 400 concerts and stirs the souls of more that 500,000 people each year. To check out a list of the participating artists, click here!

One of the many free events taking place during the festival includes Gastown Jazz! This is a free, two-day street festival. Historic Gastown becomes an open-air party with multiple acts spread over two days from 1 p.m until 8 p.m. Featuring Canadian and International artists, Gastown Jazz has become a traditional destination for jazz fans and is synonymous with the opening weekend of the Festival. Two free stages bookend Water Street’s three blocks. Continuous music is performed for everyone to enjoy. Friends and families come from all over to celebrate the beginning of summer while reveling in a diverse array of musical styles. Gastown Jazz also boasts dazzling street entertainers, souvenir and CD kiosks, snacks and refreshments, as well as a wide selection of cafés, restaurants, and bistros all along Water Street.

For further information please visit their website.

Keep checking back to see which dates INTERNeX will be attending concerts during this festival, and how you can join in on the fun!

That’s all for now!

– Laura

Vancouver Jazz Festival – June 25 to July 4

Another reminder for you Vancouver folks!

If you enjoy the smooth, rhythmic beats of jazz, then Vancouver’s International Jazz Festival is an event you don’t want to miss! Over 1,800 musicians, 400 concerts and 40 venues will be animating the city for 10 days, celebrating  North America’s oldest, most celebrated genres.

From noon to the wee small hours, a rich tapestry of jazz, blues, funk, latin, fusion, electronica and world music will fill the air at venues big and small, indoor and outdoor across the city. Vancouver is home to one of the most unique and extraordinary jazz scenes on the continent.

By taking the music to concert halls, parks, community spaces, clubs, public plazas and neighbourhood streets, the Jazz Festival will electrifies Vancouver with over 400 concerts and stirs the souls of more that 500,000 people each year. To check out a list of the participating artists, click here!

One of the many free events taking place during the festival includes Gastown Jazz! This is a free, two-day street festival. Historic Gastown becomes an open-air party with multiple acts spread over two days from 1 p.m until 8 p.m. Featuring Canadian and International artists, Gastown Jazz has become a traditional destination for jazz fans and is synonymous with the opening weekend of the Festival. Two free stages bookend Water Street’s three blocks. Continuous music is performed for everyone to enjoy. Friends and families come from all over to celebrate the beginning of summer while reveling in a diverse array of musical styles. Gastown Jazz also boasts dazzling street entertainers, souvenir and CD kiosks, snacks and refreshments, as well as a wide selection of cafés, restaurants, and bistros all along Water Street.

For further information please visit their website.

Keep checking back to see which dates INTERNeX will be attending concerts during this festival, and how you can join in on the fun!

That’s all for now!

– Laura

Candidate Expose-Corinne

So when i began this mission of interviewing candidate’s in order to give you all a glimpse into our programs possibilities, one name seemed to pop up in every one of our staff meetings. Martina told me that she had the perfect candidate for me…and that once i was done talking to this person i myself would want to participate in our Ranchstay program. And i was certainly not disappointed! Corinne signed up for the Ranchstay program TWICE! Once in Spring 2007 and again from Spring to Fall 2009. She is still constantly in touch with her farm families and is actually returning to Canada AGAIN this year because she has found a job on a farm. I don’t want to tell you anymore so you will just have to read on and see for yourself…

What is your name?
Corinne

Where are you originally from?
Glattbrugg, Switzerland.

What made you want to come to Canada in the first place?
Well i had been on a few holidays throughout Canada in the past and i just believed that the next step for me would be to try and find some way that i could shift from being a tourist in Canada to a resident. The experiences between these two are quite different. In order for me to achieve this i went through an agency back home known as Canada Life and they set me up with INTERNeX. Due to the fact that my English was not exactly up to par i attended a language school (known as IH) for the first 4 weeks of my stay and then from there i went to a farm and began the Ranchstay portion of my experience.

Which program did you participate in? and why?
As mentioned previously i participated in the Ranchstay program and the reason i chose this route rather then the other two is because ever since i can remember i have loved horses. Since i was 12 years old i have been an avid rider and it has been a childhood dream of mine to stay and work on a horse farm so this was the perfect opportunity for me. The reason why i chose to participate for a second time was 1) because i had such a positive and amazing experience the first time and 2) i felt that there was more to learn. So the second time around i started to really work on my education and i learnt a brand way to train horses and also managed to take my riding skills to the next level.

What kind of skills/experiences (specifically) did you  acquire due to your participation in our Ranchstay program?
Well one accomplishment that i am truly proud of is the Chris Irwin Bronze Certification that i worked hard for. This program is designed to establish competency guidelines for horse training, thereby bringing consistent results to all breeds and all disciplines. Chris Irwin’s non-resistance techniques with horses are known and respected throughout North America and i am actually the first certified trainer in Switzerland! I attended courses for acupressure and massage tailored for horses in Switzerland so I was able to help a mare after giving birth by using acupressure and so  i have become a truly skilled horse lady lol.

What kind of tasks did you do on a daily basis? both times?
Well, the first time i went i fed and gave water to the horses, cleaned the riding equipment, helped fix fences, worked with the horses from the ground and of course rode them. The second time i was able to take on more responsibilities since i had previous experience. Therefore, i helped to train young horses from the ground and in the saddle.

Would you recommend others to do the Ranchstay program?
Of course! This was a great experience for me and i am positive it will be for everyone else too who chooses to be a part of it. It really helped me to grow not only as a rider but also a person. I was pushed to my own personal limits but each and every time i came across a hurdle i was always able to overcome it. My English level was adequate when i first came to Vancouver but now i am able to hold a conversation quite easily.