INTERNeX is going to Sasquatch Mountain this weekend for a real Canadian nature adventure, away from the city, snuggled up in a cozy log cabin in the snow with a nice fireplace, a hot tub, games and more. Make sure to bring your survival kit. 😉 Joking, there’s a ski lodge and pub nearby that could come to our rescue which is another reason to go on this trip, the slopes are great I heard, plus the passes are very affordable. There’s the option for action on ski and snowboard, or relaxation in the cabin. This weekend can be whatever you want it to be. I know we’ll have a great time together. 🙂
Fun Fact: The word Sasquatch is believed to be an Anglicization of the Salish word Sasq’ets, meaning “wild man” or “hairy man”, you might know it better as Bigfoot. 😉
If you’re staying in Vancouver this weekend, I gotta tell you about the pop up latin dance class with Dance in Transit at the Annex. I know there’s a lot of dancers between you guys, so why not try something new? Or maybe you’re not a dancer but you always wanted to learn how to dance? This is a great chance to move your hips and socialize, no matter what level you’re at. This Friday you have the chance to learn about Argentine Tango. The doors open at 7 and it only costs $12 for an hour lesson plus social dancing afterwards. What a way to spend your Friday night! Just make sure to register in advance for this event.
Since the weather is slowly getting better in Vancouver, how about a little hike? I went to Deep Cove last weekend and it was beautiful. Not only can you stop by for coffee and doughnuts on your way, but you can finally access the trail up to Quarry Rock again which is a popular viewpoint in North Vancouver. The hike is easy to moderate with some ups and downs, lots of bridges and streams along the way. The lush green forest is a great one-day escape from the city and gives you the chance to explore a different area. I’m sure even if you’re a beginner you can master this hike together with a hiking buddy. 🙂 Remember to wear suitable shoes and bring a rain jacket (just in case).
I’m positive that you’ll find something great to do this weekend to get the most out of your time here. Tell me about it next Pub Night!
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!
This weekend will be breezy with a good chance of snow in Vancouver! So, what’s there to do?
One thing that’s always a good idea is a trip to Whistler. Come with us on our day trip to guarantee a snowy weekend in the mountains of BC. Whether you want to ski, snowboard, ride a snowmobile, go dogsledding, tubing, snow shoeing, ice skating, zip lining, or maybe explore the village with less action loaded activities like the peak 2 peak gondola, a day at the Scandinavian Spa, a visit at the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, or other indoor activities like Ax Throwing, or an Escape Room adventure. Whistler offers so much, I’m sure there’s something to do for every preference and budget. Sometimes I like to just sit at one of the many great cafes, drink a hot beverage and warm up from strolling along the snow covered village paths, really can’t go wrong with that! Saying that, make sure you dress warm enough, the air is always a little colder up North than it is down here in Vancouver! I recommend multiple layers of warm functional wear. Also don’t forget to pack according to the activities you’ve planned, e.g. want to go to the spa? – Bring a Bikini. I sure am excited for our Canadian Winter adventure. 🙂
If you choose to stay here, there are multiple other things you could do. How about you visit one of the local mountains, like Grouse? There you also have the chance to go ski, snowboard, snowshoe, or just sightsee what the mountain has to offer e.g. the Light walk which I would recommend after dark and imagine there’s actually snow falling while you walk through this magical winter wonderland! You can easily get there by public transit. There’s also a cafe at the top where you can warm yourself up with a hot beverage and some food. 🙂 On your way you could also stop at the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park which lights up your gloomy winter days with many colourful installations along the trails! Perfect for some nice Instagram shots, or to get a little happiness boost during this dark and cold season. 😉 If there’s actually going to be snow, then I imagine it to be extra pretty!
If you’d rather escape the cold temperatures this weekend why don’t you go to the movies? My recommendation is to check out some of the movies VIFF (Vancouver International Film Festival) is showing. I assure you it’s different from watching the same old Hollywood Blockbusters. VIFF shows extraordinary films that can be entertaining, educational, empowering, encouraging and much more. You’ll find local artists, artists of colour and you’ll probably walk away thinking about what you’ve watched for a little while after your visit. ‘VIFF encourages understanding of the world’s cultures through the art of cinema.’ Since they are a not-for-profit organization you’d also support what they do by going to one of their movies. Why not try something new and different? Maybe you’ll like it. 🙂 And did I mention their delicious popcorn? I usually get it buttered and I feel like I can smell it right as I’m writing this. 😀
Let me know what you’ve been up to at our next Pub Night! Can’t wait. 🙂
No weekend passes where Vancouver doesn’t have something to offer!
This weekend the VMF Winter Arts is starting and they have a lot of cool things for you to discover! You should join us for a guided art walking tour through the city which reveals some inner workings of the festival and showcases many AR and light installations as well as murals and other public art. After that we’ll head over to the Vancouver Art Gallery where we’ll experience local poetry, music and food from across the Afro-Caribbean and African diaspora. There’ll be live performances, a bar, cafe, food trucks, market vendors, and a UV Face Paint & Sparkle Station. 🙂 For those of you who want to expand their horizon further, there’s the VMF After Dark x Afroqueer YVR: Black Rave taking place, starting 9.30pm, letting you dive into the world of Black underground dance culture and music. Make sure not to miss it! https://www.winterartsfest.com/
All the beer lovers listen up, I’ve got a great idea for you this weekend, or actually for the whole month of February. You can take part in Tasting Passports along TransLink’s Dine the Line to collect stamps at up to 64 participating businesses for a chance to win a great prize after only collecting 6 stamps! There’s many different trails depending on the region you prefer. Within each Ale Trail there is an array of craft breweries, restaurants, tap houses, liquor stores, outdoor activities, sightseeing, accommodations and more. Not only will you drink and dine, but further you can use it as a great way of exploring the city! Pick up a passport at any of the participating locations which you’ll find on their website and ask for a stamp with your purchase. I linked you a trail I think looks pretty cool, but feel free to browse and see what you might like: https://bcaletrail.ca/ale-trails/brewery-creek-vancouver/
Since the weather will be pretty decent this weekend (for a winter day in Vancouver) why don’t you explore one of the many great walking or hiking trails in the area? Make sure you take a hiking buddy with you! Let me give you some suggestions: The classic would be a walk around the sea wall in Stanley Park, it never gets old and every time you’ll discover something different. It’s also great to adventure on one of the many paths that lead through the park. 🙂 Another one of my favourites is the Pacific Spirit Regional Park near UBC. You have many options on trails and beautiful views of the ocean along the way. It’s also great to explore the huge campus nearby with its beautiful Botanical Garden. Want to have a nice view over the city? Queen Elizabeth Park has the highest point close to the city offering an amazing view of Vancouvers skyline. If you want to go further out, Jug Island Beach Trail is another good one! It’s not too long and leads through the forest to a hidden pebble beach where you can spot some starfish if you’re lucky. Once you’re done take a walk around the pier in Port Moody, or check out one of the many craft breweries around. Make sure you have the proper clothing, and if you end up adventuring on your own make sure you let someone know where you’re going and when they should expect you back. 🙂
Whether you decide to have cultural, culinary, or outdoorsy weekend, I wish you loads of fun and stories to tell at our next pub night!
Learn more about ice hockey – a summary of the basic rules – Go Canucks, go!!! What’s Canada without hockey? There’s definitely something missing. As indicated in the last blogpost; today’s posting is all about understanding (ice-) hockey 🙂 Taught by an expert like me 😀 just kidding but I’ll try my best
Let’s start with the basics 🙂 What is ice hockey (known as hockey in Canada) anyway? First a historical fact but no worries I’ll keep it short. This sport was originally developed from field hockey in the second half of the 19th century. Hockey is a game played on ice between two teams of 6 players each, one of which is the goalkeeper. Of course, the teams consist of more players, substituted during the game. This normally happens every few minutes. Which means that hockey is definitely a really fast and intensive sport. The players use long curved sticks to hit the puck, a small rubber disk (weighing exactly 166 grams), to score goals. As many of you may know the puck is really small. One surely wonders if it’s possible to follow the puck as a spectator in a big stadium at all? I think it’s kind of easy. Where there is the crowd of players there must be the puck 🙂 Also how do you know a goal has been scored? As in many professional sports you will see a light flashing behind the goal. So, everyone can see that a goal has just been scored. The game is played in three thirds of 20 minutes with breaks between every third. The time will be stopped in every interruption during the game. Additionally, there is a change of sides after every third. That’s why a game usually lasts much longer than 60 minutes (normally about 2-2.5 hours). Which also means you can enjoy watching longer than expected 😉 and don’t forget to join singing the national anthem at the beginning of every match.
The Rink: Have you ever taken a closer look at the hockey rink? It’s full of coloured lines with different meanings. The two lines on each end where the goal is located are called the goal lines. Unlike in soccer the players are also allowed to play behind these goal lines. The blue lines divide the surface into equal thirds, called zones. The zone right in front of the teams own goal is the defensive zone. The opposite one is called attacking zone or offensive zone. Between the two blue lines is the neutral zone. The dots with circles around them form the face-off circles, which can be used as a start point after an interruption.
Penalty: In hockey, penalties or even brawls are certainly not uncommon. However, the use of the body is an important part of the game. Thus, it is allowed to “check” a player of the opposing team. But of course, there are rules 🙂
A really common penalty is caused by using the stick inappropriately. This must never be held above shoulder height, especially to hit someone in the face. Also not allowed are fouls such as elbowing, fighting (when players drop their gloves and throw punches at each other), kneeing (fouling an opponent with the knee), slashing or tripping which can cause an opposite player to fall by using a part of the body or the stick or charging which is taking a long run at someone or specifically targeting the head with a hit. Penalties can be 2 minutes for a minor or 5 minutes for a major (or 10 minutes for fighting… or a game misconduct for something very serious); 5 minutes major penalties do not end when the fouled team scores as it does with a minor penalty… it keeps going for the full duration. Sometimes you will receive a double minor with is 2+2 minutes… this is often the case when someone gets a “high stick” to the face which is 2 minutes and another 2 if they drew blood during the hit. Crazy.
Powerplay and Man-Down: Of course, such a penalty situation is only bad for one team. The resulting overpowering situation for the other team is called powerplay. A good chance to score a goal. The penalized team is considered a “man-down” or “two-men down” if the play results in a 5 vs 3 scenario when they are double penalized
Offside & Icing: If a player enters the offensive zone before the puck that is considered offside. And I think that’s way easier than in soccer 😀 BUT if you shoot the puck the full length of the ice it is called icing and the play is called back to the defensive zone of the team that “iced” the puck. However if a team is a man down due to having received a penalty they are allowed to ice the puck so you will often see them shoot the puck the full distance to get it out of their defensive zone during the penalty.
So that’s it for now I hope I could give you a good first insight into the Canadian national sport.
Have a look at the upcoming season schedule. There are only 4 days left till the first game of the year. Find further information on https://www.nhl.com/canucks
INTERNeX Canada 