New `Kids` on the Blog

I know it has been kind of quiet last week – but this week we’re back with “double-power”!
Today I’m happy to introduce you to our two amazing newbies arrived in Vancouver in the last few days. We’re glad Ina and Dennis found their way from Germany to beautiful Canada.
So let’s start with Ina. Right at the beginning of our interview we found out that we’re from the same small town close to Stuttgart in Germany – really cool! But for now a few interesting facts about her 🙂

She already finished her apprenticeship and worked for a few months in her hometown; but there’s more to it. Since one apprenticeship wasn’t enough for her she already finished two – one in the commercial department and another one as a media designer. Right now she’s looking for her dream job in the media design industry. During her 5 weeks long stay in Canada she aims to improve her professional experience with a practicum in the field of marketing /design right in Vancouver Downtown. She’s really into traveling but would love to combine getting to know a new country with useful experiences for her career as well. So she uses her time in Canada to learn a lot about the country and its people and also as a time-out before starting back into her professional life in Germany. Since she has never been to Canada before she’s really excited to see new places, meet new people, and experience everything Canada has to offer. Since Canada was one of the first countries on her bucket list opened the border, it wasn’t a difficult decision for her to choose this place for an experience abroad. Ina also really enjoys her time in the office because she’s able to achieve a lot of new tasks and as she said: “the tasks are very helpful for my career and a lot of fun”. In my opinion this is how a practicum should look like 😉

Now let’s talk a bit about Dennis. He’s 28 years old and from Stuttgart as well. He came to Canada as a part of this cooperate study program. Since his studies include a combination of studying and working he seized the opportunity and asked his workplace in Germany if there is a possibility for him to do a stay abroad – and as you can see it worked out! In Vancouver he’s participating in our practicum program in a security system company. He’s staying for 6 weeks – seems like these guys want to be back home for Christmas with their families 😉 Actually Dennis had planned to do his stay in Tokyo but something changed his mind and he chose Canada… and as he said he doesn’t regret it.
During his last vacation in Mexico he made some great friends which are now staying in Vancouver as well. So these guys are able to meet and spend some time together again – pretty cool!! With this stay abroad he aims to get an insight into an international working environment especially in comparison to the German.

I really hope they both have an amazing time in Canada with us.

Enjoy your weekend 🙂

– Tatjana

INTERNeX International Exchange
2005-689 Abbott St., Vancouver, BC, V6B 0J2
Web: http://www.internexcanada.com
Email: pr@internexcanada.com

What to Do in Vancouver?

New week new “What to Do in Vancouver” inspirations 🙂

What is Canada without hiking? Do not miss the chance to explore the beautiful hiking trails in the Vancouver area. In this blogpost I will give you some insight into the huge variety of hiking trails with amazing views and the most beautiful nature you have ever seen.

Grouse Grind, Grouse Mountain:

If you fancy a hiking trip right on your doorstep take the Seabus to North Vancouver or a bus ride over the famous Lions Gate bridge to start your adventure on Grouse Grind. It’s a 3-kilometre trail to the top of Grouse Mountain.

From my own experience I can say that this is very exhausting but definitely worthwhile. The view over the city on top of the mountain is unbelievable.
Additionally, have a look at how fast some people have climbed this mountain – there’s a list on top it’s kind of crazy.

Lynn Canyon Park & Suspension Bridge:

This Park features several hiking trails in addition to the main attraction, Lynn Canyon Suspension bridge. It’s smaller than the famous Suspension bridge but it’s free and a beautiful place which is definitely worth a visit. There are trails suitable for every hiking level so just find your perfect trail and enjoy. It’s also a nice opportunity to spend your day in the refreshing 30-foot pool; a nice spot for swimming, having a picnic and of course taking a lot of pictures. There’s a lot more to discover, but you’d better explore it yourself. 😉

Quarry Rock Hike in Deep Cove:

This trail starting in Deep Cove at the Baden Powell trailhead is a really popular hike in North Vancouver and definitely a place where you’ll meet a lot of tourists from all over the world. It’s around 4 kilometers long so it is possible for most hikers. Even if it’s a slightly shorter hike the view leaves nothing to be desired. On this all-season hike you’ll have an amazing view of Indian Arm (that’s why it’s sometimes called Indian Arm Lookout Trail).

St Mark’s Summit:

As a part of the Howe Sound Crest Trail this 11km round trip hiking trail gives you the opportunity to take a longer walk (around 5 hours) and experience Canada’s amazing nature while enjoying spectacular views of e.g. Howe Sound. So, if you’re ready for a more challenging hiking trail; this is certainly a good option.

Joffre Lakes Provincial Park:

Maybe you’re thinking about which trail you have seen on the countless pictures with the crystal-clear blue lakes on Instagram? That’s definitely Joffre Lakes Provincial Park.

For this hike you should plan more time, like a whole day, since it is a bit further away from Vancouver and you need a car. It’s one of British Columbia’s most beautiful hikes where you can pass and discover all three beautiful lakes in one trail.

Hope you will enjoy your hiking trips when you get to Canada. 🙂

– Tatjana

INTERNeX International Exchange
2005-689 Abbott St., Vancouver, BC, V6B 0J2
Web: http://www.internexcanada.com
Email: pr@internexcanada.com

What to Do in Vancouver?

Welcome to Part 2 of the “What to Do in Vancouver” edition…
There is so much more to Do in and around Vancouver. Let’s continue with further amazing attractions.

Granville Island: take the Aquabus to Granville Island, a large market where you can enjoy good food and drinks as well as arts, culture and shopping. There is a huge public market open every day 9am-6pm. It’s kind of a hotspot for tourism and entertainment. Have a look what we did here on our March 9, 2020 blogpost. But that’s not the only market worth a visit. There’s the Richmond night market with a lot of Asian food. You can try many types of food you may not have experienced before. Some are really exotic but it’s definitely a great experience to taste something new.

Museum of Anthropology at UBC: Attention all culture lovers and those interested in history. Plan your trip to this museum to find out more about the First Nations people as well as other cultural communities in British Columbia. There are several exhibitions that invite you to explore new cultures.

English Bay and Sunset Beach: beautiful beaches to relax with friends or have some action while stand up paddling or taking a refreshing dip in the sea. There are also nice restaurants like the Cactus Club Cafe.
As the name already mentioned it is an awesome place to watch the sunset.

Directly next to English Bay is Stanley Park, Vancouver’s largest park in the middle of the city. This place invites you to relax and cycle or skate the seawall. Enjoy an amazing view of Lions Gate bridge, the mountains, and the sea. Additionally, it’s a good opportunity to find out more about local wildlife, plants and visit the Vancouver Aquarium with over 50,000 marine animals. Sometimes there’s an open-air cinema as well which is really fun.

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Queen Elizabeth Park: Just a few minutes by bus from downtown is Queen Elizabeth Park which is almost full of activity. It’s located a bit higher so you can also enjoy a quiet minute while having a nice view over the city. On your way to this park, I can definitely recommend to stop at La Casa Gelato. They offer more than 200 ice cream flavours and of course some are unusual, but I would give it a try. To make this hard decision ( 😉 ) easier, you can try a spoon of any flavour you like (of course, except in this pandemic).

China Town: Explore the vibrant culture, taste the exotic food or visit classic Asian speciality stores in Vancouver’s traditional China Town. When you enter this part of the city through the magnificent gate, you will feel like you are in another world.

Hope i could give you some inspiration 🙂

Cheers,

– Tatjana

INTERNeX International Exchange
2005-689 Abbott St., Vancouver, BC, V6B 0J2
Web: http://www.internexcanada.com
Email: pr@internexcanada.com

New kid on the blog – Tatjana Schmitt

Welcome back! I know it has been quite a while since you heard from us, but the reason for this is the same story for everyone in the world at the moment – COVID-19. But now the time has come. We are very happy to be able to give a sign of life to you guys.
Firstly, I would like to introduce myself. 🙂

My name is Tatjana, 23 years old from Germany and I am the new PR- Coordinator at INTERNeX. I am studying Social Sciences at the Ruhr-University in Bochum. I already finished my bachelor’s degree except for the practicum as part of my studies. Sounds kind of confusing I know because normally you must do the practicum before being able to finish or writing the thesis. But as I mentioned before this pandemic mixed everything up.
Actually, my practicum was planned for 2020 but since I wasn’t able to fly to Canada because of the very strict border restrictions as well as the health requirements I had to postpone my stay. Although some may think it sounds a bit crazy to wait for a practicum abroad for over a year without knowing how the situation will turn out, but I had the feeling that it is worth it. And it was. Right now, I am finally able to start my practicum as the new PR- Coordinator with INTERNeX. Although I have to work remotely at the moment I am very much looking forward and am more than grateful to have the opportunity for this practicum and for all the new experiences and challenges I will face.
Four years ago my “relationship” with INTERNeX already started. I was in Vancouver volunteering at the Wildlife Rescue Association of BC. Because this opportunity was also organized by INTERNeX I already made great experiences with this company back then. I really enjoyed all the trips and kept the international experience I had back then in good memory. The Rocky Mountain trip was definitely the most beautiful and memorable thing I did and I am really glad I joined…and for sure I absolutely fell in love with this country and especially with Vancouver. For me from that first moment the decision was made – I had to go back to Vancouver and use the practicum as an opportunity to combine gaining work experience, improvement of my language skills and getting to know the Canadian culture and lifestyle better. But what is the best part for me about Vancouver?
I think this city is such a special place as there is this big city life right next to the ocean and the huge mountains around the Vancouver area. It is like all in one. Additionally, the people are very friendly and open- minded which makes living here an adventure of a lifetime.
Under normal circumstances as an PR-Coordinator my job would be to organize the activities, pub nights, trips and events and be the first point of contact for all the people staying with INTERNeX in Vancouver. And for sure joining the Pub nights. 🙂 This means working in this beautiful city while exploring the Canadian nature. For me it sounds like a dream.

Even if I am not in Canada at the moment it will give me a lot of pleasure to see what’s going on in Vancouver and support INTERNeX with all the different tasks. And for sure I will try my best to give you a first impression of what to expect in Vancouver as soon as travel will be allowed again.
And from my own experience I can say the wait will be worth it. Canada is a beautiful place to be.

I am very much looking forward to the remaining time of my practicum. Let’s make the best of this situation.

– Tatjana

INTERNeX International Exchange
2005-689 Abbott St., Vancouver, BC, V6B 0J2
Web: http://www.internexcanada.com
Email: pr@internexcanada.com

How was your Weekend?

I really hope all of you had a good weekend, despite all the news around COVID-19 and the insecurity that we are all facing at the moment…I know it’s just crazy and as you will see a little further below, this will also affect our events and activities in the near future. At the moment our top priority is to ensure that everyone is safe and healthy.

For me also, it’s really sad since I just started to get know all of you and I was looking so forward to our next Pub Night. But let’s make the best out of it! And as soon as it is possible again, we will meet again for sure! 🙂

In this spirit let’s talk about our Pub Crawl on Saturday which we were still able to do. We met at Waterfront station and from there we made our way to Gastown which is known as a good spot for bars and restaurants.

Our first stop was “The Lamplighter”. I think it’s a great pub and we started our evening with some drinks and shots.
After about 2 hours we moved on without having another destination in mind. We just wanted to walk around and see which pub attracts us the most. So the “Local” it was.
We continued where we stopped at the Lamplighter – we ordered more drinks (but what else to do at a pub, right ?! :D)

All in all it was a really fun evening and we had a lot to laugh about, even in these gloomy times.
On Saturday we also made spontaneous plans for the next day:
We planned on going to Squamish and hike up the mountain and then take the Sea-to-Sky Gondola back down. We even booked our shuttle to Squamish at the pub. But unfortunately we got disappointed the next morning because the gondola was closed due to high winds. At least we could reschedule our shuttle and we will do it on another time, when it is possible again to mingle with others safely.

Since we were prepared for a longer hike a new plan had to come up. So we went to Lions Bay and did a hike there, where we had some great views. 

We also want to give you some important further information:

Due to the developing situation concerning COVID-19 and our first and foremost goal of prioritizing the safety of our candidates and staff, we will temporarily cancel all of our planned events for the coming weeks. We will continue to monitor the situation and keep you updated as the situation changes continuously. 

Additionally we would encourage you to avoid going to any large events or venues with 50+ attendees. In general it is better to stay home, avoid transit or gathering places and if possible see if you can undertake your placement activities from home.

Please keep informing yourself about the current news in Canada and the world: https://www.cbc.ca/, but also on symptoms and measures against the virus on the following government page: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/symptoms.html

We also encourage you to reach out to your insurance organization to ensure you are covered if you choose to remain in Canada and contract the virus. We also ask those whose original departure dates are within the next month to consider contacting your travel agent/airline to check the possibility of departing sooner.

We will stay connected with you online while we go through this challenging time, stay safe and remember: We are always here to help! J

Hope to see you soon again, take care and be safe!

Cheers

-Alina & The INTERNeX Team

 
INTERNeX International Exchange
International Village,
Suite 2077, 2079 – 88 West Pender Street
Vancouver, Canada -V6B 6N9-
Web: http://www.internexcanada.com
Email: pr@internexcanada.com