INTERNeX Canada: Casual Fridays

This weekend is a long one guys, because it’s Easter! When I hear Easter, I automatically think of bunnies, basket full of eggs, chocolate (of course), and flowers. But I always wondered why there are such thing as Easter bunnies? Why do they lay eggs? Where are the hens?

According to an old legend, Easter began with the pagan celebration of the goddess Ostara. She was associated with the Spring season and fertility. The goddess entertained children by turning her pet bird into a rabbit. The rabbit then gave colorful eggs as presents to the children.

If that wasn’t enough, I came across a short story for children that “tries” to explain…

Why the Easter Bunny Brings Eggs (adapted by Jean Warren)

Once upon a time, there was a King who had a very powerful magician at his court.  One day, the magician gave the King a hen that laid beautiful eggs for a present. The king liked the eggs but he was greedy and he told his magician that he would like the hen better, if she could lay eggs of gold.  So the Magician worked another magic spell and sure enough the hen started laying eggs of gold.

The king was delighted.  He became very rich and the envy of the other kings.  He kept his special hen in a golden cage next to his thrown.  He knew that someday, someone would try to steal his hen, so whenever visitors came,  he would have his magician come and hide the special hen and substitute an ordinary hen in the cage.

Sure enough, one day someone ran off with the hen in the golden cage.  The king was glad he had had his magician switch the hens.  He sent word for the magician to bring back his hen.  But the next day, when the king looked in his golden cage all he found was a white rabbit.  “What’s this!” said the King.  “Little rabbit, how did you get in here?  The King opened the cage and had his footman take the rabbit back out to the woods where he belonged.  Then he called for his magician.

“Where is my magic hen?”, asked the King.  I told you to bring her back. “I did bring her back,” said the magician.  “I put her in the cage”, I just didn’t have time to change her back into a hen.”

This is Rolo 🙂

They never did find the little white rabbit, but from that day forward, children found colorful eggs hidden all over the kingdom.  And some say, that every once in a while someone found a golden one.

Yeah right, I don’t think so. Actually, I have two rabbits at home named Rolo and Coco..maybe they will leave trails of golden eggs and make me filthy rich 😉

Happy Easter and have a great long weekend!

Cheers,

Flora

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

Fun @ the Disney Evening

We had a lot of fun Monday during the Disney evening. You remember the orientation room, from when you just arrived and got your orientation? Well you won’t have recognized it on Monday. We transformed it into the perfect cinema room with a couch, leather chairs and we even got bowls of popcorn to give  it even more of a cinema feeling!

We started out with the viewing of Lion King! One of our candidates watching the movie 2 a month and was able to sign along with every song!! For the rest of us it was great to see this movie again for the first time in a few years!

After the Lion King it was time for my favorite Disney movie of all times: Beauty and the Beast! This time it was my turn to sing along with all the songs!

Everyone really enjoyed the Disney evening, to see how much click here to view the pictures of the evening

I hope to see everyone at the PuB NiGHT tonight! I will be my last as an INTERNeX interns, so come out and celebrate a great time at INTERNeX as an interns!

Buy Your Tickets Now for Kooza – Cirque du Soleil!

KOOZA tells the story of The Innocent, a melancholy loner in search of his place in the world.  KOOZA is a return to the origins of Cirque du Soleil: It combines two circus traditions – acrobatic performance and the art of clowning. The show highlights the physical demands of human performance in all its splendor and fragility, presented in a colorful mélange that emphasizes bold slapstick humor.

The Innocent’s journey brings him into contact with a panoply of comic characters such as the King, the Trickster, the Pickpocket, and the Obnoxious Tourist and his Bad Dog.

Between strength and fragility, laughter and smiles, turmoil and harmony, KOOZA explores themes of fear, identity, recognition and power. The show is set in an electrifying and exotic visual world full of surprises, thrills, chills, audacity and total involvement.

To get your tickets for KOOZA Vancouver and for more information click here. Shows begin July 22, 2010.

If you’re living in Calgary, you’re also in luck! Kooza is coming to Alberta in September. For information click here.

Don’t miss your chance to check out this show! Manouk and I will also be going to one at the end of July!

Have a great day!

– Laura

Rip Roarin’ Rockies Adventure!

If you haven’t been to the Rockies – you haven’t been to Canada! Get the most out of your summer and experience one of the most spectacular places on earth!

Join other travelers on a 4-day (3 night) tour to the heart of the Canadian Rockies and travel through some of the most awe inspiring scenery to be found anywhere in the world! Embark on a journey from Vancouver to Alberta to see towering peaks, frigid glaciers, and stunning lakes. Four days of breath taking scenery will give you memories to last a lifetime. Don’t have a friend? No problem – you’ll meet tons of people on this trip! For only $340.00 (taxes in!), you won’t find a trip like this anywhere else! This trip begins July 30 and ends August 2, 2010.

Whether you’re just out for an incredible sightseeing journey or you want to try your hand at a variety of fun activities, this tour has something to suit every taste.

This Classic Canadian  Rockies Adventure by West Trek includes:

• The PERFECT MIX of amazing adventures and stunning sightseeing!
• Three nights hotel – 1 night right in the centre of Banff! ( Price is based on 4 people sharing one room with 2 Queen beds. Upgrades available. )
• The hotel in Banff is The Mount Royal.  It’s right in the centre of this beautiful mountain village.  Step out the front doors of the hotel and you’re in the heart of the party – only seconds from the ragin’ nightclubs and pubs!
• Two of the three hotels have indoor pools with water slides and hot tubs.  The fun is just starting when we arrive at our hotels!
• Free entrance to Banff’s best nightclubs!
• Learn to Line Dance.
• All tips and taxes included
• All park fees
• Daily guided sightseeing through some of the most incredible scenery in the world!
• End of tour PARTY at our Partner Camp! Marshmallow roast, songs, a roaring campfire and dozens of new friends. It just doesn’t get any better!
• Have a great time with your cool Canadian guide.
• Getting there is half the fun on the deluxe highway coach with games and movies while you make new friends.
• Hockey tournament in Valemount – Let the games begin as teams face off for a game of ball hockey!

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

• 3 nights of accommodation in Valemount, Banff  and Golden.
• LAKE LOUISE.  Visit the most famous lake in Canada and marvel at the unreal colour of the water framed by a stunning mountain backdrop!
• BANFF.   The most famous, and popular, town in the Canadian Rockies.  Take a boat cruise, soar to mountain peaks on a gondola, or just explore – Banff has so much to offer!
• MORAINE LAKE.  One of the most stunning lakes you will ever see.  (Seasonal.)
• The ICEFIELDS PARKWAY.  This highway has often been described as the most beautiful highway in the world and it is a very fitting description!  Glaciers, mountains, and pristine lakes are found all along this amazing stretch of unbelievable road!
• BOW LAKE.  A beautiful mountain lake not to be missed.
• PEYTO LAKE.  A stunning jewel hidden out of sight of the highway.  (Seasonal.)
• THE COLUMBIA ICEFIELDS.  No trip to the Rockies is complete without taking a Snowcoach Ice Explorer tour out on to the glacier.  Definitely a once in a lifetime thrill!
• ATHABASCA FALLS.  Witness the thundering roar as the Athabasca River drops 23 m through layers of limestone!
• JASPER.  Visit Banff’s little sister.  Quieter and not as busy as Banff, Jasper is a gem waiting to be discovered.
• THOMPSON RIVER VIEWPOINT – Great views of the North Thompson River.
• LAC LE JEUNE PROVINCIAL PARK – We stop for a quick dip in this beautiful mountain lake or you have time to explore the beaches.  A great place for a picnic lunch!
• MT. ROBSON.  This is the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies and offers stunning views on clear days.
• SPAHATS FALLS.  One of the most dramatic falls in Western Canada!
• 5 NATIONAL PARKS, 1 PROVINCIAL PARK, 3 UNESCO World Heritage sights.  These include Banff National Park, Jasper National Park, Yoho National Park, Glacier National Park, Mt. Revelstoke National Park, and Mt. Robson Provincial Park.
• HOCKEY NIGHT IN VALEMOUNT – Can you get a more Canadian activity than having a game of pick up hockey surrounded by stunning mountains?!
• Super Discount at The Paddock  –  This trip includes an awesome menu with The Paddock Bar & Grill in the heart of Banff.  Now THAT’S Canadian!
• MALIGNE CANYON TREK – Explore this amazing canyon as you cross narrow bridges suspended above the roaring chasm.
• MOUNT ROYAL HOTEL – A hotel is not a highlight you may say.  Wrong!  This awesome beauty is right in the centre of Banff with our favourite nightclubs and party spots just a few short steps away.  You won’t believe that you are on a budget tour when you check in!
• AWESOME ACTIVITY PASS – What can we say?  It’s awesome!  This is the BEST deal going and can say that this deal isn’t offered by anyone else!

What you should bring:

• Swimming suit and towel (hot tub or swimming pool in the hotels + you have 2 chances to go for a swim in a refreshing mountain lake – seasonal)
• Government photo ID (passport) & Student ID (if applicable)
• Proof of Medical Insurance
• Good walking shoes/boots
• Warm jacket, hat, gloves (you’ll need these on the Ice Explorer Snowcoach tour.

To sign-up for this amazing trip, drop by the INTERNeX Office with your payment of $320.00 (cash only, Canadian dollars).

Last day for registration is Friday, July 23, so sign-up quick before all seats are taken!

TOUR OPTIONS

Make the most of your time in the Rockies by participating in some incredible optional activities.   Some activities are seasonal and not available on all dates.

• AWESOME ACTIVITY PASS – Book the Ice Explorer Snowcoach Tour + the Lake Minnewanka Boat Cruise and West Trekl will give you back $3 PLUS throw in the Banff Gondola for FREE! That’s a savings of $32!
• The Cruise and Snowcoach normally cost $93. BUT, with the West Trek AWESOME ACTIVITY PASS you get The Big Three (The Ice Explorer Snowcoach Tour + the Banff Gondola + the Lake Minnewanka Boat Cruise) all for $90!  (That’s like getting PAID $3 to do the Gondola!) – BEST VALUE – STRONGLY RECOMMENDED!
• Banff Gondola – Soar to the top of Sulphur Mountain for incredible 360-degree views.  The gondola climbs 698m (2,292 ft) to the 2,281m (7,486 ft) summit of Sulphur Mountain. Fantastic views of the town of Banff, Mt. Rundle, the Bow Valley, you can even see all the way to Lake Minnewanka on a clear day.  ONLY $29
• Lake Minnewanka Cruise – Relax on board one of the lake cruisers for a stunning tour on the biggest lake in Banff National Park.  The cruise offers some of the most interesting and spectacular scenery found anywhere in the Canadian Rockies.  ONLY  $44
• Ice Explorer Snowcoach ride – A customer favourite for the past 10 years, this tour takes you right on to the Athabasca Glacier aboard massive, specially designed Ice Explorers.  You have time to make a snowman, have a snowball fight, fill a water bottle with “glacier fresh” water or just revel in the amazing scenery.  Not to be missed!  ONLY $49
• Canoeing on the Bow River in Banff or at Lake Louise
• Relax in the Banff hot springs – a beautiful outdoor pool heated naturally with the hot springs.  $7.50

To sign- up for this ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME trip, please drop by the INTERNeX office with your payment in cash. Please bring your passport and contact information with you. For any further information, please contact Laura at pr@internexcanada.com.

Terms and Conditions:

• We recommend paying at least 10 days before departure to avoid disappointment
• The tour is NON-REFUNDABLE within 10 days of departure
• NO REFUND if you fail to show up at the meeting spot on time.
• A small bus may be used for smaller groups

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