How was the weekend?

Was this summer? Is it over already? The past weekend Vancouver was blessed with sun and temperatures up to 23 degrees. The first taste of summer which unfortunately already passed, but we used our time wisely I’d say!

On Friday I spent some time on my balcony enjoying the sun and relaxing before going out to a concert at night followed by a great ending at the Roxy with some of you guys. In case you don’t know, the Roxy is a night club on Granville Street that offers amazing live music every day of the week in combination with a DJ playing the best tunes. I really love coming to this place. It’s always a fun night where you can sing your lungs out, dance your butt off and make new friends. They also have a pool table and photo booth, what else could you ask for? – That’s right, affordable drinks! There’s nothing this bar lacks in my opinion. 🙂 We sure had a good time and stayed until the lights came on and the bar was closing. If you haven’t been out in Vancouver yet, I highly recommend you try it and see how different it might be from your home country. Here’s a party guide I’ve put together in case you need some inspiration on where to go: https://internexcanada.wordpress.com/2022/06/03/vancouver-party-guide/

Since we went out Friday night, Saturday started quite late, but not too late to enjoy more rays of sunshine. INTERNeX met at Jericho Beach next to all the cute bunnies (have you seen them yet?) to experience the feeling of a BC summer by the city. Lots of people came out for BBQ’s by the beach, volleyball and swimming, so did we. Ricky was brave enough to dive into the cool Pacific Ocean as a way to escape the heat the sun was forming upon us. After all this activity (;)) we started to feel a little hungry and checked out a rooftop patio restaurant right at the beach with views over downtown and the mountains. They serve food like burgers, fish & chips, tacos and ice cream. The price is not necessarily cheap, but I think it was really worth the experience. The portions were big and the food delicious, plus the view was great! There’s not really any other restaurant around the area that offers anything like this. Strengthened from our break we decided to go back to the beach and hang up our volleyball net for a couple of games during sunset. It was a lot of fun, but some people got quite competitive. 😀 We made new friends who joined our games and in the end just sat down and talked about life with music playing in the background, debating on what to do next. The sun disappeared more and more, it got a little chilly so we decided to leave the beach. A bunch were planning on going out that night, I still have to ask how that went. 😉 I was just happy to go to bed because I could still feel the consequences from the night before. 😀

Let’s hope summer returns soon to Vancouver and we’ll have many more of those amazing beach nights. 🙂

What was your highlight of the weekend? Did you like the sun? Or were you hiding from it?

Tell me about it at our next Pub Night!

See you then,

Laura 🙂

What to do on the weekend?

This weekend is going to be a good one, the sun is shining, the INTERNeX events thriving. On Saturday we will go on a little hike to Lynn Canyon. People often say “that’s what I imagined Canada to be like” when they go to the area. The hike we’re doing includes walks over an impressive suspension bridge, along the river with small waterfalls, through lush forests and a natural pool to swim in, so make sure to bring your swim suit. 😉 It’s a free safe-guided adventure and a great place to learn about the North Vancouver eco-system. The hike is good for all levels, so even if you usually rather spend your Saturday’s on the couch, you can join us for this one. 😉 Make sure to bring plenty of water and some lunch/snacks with you. In my opinion a MUST-DO while you’re in Vancouver, and nothing better than hiking with a group! Meeting is 11am at Waterfront station!

On Sunday we’re going to celebrate the Pride Society, LGBTQAI2S+ communities, queer serving organizations, we’re celebrating diversity, vibrancy and people in Vancouver at the Vancouver Pride Parade! It’s a big celebration where all come together and party! 😉 If you ask me it’s THE event in Vancouver. It’s going to be hot hot hot in many ways, so make sure to put on sunscreen and drink enough water! Safeway Canada and Kwantlen Polytechnic University will be the fundraising flag-bearers for this year’s Toonie Brigade. The Toonie Brigade carries a giant rainbow flag where folks can throw in their toonies, which go towards making Pride what it is today, so make sure to bring a couple Toonies with you. 😉 Dress Code: colourful and fun! We’ll meet at 11am at the Esso gas station on Davie Street!

If you are not into the INTERNeX events this weekend there’s other things to do as well. Have you checked out the Londsdale Quay in North Vancouver yet? It’s a really nice area right by the water with a great view of the Vancouver skyline. There’s lots of artisan shops to browse through and nice restaurants to check out. For all the Germans out there, or those who like German food, there’s a restaurant in North Vancouver called ‘Jägerhof’ which offers some typical German meals like Schnitzel, or Rouladen, plus a broad selection of German beers (can though), while playing traditional music, sometimes even live! It’s a fun experience. But don’t worry there’s lots of different options, you’ll find something you like. 🙂

There’s also the last chance to see the fireworks of The Honda Celebration of Lights this Saturday at 10pm. Spain will be the last out of the three contestants. I recommend watching from Sunset Beach, unless you want to spend your whole day at English Bay, since it gets really busy there and it’s almost too crowded to enjoy the fireworks from there. Sunset Beach is a great option. You can still find a spot where you have perfect sight of the fireworks and more space around you. Of course you can go early anyways and enjoy the day at the beach, watch the sunset and then the fireworks. Have you seen the other ones before? Which one did you like better so far?

I hope to see plenty of you at our events, but if I don’t see you, have a great weekend!

Cheers,

Laura 🙂

How was the weekend?

Happy Monday! I hope all of you had a great weekend! I sure did. INTERNeX went to Whistler with a couple of cool people. We were only seven in total, but we had a lot of fun. Let me tell you about it.

On our first day (Friday) we kept it a little more chill. Once we arrived in Whistler we needed to grab some coffee, since it’s been a busy week for everyone. Then, finally we checked in to our condo right in the centre of the village and it was amazing! We had three levels with beds, a kitchen, a living room with a little balcony, two bathrooms (one of them had two showers), a fireplace on two levels, and a private hot tub! Check out our TikTok channel to see a little house tour. 😉 

Of course we made use of that hot tub right away. The water was warm, the bubbles relaxing, exactly what we needed. After being fully soaked with water and new energy, we started our game night with a few drinks and games like “Cards Against Humanity”. It was a great way of getting to know each other better.

The next morning we decided to take a gondola for a hike up in the mountains, but the weather was a little cloudy and apparently most hikes high up are still closed due to the snow, so instead we rented some bikes and explored the lakes around Whistler. It turned out to be a great idea! The weather was perfect for biking and we got to see so much of Whistler in such a short time. We went around Lost Lake, Green Lake, all the way to Rainbow Park at Alta Lake, where we made a short ice cream break, before we headed back to the village. On our ride we had amazing views of the mountains. It felt really nice to be outside in nature. 

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As a balance, we later went out in the village to enjoy Whistler’s Night Life. We started with some Burgers and Poutine for dinner, then went on to a few clubs and danced our calories right off again. It’s needless to say everybody had a great time. 

The next morning came really fast and it was already time to check out of our weekend home. Before we had to be back at the bus stop, we took some time to go to the farmers market in the Upper Village, where a lot of local vendors set up cute booths with food, jewelry, art, etc. I don’t know about you, but I love promenading over a market, trying samples, seeing people’s ideas, supporting local businesses that have a personal touch to them, eating all the food from the food trucks… 😉

If you are with me on that, I gotta tell you that coming Saturday (June 11th) there’s the Portobello West Summer Outdoor Street Market here in Vancouver and INTERNeX is planning on going, so if you’re up for it join us! The admission is FREE. So there’s really no excuses to not check out the variety of local vendors presenting fashion, jewelry, art, home decor, skincare, etc., plus there’s going to be lots of food trucks with delicious snacks that you should try. We’ll be meeting at 1pm, at the Indigo on West Broadway.

I know it’s only Monday, but it’s always good to have an early weekend plan, so you have something to look forward to. 🙂

What did you do this weekend? Was it more relaxing, or adventurous? City, or Nature? Long enough? Mine felt really short, but time flies when you’re having fun. 

I hope you have a great start of the week!

Cheers, 

Laura 🙂

Vancouver Party Guide

This one’s for the party animals amongst you guys. If you like to go out, but you are not sure where the most popular spots are, let me help you. I have a good one for each day of the week, depending on your preferences. That doesn’t mean I encourage you to drink and go out though. 😀 This guide is simply to make your life easier in case your schedule is less flexible, but you don’t want to miss out on Vancouver’s Nightlife.

Monday: Fortune Sound Club
You probably think “who goes out on Monday nights”, right? But Midnight Monday’s are very popular at Fortune Sound Club in Chinatown. They play R&B beats and you can get $4 Highballs. The party starts at 10pm! My tip: go check out some bars in Gastown before you go and warm up for the dance floor with a couple of cocktails. I personally like The Diamond. It’s a little more pricey, but they have a great variation of very unique cocktails. If you’re lucky you might also run into the cast of the Netflix series Riverdale, since they like to go out to this bar as well. 🙂

Tuesday: The Cambie
You wouldn’t expect it, but yes, even on Tuesdays it gets quite busy at certain bars/clubs in Vancouver. The Cambie is known as a hostel, but it has it’s own bar and let me tell you: It gets pretty wild in there, especially on Tuesdays, because it’s Latin night! You can swing your hips to some South American beats while enjoying a variety of beverages to very reasonable prices. A pitcher of Lager costs around $16, which is pretty good for Vancouver prices. Another reason to go: You’ll meet lots of cool people from many different countries! The Cambie is an international hot spot. I make new friends every time I go.

Wednesday: Pub Night
Of course Wednesday’s are for Pub Nights! Less clubbing, more bar feeling. Even though a pub night can on occasion also end in a “go home at 3am with a cheeseburger” kind of night. Every Wednesday we switch pubs to show you as many cool places as possible and then you can pick your favourites. Pub nights are great to meet people like you, who are here for an international experience. Further, they are amazing to exchange some experiences with one another, plus you can plan some weekend activities together, which makes your time here in Vancouver even better!

Thursday: Library Square Public House
From 8pm till 2am you can enjoy some Reggaeton and Top 40 Hits at Library Square’s International Thursday’s. This party will for sure get you in the mood for the weekend! I recommend buying tickets in advance to secure yourself a spot on the dance floor, plus it’s way cheaper. Only $8 cover charge if you buy in advance, and $15 if you buy your ticket at the door.

Friday: The Yale Saloon
Yes, it’s a country bar! This one is especially interesting for the ladies, since they can get in for free if they show up before 9pm on a Friday night! Yehaaaw! Otherwise cover charge is between $12 and $14. They only take cash at the entrance, so make sure you grab some before you go. I know some of you have their prejudices towards country music, but you’ll be surprised how popular it is in Canada. A lot of young people love going to this bar to sing and dance to some honkeytonk. I feel it’s actually more towards pop music nowadays, once you hear some songs for a few times you can probably sing along, which makes going there even more fun. The highlight of this bar is the mechanical bull. You can ride it for free, but if you want the bull operator to be nice to you, leave a little tip in his jar. 😉 Definitely a must-visit while you are here!

Saturday: Anywhere on Granville Street
On Saturday’s there are parties everywhere! I like to go to Granville street, which literally turns into a party mile at night! The road is usually blocked because there’s too many people walking around the area. You can just walk by and see what you like, I believe there’s something for everybody. Though, it might be good to go earlier, before the crowds arrive, since line-ups for the clubs and bars can get really long. A few of my favourites are Cavo, Cinema, Hotel Belmont, The Roxy, Cabana and the Colony. Each has a different vibe to it! It’s best to go and see for yourself which one’s your favourite.

Sunday: Roxy
Okay, this one is honestly my favourite club in Vancouver. They have great music every day of the week, always switching between half an hour live band and half an hour DJ. It’s a fun atmosphere, the bartenders are nice and it’s a little more casual. Roxy Sundays are legendary. It’s country night (I know, country again, but you’ll start to like it faster than you’d know) and it gets really busy! A lot of people who work in the service industry come here to celebrate on Sunday’s, since they usually work on Friday/Saturday nights, when everybody else is going out. If you are early you can get a free cowboy hat from the bartenders. They also have a photo booth and a pool table in case you’re not a big fan of dancing. You can get a Corona and a shot of Tequila for $11 bucks on Sunday’s, that’s a pretty good deal. The cover charge varies, but I’d say it’s worth checking it out.

I hope this post is useful for you and I think you should just go and see for yourself! Of course this is just a selection and there’s many more options. Maybe you have a favourite already? Feel free to leave any suggestions in the comment section. 🙂

Make sure you invite me, or let me know how it was. 😉

Cheers, Laura 🙂

What to Do on the Weekend?

How fast the week has passed by and we are again facing a wonderful weekend ahead of us. And what great things are there to do this weekend – have a read below!

Vancouver as a very outdoorsy and sportive city of course celebrates its 10 Year Anniversary of the 2010 Winter Olympics. So for all sports enthusiasts, on Saturday,
February 22, from 11am to 6pm, a free fan festival will be held at Jack Poole Plaza, which is part of the Vancouver Convention Centre, which was the International Broadcast Centre during the Games. The festival offers athlete meet and greets, stage performances, sport demonstrations, lots of food and drinks, the relighting of the Olympic Cauldron, and other fun activities.

For those of you who would like to learn more about the local indigenous tribes and their traditional performances, you should consider attending the Talking Stick Festival. It is running from Friday, February 21 to Sunday, February 23 in various locations. This indigenous performing arts festival features artists and scholars, who come together to celebrate indigenous performing arts with the help of theatre, storytelling, writing, music, spoken word, dance, film and visual arts. Its 2020 theme is Chén̓chenstway, “upholding each other, lifting each other up”.

Being concerned with the indigenous culture, Stanley Park Ecology Society hosts a walk & workshop on indigenous plant use this weekend on Saturday. By walking through the park’s forest with an indigenous guide of Coast Salish descent, you will learn about edible, medicinal, and survival uses of plants, as well as the traditional and present-day indigenous use of and relationships with local plant and wildlife. You can register for this event online.

For everyone motivated in spending a part or even the whole weekend skiing or
snowboarding, Grouse Mountain is opening its doors for 24 consecutive hours of winter
fun! From February 22 until February 23, including sundown to sunrise, you can dance, ride or skate the night away under the night sky as DJs play cool tracks. Ski down Grouse’s beautiful slopes as long as you want to or simply dance the night away on Vancouver’s mountain roof top. Complimentary shuttles will run to make it easier to access this great event.

And then, not to forget, there is the movie night at Anniina’s place!! Her apartment building offers a really cool movie theatre that you guys should check out this weekend. Find more info and the link to an extra group in our Whatsapp group.

I hope this blog post gives you some inspiration for your weekend, enjoy every moment of it!! See you very soon! 😀

– Felicitas

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