New week, new Kid on the Blog! Please welcome Cahya.
Let’s not make you wait any longer and introduce you to Cahya (he/him) from Winterthur in Switzerland. He’ll be volunteering at a business association where he has the opportunity to organize a festival amongst other tasks. After receiving his high school diploma and working for 9 months in the field of business back home, he thought it was time to gain some international experience to tune up his career which is why he’s here with us now. He decided to come to Vancouver because he wants to be as far away as possible from Switzerland in an English speaking country to improve his English skills and get out of his comfort zone to grow. Back home he wants to study economics in September. His first impression of Vancouver was not exceptional because he was nearly asleep when he arrived. Over time though, he thought that Vancouver is a huge and lovely city compared to all the smaller cities in Switzerland. On his bucket list is visiting Vancouver Island, watching different sports games, e.g. hockey, soccer, and otherwise go with the flow and see what’s there to explore. The INTERNeX events are perfect for this 😉As you might’ve guessed by looking at his bucket list, Cahya loves watching different kinds of sports on TV and he loves to work out in the gym which makes him an allround sports lover. Maybe some of you can give him a recommendation for a good place to work out or watch sports games together 😄
Hi everyone, my name is Anna. I am 21 years old and I spent the last three months in Vancouver. Going there was a rather spontaneous decision on my behalf because I wanted to get away for a little while. To be honest, Canada was not a conscious choice and more of a where-ever-my-organization-takes-me one. In the end, working with INTERNeX was a lucky coincidence.
My current home is in Berlin, Germany and I am doing my Bachelor in education. My main reasons for going abroad were work experience and taking a break from studying. INTERNeX found me a spot at a lovely preschool in Vancouver together with a homestay for the time being. Mainly, I assisted in supervising the children and all the other tasks that come up, e.g. laundry, dishes, clean up. The preschool I volunteered at is an inclusive one where classrooms consist of children with and without disabilities and/or special needs. Even as a volunteer I still needed organizational skills, patience, diligence and creativity. I loved that I didn’t have to be too strict but instead got the opportunity to play with the kids and experience their joy in learning new things. I consider myself very lucky to be able to work with colleagues who gave me a lot of freedom in getting to know the kids and how to best handle my work. Generally, everyone welcomed me with open arms and always stood by my side with advice and helpful words.
Spending three months in a different country is a bold decision. Nonetheless, I made that one very easily. I have wanted to go abroad for a few years now and finally took my chance. I knew that living in a homestay would never be the same as living at home. For me, that was exactly the point though — experiencing a different culture, living situation and work environment. It also sometimes means that not everything will work out perfectly. Problem solving is definitely a quality everyone should expect to use during that time.
Vancouver is a very diverse city with many possible activities. Downtown and also the rest of the city provide many opportunities for going out to restaurants, bars, clubs and activities like bowling, golfing, shopping or movies. Its location on the west coast of Canada means that there are several beaches with access to the Pacific Ocean. There is also a lot of nature to be found in Vancouver and surrounding areas. Many parks like Stanley Park or Queen Elizabeth Park are right by the city. Just an hour outside of downtown you can find forests and mountains which can be walked or hiked on numerous trails. Lastly, further up north are several snow topped regions during winter. Especially outdoor-lovers have a plethora of possible activities right next door. Personally, I loved the togetherness of all of those things. I could go out for drinks and dancing on Saturday and then meet friends for a hike on Sunday. The diversity of people living in Vancouver means that there are lots of choices concerning food, music and entertainment.
Additionally, INTERNeX provides students with at least two outings per week. On Wednesdays there is always pub night, allowing people to meet and connect with each other and make plans for the weekend. Moreover, there is usually a weekend activity. In the past, those included fashion and art events, festivals, hikes, movie nights or sports events. During my time there we also took two weekend trips to Whistler and Sasquatch Mountain. All of those opportunities made it so much easier to make friends and find people with common interests. Without that I wouldn’t have met so many people my age that were as willing as I was to go out and do stuff. I have spent many nights laughing, dancing and having a great time with amazing people.
Let me tell you, INTERNeX makes it really easy to take part in excursions to see Vancouver and find people you like. I encourage everyone to spend some time abroad. I gained more work experience, learned many new skills, got even more independent and found a confidence I didn’t have before. I would do it all over again and stay longer if I could. So be brave and take that step!
We’re so excited to welcome 6 new members to our ‘little’ INTERNeX family this week!
Here’s Nicolas (he/him) from Munich in Germany who’s going to volunteer in the field of Marketing for the next three months. He’s already been in Vancouver for a year of studies but couldn’t get enough which is why he’s back, very understandable if you ask me. He said he had the best time of his life here and a bunch of his friends are still around so he thought he’d come back before going to visit his family in Greece for a few months and starting to study Economics right after. We have a real Vancouver expert amongst us, so if you ever need recommendations you know who to ask. 😉 His favourite thing is hanging out at the beach, either English Bay, Kits, or Jericho. However, his first impression of Vancouver wasn’t really good. Upon arrival he had to go into quarantine for a few days and his luggage arrived delayed. The student accommodation was pretty bad he explains, but the people around him made his experience perfect in the end. I think that’s the key, it’s all about the people. This time only one thing is really on his bucket list: Clubbing. Last time he wasn’t old enough to enjoy Vancouver’s night life to the fullest, but that changed, so if you plan a night out, let him know. 😉 Aside from going out Nicolas likes to play soccer, travel and listen to music. Fun fact: His favourite memory from Vancouver was seeing skunks in the city. I admit they’re pretty cute, but I would keep my distance just in case. 😀
Alexa (she/her) from a place close to Hamburg in Germany will volunteer for three months in Marketing, mainly handling social media channels and planning events, how exciting! Before coming here she worked in an office and afterwards she plans on studying Business in Hamburg. Alexa has family in Canada, mainly in Alberta, but she’s never been there. On her bucket list she set it as a goal to maybe visit them, but she’s not sure how it will work out in the end. That’s one reason why she always wanted to come to Canada and I mean who wouldn’t? I’d love to have family here that I could visit anytime. 🙂 Her first impression of Vancouver is that people are very warm and friendly and that the city looks like in the movies. I’m not surprised considering a lot of series and movies were filmed here, even though they claim to take place in the United States. If you’re a movie lover I recommend looking into what movie scenes were filmed here in Vancouver. It’s super fun to find out and look for the places, plus you’ll get to know the city better through it as well. Her hobbies include playing the piano, cooking and baking traditional German dishes with her grandma and watching soccer. Her favourite team is Liverpool, and hereby the discussion is opened. 😉
Next up is Sophie (she/her) from Germany as well, but close to Frankfurt. She’s going to volunteer in HR for the next seven weeks. Back home she studies Business and plans on continuing once she’s back home. Contrary to Nicolas, Sophie has never been to Canada before but she heard so many good things about it that she wanted to come check it out, especially the nature.:) And so far Vancouver hasn’t disappointed, the people are friendly, the city is nice and the food is really good she says. She doesn’t have a bucket list for her short time here, she just wants to meet people, make new friends and see as much as possible from Vancouver and the surrounding nature. I believe that’s a good way of spending time here. Maybe you can tell her your favourite place to go to, or your must-do’s so she can get inspired. One thing’s for sure, it doesn’t get boring in BC! In her free time Sophie likes to ride horses and to go travel. 🙂
Let’s introduce you to Laura (she/her) from Germany, near Mainz. She’s going to volunteer at an organization that helps people who can’t afford lawyers to access one for little or no money. She’ll be taking calls and talk to customers, trying to find out if she really wants to study law once back in Germany. Right now she just graduated from High School and wants to use her free time to travel which is another reason why she’s here with us. At first she wanted to do an exchange High School year in the United States but Covid wiped out that opportunity for her. She’s been to the States before and thinks Canada is a bit similar but also has its differences which is why she picked it for her current journey and so far she has no regrets. When her plane landed she saw the mountains and it got her excited. She compared it to New York and says Vancouver is quite the opposite with all its nature around which makes it really beautiful. She wants to take everything as it comes and has no fixed plans on her bucket list, one thing she’ll explore this week is Vancouver Island and I’m really excited for her! It’s going to be an amazing trip! What a great way to start your adventure here. 🙂 In her free time Laura not only likes to travel, but she’s also a dancer (modern) and loves to bake. She has no favourite recipe but rather likes try out new things and challenge herself. 🙂
Another new ‘Kid’ is Ibrahim (he/him) also from Germany. He lives in Bremen but was born in Turkey. In Vancouver he is going to volunteer at a cat sanctuary. His children love cats and as soon as he is back home they want to get one. That’s the reason why he decided to volunteer in this field. Ibrahim wants to learn more about those cute animals so he’s prepared for their furry soon to be family member(s) 🐱. What a great way to approach this! He decided to go to Canada because he wants to gain international experience and improve his English skills which will help him find a well suited job in the future. Last time he spoke English was 6 years ago but I can tell he speaks really good English and doesn’t need to worry about it. 🙂 Another reason why he decided to go to Vancouver was because his brother is currently in Japan and so Ibrahim wanted to see the other side of the world. 😀 As soon as he’s home, he wants to work as a mechanical engineer. His first impression of the city was that the people are very nice and helpful. He will join us on the Vancouver Island trip which is definitely a great start to his journey here! We are looking forward to it! Besides that he wants to see the typical sights of Vancouver and discover beautiful known places. In his free time he likes to play soccer and volleyball which I can highly recommend doing at the beach! Anyone down for another match?
Please welcome Alina (she/her) from near Cologne in Germany to our INTERNeX fam. At home she loves to play with her dogs which is one of the reasons why she”ll be volunteering at an Animal Rescue Centre, she’s an absolute animal lover! She decided to come to Vancouver because she wants to work with animals, gain some international experience and because it was always a big dream of hers to go abroad to North America. We’re happy she made that dream come true. 🙂 She already received her High School diploma and did an internship at a hospital for her later studies. After her time in Vancouver she wants to study medicine – but not as might be expected for animals, she wants to study medicine for humans. Her first impression of Vancouver is that it’s amazing, overwhelming and beautiful all at once. Luckily she arrived here with stunning weather – we want that weather back! ☀️On her bucket list are many things, especially the sights of Vancouver including UBC, Granville Island Public Market, but also places further away like Vancouver Island (she’s attending our weekend trip, so the first point of her list is almost completed;)) and Seattle. Her hobbies include going to the gym, roller skating, reading, especially medical novels and of course playing with her dogs. 🙂
We’re excited to have so many new ‘kids’ with us for the summer and can’t wait for you to meet them at Pub Night! 🥳
Many of you have either seen an Ice Hockey Game before or it’s on your bucket list, rightly so considering it’s Canadas National sport. But how much do you really know about the sport and its greatest competition to win the famous Stanley Cup?
The fight for the trophy is happening right at this moment and watching at least one of the games is definitely a point that you want to cross off your list. Unfortunately, there’ll be no live Ice Hockey events in Vancouver any time soon but there’s lots of sports bars streaming the games in a ‘stadium like’ atmosphere so you can get a taste of the passionate cheering for one of the teams and feel part of the Canadian sports culture.
Before you dive into this experience I’m here to give you a run down of the most important information when it comes to the Stanley Cup so you’ll understand better why this competition is so important for many sports fanatics.
The Stanley Cup, the oldest trophy competed for by professional athletes in North America. Sir Frederick Arthur Stanley, Lord Stanley of Preston and son of Earl of Derby purchased the trophy in 1892 for $50 at the time to be presented to ‘the championship hockey club of the Dominion of Canada’. In 1893 the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association was the first team ever awarded with the Stanley Cup.
The trophy has been altered over time, e.g. rings and bands were added to the bottom of the bowl. Every time a team wins their names are going to be inscribed on the bands of the cup. Since it’s the only professional sports trophy where names are displayed like that, bands get changed to make room for new champions. Currently the trophy is about 35 ¼ inches high and weighs 34 ½ pounds.
Ever since the National Hockey Association (NHL) took possession of the Stanley Cup in 1910 it has been symbolic of professional hockey supremacy. From 1926 onward only NHL teams have competed for the trophy.
Can you guess which team has won most Stanley Cups? It was The Montreal Canadians with 23 times since the formation of the NHL!
When a team wins they celebrate it by passing the trophy around between each of the players and staff members of the team. Everyone gets to enjoy it for 24 hours, a tradition like in no other sport. What would you do if you had the cup for a day?
Now that you have a finer insight of why this competition is so important, let’s move on to understand the structure of it a little better, so you know what everyone is talking about.
Over the entire year teams try to collect points in order to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In the end there’ll be 16 teams that have made it. The contest is divided into a West and East conference and each conference is then divided into two divisions. Once again: There’s 8 teams per conference, 4 per division = 16 teams total. So far so good right?
The best team in each conference plays against the worst team in each conference and the second best plays against the second worst with the goal to win 4 out of 7 games against each other. The same applies for the 4 remaining teams that play against each other within their division. Makes sense? That means the two ‘mediocre’ teams of one division play against each other. I know, there’s a lot going on and I don’t want to make it more complicated or confuse you, so all I’ll say is that in the end the best team of the West conference will play against the best team of the East conference and that’s the big final. On the way there’s A LOT of matches to be played which tests the players resilience since hockey can be a brutal sport. One thing’s for sure it barely gets boring to watch.
There’s only 3 Canadian teams left in the Playoffs right now – the Edmonton Oilers, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Winnipeg Jets – so better be fast and cheer on your favourite to help them win! Pick your sports bar and immerse yourself into this Canadian sport experience. Next Pub night we’ll try to go see one game together but until then a lot can change!
If you don’t have weekend plans yet, I recommend you put this on your list. If you have any questions, ask Tim. 😉
I hope this post helps you as it helped me to understand this sport and its culture a little better. You’ll see, you’ll leave Canada as a real Hockey expert. I could probably write for many more hours, but I think I’d rather chat more with you about the Stanley Cup at tonight’s Pub Night, so see you there!
Let me introduce you to Lia. She’s from Herten in Germany and here with us for six weeks to volunteer at an animal resource centre. Back home she studies English and Geography to become a teacher. Vancouver wasn’t her first stop, she’s already been to Alaska for two weeks prior to coming here. There, she went on an expedition with her university, how cool is that? Her experience however was rather shocking. While the landscape was stunning it was the culture that gave her an uncomfortable feeling with easy accessible guns that made it possible to have shootings for fun in the backyard. The happier she was to finally come to Canada where she so far experienced that people are really nice. Her best friend who stayed a year in Winnipeg told Lia about her great time here and convinced her to see for herself. On her bucket list are Lake Louise, Capilano Suspension Bridge and other hiking trails around Vancouver. She loves exploring, hiking, playing volleyball, sports in general, cooking (especially pasta bolognese) and reading. Let’s make the six weeks count and show her how great Vancouver can be. 🙂
I’d also love for you to meet Isabel. She’s from Germany, near Munich and staying with us for two months to volunteer at a pre-school. Back home she’s studying to become a teacher in English and Arts. It’s her first time in North America and she picked Canada for various reasons, e.g. she likes the accent, plus she heard many good things about this country, that people are friendly, it’s safe with a high educational standard and there’s stunning nature around. I would say she isn’t wrong. 😉 Her first impressions confirm her expectations, she thinks Vancouver is beautiful with a mix of modern and historic buildings, the surrounding water and mountains almost everywhere you look. On her bucket list are visits to museums (especially arts) and parks, so if you have any recommendations send them her way! In her free time Isabel plays the piano and e-guitar. Additionally, she loves to paint and watch fantasy movies. Seems like we have a specialist with us, maybe she can be a great help on one of our trivia nights. 😉
We’re excited for the two to join our INTERNeX family! Make sure you say hello at our Whistler trip or next Pub Night!
INTERNeX Canada 