Candidate Exposé – Anni Volder

My name is Anni Volder, I’m 27 years old, from Denmark and study to be a kindergarden teacher.

I decided to go to Canada, because I like nature and have family there. My first impression was the people, who were very kind, helpful and polite. The things I liked about Vancouver were the opportunities to get around, I felt safe in the city and around people. I am very satisfied with my stay, thank you.

I was volunteering at a preschool for my studies in Denmark. It was very useful and instructive as I am doing a Bachelor project. I worked at a Developmental Disabilities Association. I had many options for how I wanted and needed to work related to my project. For this job it is important to be responsibly, patient and open minded. As volunteer in practicum it was very useful for my subject. The staff and children were very kind to me when I arrived. When I was asking questions they responded to their knowledge and helped if I needed it.

The trips that were organized were very good and I enjoyed them. For longer trips, I suggest better communication between those who arrange the trips. I went to Whistler and one or two pub nights. The trip to Seattle, I think could have been arranged cheaper.

I will remember the experience how to live there and to go to work. The nature and kind people. When I come home I will try to get over my jetlag and get my arms down from the experience. In the future I want to travel more, don’t know where yet, other than to come back.

I felt safe knowing I could contact INTERNeX anytime if I needed it. We met up with people all the time and had the opportunities to meet other people doing the same as you; being a stranger in another country.

– Anni Volder

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

INTERNeX Canada: Smart Save Vancouver

Ok, all the people know, Vancouver is an expensive city. But with our “Smart Saver” guide, you can take notes about our little tips to keep your budget safe. Today, cheap Tuesdays!

Sometimes is really hard to find good deals in our dear Vancouver. Cheap and clean at the same time… is not an easy issue… for the common people. Not for us.

One trick is go to eat or drink something in the less busy days during the week. Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays are usually days without a lot of movement in the pubs and restaurants, so they try to attract customers with special deals. Today is the turn of Tuesdays!

 – The Backstage Lounge: $1.59 draft beer. This place is pretty far away, in Granville Island. But is a place that you have to know, I recommend to take a taxi boat. It’s around $5 a trip to Yaletown – Granville Island.

WHERE: 1585 Johnston Street MAP

 – The Moose: 25 c chicken wings! I’ve never been in that place, but I heard that the wings are amazing. If you decide to go, tell us about your experience!

WHERE: 724 Nelson St MAP

– The Metropole: $2 beer $2 tacos. Well, I have to say that I didn’t try the tacos but they look very good. And the beer… is cheap but a quite small (what did you expect?) and it is served in a plastic cup (sacrilege!).

WHERE: 320 Abbott Street MAP

I hope you enjoy my advice…

Clara.

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

INTERNeX Canada: Culture Shock!

Hey everybody,

This weekend I want to tell you about my culture shock (experience) when cycling in Vancouver! The second day in Canada I bought a nice looking mountain bike via Craigslist.com. (for just $100!)  I’m used to cycle in The Netherlands and it’s a cheap and fun way for travels.

I thought, it would be easy to move around with a bike. I was wrong.. Vancouver is not that so flat as The Netherlands is. There are a lot of mountains and hills so sometimes the ride feels like a big challenge.
Everyday I cycle around 7 km towards downtown. In this direction it’s really easy. There are only hills that are going down so you can gain some speed! But after work, it’s a hell of a job to climb up those hills. I’m really glad that I bought a mountain bike with a lot of gears. Otherwise it would be to difficult 😉
Now after two weeks I get quite use to this route. The length of my ride is getting shorter and at the same time I work on my fitness as well!

When you are coming from the east the best cycling route is the Adanac Street. It takes you all the way towards downtown Vancouver! All the cars have to yield for you so this makes your route saver and faster. One important thing that you have to remember is wearing a helmet. In the Vancouver area it is permitted to wear one. If you don’t you will risk a fine.. It’s up to you!

Enjoy cycling in Vancouver and stay safe!

Have a good Sunday and enjoy,

Jelle

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

Smart Saver Vancouver

You’ve just arrived in Vancouver and don’t know where to stay, or maybe you’re visiting Vancouver for the weekend, or perhaps you live just outside of Vancouver and want to spend a night out on the town or at the beach without having to worry about an expensive cab ride home. So.,  HI’s Vancouver hostels are a great solution to your travelling woes!

Hotels in downtown Vancouver will cost you an arm and a leg, and lack the culture and atmospheres that youth hostels offer.  Hostelling International is great because they have three awesome locations in Vancouver.

HI- Vancouver Central
Central is in the name, because that is exactly what it is! This location cannot get any better for those of you who want to be in the midst of it all.  It is located on Granville Street and just steps away from bars, clubs, restaurants, shopping, as well as public transit.

Not only is the location great, but there are a bunch of extras included when you stay here. This hostel offers a free breakfast and free Wi-Fi throughout the entire building.  What’s more fitting for Smart Saver than a free breakfast??

The HI- Vancouver Central is the perfect location for city dwellers to bask in everything Vancouver has to offer! You get a place to stay for great prices without compromising on security or cleanliness, but maximizing on socializing and a fun community feel.

If you are interested in more of what HI – Vancouver Central has to offer you can check them out here

HI – Vancouver Downtown

The second Hostelling International location in Vancouver sits in the beautiful West End, where you get that neighborhood feeling, with tree-lined streets, safety and parks while being just blocks away from the hustle and bustle of the city.  HI – Vancouver Downtown is just one block away from vibrant Davie Street where there are endless amounts of cafes, restaurants, shops and bars to suit your every need.

This location also offers a FREE breakfast buffet and free Wi-Fi access throughout.  Again there is a great community feel where you can hang out and meet new people in several of their common areas, games room, library and of course the large kitchen!

If you feel West End living is more your style, click here to find out more on HI- Vancouver Downtown

HI-Vancouver Jericho Beach

Summer is just around the corner therefore; there is no better place to be in Vancouver than at the beach!  It’s pretty awesome that Hostelling International has a location right at Jericho beach, which sits just 20 minutes away from downtown and 10 minutes away from the beautiful UBC campus.

This is a great option if you want to experience the Vancouver beach scene, and city life all at one go. HI – Vancouver Jericho Beach is not only surrounded by sandy beaches, but parkland, stunning downtown and mountain views are all at your doorstep!

This hostel has an onsite restaurant run by the North Shore Culinary School, if you are looking for a delicious meal.  And, of course there is a large self-serve kitchen if you do not feel like spoiling yourself with a professionally prepared meal every day.

This hostel is the only beach retreat hostel in all of Vancouver, so it really is a unique and one of a kind opportunity to stay in.  If you would like more information about this specific location, you can find all of it here on their website.

Cheers,

Kristina

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

Paintballing!

Yesterday was the Paintball event! Thanks to everyone who came! It was an amazing day filled with a lot of fun!

When we got to Northshore Paintball North Vancouver it was time to get our guns, masks and our overalls to make sure we were really for our  day!

For a lot of us it was the first time going paintballing, and you could tell that some had talent and some were very cautious (maby a bit too much so). The definite winners of the day were Laura and Mette. They shot the most people from our group and were some of the most active players in the field!

To keep it fun for everyone, specially for those who got shot in the beginning, NorthShore Paintball organizes games that lasts about 15 min. Each game has a mission, shot as many people as possible, capture the suitcase and many more! This made the day extra nice because beside shooting everyone we had a real objective making it even more realistic!

Besides our team there were are bunch of other people there as well. This made it all the more fun as you had more people to shoot and it made the games really intense as you had a lot more people to defied!

Besides some good shots to the chest, legs, fingers, mask and gun there were a few shots that really stood out. For those shot I made up some titles:

The ‘ Most Embarrassing Shot‘ goes to Laura, who got shot in the ass by a fellow housemate!

The ‘ Most Near Fatal Experience Shot‘ goes to Matt, who got shot in the throat.

The ‘ Most Awesome Target‘ goes to Emil, who managed to get shot a lot of times and at least twice  in the head.

The ‘ Most Sneaky Person‘  goes to Ashwin, who had an amazing talent to sneak up on people

The ‘ Most Active Player‘  goes to Mette and Laura, they were awesome out there and shot a lot of people!

Everyone was covered in paint and sand and the occasional bruises at the end of the day but I think it is safe to say that everyone had a blast! Even the muscle pain Mette, Laura and me woke up with this morning is worth it! We had such a good time that we will definitely organize another Paintbal event soon, and we hope that everyone will join us!

– Manouk