switzerland

Review: Queen Elizabeth Park

Last Saturday we visited the Queen Elizabeth Park. We were very lucky with the weather because, after three days with rain, it was sunny again. So we were totally able to enjoy the park.

Since the park is really beautiful and the second most visited after Stanley Park, many people come there to make their wedding pictures.
We saw people playing tennis or golf and the kids were able to flounder about in the water of the fountain.
First of all we went to the highest point in the park and took nice pictures of the amazing view over the city. Later on we just walked through the park and enjoyed the nice gardens with beautiful flowers.

We found a sunny place on one of the many meadows to sit down and talked about everything and nothing. It was really fun and relaxing. The time went by fast as we were talking a lot and after three hours we went home to appease one’s hunger.

It was great to see so many new faces and I’m looking forward to see you at the next Pub Night on Wednesday again.

Click here for more pictures.

 

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

Having lived in Vancouver, Canada since I was 7 (now 23), I asked myself: what am I still culture shocked with? I can only recall my experience from the move to Canada. The lifestyle was the biggest shock to me.

In Hong Kong, everyone’s lives moves at 150 km per hour because they seem to be busy all the time. Working 12 to 13 hours, excluding overtime, is the norm, and yet the locals go out to eat or drink afterwards like sleep doesn’t matter.

Moving to Vancouver, the pace of the Canadian lifestyle was definitely a shock.People are much less self-absorbed in that they would say ‘hi’ to you on the street if you pass by them. On the other hand, I had a conversation with someone the other day about how there is nothing to do because stores or restaurants close fairly early. Even the bars generally close at 2am. As Vancouver becomes more metropolitan, these restrictions are definitely changing.

Yet contrary to those thoughts above, I was having a chat on Facebook with a fellow Canadian friend, Joe, who is currently studying hospitality management in Switzerland. I asked him what are the cultural differences in Switzerland or Europe compared to back home in Vancouver.

His thoughts are what inspired this post.

Joe said that people in Europe hold a higher sense of traditional values and persuasions. This is obvious in that Canada is a very young country, having only been constituted in 1867. Our upcoming holiday, Thanksgiving, is one that we celebrate religiously every year, on the second Monday of October. I was surprised to learn that it has only been around since 1957.

Joe also told me that in Europe, people tend to be much more laid back and aren’t constantly rushing around like in Vancouver. He says Europeans seem to enjoy the quality of life more or find ways to do so. I found that kind of odd because I find Vancouver pretty easy going already, most of the time anyway. Maybe then, Vancouver is the best of both worlds, where it’s becoming a bigger and more vibrant city, but on the other hand, there is still the nature, mountains and ocean to escape to when you need a break.

Now, my friend’s thoughts may just be his own generalizations and may not apply to other people’s experiences, but he has taught me that you need to try out different cultures and lifestyles in order to be able to compare to your own. You wouldn’t know if you are stuck in a bubble or doing the same routine unless you get out there and experience something different!

Cheers,

Queenie

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

Congratulations to our Jasper Group!

Congratulations to our 15 Czech Republic participants that have just arrived safely in Jasper! Here you can see four of the girls that have just arrived and who just sent us this picture. The group was all hired at our annual Czech Republic job fair after we flew our hotel partner over to The Czech Republic to interview more than 40 people.

Working as servers, housekeepers and horse-trail guides, all of the candidates will be in Jasper for the summer – and some may even stay for the winter season as well. Did you know that INTERNeX holds job fairs around the world? Many job fairs are scheduled for next year in Germany, Scandinavia, Czech Republic, Switzerland and The Netherlands.

If you would like to know more about INTERNeX programs and how YOU can spend your summer working in the beautiful Canadian Rockies, visit our websites www.internexcanada.com and www.internexnewzealand.com.

Good luck everyone up in Jasper this summer!

– The INTERNeX Team

INTERNeX International Exchange
Suite 200-211 Columbia Street
Vancouver BC
V6A 2R5 Canada
Email: info@internexcanada.com
Phone: + 1 604 662 8149
Fax: + 1 604 662 8199

Hockey Night in Canada; brought to you by….. Switzerland

4 years ago to the day, the Swiss nearly pulled off another shocker; stymieing Canada’s aspirations and shaking the hockey world to the core.  “NEARLY”…. Far to close for comfort to the millions of hockey mad Canadian followers that will, for better or worse, only be happy when gold comes home.  Woe betide the nation place second, or even worse, replicate their 7th place embarrassment of Torino; lets hope that we won’t need to prepare for another 4 years of melancholic hangover after these games… our games.

One has to hand it to the Swiss; they are not an “up and coming” hockey nation, they are already at the table with the hockey giants. And they love this game too, yes it is our game, but we, as all good Canadians should, embrace their arrival on the scene and lend our support to any nation crazy and passionate enough to want to play this game… the fastest, hardest, and most beautiful sport of all!

Like a Swiss watch, all the parts played perfectly as a whole, and with all the tools of a Swiss Army Knife the Swiss truly played as a team, (sadly) unlike the Canadian endeavour which still has to find its cohesion (which it never did in 2006)… we have to get our act together if we are honestly making a run of it.   Hearing the cheers of the Swiss as they raced back on two excellent goals to tie the Canadians 2-2 with ample opportunities to make the “upset” a two time show… backstopped once again by a goalie capable of and willing to, stand on his head YET AGAIN for his hockey nation. Overtime and 8 shooters including our hero, Sid the Kid, was what it finally took to squeak by the Jonas Hiller wall to make it a 3-2 victory for the home team.

It was not only a matter of the Canadians playing poorly, (which was the case at times); it truly was a colossal effort by the fantastic Swiss squad.  WELL DONE, and honestly, though we can all breathe a loud sigh of relief, one has to hand it to the Swiss; they NEARLY earned their place in infamy… yet again, but deep down all Canadians should be proud of this “new” hockey mad nation’s ability to stand toe to toe with us, and scare our socks off!

Go Canada…. And GO SWITZERLAND!