How was the weekend?

It was rainy and still kind of cold on the weekend which called for cozy nights and things to do inside. Let me tell you about my weekend Highlight.

After a change of plans INTERNeX met Friday night to watch a movie at VIFF and I gotta say, I haven’t been disappointed yet. The movies they show are not really comparable to all those Hollywood Blockbusters that you find in a classic cinema. “VIFF strives to engage and empower communities, encourage dialogue, educate, and champion local artists.” So it’s not just sheer entertainment, but whenever I attend a movie at VIFF I leave a little bit wiser. I learn about different cultures and the movie stays with me for a while after I leave the theatre, thinking about what I just saw and reflecting on it. I find it very special and love to support the artists of the film.

This time we watched a movie about a group of Arab and Jewish women attending a video workshop at a small town community centre run by a young filmmaker from Tel Aviv, who teaches them to document their lives. As each student shares footage from her home life with the others, their beliefs and preconceptions are challenged and barriers are broken down. It gets very emotional and gave us lots to talk about after we’ve seen it. It’s like looking into another world without leaving yours and in my opinion that’s what cinema is about. That and the fresh popcorn of course. 😉 Overall I really enjoyed the night and from what I’ve heard, so did the others. 🙂

Are you a movie lover? Would you be interested in watching a film like that, or do you prefer the classic Hollywood movies?

Let me know in the comments or at our next Pub Night! 🙂

See you soon,

Laura 🙂

What to do on the weekend? – Snowy Ideas

This weekend will be breezy with a good chance of snow in Vancouver! So, what’s there to do?

One thing that’s always a good idea is a trip to Whistler. Come with us on our day trip to guarantee a snowy weekend in the mountains of BC. Whether you want to ski, snowboard, ride a snowmobile, go dogsledding, tubing, snow shoeing, ice skating, zip lining, or maybe explore the village with less action loaded activities like the peak 2 peak gondola, a day at the Scandinavian Spa, a visit at the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, or other indoor activities like Ax Throwing, or an Escape Room adventure. Whistler offers so much, I’m sure there’s something to do for every preference and budget. Sometimes I like to just sit at one of the many great cafes, drink a hot beverage and warm up from strolling along the snow covered village paths, really can’t go wrong with that! Saying that, make sure you dress warm enough, the air is always a little colder up North than it is down here in Vancouver! I recommend multiple layers of warm functional wear. Also don’t forget to pack according to the activities you’ve planned, e.g. want to go to the spa? – Bring a Bikini. I sure am excited for our Canadian Winter adventure. 🙂

If you choose to stay here, there are multiple other things you could do. How about you visit one of the local mountains, like Grouse? There you also have the chance to go ski, snowboard, snowshoe, or just sightsee what the mountain has to offer e.g. the Light walk which I would recommend after dark and imagine there’s actually snow falling while you walk through this magical winter wonderland! You can easily get there by public transit. There’s also a cafe at the top where you can warm yourself up with a hot beverage and some food. 🙂 On your way you could also stop at the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park which lights up your gloomy winter days with many colourful installations along the trails! Perfect for some nice Instagram shots, or to get a little happiness boost during this dark and cold season. 😉 If there’s actually going to be snow, then I imagine it to be extra pretty!

If you’d rather escape the cold temperatures this weekend why don’t you go to the movies? My recommendation is to check out some of the movies VIFF (Vancouver International Film Festival) is showing. I assure you it’s different from watching the same old Hollywood Blockbusters. VIFF shows extraordinary films that can be entertaining, educational, empowering, encouraging and much more. You’ll find local artists, artists of colour and you’ll probably walk away thinking about what you’ve watched for a little while after your visit. ‘VIFF encourages understanding of the world’s cultures through the art of cinema.’ Since they are a not-for-profit organization you’d also support what they do by going to one of their movies. Why not try something new and different? Maybe you’ll like it. 🙂 And did I mention their delicious popcorn? I usually get it buttered and I feel like I can smell it right as I’m writing this. 😀

Let me know what you’ve been up to at our next Pub Night! Can’t wait. 🙂

See ya,

Laura 🙂

What to do on the weekend?

Since we have many people joining us this weekend, we’re planning more Internex Events, how cool is that? 🙂 Therefore, I want to give you some informations and inspirations on what to do on the weekend!

Starting with our first event, the Richmond Night Market on Friday evening. This market is a seasonal market with lots of asian food trucks, vendors, games and shows. You can expect colourful lights everywhere and lots of exotic food to try, from Chinese food, over Japanese food or even Thai food, there’ll be something for everyone =). If you’re into this event, take the Canada Line until Bridgeport Station and walk 4 minutes to the market. You can meet up with us at 6:15 PM in front of the entrance. I’m so excited, are you? =)

Next up we have a wonderful trip this weekend: Whistler. Whistler is a valley and a municipality north of Vancouver which was a venue for the 2010 Winter Olympics. It’s great to stroll through Whistler Village past the hotels and countless shops, you can also still see the olympic sign from the Games here. There’s lots of things to do in Whistler, e.g. rent a bike and go for a ride along Lost Lake or Green Lake or maybe go for a hike? If you take the gondola up the mountain you have an amazing view over the valley and other mountains next to Whistler. You can expect lots of wildlife up there, from little squirrels to big bears, so be careful and pay attention when you see one ;). If you’re into shopping you should definitely check out Whistler Village since it’s home to cool souvenirs shops and other things. You can also check out the Squamish Lil’ What Cultural Centre which is located on the shared traditional territories of First Nation’s people. Whistler has activities for everybody, so be sure to check it out and don’t miss out!. For me, I’m most excited for the nature and the mountain views since I’m very into nature. What would you like to do most in Whistler? =)

If you’re more of a sportsman and you want to support the local sports clubs here, I would recommend you going to a sports game. On Saturday the 1st of October for example, the Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club is playing against the Austin Football Club. Usually they have tickets until the game starts for around 30$ which is a very good deal for a great soccer game! Let’s go support our favourite city of all time, Vancouver! =)

I have one last recommendation for you. From the 29th of September until the 9th of October there is the Vancouver International Film Festival. Each year, there are some film presentations, talkshows and lots of newcomer movies to enjoy. If you’re interested in the VIFF, go on http://www.viff.org to buy a ticket for your selected movie. There’s very interesting movies for every taste of genre: Horror, Drama, Comedy, Family, Action, Thriller. Maybe you’ll meet one of our INTERNeXer’s working there! What else could you want? =)

We wish you all a great weekend with lots of fun stuff to do, even if you’re not joining us! =)

See you soon!

Cheers,

Tino =)

What to Do on the Weekend?

Another workweek has passed and the weekend is close at hand. So what is there to do on the upcoming weekend?

One of the greatest events this fall starts on Thursday, September 26. It’s the International Vancouver Film Festival (VIFF). The VIFF presents the world’s best cinema fused with related talks and events. Over 320 films are on display in a variety of movie theatres throughout downtown and approximately 400 industry professionals from around the globe are hosted. We will watch a Canadian Premiere on Sunday, September 29. “Burning Cane” depicts the stories of two Southern African-American men and their struggles in daily life as a pastor and unemployed father. The movie, which was written, photographed, and directed by someone still in high school (Philip Youmans), is surely worth a visit. We will meet on 2:30 pm on Sunday in the Cineplex Odeon International Village Cinemas, in the shopping mall where also our office is located in.

Apart from the world of movies, we also have other ideas for you for the weekend: 

Another great festival taking place is the International Vancouver Flamenco Festival with pop-up but also theatre performances on Saturday and Sunday. Also on Sunday, September 28th, the Shipyards Festival is held in the Lower Lonsdale District on the North Shore. The one-day event includes free admission, multiple stages, beer gardens and lots of different food to be discovered. Not to forget, the location also offers stunning views of the Vancouver skyline. Most conveniently, you can go there by sea bus which itself is always a fun thing to do.

For those 19+, the Coquitlam Craft Beer Festival might also be an interesting event to attend. The festival takes place at the Hard Rock Casino featuring over 50 BC craft breweries, tasty appetizers and lots of interesting people to mingle with. In addition, it is Octoberfest time now all across the world. This weekend, on Saturday, one takes place at the Hastings Racecourse from 1 to 6 pm. You’ll find traditional fare, exciting horse races, live music, and of course, plenty of food and beer there.

Have a great weekend and see you at the movies on Sunday!! 🙂

– 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

Candidate Exposé – Chris Jason Wakely

Hi, I’m Chris and I’m 24 years old from New Zealand. Since returning to New Zealand, I’ve decided to take up some study.

I guess I’ve always wanted to come to Canada, so doing the practicum helped me come across. I went through a practicum program and website, they set me up with the experience and they put me through to Tim. I chose the practicum to gain some further experience and have the opportunity to see how Canadians are first hand.

I was working at the film festival. VIFF is kind of self-explanatory. It’s a great place to see how movie festivals are made behind the scenes. For this job you need to be flexible and have a willingness to learn new things. It is quite useful for my career aspirations, as it shows I can mingle into different crowds and become a fully integrated part of the team.

The services of INTERNeX really helped me solidify my knowledge and meet some great people. I have many connections throughout the world that I can turn to whenever. I sure did attend the several activities, pub nights, trips and events INTERNeX was organizing! These activities were great to get to know the other interns and to see the greater areas that Canada has to offer. I went to the Rockies, mountaineering, hiking, surfing, beer drinking, quite a bit of Greater Vancouver and BC.

Vancouver is great as there is always something to do, whether it is a trampoline park or simply cycling around Stanley Park. The difficult part of Canada was the return home, and having to say goodbye to so many people. Vancouver felt like a metropolis. It’s really busy but a part of me feels at home there. I also found my former place of residence through the Internex team. They placed me in contact with my Landlady and she was able to set me up in her property.

By far the most memorable thing is my trip to Vancouver Island. The first thing I did when I came home was getting some sleep and see what has changed (not much has changed tbh). This trip had really inspired me to travel more. I wish to travel to visit those I connected with in their home locations.

– Chris

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