Canada facts: 9 typically Canadian things

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of Canada?
Certainly, there are some stereotypes and characteristics attributed to Canadians and the country. But are they true? – some more, some less so 😉

1. Canadian maple syrup
Since the shape of a maple leaf can be found on the Canadian flag, the Canadian maple and also the maple syrup is really symbolic for the country. It’s known and popular as a very tasty topping for pancakes or even on bacon 😉

2. Canadians really like to stand in line
Canadians are always very polite and friendly people, that’s a fact. This brings us to the point that perhaps amazes us as Europeans in a positive way at first. In Canada it’s the most normal thing to stand in line before you get on the bus. It’s common to talk to the driver, which means saying hello and bye when leaving the bus. Additional fact; don’t be surprised Canadians always say “sorry” no matter what.

3. It’s all about hockey
What’s the first sport comes to your mind when thinking of Canada? It is definitely ice hockey (or as Canadians say, just “Hockey”). So yes this fact may be true; Hockey is really popular and many many Canadians love to watch a game. As Canadians have a really high level of national pride the national anthem before every match is another important situation for them. It’s amazing to see how much these people love their country.

4. In Canada it’s always cold and snow is everywhere
That’s certainly just a cliché. But it depends… Canada is a country with high as well as very low temperatures. It depends on where you are but from my own experience I can say that the temperature in Vancouver is nearly the same as in Germany. Believe it or not there are even beaches to take a dip in the sea and there are really beautiful and definitely worth a visit.

5. A dream destination for hiking and beautiful nature
That is definitely not a stereotype, but a fact. The Canadian nature is breathtaking and unique in the world. So if you visit the country hiking is a must-do. There are thousands of hiking trails for every level that invite you to enjoy amazing viewing points, explore the country or spend a night in a tent on a camping trip. Side fact: Canada by itself has more lakes than adding all the lakes of the rest of the world.

6. It’s possible to have a bear in your backyard
Yes that’s a fact. Of course it depends on where you live but there are many places where this is certainly possible. If you are an animal lover Canada, especially the Rocky Mountains, is the place to be. You have a good chance to see animals such as bears or a moose on your journey in the wild. But be aware that these animals do not want to be disturbed and may also be dangerous.

7. Multiculturalism
Definitely! Canada and especially Vancouver is a real “multi-culti” city.
It’s kind of confusing but sometimes being in Vancouver feels like you’re in Asia. Canada is a country of immigration but isn’t it interesting to see how many different cultures can live together and learn from each other?

8. Tim Hortons everywhere
That’s a fact.
You want to try a fast coffee or one of the famous timbits, the delicious small balls made with donut dough and filled with cream? Let’s go to Tim Hortons.
I can assure you that especially in the big cities you will find one of their restaurants at every second corner. That’s the reason why every Canadian will tell you that you haven’t been to Canada if you haven’t been to Tim Hortons.

9. Poutine, poutine, poutine
Some of you may think what’s that; others say it’s the best food they ever tried.
Definitely, Poutine is a must-have when visiting Canada. This really popular dish is based on fried potatoes to which are added cheese curds and gravy. There are many other variations for every taste. Just try it 🙂

Happy Friday:)

– Tatjana

INTERNeX International Exchange
2005-689 Abbott St., Vancouver, BC, V6B 0J2
Web: http://www.internexcanada.com
Email: pr@internexcanada.com

How was your Weekend?

I really hope all of you had a good weekend, despite all the news around COVID-19 and the insecurity that we are all facing at the moment…I know it’s just crazy and as you will see a little further below, this will also affect our events and activities in the near future. At the moment our top priority is to ensure that everyone is safe and healthy.

For me also, it’s really sad since I just started to get know all of you and I was looking so forward to our next Pub Night. But let’s make the best out of it! And as soon as it is possible again, we will meet again for sure! 🙂

In this spirit let’s talk about our Pub Crawl on Saturday which we were still able to do. We met at Waterfront station and from there we made our way to Gastown which is known as a good spot for bars and restaurants.

Our first stop was “The Lamplighter”. I think it’s a great pub and we started our evening with some drinks and shots.
After about 2 hours we moved on without having another destination in mind. We just wanted to walk around and see which pub attracts us the most. So the “Local” it was.
We continued where we stopped at the Lamplighter – we ordered more drinks (but what else to do at a pub, right ?! :D)

All in all it was a really fun evening and we had a lot to laugh about, even in these gloomy times.
On Saturday we also made spontaneous plans for the next day:
We planned on going to Squamish and hike up the mountain and then take the Sea-to-Sky Gondola back down. We even booked our shuttle to Squamish at the pub. But unfortunately we got disappointed the next morning because the gondola was closed due to high winds. At least we could reschedule our shuttle and we will do it on another time, when it is possible again to mingle with others safely.

Since we were prepared for a longer hike a new plan had to come up. So we went to Lions Bay and did a hike there, where we had some great views. 

We also want to give you some important further information:

Due to the developing situation concerning COVID-19 and our first and foremost goal of prioritizing the safety of our candidates and staff, we will temporarily cancel all of our planned events for the coming weeks. We will continue to monitor the situation and keep you updated as the situation changes continuously. 

Additionally we would encourage you to avoid going to any large events or venues with 50+ attendees. In general it is better to stay home, avoid transit or gathering places and if possible see if you can undertake your placement activities from home.

Please keep informing yourself about the current news in Canada and the world: https://www.cbc.ca/, but also on symptoms and measures against the virus on the following government page: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/symptoms.html

We also encourage you to reach out to your insurance organization to ensure you are covered if you choose to remain in Canada and contract the virus. We also ask those whose original departure dates are within the next month to consider contacting your travel agent/airline to check the possibility of departing sooner.

We will stay connected with you online while we go through this challenging time, stay safe and remember: We are always here to help! J

Hope to see you soon again, take care and be safe!

Cheers

-Alina & The INTERNeX Team

 
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

 

What To Do on the Weekend?

Is it only me or did this week just past so fast? Hope you’re all ready for the weekend because the weather forecast looks really good! 

Let’s start with a fact you might not have known…Tomorrow, March 14th, is INTERNeX Canada’s 21st birthday! Sooo HAPPY BIRTHDAY ! 🙂 Good for us that Tim founded this company in 1999 because otherwise we probably wouldn’t be where we are right now!!

But if you’re still trying to figure out what to do on the weekend – Here are some ideas:

I guess most of you already know, but next week is St. Patrick’s Day. Too bad that it’s on a Tuesday. But actually it doesn’t hold us off celebrating it. We just do our own St. Patrick’s Day event.
So all of you who want to go out on Saturday and have fun (and is 19 or older!) should come to our Pub Crawl tomorrow! We meet in front of Waterfront Station at 8pm. Let’s get green together !!
And for those of you who didn’t know why people celebrate it – Here’s a short summary:
This day remembers St. Patrick – a missionary. He converted many of Ireland’s inhabitants to Christianity in the 5th century.

Of course I do have some suggestions for the minors. Since it’s supposed to be sunny on Sunday you could go to Stanley Park. I can recommend you renting a bike or just stroll around. There’s plenty to discover.

Furthermore, you can go to Lynn Canyon Park. It’s located in North Vancouver. I guess you heard about the Capilano Suspension Bridge. The clue with the bridge is the fact that the entry isn’t for free. At Lynn Canyon Park there’s a suspension bridge too, which might be an alternative for you since this one is for free.
Besides that you can find some walking trails, waterfalls, an ecology centre and more.I hope you have a great weekend! See ya and be safe! xx

Cheers,

– Alina

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

 

How was Pub Night?

Yeehaw!! I don’t even know where to start…it was sooo much fun! Last night we went to the Yale Saloon and I think it’s the first country bar I’ve been to and probably not the last one. 😀
I was told to brace myself for a lot of action and yeah…it wasn’t a “relaxing” Pub Night with only food and some drinks at all.

Right after ordering our first drinks the fun part already started. We did Line Dancing! I really didn’t expect it to be so much fun. For those of you who didn’t know yet: Line dancing is a choreographed country dance.
So first an instructor taught us the choreography step by step and when he said that we’re gonna do it with some music now I was really nervous because I didn’t feel ready. And as expected I messed up in the beginning because it was so much faster than before! But since the steps are repeating I could get myself back into it. It still was a little chaos on the dance floor though 😀

After a couple more drinks my highlight of the evening started…the BULL RIDING. Some of you guys said it’s a ritual for the new ones to do it so I had no choice but I’m glad I tried it. Let’s stick with “tried” because I wasn’t really good at it, although I guess it is the thought that counts – right? 😉
My biggest worry was not even getting on the bull but I did it (well not really elegant but never mind!)
It was so great to see how everyone cheered for the others! I love the INTERNeX team spirit! ❤
Furthermore we played some pool and some guys even used the punching bag to show how strong they are (or not? – just kidding :D) I really enjoyed it and hope you had as much fun as me!

So this was definitely NOT my last time at the Yale Saloon and I can’t wait to go back.

Thanks so much! xx  

Cheers,

– Alina

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

New ‘Kids’ on the Blog!

“New ‘kids’ on the blog” is back! I hope you have some time because today I would like to introduce you to our 5 (!) newcomers this week. Welcome to our INTERNeX-family! 🙂

Let’s start with Franca. First of all, she’s staying on Vancouver Island. So it’s even more exciting!

After graduating from High School she decided to see a little bit of the world. She has already travelled a lot in the last time and has been to London, Stonehenge and Scotland. Besides that she gained some work experience as a teaching assistant in Spain. This time it brought her to Canada for volunteering at a wildlife station. Reason for that is her interest in our beautiful country’s nature and she missed having animals around her at her previous job. I guess now it won’t be an issue anymore. 🙂
Franca chose Canada because she’s not so attracted by the US (good for us!).
Since she’s staying on Vancouver Island she wants to discover that (maybe with a friend she knows, staying in Victoria), but she doesn’t have any certain destinations on her travel bucket list, yet.

Next to our Homestay roomies, who are both part of our practicum program:

Our second newcomer is David. He’s 19 years old and from Germany. Before coming to Vancouver he has already been to Toronto for 9 days because he has family there.
Back home he’s really into outdoor activities like hiking and kayaking which also made him choose Canada as a destination.
One thing on his bucket list, is going to Yukon, a territory in the northwest of Canada. And he will have plenty of time to do that, because he already planned 4 weeks of travelling in the end of his stay.

Now let me introduce you to William. He’s 20 years old and from Denmark, where he’s living near Copenhagen.
William is really looking forward to get the experience to work here and furthermore to travel a lot, too.
Same as David he has some travel time after his practicum and Victoria Island is one place he already knows he wants to see, but he’s spontaneous so let’s see where his travels will lead him to. Another thing he already has in mind is doing a skiing trip in the next few months, since he knows a skiing instructor here in Canada – how practical!
His arrival is perfect timing because William is an Ice Hockey fan and he is excited to join our Hockey event at the end of March. Go Canucks! 😀

Our last two participants are work and travellers. These 2 boys came together from Germany and planned on working for a little bit in Vancouver and then buy a car for their 2 months travelling. Buying a car or van gives them the opportunity to start their road trip to Montreal from where they’re flying back home.

The boy on the left is Lukas. He just likes the idea of work and travel and trusted his gut feeling and decided on doing it in Canada. So far there’s a skiing trip on his travel bucket list for his time here in North America.

Last but not least, I would like to present you Oliver. Just like Lukas he trusted on his guts with his decision on going to Canada. But one thing he knew for sure was that he doesn’t want to go to New Zealand or Asia like most of his friends did and as a conclusion he chose Canada since it’s more rare. 

I guess these two might plan a skiing trip together because Oliver wants to go skiing as well – maybe in the Rockies! 😀

I wish you guys a really great time here! I promise you it’s gonna be unforgettable! 🙂

Hope to see you for Pub Night at the Yale tonight!

See ya! xx

Cheers,

– Alina

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