10 Reasons to visit Canada

1. You finally learn how to apologize properly and not offend anyone ever 

Canadians are probably the most friendly and polite people you will ever meet. Besides having super nice conversations in the grocery store, the elevator, or bus, they are also extremely regardful. They accidentally bump into to you in the streets – they will 49025347617_52a4eedbdc_o.jpgapologize! You accidentally bump into them – They will apologize. You steel their cap – they will apologize for getting in your way. Even negative things or rejections can be wrapped into words so nicely that you won’t even notice a “no”. Whereas our parents had to teach us in a long and exhausting progress to say please and thank you, Canadians come out of their mothers womb already saying thank you.
Therefore, come to Canada and learn to be a kind human being ;-). 

2. Canada has breathtaking landscapes that are absolutely Insta-worthy. 

48002917013_6d72a5d56d_h.jpgYou want to travel and see the world? Or maybe you want to start your very own Instagram career as an influencer and simply don’t have the right pictures yet? Well either way, your Instagram-community will be flashed by the beautiful pictures you’ll be posting very soon. And the best part is, it even looks breathtaking with #nofilter! So it is actually quite a good view without your phone screen in between. With the incredibly blue lakes, the wide oceans, the snow-covered mountains and never-ending forests with lots of wildlife, you’ll never get tired of the unique scenery. Wherever you go, you will be speechless and the happiest human alive to actually be right were you are.  

3. There isn’t just one culture to experience, but so many different ones. 

Canada has an impressive and super interesting history (further more), it’s always been a country where people got together. And travelling to Canada today, doesn’t mean everybody you see out here is Canadian. Especially by living in the bigger cities, you will 48002916868_bc67fe5dcd_o.jpgfind a very colourful, mixed variety of people from different cultures and with different beliefs. And since everybody is not only super friendly, but also very open minded, you will get the very unique opportunity to get to know so so much. In fact, maybe it even opens your eyes towards your own culture. For example as a German, I often heard that we are so well organized, always on time and efficient workers, but also that we’ve got no humour, are unrelaxed, have a stick up our a** and always look like we’re about to scream at someone. Nope I am not gonna pop someones bubble and tell you which ones I would subject as true or not true. All I am saying is … some of them might be true :-D. What I am trying to say here is – you won’t only get to learn a lot about so many different cultures, but also about your own and in fact about yourself. 

4. It’s the perfect investment for your life

Some people invest thousands of dollars in shares, properties, or clothing, but here is a much better idea. Why don’t you simply spent all your savings on yourself, by traveling to this beautiful country. It’s not only the best choice for an investment, but it will also 9474585256_ba00db2cec_o.jpghelp you to finally get rid of all the redundant money resting in your bank account and loosing value every day (Sounding like a bank manager here)! And trust me, Canada has figured out good ways to make use of the money… #theyalesaloon #thecambie. Of course I am joking, it’s not that bad (or is it?!). No but seriously, wherever you go, you won’t get anything for free and instead of treasuring it up, you should get out there and see the world! Those are the experiences that are truly priceless. It’s an investment that isn’t risky, because you will never regret doing it!

5. You would have the most special 19th birthday you could have all around the world

In most countries it’s either the 18th or the 21st birthday, that is the one day every young human is desperately waiting for! Finally grown up and finally being allowed in Pubs and Clubs and drinking a beer or two. Well British Columbia for instance, isn’t only special because of the nature and the people, but also because the magical number here 49415873448_3113f39ccb_o.jpgis the 19 – not 18, not 21. It’s 19. Therefore, your 19th birthday in BC could be way more special than it would have been anywhere else in the world. Especially if you start your trip a little bit in advance, so you’ve got enough time to actually look forward to it and go big on your special day ;-). Who else could say that their 19th birthday was one of the craziest they ever had?! 

6. You’ll get to see the beautiful impressive wildlife 

Yeah I mean you get all these massive impressive animals here, all different kinds of whales, polar bears, black bears, grizzly bears, wolves, seals, otters, beavers, moose, eagles …. (add a variety of amazing animals here). And yes of course it is pretty cool, just sitting in your car driving towards the next city close by and being forced to stop because this giant moose is in the middle of the road, giving you ‘the look’ to please move fromIMG_20190531_194523.jpg ‘his’ street, since he clearly was here before you.
But what I am referring to, is the other kind of wild life. I have to admit – I’ve never seen it before. The ‘wildest’ thing about this species is, how much it is actually being treated like a human. I am talking about the wild trolly-dog! Dogs in a handbag are so last season!! On this side of the globe, you gotta buy a trolly to “walk” your dog. Wait, wasn’t that the whole point of walking your dog, the actual walking part?!  Well what do I know right?! 

7. Canada has an incredible history 

As you might have known, at some point in history the Europeans decided to get on giant ships and try their best to get to end of this “world-disk”. By that, they accidentally made their way to the American continent and therefore also to Canada at some point after.  But long before that, you could actually find populations here – the Indigenous. Being here gives you the incredible chance of learning more about their struggles, perspective on life, and their beautiful, spiritual and inspiring knowledge of nature and how to live a life deeply connected to it. 

8. Third cleanest air in the world.

Just a fun fact on the side. It’s not only Vancouver that gets continuously rated as one of the most liveable cities on earth, but it turns out the air here is one of the best ones your lunges will ever get to breath in, too. Well if that is not a very strong argument for all the lung-tourist out there – I don’t know what is! 

9. Feel like you are part of ‘Riverdale”, I actually don’t know if that’s a pro or con argument

Having a milkshake at Pops, walking through the streets surrounded by dark green forests, fighting a grizzly (a la Archie) – everything is possible. Yes, now I will have to admit, that I actually watched ‘Riverdale’. For the ones that haven’t watched it, here’s a IMG_20190604_083244.jpgshort summary: A bunch of 17 year olds(?) is stuck between fighting drug lords, murder-dads, spooky fantasy monsters and, of course, growing up – the usual stuff, you know.  Even though I might be not the biggest fan of the show itself, I am a huge fan of Pops Milkshakes! And yes that is a very good argument to make your way Canada (trust me on this, it’s so worth it). In case you are a big fan, even better! Because the Riverdale cast hangs around Vancouver all (dramatic pause) the (another dramatic pause) time, so pack your bag and soon enough you’ll be fighting those grizzly bears together with Archie Andrews! 

10. Poutine!

There is not a lot to say. The argument is simple – Poutine! A mixture between the beautiful juicy gravy with a bunch of yummy cheese and those, kinda smashed, but still slightly crunchy fries underneath. A traditional Canadian food you will love!

That’s it for today! I hope you have a wonderful day and I’ll see you all tomorrow! 

Cheers, 

— Nadja xx 

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?

Another week is over and gives us the great opportunity to explore the beautiful city we get to live in.

As you probably already noticed, this weekend is all about the Chinese New Years festival. Wherever you go, you will find the red lanterns and probably some Chinese signs with a rat on it. Obviously, Chinatown will be hosting the most spectacular events, this weekend. But you won’t be able to escape it any other place in town either ;-).
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As the Chinese culture is a very important part of Vancouver´s community, I strongly recommend walking around with your eyes wide open. There are many cultural differences, which we might not always understand. But all the myths and story’s (yes, I’ve done some research), are beautiful and remind me why I love travelling so much. It gives you a different perspective, you don’t just get to learn facts, but also feelings and the meaning that are transferred through ceremonies, traditions and beliefs.
However, instead of buying a ticket to Beijing, we get to go with a way cheaper option instead. The festival starts off today (January 24) with a ceremony at the Buddhist Temple, which is the largest one in North America. So, besides the celebrations this weekend, it might be very interesting to see and explore.
Followed up by Saturday, which is the actual New Years Day! As the tradition wants it, you have the chance to see the famous Lion Dance at the River District. I don’t really have words to explain it, as I am not an expert myself (obviously). But just give it a Youtube search, trust me it is a very interesting thing to watch! And last but not least there will be a big parade happening on Sunday.
And this is were the INTERNeX gang will get together again (Sunday, January 26). Apparently together with 700 other people, that also decided to join the INTERNeX community. Seems like we’ve gone very big all of a sudden :D. (For the ones that don’t know what I am talking about, just check out the Facebook event.) We will meet up in front of the International Village Mall and from there we’ll try to find the perfect spot to watch everything that is going on. Afterwards we will explore the Chinese Gardens. And besides the fact, that is quite beautiful around there in the first place, we also get to see some unique shows and of course fantastic Chinese food that will be on sale. I am just hoping our 700 new friends, don’t have the same idea.

As you might see I am super excited to see all of this in person, to see the stunning costumes and the slight insight of a very different culture and I am very happy to do it together with you guys!

But no matter if you are celebrating the year of the rat this weekend or not, I hope you have a fantastic one.
See you all soon!

Cheers,
— Nadja xx

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

Pub-Night Review

Another Wednesday has come and gone and what a fun night it has been again to see everyone but also so many new faces at Pub Night! 

IMG_0328.jpgThis week we went to the Two Parrots. They had reserved a whole gallery by the windows for us and created a new sort of space for us – a circular table setting in which many of us started out with some great food and drinks. Having become a dark beer enthusiast lately, I tried a Stanley Park Brewery special which had the greatest taste – a combination of the typical dark beer flavour, stripped off the extreme bitterness some dark beers might have, in addition with a nice taste of sweetness. Lovely, especially in combination with the very Canadian dish of Poutine!

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As the evening went by, it was great to see so many of our Newbies joining, getting introduced to the group and mingling with everyone – I actually heard that some of them ended up on a bull that night and were also properly introduced to the Yale tradition by some of our “senior” participants. All in all a good night with lots of drinks, food and lovely chats! ☺Please be reminded of our very important Pub Night
next week, which will lead us to the Cambie, which is not only Vancouver’s oldest bar, but also a historic setting for legendary Beer Pong tournaments. Next week, especially, the motto will be: All in, we can only win!!

Se y’all very soon, have a wonderful week! ☺

– 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

New ‘Kids’ on the Blog

It’s finally time to meet our three new travellers joining the INTERNeX family this week!
Luckily you’ve got enough time to read all about our new girls, now that most of you are stuck at home anyways. Yes right, that is another funny story – Vancouver and snow? No Nadja, don’t even hope for it, it won’t happen anyways. Here we are, public transport being cancelled and downtown in chaos as if an apocalypse is about to happen. 
So I got my day started with a little snow-hike to actually get to work.
Anyways, this is not about me ;).
Let’s take a look at the three newbies. 
image1Starting of with Kris, she is a Canadian expert already. As she used to live here during her exchange year in high school. Very impressive and the living proof, that people are always coming back to our beloved Canada at some point. Kris found herself a second family during her last stay, which made the accommodation pretty easy this time! We are very glad, that you decided to also join the INTERNeX family! Welcome home! 
The next new addition is Julia. Just as Kris, she came all the way from Germany to gain some precious work experiences over here. And a very interesting fact is, that she already stayed in Korea for quite a while. I hope, you are prepared to answer many questions about that, because personally I am very very interested to hear all about that. Besides getting to know the city life of Vancouver, Julia also has Seattle and Victoria on her bucket list. So if you have any kind travel advices or must sees, I am sure she will appreciate it!
Our last newbie of the week, is not from Germany for a change, but from Austria! Lovely Sophie over here, just finished high school and is taking her time off now to figure out what she wants. Great choice to come here Sophie, and what this will be a great and unique experience – I can promise you that. But be careful, Vancouver or Canada in general are very addictive :). As this is her first long-time stay abroad, lets make her feel like home already.

I am sure you guys are going to love these three lovely ladies!
And ladies, don’t worry, the INTERNeX family is always happy to welcome the new members <3.
Obviously I would love to see you guys at tonights Pub-Night at Steamworks at 7pm. But as the snow continues to fall (like crazy btw), please keep in mind that your safety is the priority here. Please consider that before  leaving the house tonight.
If there are an questions/problems whatever don’t hesitate to contact us! 
I hope to see you soon. 
Cheers, 
— Nadja  xx
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 your Weekend?

The first full week of January is about to start, and this means for most of you – let’s get back to work!
Let’s do it guys! 

This weekend the INTERNeX crew went to the Stanley Park Brewery. Located right in Stanley Park (as the name might have spoilered already), this very romantic, beautiful place provided us a beautiful evening. 

IMG_5613.JPGWe got to eat a fantastic dinner and of course got try out some different sort of beers brewed right there. One fly included 4 different kinds of beers, which you got to choose from a menu of 16 different beers. A variety I was clearly overwhelmed with. Whereas others actually made  logical decision based on the very fancy descriptions for every beer, I sticked to trusting the waiter with all my heart or just going for wild, slightly random picks. Cleary I am not a professional beer taster yet, even tho this little fancy glasses made you feel like one.  However, have you ever tried Coffee-beer? I just loved it, so in case you don’t know what to choose, this is definitely something I can recommend. And trust me, I actually sounds wilder than it tastes. 

After the dinner we went on to The Cambie, where we went back to the beer-classics and had some nice chats, while listening to a bit strange mix of music.
Thank you guys for a lovely Saturday!   

Next weekend we will be playing Lasertag, so whoever isn’t afraid to face my very professional ninja-skills is more than welcome to sign up for it on Facebook. And yes, once again  you will have to agree to this very huge and intense commitment of clicking the going button on Facebook (I know I am asking a lot here), if you want to be part of this battle of a century. 

If you have any question you can always message us or ask me at this weeks Pub-Night at the La Casita!

Have a wonderful week, 

Cheers 

—Nadja xx 

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