Author Archives: Natalia Cury Manduchi da Silva

Lacrosse for Beginners

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This weekend marked the start of the 2025/2026 lacrosse season, and we had the first Vancouver Warriors game at Rogers Arena.

This is a sport of Canadian origin that has been growing more and more each year. And since I know it may be new to many people, just as it was to me, here are some things that can help you understand lacrosse a little better.

(KeithJJ/Pixabay)

  1. But what exactly is lacrosse?

I may be wrong, but in my head it makes a lot of sense and helped me understand it. Lacrosse seems a lot like hockey, but not on ice, but on a field or in an arena. So it’s a fast, intense, and very physical game.

Each player has a lacrosse stick, which has a net at the end. With it, players try to both catch and throw the ball, run with the ball in the net, and score goals by throwing the ball.

  1. Where is lacrosse played?

There are 2 types: 

Field Lacrosse is the lacrosse that is played outdoors, the space is larger, it doesn’t have such a heavy pace or as much physical contact. 

Or there is Box Lacrosse which is played inside arenas (it’s the style played by the Vancouver Warriors), it is much faster, much more physical, which ends up making it the more aggressive of the two types.

  1. How many players are needed?

In the game you will always see 6 players. 5 field players and 1 goalie, but here’s another similarity with hockey, players are substituted throughout during all the game and they are very quick. Sometimes you don’t even have time to realize that they changed players.

  1. And how long does it last?

The entire game has 4 quarters each of 15 minutes, which totals 60 minutes of play. During the game, each team has about 30 seconds to try to attack the opponent; if they fail, the ball goes to the other team.

  1. Can you hit or not?

Like in hockey, yes! You can hit, but everything is within limits. Since this is a very physical game, it’s full of pushing and shoving, but nothing like hitting from behind, that’s not allowed, much less hitting the opponent’s head.

Now all that’s left is to go to the game and put your knowledge into practice. 

Watching lacrosse can be confusing, but knowing the basics, you already understand a little and you can be sure you can have a lot of fun.

You might become the number 1 fan of the Vancouver Warriors.

5 Things No One Told Me About Living in Vancouver

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When you move to another country, there are so many things on your mind that you need to think about, such as “is my passport valid?”, “will my visa come through in time for the trip?”, “do I already have a place to live?”, “will I get used to the language?” and a million more thoughts, but none of them are about possible cultural differences that exist and can make your experience different from what you imagined.

I left Brazil and moved to Vancouver in 2023 and realized that I wasn’t as prepared as I thought. There are things that are unique to your country, and when you go to another, things work completely differently. So here are 5 culture shocks that I experienced (and sometimes still experience) when I arrived in Vancouver.

  • Rain

The first one, and I dare say it’s the one that shocks me the most and that I still can’t get used to, is how Canadians never use umbrellas. It could be the biggest storm happening, but for a Canadian, just a waterproof jacket is enough. 

Besides, you live with the rain without any problem, again, even with a storm happening, you have no problem walking, going out to enjoy the night, or going to college. Rain or shine, with or without an umbrella, it’s just another normal day. I confess that I feel like an alien with an umbrella in the streets, but I wouldn’t give it up for anything.

  • “Thank you”

Before arriving in Canada, I had already heard a lot about how polite Canadians are, so that was a very positive point of arriving here and seeing that it was true, but what impresses me is the concept of saying “thank you” every time you get off the bus. I think that’s really cool to do and it was one of the first things I started doing here. What I like most about the idea of ​​thanking the driver is that even if people are riding on those larger buses and they’re getting off through the back door, the driver often won’t be able to hear them, but even so, everyone will say “thank you” when they get off.

  • Tipping

In Brazil, tipping is not usual to do; it’s the kind of thing that happens very rarely, so I was never used to it. But when I arrived in Vancouver, tipping wasn’t just a nice thing to do, it’s almost an obligation. I confess that at first it was very difficult for me; I couldn’t wrap my head around why I should give more money than I was already paying, and many times I didn’t tip. But living here, you get used to it, and today it’s part of me.

  • Beach

Being Brazilian, this was a big culture shock for me. If you don’t know how Brazilian beaches work, I’ll explain it to you. A completely sunny day, everyone in their swimsuits, you arrive, spread out your “canga,” which is like a towel, but not exactly. You open your parasol and enjoy sunbathing, taking a dip in the sea every 15 minutes. On the beach, there are stalls after stalls with food and drinks of all kinds, vendors shouting things like “Beer 1 for 10, 2 for 7” all over the beach. Here in Vancouver, people go to the beach whether it’s cold, hot, raining, windy, and when you get there, many people are enjoying themselves in normal clothes, sitting directly on the sand, or with a tent and no parasol. And there’s no one selling food or drinks. Maybe that’s one of the few shocks I’ll never get over.

(MarlynCollins/Pixabay)

  • Physical touch

Last, but not least. Being Latina, coming from a country where we love physical contact, it’s one of our ways of showing love and affection for people, and arriving here and realizing that it wasn’t like that was difficult. I wanted a hug and I received a handshake, but little by little we began to understand everyone’s limits and how far I can go. So I have friends that today I just say, “I’m going to hug you now, okay?” and they love it.

In short, living in Vancouver taught me many things. I feel that I’ve changed in many ways, but I also feel that I’ve managed to change the Canadians I’ve met a little bit.

Here I managed to have a new version of myself, neither 100% Brazilian nor 100% Canadian, but a little bit of both.

Game Night at SportsBar

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Vancouver is a city that breathes sports, from hockey and soccer to running, hiking, and so on. And luckily, people who live in Vancouver have many teams to enjoy or sometimes get stressed watching, right? We have the Canucks, Warriors, BC Lions, Whitecaps.

Now imagine if there was a place where you could watch these games and cheer for these teams, sometimes on television, but sometimes live too? Now, what if I told you that this place exists? Many people don’t know it, but the perfect place has a name: The SportsBar Live!, located inside Rogers Arena, so you can already imagine the energy of this place, right?

On hockey game nights, the restaurant is on fire, a huge number of fans coming and going, pre-game anxiety, fun and tension during, and maybe complete happiness afterward.

If you’re a hockey fan, this is really the place for you, and the best part is, it has tickets, great, you can eat at the restaurant while watching the game, but what if you don’t have a ticket? No problem, you can still be inside the restaurant, enjoying the whole atmosphere of the game. Unfortunately, without a ticket you can’t have a seat facing the ice, but who says you can’t take a peek, right? Not to mention the multitude of televisions scattered throughout the restaurant.

Besides hockey, Lacrosse, a sport that is growing more and more here in Vancouver, is also a game where the atmosphere is pure energy. And even if it doesn’t happen inside Rogers Arena, many times games like NBA, soccer, American football, Super Bowl, UFC are broadcast in the restaurant and being able to watch with other people who share the same tastes is priceless.

And if you’ve made it this far and sports really aren’t your thing, guess what? They’re also open on concert days, creating the perfect atmosphere for fans of each singer or band to feel right next to their idol.

SportsBar is a unique and fun experience. It’s a perfect place for both family and friends.

The Jump That Set Me Free

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If you like adventure, you’re in the right place. I’ve always liked a safe life, where I don’t take risks, I know every step I’m taking, and if something goes differently than planned, there’s a possibility I’ll freak out. That’s all in my daily life, but when it comes to experiences, I’m a little different. I like to live as if it were my last day, I like the feeling of butterflies in my stomach and trying new adventures.

If you’re like me, let me tell you about my first time jumping off the edge, just kidding, my first time bungee jumping.

To begin with, it couldn’t be more special because everything happened here in Canada, just the way I always dreamed. Whistler Bungee, which is a 15-minute drive from Whistler Village, is the highest bungee jump in all of British Columbia, and it was there that I felt the greatest freedom in the world.

In June 2025, my family came to visit Canada for the first time and to see the city where I live. That’s when I saw my great opportunity to fulfill one of my biggest dreams. With a distance of almost 2 hours between Vancouver and Whistler and not having a car, I thought it was never the right time, but as soon as I knew I was going to take my family to see the city, I thought it was the perfect chance.

The place where you jump is a bit hidden, in the middle of the forest, and only those who have actually been there know the beauty and peace that place conveys. I confess that I wasn’t calm at all, but I swear that the sound of nature is very calming.

The jump is done in the middle of a valley, surrounded by mountains, trees, and right below you is the Cheakamus River, which only makes the adrenaline even greater. The view you have in the seconds before the jump is like a painting on a canvas; it’s a landscape impossible to describe.

And Whistler Bungee is part of the history and culture of British Columbia. It comes from the connection Canadians have with nature and showcases the true beauty of the province’s landscapes.

And the jump? How to explain the feeling of freedom and despair at the same time. Without thinking too much, I jumped as if it were the last day of my life, and it was as if during the fall I was on a Disney roller coaster, only much scarier. The first few seconds when you’re already at the bottom, you don’t understand what just happened, it feels like you go into shock, but after 10 seconds your first thought is “How did I not do this before? I need this feeling again and again and again.”

(titinhd/Pixabay)

If you’ve never bungee jumped, jump. If you have the opportunity, this is the time, free yourself and immerse yourself in the vastness of nature in the middle of Whistler, it’s worth every second.

A Summer Without Fireworks

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Vancouver is full of traditions; they shape the city and make people fall in love with it.

The Celebration of Light is one of those traditions, a fireworks competition between three different countries that takes place annually in English Bay, three nights during the Canadian summer when the whole city stops, people go all around the seawall to watch these beautiful and magical shows.

The city is passionate about the celebration; everyone waits for summer to arrive so that this moment can also come, truly a great tradition and I can say here, my favorite.

(Pixabay)

But unfortunately, this past week, it was announced that for the first time in 33 years, 2026 will not have the Celebration of Light. The news is sad, but the event organizers themselves made it clear in the announcement that this was a very difficult decision, but that it is impossible to continue without the financial support of the government and the private sector.

The event, besides being a moment that brings together friends, family, and an entire city around Vancouver’s beaches, is also a free event. The increased cost of products and the lack of federal financial aid are factors that ensure the celebration continues.

In 2025, the organizers still tried to find ways to raise money. Because English Bay gets very crowded, it’s difficult to find a comfortable place to stay, so they sold seats and some lounges, but that wasn’t enough.

The cancellation of the 2026 Celebration of Light doesn’t mean it’s a permanent decision; perhaps it could happen again in the coming years, but unfortunately, it won’t be possible next year, and that’s already confirmed.

Executive producer Paul Runnals said the organization tried everything, finding different ways to continue the event, but it really wasn’t possible, and this lack of help was becoming exhausting for them.

Of course there is still hope, but for now the Vancouver sky will no longer have its fireworks show.

A Meal You Don’t See Coming

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Have you ever imagined eating without knowing what you’re actually eating? Today I’m going to tell you about one of the craziest experiences I’ve ever had here in Vancouver.

To give you some context, I’ve never been an easy eater, I have to be honest, but nowadays I live far from my family in another country, I’m an adult, and if hunger strikes, I need to eat. So I’ve become much more open to trying new things, but I never imagined I would put myself in the situation I’m about to tell you about.

In 2023, I had one of the most different and sensational experiences I could ever have, and I hope that in the end, I’ll make you want to experience the same. Dark Table, a restaurant located in Kitsilano, is more than just a restaurant; besides having delicious food, it takes you into another world, it makes you experience life in a way you never imagined you would.

The restaurant aims to give you a sensory immersion because you eat in complete darkness. Yes, that’s right, no lights at all. Inside, you’re guided solely by your hearing, taste, touch, and smell.

The Dark Table experience is led by a team of blind or visually impaired individuals, and this experience allows us to understand, at least a little, what life is like for these people.

The experience begins outside, where you can choose your main course and drink, but the appetizer and dessert are a big surprise. Upon entering, you find yourself in an enclosed space where you can no longer see anything. That’s where you wait for your waiter to come and take you to your table. Then, in complete darkness, everyone puts their hands on each other’s shoulders and walks around the space, only hearing people talking and without knowing where you’re going. I thought I was going to bump into something or someone at any moment.

With the appetizer and dessert, it’s a challenging moment; you don’t know what’s in front of you, the texture, the quantity, whether you’ll like it or not. And as much as with the main course, you understand that you need to use 100% of your sense of touch. And when I understood that, I was eating meat and rice using only a fork and making my hand as a knife; otherwise, I wouldn’t know if I was actually picking up the food.

This experience opened my mind to many things. It made me realize how, without sight, our sense of taste becomes sharper, our smells become stronger, that even in the dark, we connect better with people because there’s no phone screen to interrupt a conversation, and most interestingly, how incredibly amazing visually impaired people are in the way they live.

Truly, this is the kind of place everyone should go to at least once in their life.

The Heart of Christmas in Vancouver

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I’m going to tell you something that might sound crazy, but as a Brazilian, I can’t associate the end-of-year and Christmas season with winter. For me, this time of year is all about sunshine, beaches, parties, and refreshing cold drinks. It turns out that two years ago I decided to move to Canada, and one of my first reality checks was having Christmas in winter. After all, how do you celebrate and enjoy the end-of-year holidays in winter?

That’s what I thought, but little by little I learned here how to have fun even while I’m freezing. In 2024, I discovered new places, different activities, and interesting experiences, and now that this time of year has arrived again, in 2025, I feel more prepared. The place I’m most excited to go is Vancouver Christmas, which is right next to the Vancouver Convention Centre. It started on November 13th and runs until December 24th, so both you and I still have plenty of time to explore it. Is the market a place to take cute photos? Yes! But it’s also an enchanting place, for those who love the Christmas season, it’s a delight to experience this moment, eat delicious Christmas food and stroll through this space all lit up by Christmas lights.

When I walked there for the first time, I felt like I was in a romantic comedy. All that was missing was a man accidentally bumping into me who would later become my romantic partner, but that’s okay, the experience is still worthwhile.

Joking aside, the market is already part of Vancouver’s identity, it’s part of the culture. Everyone I asked what they would do at the end of the year told me that at some point they would go to the Vancouver Christmas Market, so I really think it has become a bit of a comforting moment in the middle of all this cold.

If you’ve made it this far, I think that’s a sign for you to go for a walk through the Vancouver Christmas Market. Your Christmas only really begins when you go there.

2026 Is Near And So Is the World Cup

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Who here is ready for one of the biggest events that has ever come to Canada? I hope you are, because I am VERY ready for it. Yes, I’m talking about the World Cup, simply the event that will stop the world and obviously Canada. For those who, like me, don’t know how it was possible for the year 2025 to pass so quickly, which means that 2026 is already right around the corner.

(Jarmoluk/Pixabay)

I, being Brazilian and coming from a place that breathes soccer, know that Canada is not the first place that comes to my mind when I think about the sport, and not because I don’t think soccer is important here, but because there are so many other countries that think the same way a Brazilian thinks, that I end up forgetting about it. But I really think that in recent years, Vancouver has been opening up more and more to the sport and people are embracing the idea. Many times, during Whitecaps games, the upper tier of the stadium wouldn’t even open due to a lack of people to fill the space, and now we can see several games with the stadium filling up more and more.

And with 2026 being so close to us, people all over the world are already starting to prepare and feel the excitement that a World Cup can bring, which in my view, means that for us the excitement is much greater, we live in one of the countries that will host this event, isn’t that great?

The 2026 World Cup will be hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States and for the first time in history 3 countries will share this responsibility together. Of 16 host cities, in Canada we will only have two, Toronto and Vancouver, with some games at Toronto Stadium and others at BC Place.

BC Place, which brings a lot of history to our city, has hosted gigantic shows with Coldplay, record-breaking by the Whitecaps like their victory against Inter Miami, and the player Messi, and was also the stage for the Women’s World Cup in 2015.

The World Cup is one of the most fun events you could have. It’s a moment when, even if you don’t agree with everything that’s happening in your country or don’t know a single person walking down the street next to you, when it comes to all the people in an entire country cheering for the same team, for the same goal, the feeling is incredible. It’s a happiness that’s hard to describe.

So I’ll give you a tip: be prepared, mentally and physically. Vancouver will be upside down in a good way. There will be traffic, there will be crowded streets, but I’m sure everyone will be having fun. It’s impossible not to be happy with the World Cup.

2026 is almost here, and Vancouver is already ready to make history.

A Holiday Classic Comes to Life in Vancouver

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December is a magical time, and Vancouver has something special that makes this month even better than it already is. The twinkling lights begin to appear around the city, the cold arrives, and along comes those perfect days to stay home under the covers with some steaming hot chocolate.

And what says Christmas more than the arrival of the grand show “The Nutcracker”? Nothing!

Between December 12th and 14th, 2025, the classical ballet will excite Vancouver with its breathtaking performance on the stage of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. It brings with it, one of the most Christmassy and beloved stories of all. Very timely. 

The show is in good hands with the new artistic direction of Christopher Stowell, who has been preparing everything together with the great Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Anyone who is familiar with the creative arts in Vancouver, knows the Royal Winnipeg Ballet is considered to be one of the most respected dance academies in North America. They are returning to Vancouver to present a work that transcends generations, and entertain everyone.

Being able to watch this show performed by the dancers of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet company is exciting. They are known for producing huge talents, so watching this will be like seeing a work of art come to life, not to mention that it will have the soundtrack composed by the very talented Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

The Nutcracker tells the story of Clara, a girl who loves Christmas and eagerly awaits the celebration at her home, until her godfather surprises her with a nutcracker. This enchants Clara and she begins to imagine it coming to life. After the Christmas party, she falls into a dream and then the magic begins. She wakes up with Mouse King trying to steal her present, and when the clock strikes midnight, everything transforms, making her very small and everything else very large. What happens next? You can discover the rest of the story at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on December 12th, 13th, and 14th.

Whitecaps Are Ready for the Final

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Vancouver is one of the biggest cities in the world. Its busy, its fun! There’s so much to do  but sports continues to be one of the biggest events bringing people together. 

Our soccer team has been surprising us lately, and it’s time for us to cheer more than ever. Whitecaps FC is getting closer and closer to experiencing one of the most important moments in the club’s history.

The Whitecaps are in the MLS Western Conference final, and even though the game isn’t in the city, this obviously won’t go unnoticed by the fans.

This Satursay, November 29th, the Whitecaps face San Diego FC. BC Place will host a watching party where it will be possible to watch the game on the big screen, instead of having fans travel to Snapdragon Stadium.

Obviously, the fans won’t be seeing the players live on the field, but the stadium is offering everything to make it best possible atmosphere for a football game. If you want to know what to expect, let me tell you. You can expect free rally towels, plus it’s a great weekend plan with the family.

It wasn’t easy for the team though, they reached the final after playing against LAFC and having a 2-2 draw that went to penalties. Our team had an amazing day where we had goals from Sebastian Berhalter, Jayden Nelson, Ryan Gauld and Mathias Laborda, making a total of 4-3 for the Whitecaps and all this in front of a record crowd at BC Place with 53,957 fans present.

In addition to the team never having reached the cup final, winning would be even more historic, after all, the winner of this game goes to the MLS Cup final. This will take place on December 6th. On the other side of the coin, if Inter Miami wins against NYCFC, the game will take place in Florida. But if NYCFC wins, the final will be hosted by the winner of Saturday’s game, that is, Whitecaps or San Diego.

For those who follow soccer, they know how important this moment is for Vancouver, and Saturday will be a day full of excitement, and so much cheering.

The doors open at 5 pm and the game starts at 6 pm, the ticket costs 10 dollars, so there’s no excuse to miss it.

On Saturday Vancouver will cheer for the Whitecaps like never before.