Here is a photo of a food pic that I have not yet posted onto social media. This blog post seems like a good place to share this image. I went out for dinner this weekend on “be a person day” and we went to a restaurant that serves green curry. Now that my gall bladder is out, I can return to this kind of food without fear of having a gall bladder attack. Damn. This dish was delicious and comforting. It was not too spicy, but rather tangy with bits of mango in random bites. I approached this beautiful meal by mixing it all up so that every grain of rice was covered in green curry. I ate the whole bowl and ended the meal with a dessert. Best of all, this place had diet coke. It was a meal that I really enjoyed and really wanted. Yes, the meal brought me lots of JOY. I LOVE eating a great meal. I was HAPPY to know that I can get a meal like this, but also pad Thai, if I was in the mood, in Prince George. I loved a place in Vancouver where their chicken green curry dish had eggplant in it. Green curry just hit the spot.
When i was in Vancouver, I went out to dinner with family. We went to a place that I wanted to go to. It’s family-style eating where you order a bunch of dishes to share. It was not a Chinese food place, but rather western, and I love the vibe and food of this place. To make a long story short, one person did not want me take pictures of the food. I normally do, but this person was trying to convince me, or shame me, into not taking food pics. I replied by saying I did not care about what other people in the restaurant thought of me. In the end, this person did not want me to take pictures. I complied and did not make a big deal out of this situation but what disappointed me was the fact that the person could not tell me that me taking photos embarrassed them. Nonetheless, the meal was good and I ended up paying for the meal. I enjoyed the experience and I wanted to express my gratitude for the evening. Anyway, what the evening taught me is, I like taking food pics because food is part of my identity.
I took a bunch of food pics of the congee, turnip cake, and tea from The Boss when I went to Burnaby/Metrotown and of the Chinese food I brought home from Vancouver to Prince George. I took pictures of the soup dumpling lunch and hot pot dinner with the teacher candidates in Burnaby (before and after the WestCAST conference) and I generally like taking pictures of food. You never know when you are going to use these images, just like the one above, but also I love sharing pictures of food I love and food that reminds me of my mom (which I also love). I was teased by my siblings by going to the same places when I come to Vancouver. Of course I do… I love going to the ocean and I love going to Chinese restaurants… and Thai too. Anyway, the food reminds me of my mom, but also I can’t get this food in Prince George (nor am I close to the ocean in Prince George). The food connects me to my ethnic identity, just as being by the ocean. Last year, I was focused on doing things that make me happy… but now, I will do things that LOVE. Food pics is one of those things. It’s who I am. 🙂
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, February 24th, 2025 | No Comments »
February 16, 2025 – A Photo from the CHY’s archives
I just finished writing my Professional Activity Report (PAR) for 2024 on Friday. It was due that day. Valentine’s Day. I am more convinced that maybe my One Word for 2025 is LOVE. Oy. Let’s not talk about that again. But, on the day of LOVE, I spent about 11 hours working on and finalizing my PAR. I did spend some time collecting information and updating my CV, but I definitely underestimated the time it would take to compose my PAR and send it to the Chair. Thank goodness, from what I noticed, that there was not a time that it needed to be submitted. I could be wrong, but at least I got it in on the day it was due and found it to be a fruitful exercise.
Despite the time it took to summarize what I have accomplished in 2024 in my work, I found it to be an awesome way to look back at my work in a critical and appreciative way. I did not realize how many professional development or professional learning activities I engaged in, which included beading for 4-months at the art gallery. I also did not realize how many conferences I attended and presentations I gave. I was somewhat astounded. I also joined another research group and I am leading another. I am grateful to my peers for collaborating with me on a chapter I led and co-wrote with another research team. I assisted another team with writing an NSERC grant and a participated in course evaluations. It’s been about 8-years since I embarked on that practice wholeheartedly. It’s not easy, and I have been un- and re-learning life again.
Why this photo from 2009 is so important to me is to recognize and understand that my practice has not changed over the last 30-years. Can you believe that? 30-years. I graduated from UBC with my teacher education in 1994. I look back at old photos and I am reminded that I love collaborative work, I love creating community in my classrooms that were centred around formative assessment, and I loved to try new ways to teach was new to me, non-traditional, or student-centred (i.e., the student does most of the work). I was a favourite teacher to some, and not so liked by others. Overall, I loved what I did and took photos of students then too… in class, during grad, or during prom. I had a connection with students and I enjoyed teaching.
Were there ups and downs in my K-12 job teaching secondary mathematics? Absolutely. Are there ups and downs with my current position? Absolutely. What I don’t want to lose is my love for LEARNING, building community, and having a connection. I may not be “the best” teacher where I am winning awards or ranking 5 out of 5 on course evaluations. I love to learn and part of that in my teaching practice is, I sometimes delve into crappy moments where I’m not great, not certain, or not on top of what I am doing. And, guess what? That’s ok. I left teaching for about 8-years to work on my dissertation and during that time I was an elected official, not teaching. Guess what? It was not where my heart is. I love to teach. I love to learn. And I hope, I can and am leading with that LOVE. Here are are again… LOVE. Surprise!! LOL.
My biggest fear is, I’m not perfect. I feared being “wrong.” Guess what? It’s all good.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, February 16th, 2025 | No Comments »
I know it is February 9th and it’s well past the new year of January 1st and Lunar New Year of January 29th. It’s not to say that being HAPPY and experiencing LOVE are not good things… they are!! I thought about AWESOME a few days ago, but really, I’m coming to terms with the word CLOSURE. I think that’s what I need. That #OneWord just popped into my mind before approaching my computer. I need closure. I have a pile of things to do and all partially done. That is the work context, but I can also apply that word for the personal. What I have learned in the past few years is, there is no separation between work and personal because it’s just me. That’s it. It’s all ME. So, it’s not for me to separate the two parts of my life or compartmentalize them from each other, but it’s only to provide some context to what I am referring to.
There was a time when “getting started” was a huge barrier for me… and another time when “knowing my potential” was another. Over the last year, it was to understand “my value,” which was derived from my #OneWord2024 of HAPPY. I was able to identify what made me happy, what things are important to me, and what my boundaries are. I learned a lot from last year, so I’m putting a lot of unnecessary pressure on me to find the next best word. As I look around, I think that the word CLOSURE makes a lot of sense to me. It has nothing to do with LOVE or HAPPY, but it has everything to do with LOVE and HAPPY. I have started many projects that need some closure, I have a lot of intentions that need some closure, and there are some crappy things that needs some closure too. Achieving closure equates to “letting go” of some things, “making space” for other things, thus self-love and happiness.
Let’s get things done!!
Even sitting here and writing this blog post, my mind wants to wander and do something else. I am being very intentional with writing this blog post and “getting it done.” I feel that when you get something start, GET IT DONE!! This idea of closure is resonating with me. It’s like that big homework assignment that needs to get done… I procrastinate (or put it in the “to do” pile)… and then something else is added to the pile. It becomes a burden. It feels like extra weight that needs to unloaded. I need my FREEDOM and have the FLEXIBILITY to do what I want. I have got the “get started” idea going… I have got the “your ideas are worth it” going… and I have many, many things on the go that need to get done!! And, there is no good or bad… just things that need CLOSURE. This feels great!! And, I feel that this alignment will help me in 2025. Look at that… I’m at the end of my blog post. Tah dah!! It’s done!! Brilliant. Closure.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, February 09th, 2025 | Comments Off on Still Pondering
Oh my goodness… It’s been awhile since I’ve been blogging and sadly, it seemed like a slog to get to this platform. I’ve wondered and deliberated for weeks what my One-Word would be for 2025. At first, I thought it would be LOVE, then it shifted to JOY, then to THRIVE, then back to LOVE. As you can see, I’ve been undecided. All of these words are wonderful, but none of them seem to hit me like HAPPY did in 2024. Last year, I almost burned out in January and it was an uphill battled to end the year STRONG. I had my gallbladder removed, I bought a new home, and I adopted Simon-the-cat. Only moments ago, I decided that my #OneWord for 2025 will be HAPPY once again. Who makes these rules? Does my one-word have to be different every year. There is no question in my mind that I will feel LOVE and JOY in the new year, and THRIVE in my work and my personal life. Just by shifting my mindset to HAPPY, once again, I could see the GOOD in the images that I will be including in this blog post, and I am 100% motivated to write and reflect about the last few weeks. Yay!! – Finally.
Gong hey fat choy. Happy Lunar New Year. Hello… THE YEAR OF THE SNAKE. The AI on Google indicates that this year for “dogs” is about personal and professional growth, strengthen bonds with loved ones and colleagues, a focus on health, fitness, and mental health, financial stability, and explore new areas (i.e., going beyond my comfort zone). Now that I have changed my #OneWord, this projection makes a lot of sense to me. Oh my goodness, even when writing this blog post, I feel lighter and… HAPPIER. I feel optimistic and I look forward to 2025. What I have also learned is, FOOD is central to my being. The image above (i.e., soup dumplings from Costco) and this picture (i.e., duck from Costco) make me happy.
Food makes me feel connected to my family and heritage. OMG… look at this photo… LO BOK GO. This is my most favourite food. I get this fried turnip delight from THE BOSS in Metrotown. I complement the lo bok go with a bowl of fish congee. It’s a winning combination. Finding this restaurant at Metrotown was a gift. It was a recent discovery (i.e., only a few years ago) but I think the restaurant has been in Metrotown since the mall opened. I just Googled this, and I’m correct. The restaurant opened in 1999 with the opening of Metrotown. AMAZING. We never went there as a family, but after my mom passed away, it seemed like a place to try. It has great prices and it’s very much like a Hong Kong cafe. I love what they have to offer and I forgo the congee special and go for the fish congee. I just love this meal and pretty much get the same thing when I go. Other things I love to get when I’m in Burnaby is dim sum at the Neptune Restaurant, and soup dumplings from the Dinesty Dumpling House. The dumpling house is a treat. Often I run out of time (or meals) to go. I also like to cook rice rolls (aka., “tubes”) at my brother’s place. We often go to T & T and pick up a few of my favourite things (like lo bok go) to cook at home. Here are few pics below.
Not only do I “have to” go to as many Asian/Chinese restaurants as possible when I’m in Vancouver, I also have go “see” or visit the ocean. These are non-negotiables, in addition to seeing my siblings. Of course, I would love to see my dad too, but it was a short visit and he was busy celebrating the Lunar New Year with his (new) wife’s family. Nonetheless, my sister suggested going to Canada Place for dinner and go to the Coal Harbour Bar/Lounge at the hotel. I’m game. It was MAGNIFICENT. Although it was dark, we were right against the ocean, with live music (jazz, piano, singing), and DINE OUT!! I did not realize that January was DINE OUT month, so I ordered from that menu. A three course meal of scallops, gnocci, and panna cotta for dessert for $49. The food was DELICIOUS. Albeit, my dinner was not Asian, but Italian is a strong second. Loved it and I loved hanging out with my twin bro, sister, and brother-in-law.
OH BOY… THIS IS GOING TO BE A LONG BLOG POST. There is so much to catch up on. I feel great and now I feel liberated to write and talk about the good things about my last few weeks. I felt it was a appropriate to talk about FOOD to celebrate the Lunar New Year. And, I LOVE food… oh yes, LOVE is back in the picture… but my #OneWord is HAPPY. Food makes me happy. Enough said. I hope my food pics and blog post up until now demonstrates my LOVE for food. I think food will be an entry point with my “20 days” auto-ethnography about me and my relationship with my mom. I can’t wait to get that project started. This declaration was my first time saying that, and meaning that. I am READY to write about my mom, my experiences, and how I understand the world. When my mom passed away in 2018, I thought I would embark on this project soon after her death. I could not do it. So much has changed since her passing and I had to do “a lot of work” to get where I am today. YES… It’s time!!
Oh yes… why I was in Vancouver last week was to go to a beading session at UBC with Anishinaabe Artist Nico Williams hosted by Dr. Cynthia Nicol from the Faculty of Education We started a beading community during the pandemic in 2021 called Beadwork + Mathwork = Community Beading. A group of us joined from across Canada for 5 sessions online on Zoom. We learned how to bead three sided and four-sided shapes (re: “hypersquare”). The community members were provided with beading supplies and in return, we contributed at least one hypersquare back to Cynthia to ultimately bead these squares together in a blanket. I never thought I could bead or believe this is something I could do, but I learned so much from beading. The bead, thread, and needle are only metaphors or tools to learn some critical lessons about patience, presence, and persistence. Beading became a place of solace for me and I have made and gifted some of my work to teacher candidates, colleagues, and friends. In December 2024, Cynthia sent out an email to the group about coming together in-person to bead these hypersquares together. I could not miss this opportunity, and Nico is exactly who he was online. I just loved every moment of this learning opportunity and I learned something new… THE HINGE.
I met so many great people that day, I had a wonderful smoked salmon lunch with sweet and savoury bannock, and I got to learn something new. What more can you ask from a day of professional development. I feel lucky that I have a position where I have flexibility to make this learning experience possible. I flew down on a Wednesday. I teach on Mondays and Tuesdays. I had the beading workshop on Thursday. I made it back to my brother’s place to teach my night class. And, I took meetings on my phone and computer on the bus to and from the UBC and at my brother’s place on Friday. Working remotely has it’s benefits and I am grateful to folks who made the in-person meeting possible for me to attend via Zoom. And yes, concurrent to my beading session, I attended a Zoom meeting launching the CATE (Canadian Association for Teacher Education) book as part of the Polygraph Book Series. I was able to lead the writing for the Climate Education in Teacher Education (CETE) research team I belong to at UNBC (University of Northern British Columbia) on “Research Our Way Into Teacher Leadership.” We are Chapter 22. I am so proud of this work and I learned a tonne from the editors (Drs. Cathryn Smith and Leyton Schnellert), the guest speakers at the working conference held at Brandon University, the copy editor, and the learning community who were the authors/scholars who co-created this book. I met so many great people and loved this learning experience.
What can I say… I’m back (to blogging). I feel great!! I loved my time in Vancouver, but I also love being at home. I love my new place. I love cooking at home. And, I love going out for dinner from time to time with my kid to spend some time with her but also enjoy good food. There is something about FOOD that brings people together. Food represents community, exploration, and love. I am HAPPY to be blogging and sharing what’s important to me. I feel optimistic and excited. Yay!! Onwards and upwards!!
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, January 31st, 2025 | Comments Off on Returning to HAPPY
January 10, 2025 – What do I really want to accomplish?
Does this sound like a “new year’s resolution” blog post? It has that potential of being one. I have just finished my first week of teaching for the Winter 2025 term and making a conscious effort to get back to familiar routines like writing a weekly reflection in my blog. I just realized from an an email received earlier this week that folks may use this WordPress site to introduce me to others. Of course, I should know that and possibly expect that. But over time, this website has seen some ebbs and tides over time since it’s original conception over 10-years ago when I was using it as a vehicle to promote my edu-consulting business. I have since stepped away from self-employment and have slowly but surely stepped back into teaching and learning more about academia. This website has also followed me into the pandemic and through many life changes that I needed some platform to help me to sense-make though the challenging times, but also the joyful ones. This blog has served me well.
For those who may follow me on Twitter/X, Facebook, or Instagram, I am a bit of a foodie and food-pic fanatic. A part of that LOVE is the joy I seek from a hotel-breakfast, or breakfast in general. Look at it’s simplicity and deliciousness to start off the day. There is nothing I like more than eggs and toast (see image above) complemented with a hot cup of coffee, a glass of water, and a piece of fruit. This image is taken from my new home on my new “fancy” table (it was a splurge). I just love how simple this meal can be and yet it accomplishes everything I want it to achieve. Even the image itself makes me happy. This image serves as a metaphor for 2025. I can see on my landing page for this website that I did not publish anything in 2024, yet I had so many things on the go that had the potential for writing, I was in the middle of writing, or I finished writing and it will not get published until 2025. Guess what? That’s OK, because that’s how 2024 unfolded for me. In 2024, I went to many conferences to present, which brought me a lot of joy, fun, and happiness.
So, what will 2025 bring?
I want to focus on the plate of food. There’s not too much on the plate, but enough on the plate to walk away from the meal feeling satisfied. I know that I will start the year with a publication, a chapter in a book on teacher leadership. This prospect is very exciting and that was a challenge I took on in the fall of 2023, almost burned out in January 2024, but saw through the task by the end of 2024. I learned a tonne from the experience, intended and not intended. I have a book review to complete, a manuscript to revise, two other manuscripts to find a journal to review them, another manuscript to finish writing, two conference proceedings, and a chapter proposal on the horizon. Even describing what I have just listed, it might be 3 different meals (i.e., winter, summer, and fall terms). Nonetheless, there is plenty to do in addition to several research teams I am a part of. There are other publications we are completing and again, many more on the horizon. I feel good about where I am. More is to come.
Avoiding the worm hole means… don’t get caught into things that take you away from this meal. Stay focused. Be content. Do what you love. One thing I do want to do is to pursue the “20 days” research project that is an auto-ethnography on my ethnic identity and how I perceive the world through the lens of being “child number three.” Part of this study is about learning more about my ethnic heritage as a Chinese-Canadian, the role of policy that impacted how I was raised and educated, and how I navigated through my personal and professional life. This study was inspired by my mom. She passed away in 2017 and I spent her last 20-days taking care of her along with other family members. I wanted to write this when she had first passed away, but I was not ready. I had to do so much work on myself such that I needed to see things the way they are before I could even make a commentary of what is (or was). Even when I write this final paragraph, I am self-assessing how I feel, and I feel READY.
Let’s do this!!
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, January 10th, 2025 | Comments Off on Avoiding the Worm Hole
Here I sit in my bedroom/office facing my laptop and desktop screens while my “new” cat, Simon, lies quietly on my bed while I work. This is not a easy transition “back to work.” I have throughly enjoyed my winter break and appreciate all that 2024 had to offer. Admittedly, the year started with me almost burning out in January. What a strange time to burnout, but there were due dates that had to be met and I was not fully sure if I was living the life the way I wanted to live it. It got to the point where 2024 started with struggle, stress, and survival. This way of life was not sustainable, but it was one that I had lived with for most of my life. For 2024, it had to be different.
The focus for 2024 was HAPPY, my one-word. To achieve that, I had to focus on what made me happy. Did I feel happy? Are the people I’m spending my time with make me happy? Was the work that I was achieving making me happy? Was how I living making me happy? My one-word 2024 was the first time I was focused on me and my wellness. I did not realize that at first. I knew that this word was different than the ones I’ve chosen in the past and it’s intentionality. Other words from previous years were more focused on ways to remedy deficiencies or something that would move my career forward, but it was never for me. Happy seemed self-indulgent.
Honestly, no regrets. I was focussed on “being slow” with my work, being accepting of my need to do (and complete) one thing at a time, and prioritizing sleep was not a bad thing. Some things I could not get to and other things I go to do, I never thought I could or would do. This year, I supported a few teacher candidates with their inquiry, conference presentation, and soon to be academic writing. That is super exciting to me. In the summer, I went to Montreal and splurged a bit with the hotel, visiting friends and family, and collaborating/presenting with colleagues. In the fall/winter, I purchased a new home for me (and the kid) and adopted Simon the super cute cat.
I am loving my new home and never thought I could do this for myself… and I have. I’ve joined a few research groups and I am learning lots. Most of all, I focused on my health, meaning, I asked questions, made appointments, and yes, got my gallbladder removed in December. It was a long (and painful) journey to get to that point and the rest of December was spent moving, recovering, and ending the term. I cannot even believe that so much was accomplished in such a short time. I love working in my new office/bedroom and I love that Simon naps behind me on my bed and keeps me company while I type on my computer. I could not be happier. 2024 ended STRONG.
I’ve been contemplating my #OneWord2025 as I have been attempting to get back to my routines (with no excuses) and enjoying and appreciating my new space and company. In my other WordPress blog site, I wrote that my one-word for 2025 would be JOY. I am so obsessed by how much I loved my one-word of HAPPY. So much had manifested from it. Many things I did not anticipate, but I am Happy with how the year ended. I did not want it to stop. But, whit I am realizing is, my #OneWord2025 should be something that scares me a little, and maybe a bit back on the self-indulgent vibe again. I think I am going to stick with my original one-word for 2025 which is LOVE. In many ways, I think JOY is a given if I’m doing what I love. Right?
So there you go… I have landed on my one-word for 2025 and I will be modifying my other blog post to reflect the same word. I am super excited about 2025. I have learned so much from 2024 and I will continue with that learning. Gosh… there is nothing I love more than listening to the silence, looking out the window and watching the snow fall and ice skaters in the distance, and returning back to my blog(s) and work to being the new year. I really enjoy teaching in terms of all the things I get to learn, the creativity involved in designing learning experiences, and the people I get to work with while teaching and learning. This profession in teaching has brought me to many places… and the work that I do (and LOVE). I am grateful.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, January 05th, 2025 | Comments Off on A New Way of Being
August 18, 2017 – A photo taken the day after my doctoral oral defence of me, my mom, and my dad.
December 31, 2024 – Climate Change Education – BLOG 1
I went into the photo archives and pulled out this image of me, my mom, and my dad. This photo was taken the day after I successfully defended my dissertation. My mom could not attend my defence. She was not feeling well, but she was always routing for me. In fact, I think she waited for me. She passed away 6-months later. Writing about my mom was not the intention of the blog post, although, I will be writing about my mom soon. I wanted to write about her ever since she had passed away, but I was not ready. I’ve done a lot of work to get to a place of readiness and 2025 is the the year.
My intention in writing this blog post, and there will be many more for 2025, was to write about my thoughts and reflections as a research team member of the Climate Education in Teacher Education (CETE) research project. We have been working on this project for more than 2-years and a few months into our third year. The project started with a focus on Climate Change Education (CCE) with teacher candidates in the first year as one response to the Association for Canadian Deans in Education (ACDE) Accord on Education for a Sustainable Future (2022). Five of us got together.
The initiative started with one person on our term who has an expertise in climate change education and I helped out to share the ask with colleagues within the School of Education to see who was interested. Our research team of 5 formed and amongst the 5 of us, only one of us was a tenure-track member. The rest of us were either term, lecturer, or adjunct. We did not have the agency, ability, or motivation to get the research project off the ground, so this faculty member became the Principal Investigator. The initial goal was to investigate CCE use with Teacher Candidates.
The methodology chosen for this project is Educational Design-Based Research (EDBR) using Sandoval’s Conjecture Mapping. EDBR uses multiple strategies to unpack a complex problem in practical and doable ways. Conjecture mapping tracks our intentions and changes over time. The method, if anything, is experiential with many opportunities to pivot, when needed. We have pivoted many times, and that’s ok. We also work with a Design Team which is comprised of folks who are experts in the field, locally and nationally, and their role is to help guide our work/project.
Our main intervention of the CETE project is CCE workshops for practicing teachers and teacher candidates with a focus on northern BC. We offer/ed 4-workshops per year and in planning these workshops, we tried to anticipate the needs of the field but also listen to the feedback after each workshop. The preparation and development of these workshops are time intensive and much effort is given by research team members, design team members, and research assistant(s). We have offered and facilitated these workshops online and a few of them in person.
The attendance to these workshops have increased over time and so has the research project. As our dreams and aspirations grew, the research project expanded to 4 REB’s… the first is with Teacher Candidates, the second with practicing teachers from 2 school districts, the third is a self-study involving the research team, and the fourth one is the most recent that is focused on Indigenous knowledge holders and elders. This blog post series will focus on REB3, the Self-Study. We are asked as research team members to reflect on our experience and growth within the project.
Finally, I am back to writing about the picture above from my doctoral oral defence. Why does this image matter? My dissertation was about “out-of-field teachers” teaching secondary mathematics. I have an interest in out-of-field teaching, professional learning, and educational leadership. Lots of what I am interested in is MAKING A CHANGE… in one’s practice, in school/class culture, and in educational policy. I love the idea of agency, influence, and engaging learners to “be the change.” We are learners too. Anyway, this is my interest and motivation for the CETE project.
Moreover, I’m blogging about it as a means to reflect on my role on the research team and how this project is impacting me, as a learner, educator, researcher, and educational leader. We have a framework on MS Teams to record our reflections, however, my brain does not work in that way. I found the template to be a barrier to my reflections, so I have decided to blog about my thoughts in my reflective practice and then unpack my reflection within the framework as part of the analysis. Anyway, I am an “out-of-field” researcher on this project and learning lots on CCE and research.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, December 31st, 2024 | Comments Off on Reflective Practice: A Documentation
A patio pic taken from my apartment of 6-years taken on January 1, 2024.
I start off this blog post with the first picture I took in 2024. It’s a #patiopic from my apartment. I lived in this apartment for 6-years. Two of those years are blurred due to the pandemic. I lived in my house that I owned in Sechelt while I was teaching remotely and my kid was finishing Grade 12. And a few years was living with my kid in this one-bedroom apartment and my bedroom and office was situated in the dining room. Yes, I lived in the dining room with no door for more than 3-years. But this living arrangement was worth it to make it possible for me and the kid to live together. She had a transition year and picked up a couple courses to then enter into the nursing program at CNC and UNBC. I am so proud of her and she is half-way through her third year. In 2024, we have transitioned from surviving to thriving.
So much has happened in 2024. I am so HAPPY… my #OneWord2024. This year, I was focused on a SLOW mentality that embraced wellness, joy, and sustainability. The mantra is, do what you can do, one step at a time, and it’s ok that not everything gets done. SLEEP is a good thing. LOL. It’s true. For years… meaning decades… I would often forgo my well-being to get work done. There was no joy or self-compassion. My thinking had to change. In doing so, my sense of self and value for self needed to rise. My one-word HAPPY helped me to refocus, self-assess, and reflect on what’s important to me and what makes me happy. It’s as simple as that. I finally understood my agency. I joined research committees I want to be a part of, I volunteer for committees I want to contribute to, and I do what I want to do. That’s it. Who knew?
This year, I supported a few teacher candidates in their inquiries and presentation at three conferences. We are aiming for a fourth conference and hope to publish. I joined two research committees and on one of them, I am the Principal Investigator (supported by my more experienced peers). I also finished writing a chapter for a book on behalf of another research team who also supported me in that work. I also had my first term without teaching courses so that I could focus on my writing and my first year not supporting practicum. I am so happy to have this time to focus on research (and learning a tonne) while keeping a teaching role in my position. I loved working with the outgoing teacher candidates and learning lots from the incoming teacher candidates. I am honing my teaching practice and presenting lots. Yay me!!
I’m not sure if this is a year in review, meaning, being very specific with events, but I have go mention that I loved working with the teacher candidates this year, outgoing and incoming, I purchased a new home, and I got my gall bladder removed. Mentioning these three things indicate the love I have for teaching and learning, that I value myself to live in a home that I love and not feel dependent on other events to happen first before prioritizing my needs and wants, and my health matters. My health has been unravelling during this decade of my life, but I am so grateful that I could have the medical care and service to get day surgery and be fully recovered in less than a month. I never felt better… physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Although I’m not curling this season due to health reasons, I feel like 2025 has a lot more to offer. I’m back to weekly blogging and loving where I am. Thank you 2024.
One of the last photos I took today, December 29, 2024, looking at the patio of my new place.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, December 29th, 2024 | Comments Off on A Year in Review for 2024
I have to admit, Friday, November 15th, the day of the full moon, a billon things were happening and of course, I was unable to be in two or three places at time. I had to make choices. First, I had a manuscript review to submit. I worked on it during the week but could not quite get to the report until the day. I needed the time to think about it to synthesize my thoughts. Second, the CATE chapter was due. We received copy edits almost a month ago and I took the time to go through the edits and got some help from a colleague to get to the FINAL DRAFT. I was so grateful to the copyeditor, my colleague, and the freedom to get that chapter done and submitted for publication. The CATE book should be published by the end of this year.
Writing that chapter with my colleagues for CATE was an awesome learning experience for me. That is one of the things I am learning, to understand higher education, you just have to jump in and do it. Experiential learning is at the heart of being an academic. You don’t know until you know. I am thankful for the mentorship and support CATE and my colleagues offered me. I learned a lot. Third, I had three meetings on Friday: BCTEN Fall Convening, Educational Robots university team regroup, and CETE workshop development. I am involved in each of these groups in different capacities and all of these meetings involve research. It’s great to be a part of different learning communities as we move forward together in each respective group to contribute to and enhance BC education. And, my writing counts too.
Unfortunately, with all of these meetings, I missed a couple of good presentations I would have liked to have attended offered at the university relating to Indigenization and race-relations in higher education. These topics are important to me, but I feel that it’s a good problem to have the challenge of deciding what to do with my time. I hope that these two presentations were recorded. I can only hope. Finally, My day concluded with going out with my friend and attending the first Indigenous Fashion Show. The event involved two elementary schools and local Indigenous artists. I loved the feelings of community and belonging. My friend knew a lot of people. I was getting a bit overwhelmed, but the event was OUTSTANDING. There were students, community members, school district folks, and many vendors. I was a door prize winner!! My friend and I had a tonne of fun!! What a wonderful way to end the day!!
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, November 17th, 2024 | Comments Off on The Full Moon
I hate the idea of having to blog every two weeks. I guess it is what it is, and today I am making a re-commitment to a weekly blog post. I am reminded why I started blogging. It’s not just about developing a reflective practice, but it is also about practicing my writing skills. Admittedly, there has been a tonne of things happening and right now, I feel settled such that I can “spill the tea.” Mid-October, I put in an offer to purchase a townhouse. I am excited and learned a tonne over the last month.
My first lesson… follow your gut. There was just a day when I felt like I should look at places to live. I went to a few open houses (in townhouses, in particular) and kind of regretted not getting my finances in order so that I could put an offer into a place when I saw one I wanted and liked. The strata scene is not very big in Prince George. I was not sure if I wanted to live in a house and do all of the maintenance and condominiums are far and few between. I’ve lived in an apartment for six years not realizing that I would be in “this place” for this long. As it turns out, the commitment I wanted to make was “to place” and “to myself.” I wanted to settle and be in my home.
My second lesson… ask for help. The last time I purchased a house was 20-years ago. Can you believe that? My kid brought that to my attention TODAY, which alarmed me in some ways. She’s right. She was one-years old when I first moved into my first house. Now, my kid is 21. She’s got the math right. I’ve been looking online for quite some time for a place to live. I was so unsure if this was the next step I wanted to take, and if I did, what steps would I need to take? I ended up texting one of the real estate agents I met at one of the open houses. She responded promptly and has walked me through every step of the house-buying process. For this, I am so grateful. I had lots of questions and she’s been great. I feel that she has my best interests. I also want to give kudos to my banker from my former hometown, the home inspector, and all of those folks who helped me along the way. Thank you!!
My third lesson… when you know, you know. Making a decision and making a commitment has been challenging for me to say the least. Most times, my decisions have always been conditional. If this, then that… was the typical mantra. The truth is, that’s not how life works. Much like the first lesson, you’ve got to go with your gut. I spent a lot of my online searches and open houses looking for a place that would feel like home. I would find myself settling for “the next best” or something that was “cheaper.” These consolidations were things I typically adapt and live with but I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching in the last 5-years and I wanted to find a place that I loved. We looked at a half dozen places at my preferred site and the unit that I thought was maybe third or fourth on my list became first. The garage was a deal breaker for me, but the owners changed it from what was seen on the website. I called in my kid to see it this was a good place, and soon after I made an offer.
My fourth lesson… be patient and be present. The effort to remove the conditions to purchasing the townhouse was one that my relator walked me through (or at least talked me down from off the bridge) and my banker at my credit union really made things possible. Because it was 20-years ago since I last bought my house, the whole process was new to me. I followed the advice of my relator to get the home inspected. The home inspector was amazing, through, and supportive. And, every person (so far) that I talked on the phone to change things like home insurance, utilities, and movers have all been very helpful and professional. Now, I am in the middle of packing my stuff up. We are about 2/3 of the way through with a few weeks before we move. October 31st was the day when the sale was final and all conditions were met. Trick or treat? It was definitely a TREAT. Life is unravelling quickly and swiftly. We are moving at the end of the month. I can’t believe it. HOME… at last.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, November 11th, 2024 | Comments Off on When it Rains
