Look at what I found at Costco this week… DUMPLINGS!! Finding these is a moment to celebrate. Let me explain… I moved to Prince George from the Lower Mainland. Access to Chinese/Cantonese food was very easy. I have a lot of good memories having dim sum or double duck dinner with my mom and family. Food brought us together. I moved to the Central Interior of BC about 7 years ago (and 2 of those years were spent on the Sunshine Coast during the pandemic). Anyway, Chinese food in this area tends to be more of the Canadian-Chinese genre and finding places with authentic Chinese food is hard to find. We did find a few yummy dishes at one restaurant called Fortune Palace. It’s pretty close. There are also a few dishes that taste pretty good at Famous Wok in the mall too. So, I do like going there sometimes if I don’t want to spend $100 to get a meal. But, it would be nice to cook at home. What I really want are DUMPLINGS or dim sum.
One year, after the pandemic and returning to Prince George, I spend a whole year investigating where I could get yummy Chinese food, in particular, dumplings. I found some in Superstore. I found some refrigerated potstickers with that yummy vinegar sauces. That was excellent. I have also found Hong Kong style rice rolls, deep fried bread, and frozen onion pancakes. Lastly, the Superstore also have some delicious frozen vegan dumplings, egg tarts, hargow, and rice noodles. All of these items are pretty good. And taking the time to list these items makes me realize that there are quite a few things here in Prince George. There is a local store call the Marquee and I love getting the frozen dumpling there and sticky rice. AMAZING. I also try to by my sauces there and anything that seems to catch my attention. I love supporting a local business. And, I did find Hon’s potstickers at Save-on-Foods. That said, I love the Bibigo dumplings at Costco (and Superstore and Save-on-Foods). It’s my favourite, but can be pretty pricey. As you can see, I found bags of suimai and hargow at Costco. I’ve had the hargow before and now in stock, but the suimai was a new find. Both products are made in Canada. #winning
FOCUS ON THE JOY
I tried both dumplings yesterday along with some BBQ Buns from Costco (of which the taste was spot on), and the dumplings were pretty good. They are a 7 out of 10. You cannot compare these dumplings with those found in Vancouver. I go to a restaurant called The Neptune near Metrotown and The Boss in Metrotown. These two places are must go-to’s for me. The food reminds me of my mom, but one of the very few things that I hold on to as part of my ethnic identity. I feel that’s why I am so determined to find items like these to keep me grounded to who I am. As I reflect on this dumpling find and the dumpling-hunt overall, I am reminded by the process. There were lots of wins, but also some losses. And, that’s ok. That’s learning. You have to try some things out to see if it’s something that you want, or not want. Ironically, it serves as a metaphor for my work as a practitioner-scholar. That’s probably the first time that I have identified myself as that, but I am coming to terms that the term PRACTITIONER-SCHOLAR best describes who I am. I am deeply invested in action-research, program evaluations, and self-studies as part of my scholarship. Identity, experiential learning, and reflective practice are at the heart of what I do. The context is mathematics education, teacher education, and professional learning. Leadership, policy, and governance weave into my work ask well.
I feel very lucky to do what I do. I love going to conferences, I love presenting, and I love learning. I love working with others, whether it be students or colleagues, and I love learning from experience. I understand that in my work, there is a sense of urgency, productivity, and publishing to attain tenure and promotion, but my position is a bit different. As much as I could “complain” or be distressed about not being tenure track, but I feel lucky nonetheless. I live in a community that is just the right size for me. I live in my home (that I bought all by myself) with my kid and cat. And, I live in a way that works for me and my pace of life. I am learning that I am not living my life for anyone else, but for myself. There are wins and losses, much like the dumplings. For example, I have won 2 internal grants as the principal investigator to support two research assistants and I am currently working with 3 teacher candidates to go to a student teacher conference and 3 recent graduates to publish a chapter. I think my only barrier is… ME. No one wants to eat a yucky dumpling, but how else do you learn? Yes, there is a potential to be rejected (which I have been) but the focus is what I can learn from the experience and feedback. You never know… it might be a winning dumpling!! Just try.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, January 16th, 2026 | No Comments »
Sadly, this photo was taken from the archives… LOL. It’s a photo from September 2025 and it kind of reflects my current feeling. So, why not? The reason why this photo was in my recent images, I was reviewing my photos throughout the year and selecting a photos for each month for a photo collage of highlights for 2025 (see below). I guess this image of me did not make the cut. It’s snowing today and I just finished my PowerPoint presentations for my classes on Monday. I still have to prep on Sunday, but it’s nice to be ahead on the “lesson plan” and then prep the details the night before. I’m hoping to figure out my routine for the winter term. Last year, it was terrible. Having 8-hours of instruction on Mondays does not lend well to “be a person Saturdays.” I am a little combobbled right now. I totally forgot to recycle today because I was working today.
Recycling will now have to wait a week… a natural consequence to being combobbled. I did do the weekly cat-cleaning duties this morning, but I guess working on the PowerPoint and planning offset my momentum for the week. Nor here or there… I’m not even sure why I’m writing about it. LOL. Actually, I do enjoy recycling. I love the closure of sorting and emptying out my recycling bins and bags. I did realize that I did not recycle this afternoon and it would have been viable to “get up and go” to recycle this afternoon, but it was snowing A LOT and I just came back from a short outing with the kid (and she was driving). I made the executive decision NOT to recycle. I did not want to go outside. Accept the consequences and move on. But here’s the deal… NOTHING HAPPENS.
No one cares if I had recycled today or not, or if my photo was just taken yesterday or four months ago. NOTHING HAPPENS. This life’s lesson has taken me a very long time to understand. There are always natural consequences, but the intensity of anyone caring or that life will end or that “something terrible” will happen… doesn’t happen. I learned this lesson almost a handful of years ago when I rented a car. I backed into a planter on my way back to the airport and I was stressing the whole way there. During the whole trip, I imagined many different outcomes… and none of them were good. My anxiety was at an all time high as I approached the parkade to drop off the car. I told them about the back bumper on the driver’s side. One of them went out to inspect the car and confirmed my claim. They asked me to sign in a few places and said that the bill to repair the vehicle would be in the mail. There was no judgement, no shaming, and no blaming. NOTHING HAPPENED. I got the bill and for such a “small” ding, the bill was a doozey, but not unreasonable. I realized then that I was the one who cared… but no one else did.
There are some instances when people do care, but the actions are my doing and others may have been negatively impacted. Again, there are natural consequences, but I can take ownership for my actions. That’s another life’s lesson. Take ownership of what you do or what you believe in… that’s my agency but also my responsibility. I can understand that, for sure. I will admit that I do appreciate when “nothing happens.” It was almost like I had to cool-down my nervous system and not overthink or overreact to a situation. That fear was deeply embedded in me and I needed the time to unlearn or deprogram myself into a different way of being. I can see that I can be my biggest obstacle. The fear of failure or success is overwhelming sometimes that it just leads me to avoidance, procrastination, or self-sabotaging behaviours. That’s not a good thing either, even though NOTHING HAPPENS. And, even if something did happen, I would potentially be deeply triggered into cognitive paralysis. The fear would be and can be overwhelming.
Of course, I see Adam Grant’s post tonight as I was writing this blog post and I was heartened by the message of focussing on habits and not outcomes. The outcomes will come. I would give that message to my math students (when I taught high school math). “Don’t focus on the grade, focus on the math… the grade will come.” How full circle is this? It’s the pot calling the kettle black. I am so grateful for my #OneWord2026: PRACTICE… in particular, “deliberate practice.” What I really intended with this word are HABITS. Changing one thing at a time… nothing major… but with a real focus on improving my health, courage to take (academic) risks, and be present. Today, I exercised for 30 minutes, I had 2 Stanleys of water (with electrolytes), and I’m getting used to using my NEW electric toothbrush and brushing for 2 minutes twice a day (and flossing). I am also trying to blog on Saturdays (even though it’s now Sunday after midnight).
There are a few habits I want to break… or minimize… but it’s these small victories I need to be celebrating and PRACTICING different habits and “alter actions that are in my control.” I also finished my planning for Monday on Saturday (with some prep on Sunday). THIS IS PROGRESS. I am also going to bed at a decent hour and I will get up tomorrow morning to start anew. I can do this and I am realizing that I also need to be reasonable with all the things I put on myself as well. I can’t expect that I can do a million things (plus one) just because I perceive other people are doing that or if I believe that is something I should do. There you go… another habit I am practicing. When do I say no? What do I love to do? What makes me happy? I also believe I am trying to kick the PLEASER-mindset to find my self-worth, but rather I am understanding my self-worth and learning how to act accordingly. Focus on the process. In the end, NOTHING HAPPENS.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, January 04th, 2026 | No Comments »
Is that what I want for myself? It’s starting to look like a habit… re: blogging every second week. That’s not my plan, but it’s turning out to be that way. Normally, I would like to blog to reflect on my week but also think about some of the lessons learned during that week. Moreover, blogging often helped me as a warm-up to work. Is this something that I am making up? I think I am, but lately, I have not been prioritizing my blog time as part of my “things to do.” Blogging would be something that I looked forward to, particularly on the weekends. I would also blog when I was inspired so more than one blog post would emerge from the week. Now, I perceive blogging like work (i.e., something that I have to do). Blogging is not part of my work, but maintaining a reflective practice is part of my work. Anyway, here I am… two weeks later… writing my blog post… on a Monday.
If anything, I do need to get motivated or geared up to do the list of things I need to do. I have been prioritizing sleep and rest. Unfortunately, last weekend I opted to work… and I did… all weekend. By the time the week rolled around, I was somewhat tired, I needed a lot more to recover from the day, and my days remained fairly full. As a result, things that did not get done just spill over into the next week. Last Friday, after two weeks of full-output with respect to ending the term and doing additional work I have signed up for, I had nothing left in me after an afternoon meeting that day. The weather dipped deep into the cold, it was snowing, and I just wanted to REST… and so I did… all weekend, guilt-free. I just needed the time to restore myself. I had no idea that recycling, vacuuming, and doing my laundry would have such a restorative effect on me.
I was not in the mood for anything Friday night. I did not have the will. I did some housework on Saturday, as mentioned. On Sunday, I just slept in, took a nap, and chilled for most of the day. I did not even want to blog, so here I am on a Monday afternoon, the day after winter solstice. Dang, it did get dark early yesterday. And, I made my kid and her boyfriend dinner. I cleaned up and just enjoyed my time with my cat. I’m becoming one of those ladies… a cat-lady… and, I’m liking it. I was looking forward to the next couple of days to catch up on a very big list on some very big things to complete that rolled into this week from the last few weeks and beyond. Sadly, I almost missed the one Monday morning meeting I had scheduled. Holy moly… there needs to be a balance between rest and work. I am loving BE A PERSON Saturdays, but it does trickle into Friday nights and Sundays. I don’t think it’s a bad thing, but it does make the week full.
If anything, I am not complaining, but I am honestly grateful to have this work to do. I love what I am doing. I love where I am. And, I love the people that I get to work with. In the end, prioritizing my time only highlights what’s important to me. All of what I am doing is important and I have learned to walk away from things that do not fill my cup, sucks up too much energy, or I do not love to do. So, how lucky am I? VERY LUCKY.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, December 22nd, 2025 | Comments Off on Prioritizing My Time
My kid was hanging out in my office for a bit last week. I invited her to see a talk with me on Friday afternoon. she agreed to go with me as she had a couple of meetings after the presentation. We went to my office to charge her iPad and she started looking at some of my collectables in my office. One of the things she found was my dad’s slide rule. She asked, “What is this?” I said it was a slide rule. She said, “What is it used for?” I knew it was used for mathematics, but of course, I looked online to see what the slide rule is really (see image below). It’s used for math… for logarithms, exponents, trigonometry, etc. It was a device used before calculators. She then asked me if I knew how to use it or if I ever used it for school. The answer was no and no, but I did say to her that it was one of those gems that I took from my dad as a keepsake. My brother and I have so many memories of things that were in the house that we remember as a kid (i.e., a copper globe that opened up and it was a cigarette holder… LOL).
Anyway, we started talking about logarithms. I asked her if she know what a logarithm was. She did not take Pre-Calculus Math 12, so I wondered what she knew about logarithms. She was not aware of logarithms, so I started talking to her about it. I started to give her some examples, orally, and then asked her some questions. Through trial and error, she started to get the concept. This activity was so fun. It reminds me when she was 3 of 4 years old and I’m teaching her about square roots when we were driving in the car. Yes, it’s true. We did math problems in the car instead of singing or telling stories. I talked math… and she would get it. So, it was really cool for me to see that she was getting logarithms base 10. So of course, I changed the base and started asking her different questions. She started to get it. Classic mom… I asked her what was log 1? Hence the picture, we needed to talk and write it out in terms of a logic using exponents. I was so impressed that my kid persisted. LOL. I thought it was a good sign even though she ended the conversation with “I was never good at math.” I would strongly disagree.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slide_rule
Here is what I love more… the next day, she asks me… “When do we use logarithms anyway?” She insisted that I give examples… and so I did. Example 1: Earthquakes and the Richter Scale. Example 2: pH values and acidity of solutions. I think I might have impressed her. LOL. I’m giggling… with joy and wonder. I love that my kid was interested in mathematics. I took joy in her curiosity and willingness to learn and engage. I mean, I’m her mom. I can get potentially annoying and I’m talking math!! Finally, I took much joy in talking about math and I loved teaching math to her and with her. I did say to her that I was not the smartest in mathematics, but I did ok. She said I was smart. I said, I taught high school mathematics for more than a decade. You just get better at it over time. Anyway, that experience told me that I would love to go back to K-12 education teach math. In the meantime, I am teaching numeracy to elementary teacher candidates. That, in itself, has so much to learn as well. Math is too fun and that’s where my joy sits.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, November 23rd, 2025 | Comments Off on Talking Math
It’s a time to remember all those who fought in the war for our freedom. I am so grateful for the freedom and quality of life I have in Canada as a second-generation Chinese-Canadian woman. Despite some systemic and societal struggles as a person of colour, I have led a wonderful life and I have much to thank to the veterans and those who continue to protect and fight for our country. I recognized that I am very privileged and my struggles are ones that are personal to me and I have the opportunity to discern, wonder, and reflect. Lately, I have been appreciating the little things like where I live, what I am eating, and what I am doing. It’s the little things that I am able to appreciate, enjoy, and have gratitude for. I feel very lucky and safe to be where I am today.
And, when I say things like I LOVE WHERE I AM… I continue to struggle with other things like MY NAME. It’s so frustrating. I can see why identity and self-knowledge are underpinnings to my teaching practice in the teacher education program. For some reason at the university, my name changed from “Christine Ho Younghusband” to “Christine Younghusband.” All of my platforms associated to the university has changed my name (back) to Christine Younghusband. Why does this matter? I struggled with the idea of having my name as Christine Ho Younghusband when I came to the university. I wanted to honour my family’s name but also my married name. I never liked the name I was born with (aka. Alice Christine Ho) and I had always gone with the name “Christine” which is somewhat acceptable, and in my formative years as “Chris.” Doctor’s or bank offices love to use the name “Alice” and my last name is often considered to be “Younghusband” versus “Ho Younghusband.” This name thing is tough when you are in academia. You are trying to create a brand with your name, but also some name recognition.
I know this notion of MY NAME seems almost ridiculous to even speak of, but it’s a pain in the (you know what). Now that I reflect on it, on the one hand, I don’t really like my name as a whole (I mean… who’s Alice?), and on the other hand, I don’t seem to have a lot of control what name I would like to go by (even when I ask for it to be noted or changed). Is this a self-knowledge issue? An identity issue? Or sense of agency and belonging issue? If anything, my name has been a struggle. Yes, I could change it, and I tried, but for whatever reason (aka. a system update), my name reverted back to what it was??? When students and peers ask me what my name is and why I had changed my name, I have no answer but a complex and convoluted one. What is more interesting is, it was super awkward to transition into the name “Christine Ho Younghusband” 7 years ago, but now going back to “Christine Younghusband” does not feel right… much like “Christine Ho,” “Alice Younghusband,” or “Alice Christine Ho” are not quite right. Oof. It’s a thing.
I will ponder this situation while being grateful for my freedom and for those who fought in wars to provide freedom to our country. I feel very lucky, regardless of my name.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, November 11th, 2025 | Comments Off on My Name is a Struggle
I cannot believe it’s November. Where has the time gone? Although the family reunions with members from my family from G1 (my dad’s generation), G2 (my generation), and G3 (my kid’s generation) have gathered together in Vancouver this weekend (and the G1 sisters went to Vancouver Island last week with my cousin and her husband), the gathering continues for another couple of days. For me, I’m heading back to work and heading back home to Prince George. That said, I’ve had two and a bit days spending time with my family… reconnecting, getting to know one another, and having good times around food and various activities. One of those activities was curling. From what I am hearing, it was a highlight of the reunion. We went to the Marpole Curling Club and we took sheets 1 and 2. They also had club volunteers to help out with teaching us on how to sweep, throw a rock, and how to play. We were on Ice 1. Our couch was firm, formative, and enthusiastic about the game. Most of my cousins and nieces and nephews never played curling before. My sister, on the other hand, was a like returning home and was a super star!! I, on the other hand, remain injured and helped out with the coaching, took photos, and learned how to play with the stick. I enjoyed learning something new. We had a great time. On Ice 1, we managed to learn how to play and play 3-ends of the game within 2-hours and Ice 2 learned how to sweep and throw rocks. We had a great time. Time flew by before having to leave for dinner at my brother’s place where we had sushi, played intro to Majong, and watched Game 7 of the World Series. The night before, we met at my aunt’s place for Chinese take-out and we watched Game 6, before curling we had dim sum, and last night we went out to the Dynasty Restaurant for an authentic Chinese dinner. Everything was delicious. I really enjoyed connecting with everyone. I loved the photos my cousin shared. I feel very lucky.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, November 03rd, 2025 | Comments Off on Back on the Ice Again
Finally… I am listening to my body. I am always bringing my laptop downstairs with the hopes and intentions of doing work while sitting in my LazyBoy reclining chair and listening to Dr. G. Medical Examiner on YouTube via my TV. Over and over again I engage in this behaviour thinking that the next day will be a new day and I’ll jump into my work. Albert Einstein said, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results (citation affirmed by Google). I even knew that going to my office upstairs would be the most ideal and only way to get work done, unless I wanted to go to work and sit at my desk there. Anyway, I am HERE, sitting at my desk, upstairs, and blogging, which is a warm-up to doing work. Yay!! I’m here and working!!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING WEEKEND!!
Can you believe that it’s mid-October? I cannot. I have no idea where time is going to, but I am grateful to be here with my health, my cat, my kid, my work, and my place where I live. I have a lot to be grateful for and I am. I made turkey dinner last night. It took me about 6-hours to cook, 20-minutes to eat, and a couple of hours to clean up. Wowza. Preparing the dinner for me and my kid took most of my day and there was no way I was getting to any work last night. I also underestimated the time it would take for the turkey to cook and we ate at about 8:30pm last night. It was a late dinner with lots of snacks in between. My kid made note to me that it was a long time since I made turkey dinner. I could not remember when I made turkey dinner last. She said it was likely when I live in my other house. DAMN. That is at least 8-years ago. I’m guessing, but that has been quite some time. Admittedly, I am not looking forward to the next time. I think I’ll do what my twin brother does, especially when I live alone one day. I’ll get turkey dinner from WhiteSpot. Keep it simple. That was a lot of work for 20 minutes of eating.
I also spent the weekend resting. I had a tonne to do, of course, and I am grateful to have this work, but I needed to take a time out. I was not burning out, but I have been spending almost 2 years on focusing on myself and self-care. I am really trying to disengage from the hustle-culture and participate in work that I need to do, want to do, and rest when I need to. My teaching days of Tuesday, Wednesdays, and Thursdays heighten my workload (even though that is my workload). I am also engaged in a few research projects and projects for my department that also takes some of my time. I always appreciate Saturdays as “be a person day” where I can spend that day any way I want, guilt free. It could entail work, or not. All is good. Last week, I hosted a guest speaker in my teacher education class to help facilitate the blanket exercise. It’s a super powerful exercise depicting Canadian history from an Indigenous perspective.
In preparation for this class, I brought the blankets from home. I brought one garbage bag the night before prior to my night class, and a few other bags the next morning. I was so shocked how many people stopped to ask if I needed help. One offered me a ride to the front door. I declined. One person offered to carry a bag the next morning (I was carrying a few), and I accepted. Another person offered to carry a bag back to my car. I refused the help. And, the students in the class helped to set up the room and then folded the blankets after class ended while moving the tables and chairs in places in preparation for the next class. Overall, I was so touched by the gestures. No prompting. No soliciting. People just offered. Strangers to me (with exception to my students). I thought it aligned perfectly to the outcomes of the blanket exercise… meaning, people are kind, compassionate, and generous. My faith in humanity restored, especially after a very emotional and disturbing exercise about Canadian history. Thank you for your kindness.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, October 13th, 2025 | Comments Off on Faith in Humanity
I cannot believe it’s October… and, I cannot believe I’m 55. What an accomplishment. I even tested my blood pressure a couple of days ago at the pharmacy. It was the first time I got “OPTIMAL” with 115/77. Yay for medication!! I also think that I have taken some intentionality to REST and not be burdened or driven by the THE CHASE and trying to prove myself to someone. The only person I need to impress is myself. That thinking and this way of being is pure LIBERATION. Dang. I am really appreciating my 50’s and lots have happened over the last 5 years, and many years prior, to bring to this place. There were definite ups and downs, struggles and victories, but I would not have it any other way. I had to learn exactly what I needed to learn when I did. No regrets. All is good.
I just loved my birthday and how it manifested. I had no expectations. I feel very humbled and loved. Thank you to my students, my kid, and my friends for making the day so special. I am filled with gratitude and happiness. When I look at all of the well-wishes online via social media, DM, text, email, or in-person, I can see how diverse and wonderful my life has been. I often think I lead a “boring” life, but really, I have done many different things in my career and lived in different places. I’m not comparing, but honestly, I loved how diverse the folks were who reached out to wish me happy birthday. How lucky am I? I feel very lucky. I have my health (even though I’m not a super athlete and could eat a little bit better). I have a career of my dreams (I am always focused on learning). And, I have good people (and my cat) in my life. I have lots to be grateful for.
Over the last year or so, I’ve been hyper-focused on rest, doing what I love, and creating boundaries that can sustain my happiness, freedom, and autonomy. This pedagogical journey has not been an easy one, and when I look back, I had to make some critical decisions (knowing or not knowing) that took the left turns to arrive where I am today. I have never felt better. I am finally feeling like more like myself without feeling like I’m having to please or prove myself to someone else. Again, the person I need to impress is me. The person that needs to feel satisfied is me. Turning 55 is a big deal for me and I feel that I am officially starting the third chapter of this life (and I am happy to be here). At 55, my aunt (on my mother’s side) retired from her occupation in banking (very corporate) and when my dad announced his FREEDOM 55 plan, which was to leave the pulp mill and go to China before retiring in the Lower Mainland. What am I looking for?
I am looking for PEACE. I feel very content right now and yet, I feel scattered at times. So many things to do, yet so little time. That said, I have been prioritizing slowing down and pausing when I need to. Unfortunately, things like my DESKTOP, for example, on my computer has a 1000 tabs open and well as my search engine (another 1000 tabs), and lots that I would like to get done, but I am not. Let’s be clear, I am making lots of progress, and I am also finding the courage to find another journal to publish my dissertation (that has taken some time). But I know I can do better. So here are 3 short term goals (while continuing doing what I am doing with respect to rest): (1) clear off my computer desktop (aka., get organized) and write a list of things-to-do in my planner; (2) drink water and eat whole foods (aka., cook at home); and, (3) do some daily exercise (i.e., walk, YouTube videos, go outside, meditate). Small changes can lead to big change.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, October 06th, 2025 | Comments Off on How Many Windows
It’s hard to believe that it’s almost October. I’m still stuck on “where did July go?” Time is certainly flying by. The weather is a good indication that it’s FALL. I do love the rainy weather. It reminds me of the coast. But, I also love the changing colour of the leaves. Fall is my most favourite season in the Central Interior, and this area has four distinct seasons. There is a lot to love about this time of year… and it’s my BIRTHDAY MONTH. Can you believe that I’m turning 55? I can’t. I think that I was 37-years old for a very long time… and now, I’m 55.
I remember when my dad turned 55. We were in Prince Rupert. His birthday is May 19th. So, if he was 55, I was 22 (turning 23 that year). My kid is 22-years old right now. This year is very full circle for me. I have an image in my head (a memory, I suppose) of us having a family dinner at Galaxy Gardens, our Chinese restaurant of choice. We were sitting on the dining room side in one of the closed off areas with the large round tables. My dad was “cutting the cord” with Mark’s tennis ball (don’t ask… LOL) and we presented him with a Canuck jersey with “FREEDOM 55” written on the back of it. Mark must have been graduating from university and my dad was retiring from the pulp mill. Turning 55 was a big deal for my dad and it was a day of celebration.
I’m beginning to question the timing and location of this celebration… soon after he retired, they went to China for a handful of years (to figure out how to make pulp from long grass) and then moved to the Lower Mainland. Mark and I lived in the condominium my parents purchased after they left Prince Rupert. I think the timing is right. I think I just graduated from my Bachelor of Science and hoping to enter the teacher education program after the summer. And yes, I was in Prince Rupert and worked at the gift shop at the Museum of Northern British Columbia. Huh. This memory of my dad’s 55th birthday was very clear… very joyful. And, I do recall there is a photo of us in the restaurant with one image of my dad “cutting the cord” and another image with my dad holding up the jersey. Freedom 55 is not quite how I’m entering this lifespan milestone. I think I’m entering it with lots of gratitude.
First of all, I’m early to mid-career at the university. This employment (hopefully) will not end any time soon (even though I see lots of my friends retiring from the K-12 school system). I am really enjoying the work and I am learning lots. I have finally come to a place in this work where I am very content and feel that I have lots of agency (and freedom) to engage in academia and teaching that brings me a lot of joy and on-purpose to contribute back to K-12 education (and teacher education). I am really enjoying the work and believe that I am where I need to be. Second, I am still living with my kid. This co-habitation has been absolutely wonderful for me. As we both transition into “adulthood,” we are able to live together and support one another in our new home (hence the patio-pic image above). I just love our place and I am very happy living here. We have all the amenities we need, we have space to live (with strata doing lots of the outdoor maintenance), and we love the location. We are only 8 minutes away from the university. Finally, life has taken many left turns to lead us here in Prince George. I have never been happier. And for that, I am grateful.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, September 28th, 2025 | Comments Off on Gratitude 55
Omg… I cannot believe it’s September. Goodbye summer time!! The summer months flew by… and I enjoyed every moment of it. I was able to take the time to enjoy my place and feel at home. I LOVE BEING AT HOME and I love where I am living. I love the sunsets. I love the space. I love this little community. I feel safe. I feel solace. I feel a lot of gratitude. I am so proud of myself that I am able to have my own place and that I am able take care of my kid as she approaches adulthood. I am super happy with my job and I am grateful for my autonomy, freedom, and agency in my work. It’s truly a dream. I am in a different place and I LOVE what I do, where I am, and who I am.
How lucky am I?
That said, I totally miscalculated how fast that time would go this spring/summer term. This year has been the first spring/summer term where I did not have a course to teach or be responsible for. I had fantasized that I would get a billion things done during this term. Unfortunately, I did achieve everything I wanted to accomplish in four months. If I shared my original ambition to a friend of mine, they would have said it was unreasonable and unrealistic. I’ve taken all summer to understand what SMART goals really mean. It’s ok to spend time resting and appreciating a slower pace to life. I loved it. But now, I find myself cramming to get things done and some things will not get done. Being ambitious is good, but I need to be a bit more reasonable.
What have I accomplished?
First, I have learned how to enjoy quiet time guilt-free and to appreciate taking life at a slow pace. This way of living is 100% refreshing and revitalizing. I am enjoying life as an introvert and feel that I am truly up to my INFP preferences, which is so opposite from being an ESTJ for most of my working life (as a teacher). The transition was gradual to this SLOW-way of being and I’m loving it. Although I did have to partake in a few significant life changes to get here, I have no regrets. I appreciate my own company (with the cat and kid, of course) and the quiet time I have to myself. It’s nourishing. I feel more aligned to the way I want to live my life. I am very thankful that I can do this… and afford this way of being. It’s a privilege I will not take for granted.
Second, I went to a couple of conferences and presented a handful of times. In the spring, I travelled to Toronto, ON to attend CSSE and Congress. I presented a paper at CAARE (Action Research) in collaboration with 3 former teacher candidates (now practicing teachers) about the sit-spot lesson study; I co-presented with the CETE (Climate Education in Teacher Education) research team members at CNIE (Network of Innovation) about the project; I presented (single author) at CATE (Teacher Education) about in-situ learning in my assessment class; and, I presented at a the CASIE (Indigenous Education) roundtable in collaboration with my friend about the 4 R’s and assessment. In the summer, I co-presented with the District Numeracy Teacher and an Elementary Teacher Candidate at the UNBC Teaching and Learning Conference about Numeracy Night at Edgewood. Presenting is a great way to get your work out there and share your interests with others, but also a means to connect with other people, to network, and get inspired for future writing opportunities.
Third, I got some manuscripts, chapters, and a book chapter proposal completed for submission. Although I have a few more manuscripts to attend to (as well as others on the horizon I would like to write about), I am super grateful and thankful for the work and collaborations that was accomplished this spring/summer term. There were two manuscripts submitted by the CETE research team, where I am the third author on both pieces of work. One was resubmitted for publication and the other was recently submitted for a special edition. I submitted two chapters for the Leadership Book to be produced by the School of Education; one chapter was lead by my colleague and the second chapter was led by me. The latter chapter was submitted to be a conference proceeding for a conference from a couple of years ago, but not much had manifested from that. I thought that submitting an updated version to the book would be a better opportunity for the piece to be published. I was glad to return to that piece to make the revisions it needed. Finally, I have submitted another manuscript that needed revisions with another group about cultural adaption of schools. we hope to get a second manuscript out soon to be considered as well. Lastly, I am hoping to get a book review out, but time is running out!! (… or ran out).
It’s September!!
My accomplishments is not an exhaustive list, but rather a list to reflect upon and acknowledge. I have also been working on getting ethics approved for another project I am leading and I hope to be submitting another one for a book chapter proposal I submitted to be co-written with the 3 former teacher candidates mentioned above. We made a submission and then was asked to make some revisions to that proposal to align the work to the theme of the book. They were fair comments and I am greatly appreciating the feedback that has been graciously offered to me during conferences and writing. It’s formative feedback at its finest with the wholehearted intention to make the work (and you) better. I LOVE THAT!! The learning-mindset thrives on it.
OK. Now, it’s back to work on this labour day weekend. Seems counterintuitive, but I would like to get the provisos for this ethics application done. We took a few spins on how the project would proceed (based on the feedback), and it’s taken a few revisions that is taking more time than anticipated to complete. All is good. That is what I am also learning too. If you want to take it SLOW, you have to do a little bit each day to get things done. That’s a difficult lesson for to learn, but a good one. I am finding that taking breaks during your work-span of a project actually is better for the project. I don’t think that the mindset is… it’s taking longer than expected… but rather… it takes time for good things to happen. I’m ok with that. The consequence, I am learning how long it will take to do things and thus, will take on work that I can do. And, that’s it!!
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, September 01st, 2025 | Comments Off on You can only control yourself
