I never thought it would be possible to make lo bak go on my own. I have no idea what inspired me to do it, with exception for the biweekly vegetable basket my kid had signed us up for with her friends. This creation came from our second basket. And much like the first basket, there were a lot of red and white radishes… and other vegetables I am not personally accustomed to. Anyway, it’s a good way to be introduced to new vegetables and to explore new recipes. That said, a few weeks ago, I roasted the beets and radishes with salt, pepper, and olive oil. It was a simple recipe I Googled and it I thought it would be something that I would like. In the end, it was ‘ok’ or as the kids would say ‘mid.’ I was not compelled to eat them and honestly, I thought I could do better. When the second basket arrived, we got more radishes and beets as well as other mysterious vegetables (to me). I need to take some deliberate action to transform some of these vegetables into something “I want to” eat.
I had to Google a lot to determine the difference between a turnip and radish, and where does “white turnip” or “Chinese radish” sit within this continuum of root vegetables. I still was not 100% sure, but proceeded with the recipe using the white radishes. I even ventured to Save-On-Foods last night to get “rice flour.” I think I threw that out a few months ago thinking that I would never use it. I also threw out the bag of little dried shrimp. My kid made me lo bak go for Christmas last year. Admittedly, it stank up the entire apartment (LOL), but was the BEST-GIFT-EVER. I just love this food. The amount of work required to make this dim sum or Chinese New Year dish was seemingly intense, from watching my kid (and my mom as a kid). I thought it would be something that I would have to gorge myself with when I went to Vancouver. I have a set out rules for my family: (1) only Chinese or Asian food; (2) I have to have lo bak go at least once a day as part of one of my meals. I can’t get enough of this stuff.
August 7, 2024 – I made it again… like a pro!
A slight interruption to the blogging process and I’m back again… and yes, I made a second batch of lo bak go like a PRO. I remembered the process and ingredients. I had to look back at a few measurements and voilĂ . It’s almost like I’ve created a system such that I only use a few kitchen items and clean as I go. “The smell” is minimized without the dried shrimp, but it would definitely enhance the favour and texture of the lo bak go. Anyway, I digress and as you can read… we got a lot of radishes in this veggie basket. I had to freeze the second lo bak go loaf. As much as I love this food and it brings many memories of my mom, I am left to wonder about how my mom knew how to make this in the 80’s when we had no internet. There was a Chinese community in Prince Rupert, but I don’t really know how she learned how to make this dish. I do remember the long and laborious process, and she was able to make other Chinese dim sum like rice rolls. That’s another favourite dish of mine, not as much as lo bak go. It’s not everyone’s favourite but I am so happy I can make it.
THE METAPHOR: Trust me. The lo bak go experience is teaching me something. I had always believed that it was too hard to make so don’t bother making it. Just buy it (when you can). Other people will make it… for me. What I have learned is, I can make it for myself. I can find ways to make it happen (i.e., Google a recipe, adapt with materials, and make the best at what I have). What’s the worst thing that can happen? What I am understanding is, the worst thing that could happen is not trying. I have exceeded my expectations. I had no idea what I was about to embark on and what I have realized is, it’s not as hard as I thought it was. I can learn from my mistakes. And, I can make it better the next time. There’s immediate formative feedback (i.e., taste, texture, presentation) and I can take that information and learn from it to do it better the next time. Moreover, when you do it again, the process gets faster, cleaner, and clearer. That’s exciting. Lo bak go is a metaphor for my work… my life. You will only know when you try. It can be scary and uncertain, but not knowing and staying in “old beliefs” are also scary and uncertain. So, which would you rather? I’m going to try.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, August 07th, 2024 | Comments Off on Making My Favourite Food
August 2, 2024 – A Hat Trick – I’m going to Hawaii
Oh my… I’ve just finished making, adapting, and finalizing my travel plans to Hawaii. <<BREATHE>> I’m going!! I’m having a moment right now and having some difficulties starting and writing this blog post. I am committing this trip to Honolulu. Today, I just received notice that my two paper proposals were reviewed and accepted by the Hawaii International Conference on Education 2025. Last year, I missed out. I should say that. What really happened was I hesitated, second guessed, and missed my opportunity. In the end, to go to the conference last year, it got way too unaffordable. I just could not go. Disappointing because last year’s conference was on the Big Island, but really, I was not suppose to go. I was not ready. Now, I’M READY!!
I’m still experiencing a bit of sticker shock, but I am compelled to jump in and apply for an internal grant to hopefully fund this trip. Either way, I am going and I will be presenting my work. I can’t wait. I love the idea that my research is in the Scholarship of Teaching and what I will be presenting are two examples from my teaching practice in higher education written as a program evaluation. I FEEL READY to share these ideas. I just realized today that an innovation I had pursued 5-years ago was slowly eliminated from my program at my university (of not my doing), but it the ideas were adopted in a graduate program at another university. My aha moment was, these ideas that I do have are worthwhile and they work… for folks who want it to work.
In Montreal, I presented five times at Congress 2025: once for OTESSA (technology education), once for CAARE (action research), and three times for CATE (teacher education). Anyway, four of these presentations are projects in collaboration with others and one of them was a solo pursuit. What surprised me at that conference was the interest expressed by peers and audience members for my independent work. People were interested and curious about the topic. I did not expect that. It has taken me months to internalize that feeling and accept it. What I understand now is, formative feedback is not always direct but it can be indirect and serendipitous. Also, it’s me believing in my work and in myself. What I do (and love to do) has value.
Part of my VISION is to go to Hawaii. I know that and I need to not only present my work, but also learn more about culture, place, and identity. I have full intentions of exploring these ideas relating to my ethnic identity and I am learning that I have to learn about “who I am” or as Parker Palmer would say, develop my self-knowledge, on my own. My mom has passed away and my dad is alive, but distant. I need to pursue this work as an autoethnography, but it correlates to other research interests as well. So, as much as I can reason why NOT to go to Hawaii, but all arrows are pointing towards… I’ve got to go. I rebooked the dates of my hotel room. I’m staying one more night and I have an ocean view. Dreamy. I got a bit of a deal on my plane ticket too.
I am reaping the rewards of my WestJet card… finally. I never thought I would see the day. I used some points for my plane ticket to Honolulu, and I used points and travel companion voucher to take me and my kid to Las Vegas too to celebrate being 21. We are going with my siblings too. It’s time with family and my kid over the winter break. I am super excited about that trip too. Ooo… I’m developing a liking to travel. I never thought I would, but I am reminded by some words of advice given by someone I met on my Italy trip at the castle. Travel now, when you can. One day, you won’t be able to travel… so go. This person makes a very good point. TO WHAT EXTENT? Well, enough that it serves me, I am able to afford it, and I derive a lot of joy from it. 🙂 Mahalo.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, August 03rd, 2024 | Comments Off on To What Extent
I am back at work right now. I have made a commitment to come to my office for a 4-week+ office hours for my EDUC 405 portfolio course. I just gleaned over one early submission and it looks FANTASTIC!! I love portfolio as a platform for reflection and celebration. What I love even more is the opportunity to use writing as a means for thinking. I often find myself meandering into different ideas or wonderings when I am blogging. Today’s blog post is not exception. I have missed another “weekly blog post” last week and I am ok with that. I missed a couple in the last month and I have to admit, I was more focused on resting or pausing. Last weekend, I took the time to clean my apartment, do my laundry, and get rid of any expired food from my kitchen. It was an opportunity to GROUND MYSELF (after meeting a July 1st deadline). 🙂
Then I caught a flight to Kelowna last Sunday to meet up with friends to go to the lake. My friend picked me up from the airport then drove an hour plus to her home in Salmon Arm. I had no idea that she commuted that distance to go to work. It seems that most people drive a distance (much like the Lower Mainland) to go to work. In this case, folks are driving to Kelowna. I am so grateful from my 8-minute commute to my workplace and most times I work from home. It’s all about perspectives and priorities, I suppose. A short commute was what I loved about my job teaching in K-12 (many years ago). No traffic, but just the simplicity of going to work, finding a parking spot (easily), and returning home (with ease). Gosh, I love the simple things A LOT!!
We slept over at my friend’s place. I got to meet members of her family (animals included) and we got packed to go to the lake. We drove to Sicamous. My friend’s husband loaded up the truck, the boat, and all of our supplies. He had already made one trip in the morning before coming to get us. We went grocery shopping and my friend made an effort to food plan for the trip. We had a tonne of food. I had no idea where we were going, but we would not be hungry, that’s for sure. We immersed the boat into the water and unloaded/loaded our supplies into the boat. This boating process was a team effort. I appreciated the experience and the ride to the cabin. What a beautiful place!! It’s hidden in the woods with a huge patio and access to the water. Another friend of ours met us at the cabin too later in the day. My friend’s husband was tasked into transporting us all. In the end, we successfully arrived.
The main reason why we met at Shuswap Lake was to talk about our next trip together. We went to Italy last year and had a wonderful and memorable time. We had intentions of going this year, but due to time and work constraints, we opted to go to the lake this year and discuss 2025. We talked about returning to Italy or go to places like Ireland, Portugal, or Spain. We also talked about staying local like going to New York, the Maritimes, or the Hamptons. We also discussed about going to Hawaii because there is a conference there in January, but we also got excited about going to New Orleans. Lots of conversations and Google searches to see what would work for us. I feel that I had to be a bit of rain cloud and I had to share some of my limitations like time of year and budget. Between time in and out of the water, gathering on the patio for meals, or downtime to discuss what’s possible… it might just be Italy 2026.
What I really appreciated about spending about 5-days at the lake was the down time. It was very hot and I felt compelled to be in the water (even though I don’t know how to swim). It was HOT!! That said, I loved hanging out on the dock during the night, taking pictures, and looking at the stars. The photo above is one of many photos I took last week. The air is cool and the water is calm. I just loved being present and the peacefulness that comes with being in and with nature. I appreciated this time to experience “lake life” and learn more about British Columbia. Coming home after our trip, I had a greater appreciation of where I live in the Central Interior and living in a north-facing apartment. It was still hot last night, but I loved being in my place, feeling grounded, and ready to be back at work today. It feels good to be home. Life is good.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, July 15th, 2024 | Comments Off on Another Missed Week
June 28, 2024 – Having to prioritize my time and work
I think this photo is one of my most favourite family photos I have before my mother got really sick and passed away. Of course, it’s a selfie at a Chinese restaurant in Burnaby, BC that was near to where my parents lived. Yesterday was her birthday. She would have been 87 years old. She loved going to Chinese restaurants as much as I love eating Chines food. Admittedly, I’ve been overdosing on Chinese dumplings since returning from Montreal. I can’t get enough of them. If it’s not Chinese food, then it’s Vietnamese or Japanese food. I can get enough Asian food. Most times it’s frozen dim sum or Costco soup dumplings. When I eat Chinese food, I feel closer to my mom and my perceived sense of what my Chinese/Cantonese heritage is/was.
I regret having missed last week’s blog post. The blog post started with an image of those steamed frozen dumplings and a reflection of bumping into a “former student” in Montreal. He was not a “former student” per se. At that time, I just left teaching and he was still in high school I believe he was in Grade 11 or 12. I was becoming a school trustee. It was 2011 and we pulled together in the Pulling Together Canoe Journey, which is a weeklong event during the summer that attempts to build relationships between Indigenous youth and the police. I was a community member and pulled with my former school district. I just loved this student. I called him A-MAIZE-ING… because he was. He reached out to me via FB messenger while I was in Montreal.
We were meant to meet in Montreal. It was like no time had passed, but we had a many things to report on with life ranging from schooling to careers to family to relationships. We walked around his neighbourhood and went out for dinner in Verdun. It was absolutely delicious. Yes, it was shrimp wonton soup with noodles. It was a hot day, but it was something I needed after a week’s worth of very rich and buttery food. LOL. In our conversation, he spoke about a person he knew from UBC. Elder Larry Grant was an elder in residence at UBC and his brother Howard E. Grant is a Musqueum councillor. My friend sent me articles and video link to “All Our Father’s Relations” from the Knowledge Network. I shared that I was learning more about Chinese-Canadians in BC and my friend connected me to these people’s stories.
As soon I came home from Montreal a couple of weeks ago, I took a deep dive in watching the video and reading the news articles and links. The Howard’s were raised with Indigenous culture, language, and values from their mother’s side and were on a journey to learn more about their Chinese heritage from their father’s side. Much like the video “Bamboo and Cedar,” the stories these people tell are eye opening and grounding at the same time. When people as me if I am Indigenous, First Nations, or Native, I did not realize until recently that these questions were valid. There is a history of Chinese-Indigenous children in BC. I thought it was because I don’t look like a “typical” Chinese person, but asking if I have Indigenous heritage is historically valid.
I take much joy in learning more about Chinese-Canadian history in BC, more than I thought I would. I feel more connected to who I am and I am able to sense-make or reason with some behaviours and feelings which brings much a lot of solace and inner-peace. I miss my mom greatly and I believe that she has many stories to share that she chose not to during my formative years. I don’t have bad feelings about that… now. I am understanding that it was acceptable, if not encouraged to live life as a Canadian. Not having the language also served as a barrier to learning more about my heritage and family history. So, I will go with what I know… Cantonese food, dim sum, and congee… to provoke good feelings and memories. For that, I am grateful.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, June 28th, 2024 | Comments Off on A Missed Week
Nothing beats starting the day with an Illy cappuccino… to be complemented with a hotel breakfast (one of my favourite things to do). It’s so interesting when I thought that coming to this conference would be a hurdle, when really it served to fill my cup, validate my work, and exercise many opportunities to be independent. The more that I am learning more about myself and what I am able to do, I reflect on these moments feeling satisfied, secure, and surprised. I say “surprised” because I spent a good part of my life being number 3, the wife, or the dependent. Admittedly, I did not do this trip 100% on my own. I continue to need some scaffolding (i.e. my brother helping me out with the hotel and how to take the 747 bus at YUL) but I feel really confident and grateful for the many opportunities to try, explore, and wonder.
As I am moving towards writing an ethics application to pursue an autoethnography, I am more cognizant that I am on my pedagogical journey… still. It’s just a new chapter. My pedagogical journey, of which I wrote about at some length after I left teaching in K-12 schools, is something that I am continuing to do and part of this journey is learning more about who I am a a person and practitioner. I have also learned (from this trip and beyond) that I make my path. That’s it. My journey is not dependent on others. I am the maker of my success, failures, and set backs. This is not to say that there are no barriers, but it’s my job to find ways to get around or overcome them. My job aso includes doing what makes me happy. As my friend had said to me on this trip, “It doesn’t matter to me.. you have to do what what’s best for you… it’s your life.”
Yes, it is. And I am figuring out what makes me happy. I love that #oneword2024. What makes me happy? I love conferencing. I love connecting with folks. I love a hotel breakfast. I am also loving my independence and willingness to navigate this world without fear and with the help of others. Lots of unlearning and relearning has engulfed the last year and a half, but I have never been happier. My freedom and independence has been something that I have been craving all of my life, but never felt that I deserved or was worthy of this way of being. Now, I understand that I do not have to live my life to please others, to achieve other people’s approval, or to do things that don’t align to my values or beliefs. I can do what best for me. This learning is big for me (which may be obvious to others). Right now, it’s liberating. Feels great!!
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, June 18th, 2024 | Comments Off on Seeking Independence
