I cannot believe that it’s already been a week since I was in Toronto visiting with relatives on my mom’s side of the family. It was my aunt’s 80th birthday and with sheer grit and will power, my aunt and planning committee of cousins (that included my twin bro) organized a weekend event in Toronto. One of the highlights of the reunion was my nephew’s camera. It was pretty cool what kind of photos it could take, so here are a couple of them with a few members of my family. This first photo of us in a circle was taken at the University of Toronto visit a memorial bench that honours the memory of my grandmother and grand father. The second photo below is all of us who went to the reunion visiting and paying respect to my grandparents at the cemetery. My grandparents from my dad’s side are also buried near by, so we went there as a little family to pay our respects as well. I was so heartened that many of my aunts and uncles from my mom’s side also came over to pay their respects. What I did not realize is that our families were connected because of my parent’s marriage and one of my aunts on my mom’s side went to school with my uncle on my dad’s side, and she also knew another one of my aunts as well. That was so cool to learn. What was even more exciting was reconnecting and connecting with cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews. Many of them I did not see since my mother had passed away in 2018. Most I have not seen in decades. While others were brand new to me, and I was meeting them for the first time. There is something magical about families. Because you are family, you are just going to connect and get to know each other. It was a wonderful 3-days. Lots of memories.
The Chik-family reunion started with a get-to-know you session at my aunt’s condo in the multipurpose room. We wore name tags, there were games, food testing, gift exchange, slideshow, and food to eat. Although I was admittedly apprehensive of a 4.5-hour event, the time flew by. The event ended with my artist-aunt sharing a big image of a tree blossoming to my birthday-aunt, and there were smaller prints that were framed for each of us to take home. What a present!! In the image is a stamp with our Chinese name, and the image is titled, “To plant. To grow. To blossom.” So beautiful… I am looking at it on my window sill (a temporary location) as I write this blog post. Later that night, we went to the Pearl Restaurant, which is close to my birthday-aunt’s place. We had a 10-course Chinese meal. It was absolutely delicious. It’s be awhile since I had peking duck and a full formal Chinese dinner. We had 3 large round tables for our group, and a gorgeous view of Lake Ontario. The next day, we went to the cemetery in the morning, my little Ho-family went back to city centre to have Shake Shack for lunch, and then we all reunited at the CN Tower for dinner. Wow!! What an amazing experience. Very memorable. Beautiful views of the city. And, it was stormy that day… so depending on where the storm was or direction we were facing, sometimes we had sun, clouds, and everything in between. After dinner, we went to the observation deck as well. The CN Tower is a MUST DO in Toronto. Finally, on day 3, we concluded with dim sum and professional photos at the Pearl again. Another AMAZING meal!! Many flew out that day after dim sum. We also got a CN Tower glow-in-the-dark coin and personalized travel tags with our Chik-name on it.
The Chik-family reunion was amazing and I am so grateful that we had this moment to connect and reconnect. In lots of ways, we have not changed. One of my aunts said that I am still the same. Hmm… disturbing, yet reassuring. Thank you to the organizing team and my cousins, birthday-aunt, nephews, and everyone who came to Toronto to make this event possible. My heart is full, and I was so grateful to spend time with my little Ho-family as well. My kid and her boyfriend took me out for Mother’s Day dinner on our final night in Toronto. Miku would have been fabulous, but they were completely booked. Instead, we had Italian food, and the meatballs were delicious. I also want to say a big thank you for my roomie for the 4 days… my big sis… and to my twin bro for all of the points he collects from the Marriott and Air Canada that heavily subsidized the hotel and flights to Toronto. For some reason, all the parts fit, and I could briefly step away from my work and enjoy the company of my family. I had so much fun. Kudos to the Chik-family!!
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, May 16th, 2026 | No Comments »
It took me some time to condition myself to NOT work 7-days a week and around the clock and reprogram myself to take Saturdays as “be a person day” and to go to bed at a reasonable hour. It helped to have an almost burnout situation almost two-years ago and adopting a cat when I moved into my townhouse. Yesterday was a pleasant reminder that “be a person day” is so essential for me to REST and recalibrate for the upcoming work week. I’ll admit, it took some time to get myself to NOT work, guilt-free on Saturdays, but also setting and creating boundaries so that it does not bleed into other days of the week. Because I am not working everyday of the week, and around the clock, I have to be mindful of what I can and cannot do, make the most of each work day, and self-care is not selfish. Yesterday, the kid and I end the day with ice cream at Ice Cream Express. It’s a seasonal, small business run by one ‘very active’ young man. We both got a kid-sized ice cream, and it was HUGE. The one-scoop and two-scoop options are equally generous. I got burgundy cherry, and it was delicious. I just needed to slow down I was so wound up over the weeks with still a tonne to do, the messiness of changing one’s habits is a given so forgiveness is also part of the process. It’s Sunday morning and I feel good. I feel renewed. During the week, I was putting myself aside because I’ve been overwhelmed or overworked. I can’t do that anymore. I’m important. This self-love has been incredibly challenging to achieve, but in doing so, I can make better choices for myself and my work. I’m not getting any younger, and I am realizing that life, my wellness, and my health cannot be taken for granted. I feel that I need to take hold of my life… almost for the first time. I feel more rested and empowered. YAY!!
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, May 03rd, 2026 | Comments Off on Be a Person Day
In this photo, my kid and I went to get pho. She had soup, and I had this prawn and roll platter. It was absolutely delicious and a huge portion. This meal has held me for 3 meals. I enjoyed every bite, and thank goodness for air fryers. What was life like before the air fryer. This appliance is the MOST used appliance in my household next to the coffee machine. Another thing I love… COFFEE. We have a Keurig and a Nespresso. I love both of those appliances as well. Expresso or a drip coffee in one cup… it can’t get any better. Yes… there are a few things I love. They do lean onto the food spectrum, hence the many food pics. I just enjoy the food, the experience, and the memories. I feel so loved and joyful when I am engaged in eating or drinking something I love and often times, the company I keep. I am so grateful for the food, the love, and the people. I am very lucky.
I think as a child, I feel that food was a privilege. We did not have a lot of food and I was given food that I was given. My parents worked very hard to put food on the table. My mom made the most of the dollar to maximize the food in our house. I don’t know how she did it. I have very negative memories about food. The fridge was almost empty, my mom bought “x” bread (aka., day old bread), and my made many stir fry dinners with meat she cut off a chicken leg (aka., the cheapest cut). My dad worked at the pulp mill, underemployed, and worried about being laid off from month-to-month. My mom worked at the cannery and pulp mill cafeteria at one time and worked around the clock, then in the food industry as a coffee shop owner, caterer, and delicatessen worker. I often think about how many sandwiches my mom had to make to ensure that my siblings and I are educated, working in places where we thrive, and living “the good life” in Canada.
This blog post is the fourth time I have with this title. It does not surprise me. I’ve been feeling kind of low lately and have been resistant to complete some of work I need to do because I am not in the right headspace. I feel that I am finally seeing myself through this heavy space but still have a tonne of stuff to do. I will get it done today. I have no choice. What I am learning is, to feel the feels before proceeding. I don’t want to react, and I don’t want to numb myself and plough through the work without feelings. I just recently did the Myers-Briggs test lately. I was talking about it with my sister. She is INTP. My kid is ISFJ. I used to be ESTJ when I was first introduced to this preference test, but now with a new life, a new way of being, and therapy… LOL… I am now an ENFP, the campaigner. I am enthusiastic, creative, and idealistic. When I read this description, I feel like it’s telling my story (when before I was doing what I thought I should do).
Why does this matter? It’s so important to be who you are and celebrate it. Everyone has strengths, and everyone has stretches too. For many years, I was trying to be someone who I was not to “fit in” and often compromised who I was to “belong.” BAD MOVE. I lost myself in doing that. The people-pleasing, the self-betrayal, and the hurt that equated to numbing was HELL. I won’t do that anymore. The person I belong to is ME. I am so grateful for Brene Brown’s work, but also the work of my therapist, and now, the work of my physiotherapist. Be yourself. Love yourself. And, ask for help, if you needed it. Ah yes, vulnerability, acceptance, and love. These virtues are so essential to our ability to experience joy, happiness, and doing what you love. I am not motivated by money, but rather I am motivated in helping (or lifting) others to be their best selves. I love listening to other people’s jam. I love slowing down and savouring in the joy.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, April 26th, 2026 | Comments Off on Do what you love
Yesterday, April 18, 2026, was my friend’s birthday. Happy birthday, Nina!! I did not realize that it was her birthday, but knew it was coming soon. Yesterday morning, as I rolled over in bed to reach for my phone (a very, very unhealthy habit), and I got a Facebook notification announcing birthdays. My friend passed away last year, but her Facebook page is still alive and well. LOL. Social media. I’m beginning to question the value of social media in relationship with humanity. Very questionable. Nina passed away last year from a 1.5 year battle with cancer. She had glioblastoma. I remember her telling me her diagnosis on my birthday at 4 or 5 am. She did not use that term, glioblastoma, but with what she had described, Google provided the rest of the details. I remember her introducing her herself to me in 2019 at the CAfLN (Canadian Assessment for Learning Network) conference. At that time, I was not in the best place in my life. Things were very uncertain for me and I was about to embark on lots of life changes, but she remained caring, curious, and joyful. I appreciated her friendship ever since. She was 10-years my junior. Nina was a phenomenal teacher educator, assessment advocate, and educational researcher. She was in the middle of her doctorate program, something that she had always wanted to do, but was unable to finish due to her health condition. She was so passionate about her work, her kids, and her family. Nina was good friend.
I met up with our mutual friend, Shannon, in Prince George for bunch (image below). Of course, we took a selfie. Shannon is no longer on social media. I wish I could do the same. I do social media for my job, but I guess I could step away as well. Anyway, I chose to go to Grama’s Kitchen at Grama’s Inn for brunch. My other friend took me there a couple of months ago and I loved it, so I wanted to go back again. As you can see with the image above, the breakfast feature of two eggs, hashbrowns, toast, and sausage is HUGE and I chose items that remind me of my mom, like sausage and shredded hashbrowns, but Shannon had her eggs poached, ordered bacon, and chose to have the potato “cubes” with grilled onion. Damn. I love the permutations. We both had coffee and chatted for a good couple of hours. I love catching up with Shannon and I love spending “be a person day” connecting with friends and having a restaurant breakfast (aka., my favourite). The meal was very satisfying, much like the conversation, and I brought my raisin toast home to have for breakfast at another time. I thought it was serendipitous to have planned and meet on Nina’s birthday. Nina had a huge impact on both of us and believe that Nina brought us together in some way to celebrate her birthday. She was that kind of person. Selfless, always in service. Nina was an incredible person, much like Shannon. We decided to meet again next month, but go somewhere else. We gabbed for a bit in the parking lot and decided to rate and review each restaurant we go to.
Although we did not set success criteria for the brunch assessment, Grama’s Kitchen is PROFICIENT. We are referring to BC’s Proficiency Scale (not a score out of 10). I would have rated Grama’s as a solid 8 out of 10, but that’s based on my feelings, past experiences, and perceived level of self-satisfaction. I love the diner atmosphere, the service is fun, animated, and personable, and the food is delicious. I know I will be back again. Thank you Grama’s Kitchen for another amazing breakfast. I’ll be back again. For the blog-reader, look forward to our next brunch review (with success criteria too). 🙂
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, April 19th, 2026 | Comments Off on The Brunch Review
As we approach the end of another semester at the university, my daughter (known as the kid) will be graduating soon. She has only a few more days of clinical left which concludes her final term at the university. As selfish as the may sound, I am so grateful that I could be with my daughter during her undergraduate years. I remember as a kid that I had to leave home at 17-years old and go to university. I had no idea what I was doing. From Prince Rupert to Vancouver at UBC, I was a deer in the headlights, to say the least. I stayed in residence and had no idea what I wanted to do. My kid, on the other hand, due to life circumstances, followed me to Prince George after she graduated from high school. We lived in my one-bedroom apartment for a few years. She got the bedroom and the dining room became my bedroom/office. She took a couple courses from the school district as an adult student before entering the nursing program at CNC and UNBC. And about a year and a half ago, I bought my own place in Prince George, to make a commitment to me, the kid, and the place.
No regrets.
I almost think this is how things should have played out. I feel very fortunate that my kid received quite a few scholarship and bursaries to pay for most of her tuition at CNC. I am grateful to my mom who helped out in creating an RESP for my kid and contribute to it religiously so that my kid could have an education. And finally, I am thankful that I have had a steady contract and renewal at the university so that my kid could reap the benefit of tuition waivers. She also won a couple of bursaries too during her time at the university, and she has worked as a ESN (employed student nurse) for a couple of summers as well as acquire some RA funding with a couple of research projects she has been involved in. Moreover, now that I’m bragging, she was VP of the Pre-Med Club as well as the President of the Stem Cell Club, in addition to being a member of the REB (research ethics board) and co-chair of Hoops 3-on-3 and executive member of the Relay for Life in Prince George. It’s a handful, and she did that on her own. Did I mention that we were roomies the whole time? I just loved it.
Wow. I guess I really wanted to talk about how proud I am of my kid. She’s really made the most of a situation and then some. I am really excited for her with respect to next steps and I will support her in any way I can. Again, I loved spending this time with her during her undergraduate years to see her grow up, be an adult, and heal from many of the hardships experienced as a young child. We were healing together.
So, onto the real premise of this blog post. It’s something that I have been considering for quite some time, but now more than ever, given that my kid is finishing up school and moving into the big world as an adult with her nursing credentials and skills acquired from higher education, I feel that now I can be my own person too. So who is that? Who am I? I just came to the realization that much of what I am curious about with respect to research is (1) out-of-field teaching; (2) professional learning experiences; and (3) identity development… are all things that I experienced, love, and struggle with. Makes sense. What you research has to be important to you. The context from which I do my research is in mathematics education, teacher education, and teacher leadership. Also makes sense too, as these three areas in education reflect my positionality in my personal and professional spaces. But really? Who am I?
DR. CHRISTINE HO
It’s taken some time to get here. I remember as a kid that I would write out on a piece of paper, “Dr. Christine Ho, BSc, MSc, PhD.” My dad, I did not realize until years later, had found these pieces of paper (or at least saw them in my room). It was something that was always in my mind, and in many ways, never thought it would be possible. Admittedly, I did not take the “intended” route to get my doctorate, and really, the letters after my name unravelled more like, “BSc, BEd, MEd, EdD,” but I’m still “Dr. Christine.” I kinda like that name when students call me that. It resonates with me, respectful but personal, even though I prefer “Christine” instead. All is good.
After separating and my divorce, I could have easily changed my name. I ended up with a compromise by calling myself “Christine Ho Younghusband” to recognize two big chapters of my life being “Christine Ho” and “Christine Younghusband.” Now that my kid is turning to a new chapter, I feel that I can too. I was looking for some images that reflected a time when I was “Christine Ho” and found two grad photos: one from high school and one from my B.Sc. in Chemistry. I guess these images provoked me to also talk about my kid, her accomplishments, and her upcoming convocation. Anyway, these photos look BOMB. I had no idea. Of course I took off my glasses for both grad photos. Not sure why? The vanity!! I have been wearing glasses since I was in Grade 1. Anyway, I wanted to see myself as CHRISTINE HO, now Dr. Christine Ho, and I’m feeling the vibe. I am so overwhelmed how much work it will be to change my name, but much like my townhouse, I’m worth it. I think I’ll start this process in June.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, April 11th, 2026 | Comments Off on Changing My Name
An archival pic of my family from 2017, I believe. It’s one of our last family photos.
April 5, 2026 – OMG… I’m sick and lost my voice
You just can’t take things for granted. OMG… I’m just struggling with illness. I have no idea what I have… a cold, the flu, or COVID. Oof. All I know is, I am sick, I am coughing like nobody’s business, and I lost my voice. I just had another “cold” a few weeks ago and managed to “work my way through it” but this time, I don’t know. I am fully operational in terms of low level activity, like blogging. I went to Vancouver last weekend with my kid. She had an appointment in Vancouver and she wanted me to come along. It turned out to be a weekend of connection, rest, and bliss. We met up with one of her childhood friends, we met up with my family, and we visited my mom. We celebrated this weekend as my kid is heading closer to graduation. I got her a build-a-bear and we had a couple of massages too. We had a great weekend, but I could feel something creeping from behind.
My ears would not unplug after flying home from Vancouver. This anomaly was my first clue. Of course, like any good teacher, I denied these symptoms, hoping that my ear would pop and life would proceed as it should. Monday was my last in-person teaching day with this crew. Next Monday (aka., tomorrow), is Easter Monday, and our last Monday together was made asynchronous. Everything in those two classes are due that day. I got through that day, and I was in the race-of-work. Because my last weekend was spent with my kid, I was in full gear trying to get things done, like email, prep, and meetings. I was still in sick-denial. By the time I was teaching my Tuesday night class, I could feel “the sick” coming in hard and fast. The first part of the class, my class was being filmed for the university. The second-half, I was dying. I think the students picked up on this when no one sat beside me in circle. I dragged myself home and I was overwhelmed by SICK.
Just like that, I was drinking NeoCitron, having Benadryl, and managing to get through Wednesday and Thursday before Easter long weekend. Luckily, I could work from home. But, I lost my voice by the end of Wednesday… and now it’s Sunday, and I still don’t have my voice. I had to teach my Thursday online class using the chat function, established instructional routines, and videos. That was an interesting experience. My occupation is very reliant on my voice. Thank goodness the class went well and my students were very compassionate and accommodating. It’s been an interesting class and I appreciate how it’s been moving along despite the interruptions. After that class, I was very intentional to take the night off, to go to bed, and take the next day or two to recover from this mess. Two days later, I am still sick, I’m struggling with sleep, and I still don’t have my voice.
So, why the photo of my family? My sister, brother, and I are connected via text messaging. I am so grateful to be so connected to them both. Although I spent a good chunk of my life trying to be “like them” as the first child and first boy in our family, I have learned that they have my best interests at heart and I don’t have to be like them (or anyone) to be accepted for who I am. Anyway, I am very grateful for what they both have to offer and very appreciative of the sibling-team we have become for one another and for my dad. A long story made short, it was triage for us which resulted in a FaceTime call. Of course, I had no voice. I was all non-verbal cues, much like my Thursday’s class without the chat function. My sister commented by saying mid-Triage about me not having a voice and how refreshing it was. LOL. I’ll take that as a compliment. It’s been something that I have been learning since my mom passed. I have a voice. Use it.
In the end, the triage-moment proceeded as it did and I was left wondering about not taking what we have for granted. I’ve been doing that for many, many years. But, I have my health. I have a place to live. I have a job I love. I live with my kid. I have everything I need. Ok. I am sick and lost my voice, but what a wonderful reminder of making the most of what I have and not take things for granted. I have been adapting and doing my best to make the most of the current situation. I have rested for a couple of days, like it was the weekend, and I have a couple of more days this long weekend to get things done without the interruption of meetings and emails. It’s nice. As we approach the end of the term, I hope to get my voice back from my last two classes, one on Tuesday and the other on Thursday. Other than that, it’s time to close the term, get my marking done, and to submit grades. I also need to work on my CV. I’ve done a tonne of things for the last 3-months and I need to document them for the annual report. Honestly, life is good.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, April 05th, 2026 | Comments Off on Appreciate What You Have
Yes, this blog post will be one of gratitude. I am so grateful for my sister. She my older sister. We did not become close until were were both adults. Much of my formative years was spent leaning on my twin brother. As time has passed and I’m well into adulthood and career, my sister and I grew closer. We started to get to know one another and for many years I struggled with being the youngest in my family. Although I am a twin, I am the youngest. My sister and brother were afforded the responsibilities of being the older siblings. I guess I fulfilled the stereotype of the youngest sibling. Generally, I just followed along and did what I was told. I did hold some resentment for many years as I had wanted to be just like my sister and brother. I wanted to be treated equally. I remember that I insisted as a child and through many of adult years to be treated the same. After my mom passed away in 2018, I realized that we were all treated differently… LOL… and we don’t have the same strengths, even though my mom made things feel equal for me.
Now as an older (and much more wiser) adult, I can see the value that my mom took in differentiating our lived experiences as her offspring. We were all different and we come to this world with different strengths. My mom saw that. In fact, after she passed away and we got to really see what was happening behind the curtains, my mom was the greatest conductor of this H9-family orchestra. She was thoughtful, caring, and strategic. All three of us had to learn about each other again, especially now when we are having to support our dad from a distance. We are three very different people. In hindsight, I don’t know why it was so important to be the same. I also spent much of my time trying to “fit in” to my family, thus betraying my authentic self, to do what I thought my dad, in particular, valued. Now, I understand (from my mom) that we are all different and the strengths that we bring to the table are different. I can see our differences, and I do find it hard to believe that we are so connected. We just don’t have the same strengths.
So, back to being grateful for my BIG sis. Since my mom’s passing, life has changed dramatically in many different ways. As turbulent as that was, I am finally in a place where I feel like my whole-self. It’s amazing to feel like oneself, with no compromises. Admittedly, it was scary to learn more about who I am, my value, and my self-worth. I had to figure out what made me happy, what stokes my fire, and what I truly believe in. There has been many pivots along the way and I feel that I can foreshadow another potential pivot in the horizon. In some ways, it freaks me out, but in other ways, I’m not reacting. I’m trying to be realistic while still keeping aligned to who I am and what I want out of life. This is where my sister comes into the picture. Last week, I really needed to co-regulate with someone at the end of the work day, and my sister is always there to pick up the call (or call back). After the call on Friday, I was so grateful that she could reason with me about a particular situation and co-regulate me to a place of calm and peacefulness. The next day, we are catching up and strategizing next steps. In this case, she uses her strengths to help me out. I am so grateful for this unconditional love.
I feel calm and rational in anticipation of what might come. And even still, it’s about making a decision for me. Just last night, I shared with my kid about saying no to something, and her response was that she was happy for me for being able to put myself first. HUH. That really struck me… I don’t do that. I am learning not only more about myself, but I am also learning more about asking for help, being vulnerable, and accepting this help knowing that people want the best for me. This is a good feeling.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, March 16th, 2026 | Comments Off on Feeling Much Gratitude
Just returned home from my trip to Winnipeg. I went to present at the WestCAST 2026 conference at the University of Winnipeg, but also support and mentor 3 teacher candidates from the UNBC Teacher Education program to present as well. What an amazing job the conference organizers have done to make this event possible, memorable, and incredible. I had a wonderful time, and I believe that this event will be one that the teacher candidates will never forget. The kind of thoughtfulness, organization, and orchestration were outstanding and I was so impressed by the number of attendees and quality of the presentations as well. The UNBC teacher candidates all did an amazing job in preparing for and presenting at the conference. I loved how personalized each inquiry was and how they were able to present their work that was meaningful to them and reflective of who they are. I am so proud of them. As for me, I did A LOT of OVER THINKING and preparing for my session… and I have no idea why???
I was definitely noticing that I was pouring a significant of time in this presentation and I approached my presentation like I did when I was a school trustee and I was writing a speech. It was so important to stay on time, but there was so much to say. Unfortunately, in speech writing, I lost the “pragmatic” or personal approach to my presentation. I tried to blend a bit of ad libbing during my presentation, but I went a bit overtime so I quickly rushed the end. Anyway, all went well and the group that was following my paper presentation would really see what I was trying to say… so much so, they were able to ad lib their work and incorporated what I was saying into their presentation. That was a true compliment and I loved what they had to say with a student led initiative in Indigenous Education at the University of Calgary at Werklund. I feel very lucky. The photo below was a posed picture taken after the conference. Sad, I know. I did not take a good photo when I was presenting, so I wanted to take one posed. What was amazing about this photo was, the teacher candidates I was working with made it possible. Very grateful.
I did not know what to expect from Winnipeg or from the conference, but overall, I am very thankful for everything that Winnipeg had to offer. Not only did I have the pleasure to coach and mentor three amazing teacher candidates from the UNBC teacher education program who volunteered / expressed an interest in presenting at WestCAST 2026 (see images below), but also for all of the fun things we got to do together while at the conference. We went to the Forks, a beading shop, the Canadian Museum of Human Rights, and Festival de Voyageur. The keynote speaker, David Robertson, resonated with all of us, and I think we each did a bit more shopping than we had anticipated. I think what surprised me the most, was reconnecting with folks in teacher education (i.e., from UBC, UVic, and SFU) but also folks who are from Winnipeg. I loved connecting with members of the WestCAST 2026 organizing team, and I got to bump on to a friend and former school trustee colleague who is currently the president of CSBA (no photos). I love my career in education, and the teacher candidates made it known that they were impressed with folks who know me. I said, you have to make your teaching career what you want it to be. For me, human connection was important to me… as a K-12 educator, school trustee, and now academic. Connecting and networking with people make my work fulfilling, FUN, and fruitful. PS. love conferencing!! I’ll be back in May, Winnipeg.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, February 21st, 2026 | Comments Off on Returning from WestCAST 2026
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 | Comments Off on Focus on the Joy
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 | Comments Off on Nothing Happens
I cannot believe that it’s already been a week since I was in Toronto visiting with relatives on my mom’s side of the family. It was my aunt’s 80th birthday and with sheer grit and will power, my aunt and planning committee of cousins (that included my twin bro) organized a weekend event in Toronto. One of the highlights of the reunion was my nephew’s camera. It was pretty cool what kind of photos it could take, so here are a couple of them with a few members of my family. This first photo of us in a circle was taken at the University of Toronto visit a memorial bench that honours the memory of my grandmother and grand father. The second photo below is all of us who went to the reunion visiting and paying respect to my grandparents at the cemetery. My grandparents from my dad’s side are also buried near by, so we went there as a little family to pay our respects as well. I was so heartened that many of my aunts and uncles from my mom’s side also came over to pay their respects. What I did not realize is that our families were connected because of my parent’s marriage and one of my aunts on my mom’s side went to school with my uncle on my dad’s side, and she also knew another one of my aunts as well. That was so cool to learn. What was even more exciting was reconnecting and connecting with cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews. Many of them I did not see since my mother had passed away in 2018. Most I have not seen in decades. While others were brand new to me, and I was meeting them for the first time. There is something magical about families. Because you are family, you are just going to connect and get to know each other. It was a wonderful 3-days. Lots of memories.
It took me some time to condition myself to NOT work 7-days a week and around the clock and reprogram myself to take Saturdays as “be a person day” and to go to bed at a reasonable hour. It helped to have an almost burnout situation almost two-years ago and adopting a cat when I moved into my townhouse. Yesterday was a pleasant reminder that “be a person day” is so essential for me to REST and recalibrate for the upcoming work week. I’ll admit, it took some time to get myself to NOT work, guilt-free on Saturdays, but also setting and creating boundaries so that it does not bleed into other days of the week. Because I am not working everyday of the week, and around the clock, I have to be mindful of what I can and cannot do, make the most of each work day, and self-care is not selfish. Yesterday, the kid and I end the day with ice cream at Ice Cream Express. It’s a seasonal, small business run by one ‘very active’ young man. We both got a kid-sized ice cream, and it was HUGE. The one-scoop and two-scoop options are equally generous. I got burgundy cherry, and it was delicious. I just needed to slow down I was so wound up over the weeks with still a tonne to do, the messiness of changing one’s habits is a given so forgiveness is also part of the process. It’s Sunday morning and I feel good. I feel renewed. During the week, I was putting myself aside because I’ve been overwhelmed or overworked. I can’t do that anymore. I’m important. This self-love has been incredibly challenging to achieve, but in doing so, I can make better choices for myself and my work. I’m not getting any younger, and I am realizing that life, my wellness, and my health cannot be taken for granted. I feel that I need to take hold of my life… almost for the first time. I feel more rested and empowered. YAY!!
