We’ve asked some of our Asian Studies faculty, staff and students to share their experiences on working from home. Professor Christina Laffin in our Japanese Language faculty finds getting immersed in nature again is helping her immensely:
What are some problems you may have encountered during the transition to remote working?
- Not being able to meet in person with students and colleagues has been the greatest challenge—I miss the human element of conversing beyond a screen or phone. I look forward to when I can again stop by offices unannounced and students can visit me.
How did you cope with the problems to ease the transition?
- I have tried to emphasize and emulate staying sane over being productive.
Describe one new thing (skill, interest, pastime, etc) you may have learned during the quarantine time?
- When classes and meetings went online I returned to my family home on Hornby Island. I recently renewed my fishing license and now sometimes spend afternoons digging for manila clams, shucking oysters, or collecting nettles. I have also been helping graduate students, colleagues, and artists apply for internal and national funding.
Any medium (music, books, cooking recipe, etc.) you could recommend that you’ve found relaxing/entertaining recently?
- Partaking in afternoon tea, enjoying happy hour, and observing the family cat.
As a thank you for your time in answering these questions, is there anything personally you’d like to promote or let everyone know about right now?
- I’d like to thank our graduate students who seem to know how to support each other and who have stepped up to guide our transition to online teaching and learning. I hope that faculty members, administrators, and funding agencies will ensure students are supported financially, academically, and mentally through the summer and new academic year.
To read more Inspiration in Isolation stories, click here!
