Category Archives: News & Reviews

June 4, 2011 · 10:49 am

Wedding cake, flowers, catering

Flower Flower Mimi Jessica Matthew

My daughter Jessica just paid the deposit on her wedding catering. Mimi Chiang-Brown at Flower Flour in Willow Glen is providing both the flowers and the food for August’s big event. Costco is providing the cake (Bride’s choice!).

Jessica and Matthew (The Couple) and Paul (Groomsman) and I (Mother of the Bride) went last Saturday to Flower Flour to look at pictures and discuss plans.  The same day, Jessica and I also visited the deliriously colorful Britex Fabrics in San Francisco to buy 2-1/2 yards of pink-violet raw silk for a sash for her dress for the reception.

Tomorrow, the Mother of the Groom, the Bride, the Maid of Honor, and I are going shopping to buy the Mothers of the Couple their dresses. I am torturing Jessica by saying that we will be looking for matching polkadot miniskirts…

Jessica at Britex Fabrics San Francisco . Britex Fabrics San Francisco

Costco cake
Images Copyright 2011 by Katy Dickinson

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June 4, 2011 · 8:20 am

Preparing TechWomen Training

Katy Dickinson with TechWomen

Today, Denise and I are finishing up my presentation materials for Monday’s TechWomen Mentor-Mentee Workshop. I will be training 37 women from 6 Middle Eastern and North African countries and territories and their Technical Mentors from dozens of Silicon Valley companies the day before they start work.

Many of the Mentors were able to join yesterday’s opening event in San Francisco but for some, Monday will be the first time they meet. The workshop will offer a welcome, introductory activity (“icebreaker”), plus an hour of structured discussion so that the Mentors and Mentees can plan their work. Most of them have been in email discussions since we announced the matches several weeks ago; tomorrow we get down to cases. The afternoon will feature talks about social networking and mentoring. It will be a fun and interesting day.

TechWomen

Images Copyright 2011 by Katy Dickinson

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June 3, 2011 · 12:14 pm

Opening Day TechWomen

TechWomen in San Francisco

Today is the opening day of the first TechWomen mentoring program. I am in San Francisco listening to a panel from the three organizations which put together the program. TechWomen is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), managed by the Institute of International Education (IIE), and implemented in partnership with the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology (ABI).  I have been working on TechWomen with ABI during the last year.

We were welcomed by Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Ann Stock on behalf of TechWomen’s sponsor, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. We also enjoyed an inspirational talk by Google Engineering Vice President Jen Fitzpatrick.

The best part has been finally meeting the 37 technical women Mentees from 6 Middle Eastern and North African countries and territories in person, after so much planning and hard work. I know how to say their names now (sortof, anyway). I was happy to hear that some Mentees have just as much trouble saying our names.

Linda Schneider (Huawei Distinguished Engineer), Athellina Athsani (Huawei Senior Manager), and I just met the three TechWomen Mentees who will be hosted by Huawei this month. So exciting!

Huawei TechWomen

Images Copyright 2011 by Katy Dickinson

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June 2, 2011 · 9:54 pm

Last After School Session

SMUM Studio kids with backpacks

For the last three years, my husband John and I have been after-school teachers on Thursday afternoons for the Santa Maria Urban Ministry (SMUM) Studio program. There is another group of volunteers who offer Studio on Tuesdays. During the summer, the Studio kids enjoy monthly activities.

Last week was our final session for this school year. My daughter Jessica is home from college so she was able to join us. We had a party with cake and pizza. The kids posed with backpacks for a picture for the SMUM Canticle Newsletter. In 2010, over 800 backpacks were distributed at the end of the summer to grade school, middle school, and high school students in the SMUM community of inner city San Jose. Backpacks and their contents are donated by churches and community service groups like the Willow Glen Lions.

SMUM Studio cake . Jessica at SMUM Studio

Images Copyright 2011 by Katy Dickinson

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June 2, 2011 · 9:29 pm

Win Ng Chicken, Cube

In 2008, I wrote a blog entry about the hand-made ceramic Win Ng Chicken cooker my mother gave me. This year, she gave me the Win Ng ceramic cube that used to grace her back deck in San Francisco. This is a handsome and exceptionally sturdy sculpture, used as a favorite family seat since I was a child. It continues in this beloved and useful role in my San Jose living room.

Win Ng Chicken Cooker . Win Ng Cube

Images Copyright 2011 by Katy Dickinson

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June 1, 2011 · 10:24 pm

Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori at Stanford

Hoover Tower Stanford University, . Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori's books

My friend Laura ordered free tickets to tonight’s Roger W. Heyns Lecture in Religion and Community, featuring Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, at Stanford. Even a dedicated Cal alumna such as myself has to admit that Stanford has a pretty campus.

The auditorium was almost full for tonight’s event. Someone remarked that we almost had a quorum for a convention in the audience – it did seem full of familiar faces from the Diocese of El Camino Real. Bishop Katharine’s talk was very interesting, full of big concepts and small interesting detours and quotes.  She held an extended discussion with the audience at the end. I am looking forward to reading her books.  Since Bishop Katharine had spoken about interfaith projects, I told her about the TechWomen program I have been working on while she signed books.

Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori . Stanford University . Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and Katy Dickinson

Images Copyright 2011 by Katy Dickinson and John Plocher

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May 31, 2011 · 11:50 pm

Getting Ready: Silicon Valley TechWomen

The TechWomen program staff have been working for about nine months to get ready for 38 Mentees from 6 countries and territories who will be arriving soon from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) to work in the Silicon Valley in June 2011. We have already held the Mentor Training and are getting ready for Mentee orientation.  After that, I will be one of the teachers for the Mentor-Mentee Workshop, to be held the day before the Mentees start work.

I have been answering questions for weeks from Mentors and other company representatives about Export status, non-disclosure agreements, Human Resources policies, laptop usage and security, project plans, plus all of the other details we need to sort through so that the companies will be ready to host their Mentees.

I am eager to meet the Mentees that Huawei will host. We have an office for them. I have seen their pictures. I know their backgrounds but I still have no idea if I am pronouncing their names correctly…

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