Tomorrow at 5 pm, the San Francisco Giants baseball team will play the first home game of the 2014 World Series a block from where I work at Everwise. Parking will be scarce and expensive. Normally costing between $10 to $15 per day, parking rates near the stadium will jump to between $90 to $200. I plan to take the train from San Jose tomorrow.
Images Copyright 2014 by Katy Dickinson
Filed under Mentoring & Other Business, News & Reviews
I just picked up my two new tablecloths and sets of napkins from Alterations by Ioana (in Willow Glen, San Jose, California). I challenged Ioana to take the two lovely bolts of polished cotton I bought in Rwanda with the TechWomen delegation in February 2014, and turn them into something that would fit my formal dining table. By adding panels to the sides and using the pattered selvage as the border, Ioana did a great job!
Images Copyright 2014 by Katy Dickinson
Filed under Home & Family, News & Reviews
I grew up in San Francisco and live in San Jose, California, two relatively-old cities – for the American west. SF was founded in 1776; SJ was founded in 1777. Both were incorporated in 1850. I have recently returned from an Everwise business trip to run a Mentoring Design Workshop in Brasilia (Brazil). Brasilia was founded in 1960 and had a population of 2.8 million in 2013. A few years ago, I worked for Huawei in Shenzhen (China). Shenzhen was founded in 1979 and had a population of 10.4 million in 2010.
Besides being new cities, Brasilia and Shenzhen have in common that their quick creation is associated with a great leader. I was last in Shenzhen in 2010, the 30th anniversary of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone. During that time, there was much honoring of Deng Xiaoping. Deng lead China 1978-1992. In Brasilia, we stayed at the Kubitschek Plaza hotel – whose name honors Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira, Brazil’s President 1956-1961.
Both Brasilia and Shenzhen are still in a skeletal stage of civic development. That is, I saw big buildings and well-developed districts like good bones providing form and identity but also large areas of open land that were marked with actual or virtual/mental “Under Development” signs.
My son and son-in-law like to play the virtual land development game Minecraft together. Minecraft in multi-player survival mode has the concept of identification/ownership “waypoints” to mark areas someone plans to build on – even if nothing is there now. I think Brasilia and Shenzhen are full of waypoints where development is under long-term consideration. It will be fascinating to watch the flesh of mature cities grow up over the coming decades around their lovely young bones.
Images Copyright Katy Dickinson 2010-2014
Filed under Home & Family, Mentoring & Other Business, News & Reviews
My son Paul has graduated from Foothill College! Hooray! We are so proud!
On Friday evening, he walked with his fellow Studio Art graduates, then we celebrated with a wonderful late dinner at Sienna Bistro in Willow Glen. On Saturday, Paul enjoyed a day of video and board games and BarBQ with friends and family at home. Paul starts his studies again in August at San Jose State University where he wants to earn a degree in studio art with a teaching credential.
Images Copyright 2014 by Katy Dickinson
Filed under Home & Family, News & Reviews
I am enjoying working at Everwise in San Francisco as their new Vice President – Mentoring. It is particularly fun to get re-acquainted with my hometown. I worked for years in our family business – in a building that does not exist any more. It was on Steuart Street at the base of Mission, across from what is now the Rincon Center but used to be the Rincon Annex US Post Office. I used to love looking at the WPA murals while waiting in line to refill our postal meter.
In the last two weeks, I have discovered an inexpensive place to park ($10/day instead of the $28/day I paid at first), and delightful places to eat closeby:
I have also admired the newly refurbished LeRoy King carousel and plan to ride it soon!
I am still working out how best to manage the San Jose – SF – San Jose commute. This takes between 1 hour 30 minutes, and 2 hours each way – depending on when I start. My husband John and I have both driven and taken the train. When he works from home, I have driven alone. Caltrain is less expensive ($18/day round trip) but I need to walk a mile from the station – so I arrive later and have to leave earlier. There are very few express (“Baby Bullet”) trains. If I ride a milk train, the trip is 50 minutes longer. Driving costs about $38/day ($.55/mile x 50 miles + $10 parking) but allows a flexible work schedule.
Images Copyright 2014 by Katy Dickinson
Filed under Home & Family, Mentoring & Other Business, News & Reviews
Thanks to Don Marenzi for identifying this photo of WP668 (the caboose in our San Jose backyard). The picture is by Eric Bracher, published in the January 1974 NMRA Bulletin (p.12). This is the first picture of WP668 we have found in her Western Pacific orange and silver colors! Here is a more current photo:
Images Copyright 1974 by Eric Bracher, and 2013 by Katy Dickinson
Last week, I started as the new Vice President – Mentoring at Everwise in San Francisco. I am delighted to join a team helping progressive, successful corporations and non-profits to create world-class mentoring programs. My first big project will be with InovAtiva and entrepreneurs in Brazil!
Here is some of what drew me to Everwise:
My new position at Everwise coordinates well with my ongoing activities. I will continue as the Chief Operating Officer for People to People (pro bono), as a volunteer for the TechWomen mentoring program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, as an accredited EfM Mentor, and as a member of the Anita Borg Institute Advisory Board.
My husband John and I will be commuting to work together from San Jose to SF, where he is the Principle Architect, Open Storage at EVault (Seagate). Since our son Paul is graduating this month from Foothill College and transferring to San Jose State University in September, he can get to class more easily on public transit.
Image Copyright 2014 by Katy Dickinson
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