![Funny in Farsi at Silicon Valley’s Commonwealth Club]()
May 9, 2008 | Silicon Valley Events, The Arts
Last night the Commonwealth Club of Silicon Valley hosted Firoozeh Dumas the author of bestseller Funny in Farsi and her latest book Laughing without an Accent.
The charismatic Judy Miner, President of Foothill was moderator and did an excellent job keeping the questions coming fast and furious. She jolly well had to because although Firoozeh is as funny as hell, she’s also pretty succinct with her answers, which had me a little anxious toward the end of the interview that Judy would actually run out of questions.
They quipped about how they both often get mistaken for one another since they share the same dark eyes, enthusiasm for life: and hang out at the same Writer’s Conferences! Firoozeh recounted a number of stories from her life that had the audience in hoots of laughter. My favorite one was how, as a newcomer to America (age 7), the boys in her class plagued her until she told them what she described as the WORST swear word she could think of, and begged them never to use it. Needless to say, within minutes they were blasting round the school screaming it at the top of their lungs. But what they were actually shouting was: I’m an idiot, I’m an idiot! Classy gal.
But beyond the hilarity, Firoozeh shared her deeper message: to concentrate on our common humanity, to change perceptions of Iranians, and counter the attitude that EVERYTHING in the Middle East is to do with war and hatred. Her book is now widely used in schools and she hopes that will help change the view of Iran for the Post 9/11 generation.
Her advice to parents to encourage reading: give them the gift of boredom – no TV. Smart mom. Unfortunately we’re a bit too late for that in this house. But thankfully JK Rowling has saved the day!
I ushered Firoozeh into a dark annexe at the back of the stage for a quick interview for my Women’s Radio show before the event started. She was very trusting and forthcoming! 
We discussed how being in Silicon Valley influenced her writing and “go for it” attitude. She also shared with me that Alexander McCall Smith was staying with her this week. Hey! Now why didn’t she invite me over? I speak the same language after all. Och aye.
Took her book to bed and kept hubby awake with my guffaws of laughter. She really is hilarious you know!
May 3, 2008 | Technology
In the palm of my hand,
From the siliconmom column archives by Alison van Diggelen March 2000
This winter, I joined the throngs in Silicon Valley who proudly parade their Palm Pilots. I learned to cherish mine like a last remnant of umbilical cord, keeping me afloat in the heady seas of Dot Com Mania.
However I soon learned that respect for my human limitations is a key part to living in harmony with a Palm. My mistake was thinking that the control of my whole life could fit into the palm of my hand.
It’s fascinating to see Palms pop up everywhere from the board room, the student book-store to the Children’s Discovery Museum. Forget flashy cars, cool khakis and teeny weenie cell phones. The latest and greatest fashion statement in the valley is the Palm Pilot.
Typical example: last month’s job faire in Santa Clara. Thousands of techies milling around, checking out the gold mining potential of over 200 recruiting companies. “Pre-IPO” banners shone like glistening Sirens.
The old fashioned way of passing out a whole forest of business cards is now pass‚. With your Palm, you can politely ask, “Do you Beam?” With one press of the button, your card is automatically transferred to the recipient. Looking cool and saving a few trees in the process is an instant recipe for feeling good about yourself.
I spent six solid hours plugging in the contents of my business calendar, my social appointments, address book, miscellaneous reminders and Christmas list. There were still 1159 kilobytes of memory available, confidently awaiting my next few thousand appointments, like an enthusiastic boss, certain of my future success.
On screen, my life looked so simple, a breeze. I found myself saying “How could I have lived without one?”
It was satisfying to see how my day looks, my week, the coming year. I got a heady feeling from shrinking my hectic life and my children’s schedules into the palm of my hand. Now, at last I’ll have control over my life, I thought.
The built in secretary reminder saved me on countless occasions. Not just for work appointments, but mundane stuff like getting kids to sports practice on time, returning library books, knowing when the cat needs vaccinations, even when my mother needs a call.
It’s perfect for early senility. Just plug in the information and it will beep you every time you have to eat, put the trash out, take your tablets, get dressed or go to bed.
Problem is, I started to get carried away and scheduled how my day would run in half hour intervals. Work time, kid time, nature time, couple time, social time, reading time, TV time. Shocked at how much of the day I spent in bed, I scheduled myself to get up at 5 am not 6 and marked it, “work out time, creativity time.”
My sense of control and calm lasted about a month and then I started feeling like a frazzled operator. My incessantly beeping Palm, was taking over. I felt overwhelmed by the relentlessness of its annoying reminders.
My schedule didn’t account for gnarled traffic, fickle kids, meetings over-running, my husband’s deadlines, unforeseen accidents, and sickness.
I was waking, working, eating and breathing to the beep of the Palm’s schedule. Constantly trying to keep up with the machine, I became quite manic, sleep deprived and way out of control. A slave to the Palm.
At the end of a long day in January, through the haze, a reality check hit. I sang the children’s bedtime song
He’s got the whole world in his hands
He’s got you and me sister in his hands
He’s got you and me brother in his hands
“How big God’s hands must be….. all of us in his hands?” My four year old remarked.
I realized why this Palm was not working for me. I had lofty ambition. Trying to fit my whole world into the palm of my hand is not for a mere mortal like me. To push, prod and schedule every last activity, even the lumpy ones into a space the size of a mango is absurd. Some things can’t be forced. Creativity, meeting children’s needs, spontaneity, and impulsive charity can’t be scheduled. They need room, wide open space to breath, even to happen.
So, I’ve decided to have a Palm sabbatical and regain some control. I’m going back to the old fashioned calendar system for a while. That is, until they invent the Palm LV. You know, the one that will simultaneously give you complete digital control over your rambunctious toddlers, your workaholic husband and your waistline.
© Alison van Diggelen
![Hail to the Celebrity Forum chief]()
May 1, 2008 | Silicon Valley Events
Last night, Dick Henning got what he deserved! The founder and moderator of Celebrity Forum, an unsung hero for many of us in Silicon Valley, got a good dose of praise and recognition for his 40 years of bringing excellent speakers to the Bay Area to educate and delight us.
The audience rose to its feet in an enthusiastic standing ovation as Judy Miner, President of Foothill College preempted his usual punctual 8pm appearance and introduced the great man. She presented Dick with a special plaque as a “small token of appreciation for 40 years of leading Celebrity Forum with distinction and panache.”
The “panache” part is doubly apt as it recognizes Dick’s excellent style and also his lovely wife: Paulette, who is French.
I was thrilled to see the cover story I wrote about Dick for the Los Altos Town Crier projected on the enormous screen behind Dick. He actually looked rather overwhelmed for an instant, but gathered himself and with his usual humility said, “If you do something long enough, someone will eventually give you an award.”
There was great hilarity and then Dick smiled and thanked Judy and “all those involved in this nefarious deed.”
Then it was on with the show: Dick introduced Bill Frist, former senator, top surgeon and big fan of Al Gore. Frist told us all we wanted to know (and more!) about the dire state of US Health Care.
Afterwards, it was excellent to congratulate Dick in person at the Green Room reception; and finally meet Judy Miner who is even more sparkling in person than I’d anticipated. I also got the chance to thank the Editor Bruce Barton, Paul and Liz Nyberg (the publishers) for using my working title for the piece – a rare honor for this lowly writer. I look forward to interviewing Judy when I get my show up and running on Women’s Radio
![Maria Shriver inspires the moms]()
May 1, 2008 | Just for mothers, Silicon Valley Events, The Arts
On Tue evening, Maria Shriver was in town to promote her new book: Just Who Will You Be? and I was lucky enough to be invited to a private reception in Palo Alto at Books Inc.
I had several burning questions for her, but was most intrigued to explore the theme of losing your sense of self when you get married and have children. She had some great advice for women who’re married to high achieving husbands (the majority of us in Silicon Valley). She encourages us to ask each day: what am I going to do with my one WILD AND PRECIOUS LIFE? And points out that most men have no problem with finding their calling and going for it…
I was most impressed with Maria’s grace. Despite her stunning appearance, she comes over as “just another mom”: no fancy airs, no superiority – despite the secret service guy hovering around; and she has seemingly endless energy to chat (indulged me as I asked about the dire state of California’s schools -high on Arnie’s priority list she assures me- and breaking the poverty cycle). Maria was completely honest about the challenges of having career and family (On having to quit her high profile TV job in NY/DC: “I hate hate hated that”) and described exactly the same conflicts we all face attending evening events and finding time for yourself. Maria even admitted to hiding in her closet the night before just to do some centering and meditation before dinner…though I imagine her closet is about the size of our master bedrooms in Silicon Valley!
Many thanks to Jill, Beth and Tekla of The Silicon Valley mom bloggers group for organizing this event.
Check back soon for audio of the interview
Apr 22, 2008 | Green World
Last week, I was thrilled to be invited to KQED’s San Fransisco studio by Mark Trautwein to record a piece I’d written about my Earth Baby. My daughter was born on Earth Day, and every year it has me thinking more deeply about the significance of that day AND worrying what the future holds, given global warming and all its ramifications around the world. But I also have to work hard to focus on my daughter’s birthday celebrations and not get caught up in my usual guilt trip about not living more greenly.
If you’d like to listen to the Perspective about Earth babies pulling together for change, click here
