The Roving Reporter

From Hawaii to China to Champaign-Urbana

Posted by: Amy Reiter

Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:37 PM

The last couple days have reminded me how small the world is, in both happy and sad ways.

Two days ago I was on my honeymoon, enjoying a drink with an umbrella in it on a Hawaiian island. At the table next to me, the man next to me looked so familiar, just like a doctor at Carle Foundation Hospital. Weirdly like that guy. But I was in Hawaii on a random Monday night -- so it couldn't have been that guy, right?


I keep rudely staring until we leave for dinner. When I see him again at dinner, then at the airpost gift shop, I have to ask. Turns out, he is the Carle doctor. Small world.

Today I was talking with Chinese people living in Champaign-Urbana for a story for Thursday's News-Gazette about their efforts to raise money for earthquake victims. Though China feels far away from here, so many people here have connections to there.

One woman lost her father. Several had friends they worried about.

When I read international news, sometimes it can seem too far away to really affect life here. But Champaign-Urbana is an international community, and the last couple days have reminded me of that in so many ways. Certainly, it makes all the news from China that much closer to home.

Amy

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